The Picture Frame (aka The Bank Robbery)

Written by Jack Winter

Directed by James Frawley

Produced by Robert Rafelson&Bert Schneider

Songs: "Pleasant Valley Sunday" by Gerry Goffin&Carole King, "Randy Scouse Git" by Micky Dolenz

Guest Appearances

J.L.                                  Cliff Norton

                                        Harvey               Jonathan G. Harper

Sergeant                           Dort Clark

Vice President            Donald Foster

Lawyer                              Art Lewis

D.A.                         Henry Beckman

Judge                     Elizabeth Fraser

Cashier                         Joy Harmon

Cop                        Robert Michaels

Premiered on September 18, 1967

Summary

Mike, Davy and Micky enter Mammonth Studio, an old abandoned studio where two crooks, J.L. posing as a movie director and his sidekick Harvey persuade them to do a movie playing bank robbers and in seconds they're dressed in suits carrying tommy guns.  J.L. asks for photographs of them so Micky presents a baby picture of himself.  Since the crook Wants recent photos,  Micky quickly takes a picture of Mike and Davy with the two crooks using a camera on a tripod which J.L. tosses along with Micky's baby picture in the wastebasket.  Then J.L. sends the guys to the Ninth National Bank to do a robbery scene claiming the cameras are hidden and tosses them some sheets of lines to use.  He then gloats to Harvey of his scheme that either they get rich or if the Monkees get caught, they will go to jail for it.

The guys hold up the band while Davy flirts with the cashier in between.  After stealing about fifty grand, they return to the studio where Peter is now present.  He missed it all since he had gone to stage 1 at 2:00 instead of stage 2 at 1:00.  J.L. pays them each $100 and then tips off the cops.  Later, the police arrive outside their pad  and Peter thinks its about his overdue book to which he opens the door slowly and slides the book out.  When the cops still don't leave, they think they're still shooting the movie as the sergeant sends a nervous cop inside to arrest them. However, Micky thinks he's just a bad actor corrects his acting insisting he be more ruthless and sends him out try again.  Then the cop storms in again shooting up the apartment in blaze sending the guys to the floor.  At the police station, the cops are showing the film of the guys bank robbery who still think it’s just a movie.  In a fantasy sequence, Peter enters with popcorn for the movie, while Davy is being blocked up a kissing couple and Mike by a woman with a large hat.  Then the sergeant books them for armed robbery finally convincing the guys that it’s all real.  They try to explain to him that they thought they’re were shooting a movie but he doesn’t buy it and soon has the trio in the interrogation room to interrogate them which just leads to comical antics as they put on sunglasses when the lights are shining on them and literally change their tune, spill the beans, each get the third degree and have the book thrown at them but all end up being charged for armed robbery and jailed.  While in jail, Peter arrives bringing the guys some files (nail files!) and a lawyer.  Both Peter and the lawyer believe they’re guilty and the lawyer winds up charging them $40,000 plus carfare since they just robbed a bank and they decide they need another lawyer.

At the trial, Davy, Micky and Mike represent themselves and each take turns with cross examinations wearing disguises with Mike disguised as a juror until the prosecutor exposes him to the angry woman judge where upon Mike manages to win her over by flattery and roses.  Then Mike cross exams the vice president of the bank with nonsense questions and then Davy cross examines Micky in dragged disguised as his own mother.  Soon the guys are causing chaos in the court with their Monkees antics where Davy and Mike draped as hot dog and peanuts salesmen selling to the crowd and handling dynamite that ends up exploding in the prosecutor’s face leaving him practically in tears.  Meanwhile, Peter dressed in a Sherlock Holmes-cap carrying a magnifying glass, enters the studio searching for clues and is seen by Harvey taking a photo out of the wastebasket who informs J.L. over the phone.  Fearing that it’s the photo Micky took of them with Monkees earlier which would incriminate them, he heads over there.  Both J.L. and both he and Harvey try to get the photo from Peter which leads to a chase all over and outside the studio to the musical romp “Pleasant Valley Sunday” and ends with all of them in the courtroom. 

The other three’s hopes are dashed however, when the photo Peter has turns out to be the wrong one; it’s the baby picture of Micky that he gave to J.L. earlier and it looks like the two criminals are saved.  Then the judge is handed the picture, and is  so taken by the photo that she declares the guys innocent and they cheer in their triumph. 

This episode ends with the guys doing the rendition of “Randy Scouse Git”.

Trivia Notes

This was the first episode produced for its second season and nine days after

finishing producing their third album “Headquarters”.

This episode originally ended with Davy scolding Peter for using their $20,000

reward as bail money for J.L. and Harvey in which Peter claims they own 50%

of J.L. ‘s next movie.

The baby picture that was shown was that of Micky.

The late Cliff Norton(J.L.) starred in numerous TV shows including as recurring

role on HBO’s series “Dream On”.

Actor Henry Beckman(D.A.) appeared in another Monkees episode "The Monkee's

Paw" as the ruthless manager.

Actress Joy Harmon(Cashier) appeared in another Monkees epsisode "The Monkees

On The Wheel".  She also starred in few films including 1965 "The Village of The Giants"

and 1967 "Cool Hand Luke" as the car-washing Lucille.

This is the third of five episodes which feature the Monkees in gangster gear.

The lady with the hat blocking Mike’s view during the fantasy sequence at the

police station also appeared in the Monkees episode “The Monkees Blow Their

Minds”.