SCOPITONE: You must see this to believe it

[Marc Chevalier]

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Matt Deckard introduced me to the wonder that was SCOPITONE. I still haven’t recovered. That’s right: those big, boxy 1960s jukeboxes with a movie screen attached. Slide into your favorite bar or cocktail lounge, drop in your change and stare at a ‘60s “video.” Marvel at the wackiness! Let your mind be blown! Watch all three of the videos; each has its own unique charm. (They really should show these contraptions on Mad Men.)





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[feltfan]

There's a guy here in the SF Bay Area who collects Scopitones.

Many years ago he had a screening- I think it was at the Roxie
in SF's Mission district. A whole night of them. Cool stuff.

 

[Matt Deckard]

There's no Wackiness Marc. Just genuine wholesome fun for the entire crowd huddling around the screen at the bar in Europe in the 60s.

I went to searching for Scopitones when MTV and VH1 stopped showing music videos.

Oh how I miss music videos.

I see your's and raise you Comic strip, Sado Maso and Bonnie and Clyde.

Click to believe \/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URr37OUyC6I



Amazing off the bat
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It gets good about a minute in. \/
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Let's write some music and see if Seth at Puzzle Pictures can help us out!

 

[Marc Chevalier]

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Every man, woman, child and family pet in our hemisphere must see Scopitones. "Bunnnnyyy aaannnd Claaaaaiiiiidddde...."




This one could keep a whole army of colonial Freudians busy:



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[Mysterious Mose]

Excellent stuff! I'm hooked! Thanks for posting.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Another convert. :eusa_clap


Whatever happened to Kid Burbank? He really had a way with pestles ...


Behold the mighty Scopitone 450 (presumably better than the Scopitone 449) ... and its less popular rival (despite Frankie Avalon), the Cinebox:

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[Senator Jack]

Before the internet, these were incredibly hard to come by, most of them nth generation copies on VHS. The original january Jones can be seen dancing in a few of them.

 

[dhermann1]

Can't see the videos here at work, but I'll check them out later.
But it does bring back . . . amusing . . . memories of Camp LeJeune, NC in 1967. Our base Enlisted Men's Club had one. there was one particular film, to the tune of "Here Comes My Baby, Here She Comes Now", that featured a lady who was so cantilevered as to defy gravity. She was very "big" among the marines of H&S Company.

 

["Skeet" McD]

Can't see the videos here at work, but I'll check them out later....But it does bring back . . . amusing . . . memories of Camp LeJeune, NC in 1967.

EXCELLENT call, DH...but then, you seem to know what you're dealing with

"Skeet"

 

[Matt Deckard]

I've always been impressed with how many of the Scopitones are a shot by shot visual translation of a song. Too often do modern musicians go for gimmicks to give you an ethereal idea of what they mean where as with a Scopitone, a snake is a snake. And when they mention it they show it to you so to confirm the fact. It's quite DEVO of the era.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I've always been impressed with how many of the Scopitones are a shot-by-shot visual translation of a song.

One exception: in the infamous "Watermelon Man" video, there aren't any (non-mammary) melons in sight.


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[Matt Deckard]

It's obvious by the video that the Scotsman and the women are hunting for Watermelon. Showing the actual discovery of watermelon in the hot hot jungle would have made for an easier video yes, so we have to accept this as an evolution to where they are eluding to the idea of watermelon presence without paying off with an actual shot of the product, putting all the focus on the man preparing their food after the hunt. Which I believe to be watermelon seeds.

 

[Mysterious Mose]

High boots, high hair, high voice.
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[Matt Deckard]

I know a gal that does all those dances.

 

[Mysterious Mose]

Cool! But no Emma Peel?

 

[Marc Chevalier]

High boots, high hair, high voice.

The inspiration for David Lynch's Eraserhead.


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[Carlisle Blues]

Fun!!!!!


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[scotrace]

Never heard of this. Another new fan created. I love bikini schlock!

 

[Mysterious Mose]

Karaoke!
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[Marc Chevalier]

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That one gives singers a lot more incentive than any modern karaoke video does ...


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