Mary Wells

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Miscellaneous Media: Riverboat Ticket (1970s)

December 8, 2010 in Misc., Urban Studies | Permalink

Riverboat slogan: "Home of the Big Name Bands."

The Riverboat was a formerly famous New York City nightclub that’s name was an homage to Mark Twain. It was housed in the Empire State Building and was a big deal during the 1960s and 1970s, when Lüchows was still legendary and the Auto-Pub was on the radar. The ticket stub bears the Riverboat’s catchphrase: “Home of the Big Name Bands.”

The club’s fortunes had flagged by the ’60s but were revived by Latvian immigrant restaurateur Jan Mitchell, who brought in amazing acts like Count Basie. Mitchell was known for rescuing faded franchises and had previously reinvigorated Lüchows and Longchamps. He ultimately sold his holdings to the Riese Organization in 1967. That company’s taste in music wasn’t quite as good, as you can see in this excerpt about the Riverboat from the April 19, 1976 New York magazine:

“Beginning next Monday, the Riverboat, New York’s most opulent nightclub (in the Empire State Building) is commencing an ambitious 10 week presentation of the great names that have been away from New York too long.

Aside to the current ‘Tie & Jackets Set’ who were dubbed ‘hippies’ or ‘Rock freaks’ in the ’60s–Remember Mickey Dolenz of the Monkees, Mary Wells, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, Sam Sham & the Pharaohs?? They’ll all appear at the Riverboat in sequence. No increase in the incredible Riverboat ‘Nite on the Town’ deal of All You Can Drink, Steak, Dancing, plus a concert by these legendary Golden Oldies greats. It’s only $11.95 plus $2.50 music charge for the whole deal. And just in time for Prom season. Call Miss Foy at the Riverboat 736-6210 for the details.”

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New DVD: Art & Copy

May 16, 2010 in Film | Permalink

Ad exec Lee Clow has me wanting to buy an iPod.

When infamous murderer Gary Gilmore egged on his executioners with the phrase “Let’s do it,” he couldn’t have known he was helping a copywriter birth one of the most famous advertising campaigns in American history, Nike’s overwhelmingly successful “Just Do It” marketing blitz. When late ad exec Hal Riney struggled through an unhappy childhood in Washington state, he had no idea that his longing for an idyllic existence would someday provide images for Ronald Reagan’s “Morning in America” TV commercials. The origins of these ubiquitous images from our lives make up the crux of Doug Pray’s intriguing documentary, Art & Copy.

If you’re looking for a philippic about the evils of capitalism, you have to search elsewhere. Perhaps still reeling emotionally from his thorny family documentary, Surfwise, Pray doesn’t focus on the moral implications of advertising but rather the people who fuel the industry by dreaming up 30-second spots in which American Tourister luggage is thrown into a gorilla cage. All of advertising’s living legends are interviewed. George Lois, the Bronx-born genius behind everything from the brilliant Harold Hayes-era Esquire covers in the ’60s to the astoundingly successful “I Want My MTV!” campaign in the ’80s, bemoans the current crop of young ad people. But the beat goes on, as talking heads share interesting insights into their profession.

Considering that advertising has used dubious means to sell everything from cigarettes to fat-laden foods to politicians, there is definitely room for numerous docs that examine the dark side of the ad biz. At one point in the movie, industry legend Mary Wells matter-of-factly states, “I think you manufacture any feeling you want to manufacture.” Wells is simply stating a rule of the game, but the sentence exists equally as a cautionary tale. That’s especially true since even the most seasoned ad people are often surprised by the reach and power of their campaigns as they permeate through the culture in unexpected ways. (Available as a rental via Netflix and other outlets.)

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