Episode Trivia
- Originally aired Sept. 19th, 1966.
- Boyce and Hart's "Last Train To Clarksville" debuted in this episode. The next 2 episodes would feature the tune, and the prolonged TV exposure would help displace ? and The Mysterians' "96 Tears" to ensure "Last Train To Clarksville"'s status as the first #1 hit for The Monkees for 2 weeks (it was issued on the Colgems 66-1001 single on August 16, 1966, well ahead of time -- almost 4 weeks before the official NBC debut of The Monkees's TV series! -- to accurately time it for weekly network promotion.) Given, it's natural that it would also become the most frequently used song on The Monkees' TV series, with a record 7 episode appearances. Clips from the series' pilot film featuring The Monkees playing and singing on the merry-go-round in the Kiddieland amusement park can be seen in the romp that accompanies "Last Train To Clarksvile".
- "Monkee See, Monkee Die" is the first Monkees teleplay by Treva Silverman, who authored 3 more first-season shows (episode #12, "I've Got A Little Song Here"; episode #13, "One Man Shy [aka Peter And The Debutante]"; and episode #16, "Son Of A Gypsy"), and one second-season show (episode #33, "It's A Nice Place To Visit"). She later went on to contribute teleplays to the Mary Tyler Moore Show (CBS, 1970-77), for which she won 2 Emmy Awards in 1974!
- This episode also features Vincent Howard as Captain and George Perina as Policeman, neither of whom received credit. Vince Howard often played policemen, with some frequency along David Janssen, in several episodes of The Fugitive (ABC, 1963-67) as well as with Janssen in the October 3rd, 1979 CBS-TV movie The Golden Gate Murders. Howard also played police officers in The Barefoot Executive (Buena Vista, 1971) and on Emergency! (NBC, 1972-77) and Barnaby Jones (CBS, 1973-80). He also played a Preacher in the Danny Glover/Mel Gibson/Joe Pesci police romp Lethal Weapon 3 (Warner Bros., 1992).
- The character of Madame Roselle in "Monkee See, Monkee Die" is the first of several female villains on The Monkees TV series. More can be found in episode #5, "The Spy Who Came In From The Cool"; episode #7, "The Monkees In A Ghost Town"; episode #15, "Too Many Girls [aka "Davy And Fern"]; episode #16, "Son Of A Gypsy"; episode #24, "Monkees a la Mode"; episode #49, "The Monkees Watch Their Feet"; and episode #50, "The Monstrous Monkee Mash".
- In "Monkee See, Monkee Die"'s end credits, "Tomorrow's Gonna Be Another Day" was erroneously billed as "Tomorrow Is Another Day". The end credits of another Monkees episode to showcase "Tomorrow's Gonna Be Another Day", episode #7, "The Monkees In A Ghost Town", would finally get the name right! "Monkee See, Monkee Die"'s end credits and all further Yardley-sponsored NBC-TV telecasts of The Monkees sported the infamous Yardley Black Label insignia. This lasted until episode #19, "Find The Monkees [aka "The Audition"]"; after which, it was decided to scrap further plugs of Yardley Black Label Aftershave in favor of promoting new Yardley products (some clips seen in the "Last Train To Clarksville" romp in "Monkee See, Monkee Die" were also used in The Monkees' 28-second commercial for Yardley Black Label Aftershave).
- Also note the (telecast) debut appearance of Henry Corden as avaricious landlord Mr. Babbitt, who would be featured in 3 more episodes in The Monkees' first season: episode #8 "Don't Look A Gift Horse In The Mouth", episode #9 "The Chaperone", and episode #27 "Monkee Mother".
- Oliver MacGowan (McQuinney) and Lea Marmer (Mme. Roselle) also pop up in further episodes of The Monkees' first season: Marmer as Mrs. Smith in episode #28 "Monkees On The Line", and MacGowan as broadcasting tycoon J.J. Pontoon in episode #23 "Captain Crocodile". MacGowan is recognized by devotees of Star Trek (NBC, 1966-69) as a Caretaker in the episode "Shore Leave" (#6149-17, aired 12-29-69), and Marmer later protrayed Madame Tinkertoy, proprietress of The House Of Blue Lights in New Orleans, in Easy Rider (Columbia, 1969), which was funded mostly by Monkee money.
- In the end credits of the 1986 Colex sydicated edition of "Monkee See, Monkee Die", the guest cast listing is spaced far apart from each other and the caption "Musical Supervision DON KIRSHNER" is nowhere in sight (it could have been a native of the much convoluted CBS Saturday Afternoon run, as opposed to its original NBC airing).
- The Monkees are seen with their legendary eight-button long sleeved shirts (designed by the late Gene Ashman) for the first time in "Monkee See, Monkee Die". The shirts were inspired by the shirts John Wayne wore in many of his movies. Of course red is the shirts' most common color, but over the course of The Monkees' short run, they can be seen in a dazzling array of colors: white, gold, blue, and black. Also notice the black turtleneck shirts that the boys are wearing under their red 8-button shirts; they would be seen with them again in episode #5, "The Spy Who Came In From The Cool".
- First use of the line, "He/She/They're/It's gone!" is made in "Monkee See, Monkee Die". Further use of the line will be made in episode #19 "Find The Monkees (aka "The Audition")", episode #49 "The Monkees Watch Their Feet", episode #50 "Monstrous Monkee Mash", episode #53 "The Monkees Race Again (aka "Leave The Driving To Us")", and episode #58 "Mijacogeo (aka "The Frodis Caper")".
- Another popular line on The Monkees' series, "Don't do that!" first emanated in this episode as well, and it will be repeated in episode #14 "Dance, Monkee, Dance", episode #18 "I Was A Teenage Monster", episode #20 "Monkees in the Ring", episode #24 "Monkees A La Mode", episode #26 "Monkee Chow Mein", episode #27 "Monkee Mother", episode #28 "Monkees on the Line", episode #38 "I Was A 99 Pound Weakling", episode #50 "Monstrous Monkee Mash", and episode #57 "The Monkees Blow Their Minds".
- Random clips from this episode's second romp to "Tomorrow's Gonna Be Another Day" faeturing the boys traipsing about in monster masks and capes, skipping about a public fountain, and hamming it up as fur-coated trappers and Indians were recycled in episode #19 "Find The Monkees (aka "The Audition")", episode #30 "Monkees in Manhattan (aka "The Monkees Manhattan Style")", episode #36 "Monkee Mayor", and episode #50 "Monstrous Monkee Mash". Further snippets from this romp featuring The Monkees playing body croquet in orange sharkskin suits and a snarling, leaopardskin-clad David Jones beating his chest were adapted into the second season opening credit sequence for The Monkees.
- "Monkee See, Monkee Die"'s entry in Screen Gems Storylines reveals a detailed scene in which lawyer McQuinney arrives with the police and finds Ellie and The Monkees surrounded by the plotters fast asleep on the floor.
- General David Sarnoff is mentioned in a graphic while Micky is fixing the radio in this episode ("Did General Sarnoff really start like this?"). Sarnoff was one of the first people to see the full possibilities of using radio and television for entertainment. Early in his career, while working as a wireless operator in 1912, he picked up word that the Titanic was sinking and stayed at his post for 72 hours directing ships to the sinking ocean liner. Also worth noting is that Sarnoff became president of RCA Victor (at whose studios The Monkees and more recent stars like country beauty Martina McBride did all their recording) and also founded The National Broadcasting Company - which aired The Monkees TV show.
