Not surprisingly there are a few less than the suggested '9,000 people' in the coffee shop, although the shots of their exit reveal perhaps a few more than might comfortably fit into such an establishment.

The namechecking in the script of the old man as 'Paul Revere' alludes to an heroic figure in American history. Wikipedia will serve you better on this subject than we could ever attempt here but, in short, he was a messenger during the American Revolution who made a midnight ride on horseback in April 1775 to warn of the British Army's movements - and who purportedly cried "The British are coming!" Despite the speaking role, the character isn't mentioned in the Head credits.

Note that the script doesn't feature the awkward scene which ensues, with the Monkees' attempting to enter the commissary at the exact point at which the occupants decide to leave (inevitably experiencing more than a little difficulty while doing so, as audible jibes from the evacuees like "I can't eat with these stinkin' kids around..." ring in their ears).

	Production photo

It's worth noting that although the entire scene is shot as an interior (ie on a fake coffee shop studio set built on one of the Columbia soundstages) the above production photo of the three Monkees and one departing Arab gunman suggests that at least some shots of the exodus were filmed at the exterior of the genuine Columbia studio commissary.

The scene alludes to, and sends up events which apparently did take place during the early days of the The Monkees TV series, with the group's long hair and general over-excitable demeanour inviting contempt, dismissal and occasional outright hostility from the more seasoned film and TV-makers. To that end, studio canteens would indeed empty at their presence.

It's possible that the sudden evacuation of the coffee shop has some conceptual connection to Micky's first lines in the desert sequence earlier - to wit, "My canteen is empty where once it was full...". The fact that the coffee shop has copious amounts of Coca Cola for sale should also perhaps not go unremarked...

"Would you like a pinch in the mouth?"

Note the description has Peter 'staring at the strawberry ice cream cone which has already begun to melt' - written as if we'd already been introduced to Peter and his ice cream and that this scene was some kind of follow on.

Peter is indeed still in his Arab gear - although you wouldn't guess it at first glance since, without the head-dress (which is placed unceremoniously on the table in front of him), it just resembles your average hippy garb.

	#8888 CHANGES Revised Page January 24, 1968 41 154 CONTINUED 154 MIKE Drinks on the house! He flips his coonskin cap toward the hat rack...it lands in the cream pies. WAITRESS Well, if it isn't God's gift to the eight year olds. MICKY Excuse yourself. MIKE And get out. DAVY You're to be replaced by a female. WAITRESS Why? Changing your image blondie?..while you're at it, have 'em write you some talent. MIKE Oh, that hurt. You drove the golden stake through his tiny little heart. 155 ANGLE - MICKY AND PETER 155 MICKY What's wrong with you? PETER What's wrong with you?? MICKY I asked you first. PETER I ordered this and I don't want it.

Mike does toss his coonskin hat away in Head but aims it towards the left of the camera. A cutaway of it landing in some cream pies may have been planned, although this is doubtful since his target is on the far end of the room from the counter (where such confectionery would traditionally be laid out).

The group's initial rebukes to the Waitress's opening insult don't appear in the film but something along the same lines was most likely filmed and then snipped - a slight jump-cut in the action at this point (Davy is suddenly facing the waitress) suggests a cut to tighten up the scene while an alternate line from Mike - "Just tryin' to please..." looks and sounds like it may have been dubbed on at a later date.

As mentioned on the previous page, the waitress' scripted reference to Davy as 'blondie' alludes to the fact that he was intended to wear a blonde wig for his violin-playing role. Although this wasn't mentioned in the script direction for the earlier violin scene it does get a nod in the recap later (see Changes - Page 44, Shot 171A).

In the absence of Davy's blondeness, the "Changing your image..?" observation becomes a more general observation of Davy's (and the others') character costumery.

Meanwhile, Davy's cut line "You're to be replaced by a female" opens up a few ponderances. In the movie the waitress is played quite knowingly as a hammy drag act - who is later de-wigged and revealed as a stuntman called 'Ace'. The resultant character is wittily namechecked in the Head credits as 'Mr. and Mrs. Ace'. He/she is played by T.C. Jones, a famous female impersonator of the day.

TC Jones' live LP. Check it out on Spotify.

	Production photo

All fine and good but since the 'Changes' script doesn't explicitly reference the character's transvestism, could the original plan have been to have the waitress initially played by a female actor, and to only introduce a substitute male stuntman character after she gets punched out by Peter (in other words as part of the whole behind-the-scenes façade-stripping which is the main function of the latter scene)?

If so then surely the irony of the waitress 'being replaced by a female' wouldn't have been lost on the production.

Perhaps more ironic though is the notion of Peter subsequently suffering so much moral anguish over "Hitting a girl...", given that a) he's actually done no such thing, and b) this will follow a scene in which his fellow Monkee Micky Dolenz is shown punching the unmistakably female Carol Doda in the face.

	#8888 CHANGES Revised Page January 24, 1968 42 155 CONTINUED: 155 MICKY Throw it away... PETER I can't. There are... MICKY Starving chinese... PETER This is serious... 156 ANGLE - COUNTER 156 MIKE I'd like a finger sandwich... Hold the mold. DAVY I'll have a glass of cold gravy With a hair in it. WAITRESS One of your own? Micky enters. WAITRESS         (to Micky) Still sending tribute to Ringo Starr? MICKY How would you like a pinch on the mouth? WAITRESS I'll think it over. MICKY Don't hurt yourself and while you do, grab me 12 soup crackers and a cup of mushrooms. Crisp. 157 ANGLE - PETER The cone melts. 157 158 ANGLE - CONE It melts. 158

	Production photo

Once again, the "I'd like a cold gravy with a hair in it please" / "One of your own?" exchange would have been given extra dimension if Davy had been wearing the required blonde wig. Come to think of it, so would the fact that T.C. Jones is wearing a blonde wig.

In Head, Micky remains seated with Peter during the glib "Ringo Starr" line, only approaching the counter for the comedy food-ordering. This switches the balance of power somewhat in terms of the baiting - with the waitress shown as the overall wind-up merchant. Note that the waitress's subsequent insult about throwing in "a side-order of mouthwash - on the house" isn't present in the 'Changes' script.

Peter's moral worries over his unwanted ice-cream sends up the real life Peter Tork's left-wing ideologies - very much the one member of the Monkees who'd attempt take a stance on global issues, usually contrary to the group's contract which specified that they should keep opinions on such weighty matters very much to themselves.

	#8888 CHANGES Revised Page January 24, 1968 43 159 ANGLE - COUNTER The food arrives 159 MICKY Let's get out of this night club. WAITRESS What about the food? MICKY Have it cleaned and burned. DAVY My compliments to the chef. MIKE Don't move. I want to forget you exactly as you are. He exits MICKY C'mon Peter. 160 ANGLE - PETER The cone melts. He shakes his head, "no!" 160 161 ANGLE - COUNTER Micky exits. Davy motions the waitress over secretly. 161 DAVY Seriously darlin', let's you and me go someplace where we won't run into each other. INT. BOXING ARENA - NIGHT 162 CU - DAVY'S FACE As a boxing glove enters the screen and smashes his head at 96 FPS. 162 163 CU - DAVY'S FACE Exact same shot as above only 48 FPS. 163 164 CU DAVY Same shot at NORMAL speed. This time, lens widens to reveal the ring and SONNY LISTON, as he walks around Davy for a moment then retreating to a neutral corner. Davy is on the mat, groggy. In b.g., the count down starts. 164 CUT TO:

A few lines were swapped over by the time of filming - Mike took "Have it cleaned and burned." while Davy took "Don't move. I want to forget you just as you are." Thus Davy delivers two insults to the waitress in a row - making it more understandable, dramatically, why - in Head (but, curiously, not in the original 'Changes' script), she slaps him hard across the face. Adding the latter violent rebuke does however emphasise the brilliant jump-cut transition from the canteen to the boxing scene which follows.

"Stay down!!"

	Ebony magazine photo, May 1968

Sonny Liston needed no character name in the script - although he is mysteriously given the name 'Extra' in the Head credits.

The boxing sequence was filmed at Los Angeles' Olympic Auditorium. An article in Ebony magazine from May 1968 throws up a couple of interesting facts, including that the shoot lasted three days and that Liston's fee was $5,000. It also mentions that Liston's trainer in the scene was played by Jimmy Cansino.

The edit doesn't follow the script directions to the letter as per the opening images of Davy face being punched by Liston. Although the first few shots are filmed in slow motion they're not the 'exact same shot' each time and mostly appear to have been shot at 48 FPS.

Although the script doesn't even allude to his presence until the end of the scene, Peter Tork is just about visible throughout the ensuing action, at the far-left corner of the ring, clearly acting as Davy's cornerman for the fight. Somewhat risibly however, despite the fact that he has a towel draped over his shoulder - and despite the murderous pounding his boy is taking - he makes no attempt throughout to throw it in...

The Monkees - Head - 'Changes'

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