? and The Mysterians: Punk Rock's Chicano Pioneers

Although their heyday only lasted around two years, ? and The Mysterians remain famous to this day. Their song "96 Tears" reached no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966 and has since become a rock standard, covered by everyone from Aretha Franklin to The Stranglers. What is more, they remain known as garage rock legends and punk rock pioneers.

The band that would become ? and The Mysterians was formed in 1962 by bass guitarist Larry Borjas, drummer Robert Martinez, and lead guitarist Bobby Balderama in Michigan. They were children of migrant farm workers who would go to Michigan each summer to pick the crops there and then go back to their homes in Texas. Many of the migrant farm workers would get jobs at General Motors in Saginaw, Michigan and settle there.

Initially, Larry Borjas, Robert Martinez, and Bobby Balderama were only a three-piece who played instrumentals such as those by Link Wray, The Ventures, and Duane Eddy. It was in 1964 that American rock music changed forever with the arrival of the British Invasion. The British groups were all self-contained, with the band not only performing songs, but writing them as well. And all of them emphasized vocals. They then decided they needed a singer. Robert Martinez then suggested his older brother Rudy Martinez, who was well-known as one of the best dancers around.

The band also decided they needed a name. They considered The Cadets and dressing in military-style outfits on stage. It was one day that Larry Borjas was watching the 1957 Japanese sci-fi movie The Mysterians on television. While the other band members were hesitant at first, they finally settled upon The Mysterians. Rudy Martinez would become ? after The Mysterians hired their first manager, David Torres. He had an idea that they could take up mysterious names, so that Bobby Balderama would be "X," Robert Martinez would be "Y," Larry Borjas would be "Z," and Rudy Martinez would be "?." Only one of the names would stick. Rudy Martinez would forever be ? or "Question Mark," and the band would become known as ? and The Mysterians.

? and The Mysterians would add one more member. The band hired a young, Bay City, Michigan keyboardist named Frank Rodriguez, whose work would prove to be pivotal on their hit "96 Tears." Unfortunately, both Larry Borjas and Robert Martinez were about to be drafted into the United States Army. The two of them decided to enlist to avoid being sent to Vietnam. What was left of ? and The Mysterians continued to practice. It was one day that Frank Rodriguez began playing an organ riff and ? began to singing along to it. Initially called "Too Many Teardrops," it became "96 Tears."

Eventually ? and The Mysterians went to a producer named Lilly Gonzales. She got them booked into a  recording studio and there they recorded "96 Tears" and "Midnight Hour." For the recording session Fernando Augilar of the band Rudy & The Reno bops filled in as the bassist. Frank Lugo was then hired as ? and The Mysterians' permanent bassist Pa-Go-Go Records and "Midnight Hour" was released as a single with "96 Tears" as its B-side on the independent Texas label Pa-Go-Go Records, which was owned in part by Lilly Gonzales's husband, Jose "Pato" Gonzales. Despite "Midnight Hour" being the A-side, ? was convinced that it was "96 Tears" that would be the hit and convinced the deejay at WSAM in Saginaw, Michigan to play "96 Tears."

"96 Tears" soon proved popular in Michigan, so much so that Pa-Go-Go Records could not keep up with the demand. ? and The Mysterians were signed by Cameo-Parkway. Cameo-Parkway released "96 Tears" nationwide and the song began a steady climb up the Billboard singles chart until it reached no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on October 29 1966. Although often cited as such, ? and The Mysterians were hardly one hit wonders. Their follow up to "96 Tears," "I Need Somebody," peaked at no. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100. Their single "Can't Get Enough of You, Baby"went to no. 56. "Girl (You Captivate Me" peaked at no. 96.

? and The Mysterians would release two albums in the Sixties. Their debut album, 96 Tears, reached no. 66 on the Billboard album chart. Sadly, their second album, Action, did not prove to be a success on the charts. Much of their second album's failure may have had to do with the decline of the Cameo-Parkway Records. By 1967 the label was experiencing severe financial problems. In fact, ? and The Mysterians' single "Do Something to Me" was the very last single ever released on the label. Cameo-Parkway Records folded only a month after the single's release. "Do Something to Me" bubbled under the Billboard Hot 100 at no. 110, but would prove to be a minor hit for Tommy James & The Shondells the following year, going to no. 38 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Following the collapse of Cameo-Parkway Records, ? and The Mysterians recorded for a succession of record labels: Capitol, Super-K, and Tangerine. The line-up of the band would also change over time. The band broke up in 1969, but reformed in the Seventies with a different line-up. The originals would re-unite. In the Nineties they re-recorded th songs on the album 96 Tears for a self-titled album and then re-recorded the songs on their album Action for the album More Action.

While ? and The Mysterians' recording success would be brief, the band would have a lasting impact. The band would influence garage bands to come, with many including "96 Tears" and even other ? and The Mysterians songs in their performances. As mentioned earlier, ? and The Mysterians are also continued pioneers of punk rock. Indeed, they were among the earliest bands to be described as "punk." What is the first known use of the term "punk rock" in the March 22 1970 issue of The Chicago Tribune in which The Fugs co-founder Ed Sanders described his first solo album's sound as "punk rock – redneck sentimentality." Creem used the terms "punk" and "punk rock" beginning in 1971. It was in May 1971 that music critic Dave Marsh described a performance by ? and The Mysterians in a club near Flint, Michigan as giving a "landmark exposition of punk rock." Some have even referred to "96 Tears" as "the first punk rock song."

In addition to pioneering punk rocks, ? and The Mysterians were also pioneers with regards to Mexican Americans in rock music. Ritchie Valens paved the way in the late Fifties.  There we also contemporary bands that included Chicano members. Sunny & The Sunglows had a no. 11  Billboard  hit with "Talk to Me, Talk to Me" in 1963. Sam the Sam of Sam the Sam and The Pharaohs was born Domingo Samudio. Like ? and The Mysterians, Cannibal and The Headhunters were composed entirely of Mexican Americans. They would have a hit with their version of "Land of a Thousand Dances," which reached no. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100. Alongside other Chicano artists of the Sixties, ? and The Mysterians paved the way for other Mexican American rock acts. Ultimately, ? and The Mysterians would have a lasting impact on rock music, particularly punk rock.

Making Change: The Most Significant Political Films of All Time on TCM Friday Nights from September 6 to November 1

Every Friday night from September 6 to November first on Turner Classic Movies is dedicated to the theme Making Change: The Most Significant Political Films of All Time. Ben Mankiewicz will talk with various politicians, journalists, movie critics, filmmakers, writers, and musicians exploring the historical context of each film and the message of each film, as well as their impact on society.

The films range from a  wide variety of genres, from war movies such as The Battle of Algiers (1966) to comedies such as The Great Dictator (1940) to documentaries such as Harlan County , U.S.A. (1976) to thrillers such as The Manchurian Candidate (1962). Turner Classic Movies is showing a number of truly great films, including Fail-Safe (1964), Battleship Potemkin (1925), Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), A Face in the Crowd (1957), Wag the Dog (1997), and Citizen Kane (1941). If I have only one complaint it's that some of my favourite movies are being shown really late at night (or early in the morning, if you prefer). As far as I am concerned, Salt of the Earth (1954), Battleship Potemkin (1925), Bicycle Thieves (1948), High and Low (1963), and The Manchurian Candidate (1962) are more deserving of being show in prime time than some of the movies that are.

Below are my picks for what to watch during Making Change: The Most Significant Political Films of All Time. Unless you are a night owl, you might have to set your DVR for some of them. All times are Central.

Friday, September 6:
9:15 PM All the King's Men (1949)
11:15 PM The Great Dictator (1940)

Saturday, September 7:
1:30 AM Fail-Safe (1964)
5:00 AM Salt of the Earth (1954)

Friday, September 13:
10:30 PM The Parallax View (1974)

Saturday, September 14:
3:30 AM Battle Potemkin (1925)

Friday, September 20:
7:00 PM Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
8:45 PM Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Saturday, September 21:
5:15 AM Bicycle Thieves (1948)

Friday, September 27:
7:00 PM Three Days of the Condor (1975)

Saturday, September 28:
2:45 AM Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Friday, October 4:
11:00 PM  I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)

Saturday, October 5:
4.15 AM High and Low (1963)

Friday, October 11:
7:00 PM A Face in the Crowd (1957)
9:15 PM Wag the Dog (1997)

Saturday, October 12:
4:00 AM Z (1969)
6:15 AM Night and Fog (1956)

Friday, October 18:
10:30 PM Lincoln (2012

Saturday, October 19:
1:15 AM Malcolm X (1992)

Friday, October 25:
7:00 PM All the President's Men (1976)
9:30 PM Citizen Kane (1941)

Friday, November 1:
9:30 PM The Candidate (1972)
11:30 PM Harlan County, U.S.A. (1976)

Saturday, November 2:
1:15 AM The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
3:00 AM Weekend (1967)

Replacing IMDB

The Internet Movie Database, better known as IMDB, traces its origins back to 1990 on Usenet. The web version of IMDB began in 1993. Since then it has become a resource often used by movie fans, bloggers, writers, and historians. Unfortunately, IMDB's usefulness as a resource for information about film and television may have decreased this year, at least with regard to the filmographies of actors, directors, and so on. It was last month that IMDB entirely did away with the Full Text (Credits Only) version of their Name Pages (the pages listing the credits of individual actors, directors, writers, editors, and other creatives), leaving only the unpopular redesign of the Names Pages introduced in December 2022. To say many IMDB contributors were unhappy would be an understatement.

The problem with the New Name Page is that it is more difficult to use than the old Full Credits (Text Only) Name Page. To wit, on the old Full Credits (Text Only) Name Page, if an actor appeared on a television show, all of the episodes in which they appeared would be listed beneath the show's title. On the New Name Page, beneath the show's title, it simply gives the number of episodes in which they appeared. One has to click on the number of episodes in which they appeared to see the specific episodes, and even then one has to go season by season. Sadly, this is not the only way in which the New Name Page is much less user-friendly than the old Full Credits (Text Only) Page. Because the New Name Page is so difficult to use, I can only think that many IMDB users will be seeking alternatives when it comes to looking up the credits of actors, writers, directors, and other creatives (for now, at least, IMDB is still useful when it comes to looking up movie and TV show credits).

Of course, one alternative to IMDB is positively ancient: books. In fact, a good biography of an actor would be much more detailed than their IMDB profile would be. As much as other classic film buffs and I love books, they do present a few problems. The biggest problem is that books can be expensive and one cannot always depend on them being available at their local library or on Hoopla (a streaming platform that has E-books, audiobooks, movies, et. al. available). As much as many of us would love to read every classic movie or television book out there, the fact is that it simply isn't feasible for most of us. Now one can access some books on Google Books, but it can be hit or miss. There may be no preview for a particular book or, if there is a preview, the pages one may want to read may not be part of the preview.

Another alternative for filmographies is Wikipedia. I have used Wikipedia for my last few eulogies on this blog. Of course, Wikipedia also presents some problems. First, Wikipedia can be hit and miss with regard to filmographies. Sometimes Wikipedia will have only a partial filmography available for an actor. Other times it might list an actor's film work, but not their television work. Sometimes there might not be much in the way of a filmography at all. Now I know some people will point out that one should always double-check the information on Wikipedia, and I must admit that is true, but then that is also the case with IMDB.

Another alternative to IMDB is The Movie Database. It was launched in 2008 to collect movie posters and has since become a rival to IMDB. The Movie Datable is where social cataloging service Letterboxed gets its information on movies. The problem with The Movie Database is that its actor, director, writer, et. al. profiles suffer the same problem that IMDB's New Name Page suffers from. That is, when an actor has appeared on a television show, it simply lists the number of episodes in which the actor appeared. One has to click on it to see which episodes the actor was in. That having been said, unlike IMDB, once one has done that, one can see every single episode of a TV show on which an actor has appeared.

Yet another alternative to IMDB is TCM's Database. It's probably best known for its entries on movies, but it also has entries on individual actors. The problem with the TCM Database is that it concentrates primarily on movies (whether they were theatrical or TV movies doesn't matter and often does not list television shows. Even though Robert Conrad is best known as Jim West on The Wild Wild West, it isn't listed on his profile in TCM's database. My dearest Vanessa Marquez is best known for the movie Stand and Deliver (1988) and the TV show ER, but neither ER nor any of the other television shows on which she appeared are listed.

There are a few other alternatives to IMDB out there, but most of them are unsatisfactory. TV Guide has profiles for actors, directors, editors, and so on, but those profiles often have two problems. The first is that their credits are not shown in chronological order, For example, the first credit on Vanessa's TV Guide profile is Twenty Bucks (1993), which was the fourth feature film in which she appeared. The other problem is that TV Guide's profiles can be hit or miss. Vanessa's profile does not list Wiseguy or Culture Clash, even though she had a recurring role on the former and was a regular cast member on the latter. Rotten Tomatoes is not satisfactory either. Vanessa's profile on Rotten Tomatoes lists only her work on television and none of her feature films. That's right, it does not even list Stand and Deliver, the movie for which she was most famous.

While there are many alternatives to IMDB, many of them have at least a few problems and a few simply are not usable in research. It would seem film and television buffs' only hope is that IMDB comes to its senses and replaces the New Name Page with the old Full Credits (Text Only) Name Page or someone develops a new alternative to IMDB that includes all of an actor, director, writer, or other creative's credits in a format that displays all of the information in an easy to read format.

John Aprea Passes On

John Aprea, who appeared in such movies as The Godfather Part II and starred on the shows The Montefuscos and Matt Houston,died on August 5 at age 83.

John Aprea was born on March 4 1941 in Englewood, New Jersey. For a time his family lived in Italy and then returned to New Jersey. He graduated from Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood, New Jersey. He attended Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, majoring in business. He left college after its dean wouldn't let him switch his major to political science. While working various jobs, John Aprea decided to try acting. He moved to New York City and later Los Angeles to pursue his career.

John Aprea made his movie debut in a small part as a killer in Bullitt (1978). He made his television in a guest appearance on That Girl. He appeared in the movies The Grahopper (1970) and The Dark Side of Tomorrow (1970). He guest starred on Mannix. In the Seventies he appeared in the movies Sweet Kill (1972), The Seven-Ups (1973), Caged Heat (1974), The Godfather Part II (1974), The Stepford Wives (1975), Crazy Mama (1975), and The Idolmaker (1980). He starred on the short-lived sitcom The Montefuscos. He guest starred on the shows The F.B.I., Kate McShane, The Rookies, Wonder Woman, Mrs. Columbo, and A Man Called Sloane.

In the Eighties he appeared in the mini-series The Gangster Chronicles. He played the regular role of Lt. Vince Novelli on the show Matt Houston. He had recurring roles on Falcon's Crest, Knot's Landing, Full House, and the daytime soap opera Another World.  He guest starred on the shows The Powers of Matthew Star, Three's a Crowd, Mike Hammer, Hardcastle and McCormick, Simon & Simon, Street Hawk, Stingray, The A-Team, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Fall Guy, Private Eye,, Tales from the Darkside, Father Dowling Mysteries, and Night Court. He appeared in the movies Comeback (1982), The Act (1983), American Anthem (1986), Picasso Tiger (1988), and Savage Beach (1989).

In the Nineties John Aprea had another recurring role on Another World as well as the daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives. and appeared again in his recurring role on Full House. He guest starred on the shows The Hat Squad, Dark Justice, Melrose Place, Saved by the Bell: The New Class, Silk Stalkings, Heaven Help Us, Renegade, Vengeance Unlimited, Pacific Blue, and The District. He appeared in the movies New Jack City (1991), Direct Hit (1994), Cyber Tracker (1994), To the Limit (1995), Sunset Park (1996), The Game (1997), My Brother Jack (1997), Deadly Ransom (1998), Dead Man on Campus (1998), and Brother (2000).

In the Naughts Mr. Aprea guest starred on the shows Philly, NYPD Blue, Cold Case (2009), and Lie to Me. He had a recurring role on the American telenovela American Heiress. He appeared in the movies The Streetsweeper (2002)  and The Manchurian Candidate (2004). In the Teens guest starred on the show CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Decker,and Drive Share. He had a recurring role on Fuller House. He appeared in the movies Dirty People (2012), After You (2013), Snapshot (2014), Sharkskin (2015), Steve D (2016), Dark Image (2017), Lost Angelas (2019), and Space Junk (2019). In the 2020s he had a recurring role on the TV series The Bay and appeared in the movie Cold (2021).

John Aprea was a fine actor. He played his share of gangsters, including a young Salvatore Tesslo in The Godfather Part II and he played historical mobster and co-founder of Murder, Inc. Albert Anastasia in the mini-series The Gangster Chronicles. At the same time he could roles on the side of the law, such as Lt. Novelli on Matt Houston and Sheriff Jack North . Throughout his career he played a variety of roles, including a doctor in Bullitt, and the manager of rock star in the A-Team episode "There Goes the Neighborhood," He leaves behind a career of fine performances.

The Late Great Phil Donahue

Phil Donahue, the longtime host of The Phil Donahue Show, died yesterday, August 18 2024, at the age of 88 following a long illness.

Phil Donahue was born on December 21 1935 in Cleveland, Ohio. He attended Our Lady of Angels Elementary School in Cleveland and then of St. Edward High School, an all-boys college preparatory Catholic private high school in Lakewood, Ohio.While still in college he he did early morning farm reports at WNDU-TV, in South Bend, Indiana, then an NBC affiliate owned by the University of Notre Dame. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with  a Bachelor of Business Administration degree.

After graduating from college, Phil Donahue got a job as a production assistant at KYW in Cleveland. At KYW he also temporarily replaced the announcer when the announcer was on vacation. After working at KYW, he moved to Alburquerque, New Mexico where he worked a bank teller. He eventually moved to Adrian, Michigan where he was the news director at the radio station WABJ. From there he went to WHIO in Dayton, Ohio, where he was the morning anchor. Some of his interviews there would be picked up by The CBS Evening News.

It was in 1963 that he began hosting the talk show Conversation Piece on the radio station WHIO (AM). Among the things that made Conversation Piece unique at the time is that people could actually call into the stations and ask interviewees questions, including such famous people as Martin Luther King Jr., Robert Kennedy, Ralph Nader, and Malcolm X.

The success of Conversation Piece would lead Phil Donahue to leave WHIO for WLWD in Dayton to host what was essentially a television version of his radio show, now titled The Phil Donahue Show. It debuted on November 7 1967. The Phil Donahue Show was filmed in front of a live audience, who would be allowed to ask questions of the guests on the show. Like Conversation Piece before it, people would call in ask questions of guests. The success of The Phil Donahue Show led to it entering national syndication in 1970. The Phil Donahue Show proved to be a success, inspiring many imitators. It ran for 29 years, the final episode airing on September 13 1996.

From 1979 to 1988 Phil Donahue was also a contributor to The Today Show on NBC. After The Phil Donahue Show ended, in 2002 he hosted the talk show Donahue on the cable channel MSNBC. Over the years he would be interviewed for several documentaries.

Phil Donahue also appeared as himself in several scripted televisions, including L.A.. Law, Blossom, The Bold and the Beautiful, Who's the Boss?, and Ellen. He was the voice of a caller to Frasier Crane's radio show on the sitcom Fraiser.

In May 1980 Phil Donahue married Marlo Thomas, who had been a guest on his show. The two of them hosted a podcast in 2021 titled Double Date with  Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue, on which they talked about success in marriage.

Phil Donahue was certainly a pioneer when it came to television talk shows, and the format of The Phil Donahue Show has been imitated over and over again through the years. Over the years The Phil Donahue Show addressed many controversial issues, including abortion, alcoholism, artificial insemination, homosexuality, pedophilia in the Catholic Church, and much more. What is more, The Phil Donahue Show, Phil Donahue never engaged in the high degree of sensationalism that many of his imitators would. The Phil Donahue Show revolutionized American television and inspired countless other talk shows. And while many of the talk shows that followed it were the bottom of the barrel in television, The Phil Donahue Show was always quality television.