Porky8 and I were discussing the Monkeemobile today. I've heard George Barris say he built it but during the credits at the end of their TV show, credit goes to Dean Jeffries. George is one of my heros and a genuinely nice guy but we're both confused. I know somebody here knows the whole story........
Why don't you just call Dean and ask him, 323-851 5678, the light was still on the office/shop when I drove by about 20 minutes ago. I'm sure he might be able to give you an answer.
Jeffries built both screen used cars, the counter weighted wheelie car, and the "hero" car....the hero was left in austrailia after the bands tour there, and more recently was restored here in the states...Im unsureof the location of the stunt car, and there have been several clones built, to various degrees of success........Barris does indeed have a Monkee mobile over at the shop, but i'm unsure of its lineage
I remember Barris telling me when I was a kid that he built the Monkeymobile when I was looking right at it (well, one of them anyway). My gramps took me to the old shop when I was maybe 8 years old, and I remember seeing the Batmobile there too.
I read an interview with Dean in Motortrend Classic (I think) a year or two ago. When he was asked about his relationship with George he said something to the effect that he had a problem with people who take credit for other peoples work. I'm not sure if that was about the monkee mobile or not.
yea craftscustoms is right about the article heres the link: http://www.motortrend.com/classic/features/c12_0511_dean_jeffries_interview/index3.html
Your riight. When I used to do studio work, and be in the area I would always stop and check out The Landmaster. Didn't look quite as bitchin in person as it did on the screen but it is cool. Drove by there last Sunday and it's still sitting under the shed.
hasnt barris taken alot of credit for other rods and customs befor..or is it that it could have been built at barris customs BUT jeffries actually did the work..and just because it was at barris shop he takes credit?..im just asking?..if you listen to people closely (not just in the car world) but if they touch something in anyway..they buil't it or made it..or whatever...some people just want to be big shots...i met george 1 time and i got that feeling that he was one of those people...im not bad mouthing the man..i love his work but theres alot of people in this world have a problem saying...I... just my thoughts
I always thought this was the case. Didn't Jeffries work at Barris Customs at the time? Perhaps the car was built by Jeffries while he was working at Barris' shop? I know when I worked at a resto shop a few years ago, if someone asked my boss who restored a car, he'd say "I did" or "we did" and it always referred to the shop as a whole. I dont' think he ever meant to take credit from his employees, that's just the way people refer to the work of their shops. At least, I HOPE that's what happened, as it would be disappointing to know that Barris had nothing to do with the buildup if he is indeed taking credit. Also, usually there are several cars built for a TV show or movie, so referring to the Monkeemobile as one car might be like referring to the General Lee as one car, when it's really hundreds of cars. I don't know how many Monkeemobiles were built but there very well could be several.
Dean is the man... Dean is a quiet man. The same might not be said for Barris... I will say, however, Dean is the man...
a buddy of mine owns this car I saw it in person finally at the Cow Palace show in S.F. last month, it's really cool! CAB
Forgive any misspells--- As I understand it, Jeffries did, in fact, work at Barris and was given the helm on the two Monkee Mobiles. the first one was deemed unsafe for studio use as the Supercarger was functional and the rear end as welded into place on th frame which made it a bit squirrely. I saw a link a while back where a guy found, for sale, a Monkee mobile in (Dang where was it?) I want to say near Brazil or one of the Carabian Islands. It was reportedly/alegedly one of the two. Mr. Jefferies is also the father of the Green Hornet Lincoln (also built at Barris customs. Dean Jeffries' 34 Ford sedan (white w/ killer flames) is one of the best looking in my opinion, as well. It had been at the Peterson. I'll post a picture tomorrow unless someone beats me to it.
Below is a paragraph of an interview with Dick Dean in Rod & Custom Magazine... Dick left the Barris employ for nearly three years to build a five-seat Mercedes-Benz-styled Studebaker for Jack Ryan. The salary was enormous, and the design work was done by none other than Strother McMinn, Dick's former professor. Clearly, Dick had made a name for himself, if not with the show-going magazine-buying public, then with his peers in the custom car world. A case-in-point was when Dean Jeffries suggested that Dick should join forces with him to see what would happen. What happened was the "Manta Ray," "Monkee Mobile" and "Green Hornet Car," as well as many other cars for television. The collaboration lasted for two years, and at the end Dean went to work for Barris again and forty more cars were built. It's also of note that during the early-to-mid '60s, the original "Batmobile" was built, and it debuted along with the "Munster Koach" and "Grampa's Dragula." This trio became etched in the minds of young television viewers and their offspring, thanks to reruns.
Dean Jeffries, without a doubt, is the man that built the Monkee Mobile. As usual, George is taking credit for something he never did! I suggest that you call Dean, as dreadman suggests above, and talk directly to the man. you will get the straight skinny from him. And, you will get to talk to the man himself as he always answers his own phone and, generally, always has time to talk to people - no matter who they are. Dean is a genuine icon and a genuine good guy.
I tend to think like Squablow on this one -- Jefferies did most (if not all) the design work, but he was working for Barris at the time. If you build something for an employer it technically belongs to them, as you built it for your employer, not directly for the customer. If you invent something on company time in a company shop, the invention (and patent rights) belong to the company -- that's industry standard. Almost all companies give the inventor credit in the patent application for the company. Some companies, but not all, give bonuses for patentable inventions. A very few even give the meployee ownership of the patent -- but a liberal license agreement for the company goes with it. There's usually a clause that gives the company a certain amount of time to do something with the patent (5-10 years) before the employee can attempt marketing to someone else. Anyway, the point is if it was built at Barris' shop then he can take credit FOR THE SHOP even though Jefferies is the actual designer/builder. Depends on how Barris words taking credit. "It was built and designed by Barris Customs" would be correct, would it not?
To clarify. Whether the invention occurred while doing a "work for hire" or doing the work as an employee, under U.S. patent law the invention is owned by the actual inventor. By contractual arrangement, the inventor MAY be required to assign the rights to the employer, though. The inventor remains the owner, even in that case. Under the law, only the actual inventor can be named as the inventor when the patent application is filed...not the company. Regardless, if an employee builds a car in the course of his employment for a shop (let's call it "XYZ Customs"), it would be correct to say that XYZ Customs built the car AND it would be correct to say that the employee built the car, too. That doesn't appear to be the circumstances in this instance, though. It appears that Jeffries was NOT working for Barris when this car was built.
The Green Hornet car is a Chrysler Imperial but your correct Dean built two of them IIRC. Stu http://www.imperialclub.com/Yr/1966/BlackBeauty/index.htm
Somewhere I read that Barris acted as general contractor on many cars but actually farmed out a lot of work to other customizers. Since he held the contracts he could, in fact, take credit (or blame) for work performed by his sub-contractors. Whether the work was performed in-house or in another shop was irrelevant because of this.
At my little repair shop, I take credit/blame for every job that goes out. My customers actually think I fix every car. I do oversee every job, so I guess I can understand Barris' postion on this if he was the contractor. Gets confusin', don't it?
Rik, I'm astonished at parts of this story. It's a six-degrees-of-separation thing: - Jack Ryan was an inventor who made a fortune working for Mattel Toys. He invented the little record player that made talking toys possible, and a huge number of other toys. He took credit for the invention of Hot Wheels too, although Mattel founder Elliott Handler claims to have had the original idea. Jack was among Zsa Zsa Gabor's many husbands. - I used to see the "Mercebaker" at work frequently. Jack was apparently quite proud of it. - I am amazed to learn that MacMinn had a hand in it. He was an instructor of mine at Art Center too, and a very fine designer, but the car was kind of a turd. Decent workmanship, but an obvious crossbreed with a Mercedes grille and logos on a Studebaker Hawk with the top cut off. - A classmate of mine, also a student of Mac's, was Peter Stacy. Pete had a '59 or '60 Corvette that was nearly new, and he wanted it painted, so he took it to Dean Jeffries. Dean agreed to paint it (and it was gorgeous) partially in exchange for design services by Pete. Pete's contribution was that he mostly designed the Manta Ray, a fine piece of work. Jeffries has never publicly acknowledged Pete's contribution to the car. I guess what goes around, comes around. Peter Stacy went to work for Ford, where he designed a great Mustang-based concept car. I believe it was the first use of the "Mach 1" name, and was essentially a chopped '67 fastback with some racy detailing of the fuel filter, exhaust and stuff. He later started an aftermarket wheel company called Kinesis. Small, small world.
Boy do I feel stupid. Of course i's an Imperial! I knew that. It's that Virgil Exner design influenc that mussed me up. I think Jeffries liked his work, Blade fenders et.al. Thanks for setting me straight. I think I'll eat some humble pie. MMMMM! pie.
The Jalopy Journal
