The Chaperone

Written by Gerald Gardner& Dee Caruso

Directed by Bruce Kessler

Produced by Robert Rafelson& Bert Schneider

Songs: “This Doesn’t Seem To Be My Day” by Tommy Boyce& Bobby Hart,“Take A Giant Step” by Gerry Goffin& Carole King,“You Just May Be The One” by Michael Nesmith

Guest Appearences

Mr. Babbitt                  Henry Corden

Leslie                      Sherry Alberoni

Cynthia                       Judy Murdock

Mrs. Weefers             Diana Chesney

Mr. Vandenburg          Arch Johnson

Premiered on November 7, 1966

Summary

Davy has fallen for the daughter of retired Army General Harley Vandenberg named Leslie and approaches her while she’s sitting on her front porch disguised as an employee of a TV polling service in an attempt to talk to her while the other three are watching with binoculars behind some bushes.  However she is soon ordered inside by her father as Davy is lovestruck. 

Davy makes more attempts to see her, disguised as a magazine subscription salesman then with Micky as bomb shelter inspectors but both fail since he can’t get past her strict father.  Leslie’s friend Cynthia who is staying over tells Davy from a bedroom window that Leslie’s father is so strict that he runs the house like an army and will only allow her to go out to attend chaperone parties.  Back at the pad, Micky calls Mr. Vandenberg on the phone and disguising his voice claims to be an old army friend of his Col. “Dodo” Dolenz who’s son Micky is having a party and invites Leslie and her friend promising there will be a chaperone and he agrees.  Later to the musical romp of “This Doesn’t Seem To Be My Day” the guys attempt with difficulty to decorate the pad on motorbikes but managed to succeed.  Next, they need to find a chaperone and first contact their landlord Mr. Babbitt who accepts but they soon reject when him when he charges them for his service.  Then Mrs. Weefers, their cleaning lady who comes on a second Tuesday every month shows up and they pick her as the chaperone.  Soon the Monkees are coaching her on how to act proper by playing Professor Higgins to her Eliza Doolittle but she spikes the punch with liquor behind their backs and when the guests arrive they find Mrs. Weefers passed out drunk upstairs and are unable to revive her.  With Mike, Davy and Peter downstairs stalling Mr. Vandenberg who won’t let Leslie and Cynthia go in unless there’s a chaperone, Micky now dressed in drag arrives and Mike introduces him as their chaperone Mrs. Arcadian. 

The former general is instantly smitten at the sight of “Mrs. Arcadian” that he decides to stay and spends most of time pursuing Micky to his dismay.  While Peter tries to chat up a girl who claims she prefers a man to sweep her off her feet in which Tarzan swinging on a vine soon carries her off!(He gets lots of girls that way).  To avoid Mr. Vandenberg, Micky suggest the guys sing and soon they are perform-ing the song “Take a Giant Step” as partiers dance away including Tarzan and Mr. Clean!  After the song, Micky has more worries when Mr. Babbitt shows up bringing pretzels and becomes smitten with him too.  When Leslie comments on Mrs. Arcadian being a strange woman, Davy confesses to her the truth which is over-heard by an irate Mr. Vandenberg who then in using military tactics marches the Monkees, Leslie and Cynthia too one corner then turns off the music and marches  all the guests out the door.  He shocks everyone when he states that Mrs. Arcadian has consented to be his wife just before he pulls off Micky’s wig and expresses his outrage but Leslie interrupts accusing his too overprotectiveness of Davy’s extreme measures to see her.  Then Davy explains that he only wants to date his daughter and the strict father gives in.

The next day, Leslie explains to Davy that her father won’t give her chaperones anymore and seems to have a lot confidence in her now while a distressed Davy is up a tree chased there by Leslie’s huge dog.  While Mike, Micky with Cynthia and the girl Peter tried to talk to at the party watch on in amusement, Mike questions Peter’s whereabouts when suddenly Peter dressed in a Tarzan costume in an attempt to impress the girl appears swinging on a vine and ends up in the fountain. 

The show ends with the guys doing the number “You Just May Be The One” while showing brief footage of the guys in scuba diving outfits playing around in the fountain.

Trivia Notes

Actor Arch Johnson(Mr. Vandenberg) appeared with Davy Jones on the

Oct. 23, 1970 episode of “Love American Style” titled “Love And The Elopement”

Actress Sherry Alberoni used to be a Mouseketeer.  She would later provide voices

for Hanna-Barbera's cartoons including the voice of Alexandra Cabot in "Josie And

The Pussycats" and Wendy Harris in "The Superfriends."  She also starred in the

1977 movie "Sisters of Death" along with Roxanne Albee who briefly dated Micky.

Actress June Fairchild who has an uncredited role as a party guest appeared in

the Monkees film "Head" portraying the jumper.

On the CBS February 21, 1970 repeat on this episode, the song “This Doesn’t

Seem To Be My Day” was replaced with Micky Dolenz’s “Midnight Train” from

the Monkees LP “Changes”.  This version of the episode is used in syndication

to this day.

The song “You Just May Be The One” isn’t added in the end credits.

The scenes from this episode of Micky slidng down the bannister and

and landing face first intot he big cake Mike's holding and Peter swinging from

a vine was used as footage for the first season's opening credits.

The week after finishing filming this episode, the Mokees would finish sessions

of their first album and begin recording their second LP "More of The Monkees".