Tales of the Gold Monkey

[Igor de LStok]

I've posted elsewhere looking for help tracing the shirts that Jake Cutter wears in "Tales of the Gold Monkey" and it got some interesting feedback so I thought I'd start a discussion thread on the programme itself.



There's no doubt that its popularity was based on the Indie phenomena, although Donald P. Bellisario is said to have pitched the Tales of the Gold Monkey concept to the networks in the very late 1970’s. Either way, it was a great addition to the revival of pulp, using the archtypes with respect rather than playing it for laughs. Certainly it had 'over the top' plots such as Ancient Egyptians & Amish settlers in the South Pacific and Nazis developing atomic bombs & Japanese infiltration of the Phillipines before WWII. It did it all with style though, capturing the flavour of the pre-war world in an exotic, south pacific world.

If you are looking for more information, your first port of call would have to be Patricia Annino's fan site where you can see screencaps and scripts of every episode, fanzines and comics (yes, there was one!).

Have fun with it!

Igor

[Blackthorn]

I really enjoyed that show during it's all too brief run.

[n11pilot]

I loved this show too. It had airplanes, guns, spies, beautiful women (One of whom was an exotic evil lovely), and a great bar/hotel. What was not to love?

It appealed to that integral part of all men that forever remains twelve years old. Its that part of us that whispers to our adult self,"Fly the plane, shoot the bad guys, save the girl."

[Blackthorn]

I loved this show too. It had airplanes, guns, spies, beautiful women (One of whom was an exotic evil lovely), and a great bar/hotel. What was not to love?

It appealed to that integral part of all men that forever remains twelve years old. Its that part of us that whispers to our adult self,"Fly the plane, shoot the bad guys, save the girl."

Exactly!!!

[Igor de LStok]

Someone mentioned in the other thread that they would love to fly the Goose? Unless you have a couple of million spare, the next best thing is to fly it virtually and in this respect we are lucky that there is a new version of the Grumman Goose available on XPlane with Cutters Goose colours! Checkout the main page for it and the gallery.



Igor

[Cousi]

I loved the show. To me it was the best of both worlds: Indiana Jones and Han Solo (ironic that they were both played by the same guy). I'd be interested in seeing if it is as much fun today as it was then. Some of those older shows just aren't as good as I remember.

[Igor de LStok]

I loved the show. To me it was the best of both worlds: Indiana Jones and Han Solo (ironic that they were both played by the same guy). I'd be interested in seeing if it is as much fun today as it was then. Some of those older shows just aren't as good as I remember.

It's true, a lot of our love for books, movies and TV shows of our youth is coloured by nostalgia - they were a part of a particular time in our lives and, sadly, "you can't get there from here".

On the other hand, this might have weathered better than other shows the same age. We were channel hopping the other night and my son stopped to wonder at Xanadu the movie - Gene Kelly was amazing and I've always had a soft spot for Olivia Newton John and ELO but frankly the years had not been kind to it - the hair, the fashions... the roller disco! Tales of The Gold Monkey on the other hand was a show that was portraying the past, so only the minimal special effects might possibly let it down.

I might dig out my old Beta > VHS > DVD recorded episodes and check them out on the weekend. We've got a holiday coming up and there are some clothes purchases I want to make in the lead up, otherwise I'd invest in the new DVD boxed set - I've heard good things of it!

Igor

[n11pilot]

I've heard a rumor that may just be true.

The story goes that in the 70s a liquor company was marketing a cocktail mixer called The Brass Monkey. I know this part is true because I had at the time seen the print ads in various magazines. The gist of the ads was a bar called the Brass Monkey with its signature named cocktail that seemed to be a hotbed of intrigue, espionage, smuggling and high adventure. The bar was in a far eastern tropical locale and the Japanese Kempi Tai provided some of the bad guys in the ad scenarios. I remember one line that went,"The owner of the Brass Monkey took off in the bar's battered seaplane."

The rumor is that these ads inspired Bellisario to make the series Tales of the Golden Monkey.



http://cocktails.gourmetrecipe.com/cock ... monkey_l69

[davidg]

Yep, I know what you mean about some of the shows being better "remembered" than re-seen. I watched a bunch of eps of Nightgallery a year or two ago, and while when I was a kid, I LOVED that show, I had forgotten that the really good episodes were few and far between.

[Cousi]

One that I've seen recently that really surprised me was Wild Wild West. My kids and I were at my sister-in-law's house and watching a few episodes with her husband and it really holds up well.

That DVD set looks tempting but until my finances improve, that's just not something I can budget for.

[n11pilot]

You guys talking about the show perhaps not being as good as we remember caused me to worry for a bit, just a bit. I went to YouTube and found a few teasers there for the show in question. I know that the teasers can be the best part of the show but still they really made me want to see whole episodes, so I guess they did their job. The point is that if the shows are half as good as we remember they are far better than 99% of the crud on TV today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoXdclfFNv0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ4yO2BBuBg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emiGxazDXRo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYMtdlcHCCU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyA03dOd ... re=related


Now, anyone know where I can get a fifty mission crush in desert tan?

[Indy Parise]

You guys talking about the show perhaps not being as good as we remember caused me to worry for a bit, just a bit. I went to YouTube and found a few teasers there for the show in question. I know that the teasers can be the best part of the show but still they really made me want to see whole episodes, so I guess they did their job. The point is that if the shows are half as good as we remember they are far better than 99% of the crud on TV today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoXdclfFNv0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ4yO2BBuBg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emiGxazDXRo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYMtdlcHCCU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyA03dOd ... re=related


Now, anyone know where I can get a fifty mission crush in desert tan?

I know of two places for a decent one, both of them rather pricey. The $50-$70 on most sites (like U.S. Wings) are mostly garbage, are way too tall (makes you look more like a South American dictator than a flyboy) and are more costume pieces than actual clothing.

http://www.diamondcapco.com/
This place is pretty reputable for making an as-close-to-real-life crusher as possible, but they cost a pretty penny.

http://www.wwiiimpressions.com/newusarmyoffodservicecap.html
Not quite as nice, but I've seen them in person and they get the look pretty well.

I have a U.S. Wings cap and have since retired it to the parts bin for future projects. I recently picked up a vintage green one on ebay for $60 so try checking them out (Enlisted caps are far cheaper than officers, as was mine, but it still get's the look. I just popped on the officer cap badge from my U.S. Wings cap)

[DLFerguson]

Much as I liked TALES OF THE GOLD MONKEY, I was a much bigger fan of BRING 'EM BACK ALIVE on CBS. Bruce Boxleitner starred as the real life big game hunter/adventurer Frank Buck.
And the Disney animated series TALE SPIN is regarded as pretty much being a remake of GOLD MONKEY.

[n11pilot]

Much as I liked TALES OF THE GOLD MONKEY, I was a much bigger fan of BRING 'EM BACK ALIVE on CBS. Bruce Boxleitner starred as the real life big game hunter/adventurer Frank Buck.
And the Disney animated series TALE SPIN is regarded as pretty much being a remake of GOLD MONKEY.

But with a bear that still sounded like Phil Harris.

[n11pilot]

You guys talking about the show perhaps not being as good as we remember caused me to worry for a bit, just a bit. I went to YouTube and found a few teasers there for the show in question. I know that the teasers can be the best part of the show but still they really made me want to see whole episodes, so I guess they did their job. The point is that if the shows are half as good as we remember they are far better than 99% of the crud on TV today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoXdclfFNv0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ4yO2BBuBg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emiGxazDXRo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYMtdlcHCCU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyA03dOd ... re=related


Now, anyone know where I can get a fifty mission crush in desert tan?

I know of two places for a decent one, both of them rather pricey. The $50-$70 on most sites (like U.S. Wings) are mostly garbage, are way too tall (makes you look more like a South American dictator than a flyboy) and are more costume pieces than actual clothing.

http://www.diamondcapco.com/
This place is pretty reputable for making an as-close-to-real-life crusher as possible, but they cost a pretty penny.

http://www.wwiiimpressions.com/newusarmyoffodservicecap.html
Not quite as nice, but I've seen them in person and they get the look pretty well.

I have a U.S. Wings cap and have since retired it to the parts bin for future projects. I recently picked up a vintage green one on ebay for $60 so try checking them out (Enlisted caps are far cheaper than officers, as was mine, but it still get's the look. I just popped on the officer cap badge from my U.S. Wings cap)

540302_10150625542311302_710316301_9735525_1356402625_n.jpg

Wow! I was just halfway kidding but since they are indeed available......

Thanks Indy Parise for the tip. That cap looks good on ya.