Van Dyke Parks....?


I assume the character called "Samuel Pierce" is meant to be Van Dyke Parks? It has to be really as there is no mention of him throughout the film and he's the only one that both looks and acts like Van Dyke... Still, a bit weird why they didn't use his name!

Also, if anyone liked this film, you should definately read Brian Wilson's autobiography "Wouldn't It Be Nice", it's amazing!

reply

Yes, indeed, the Sam charcter was intended to be Van Dyke Parks. To the best of my understanding the reason why his name was changed at the last minute was because that the characterization of Parks in the movie didn't seem like Van Dyke Parks enough that there could be legalities involved, thus the changing of the name to Sam. Parks was not quite that far out it seems. Also, to the best of my knowledge, the Tommy Shaffer charcter may have been loosely based on that Of Loren Schwartz.

Getting back to Van Dyke Parks--- I would have to say that while he seems to be a rather decent and intelligent and talented guy (again, not quite like the Sam character) he was not a real good fit for Brian or the Beach Boys. I guess that's just my opinion but I don't feel that his lyrics (while at times rather regal and elouquent) were conducive to a Beach Boys album. To the best of my knowledge---the scene where Mike Love confronts Sam in the film about the meaning of the lyrics is pretty much accurate. Mike really did confront Van Dyke over his work and its meaning. I say Mike was right to do so.

As for the "Wouldn't It Be Nice" work--- I have never read it but it has been so villified and panned by BB fans over the years as little more than a work of fiction propagated by Eugene Landy that it is to the best of my knowledge out of print today.

reply

Ahhh right, that makes sense I guess. Thanks for solving my problem anyhow! I must admit that a majority of Beach Boys songs that include Parks' name in the writing credits I do enjoy, but that particular scene where Love does confront him about the lyrics, he was probably right to do so. After all, Love was probably just looking out for what was best for him and his band.

I am certainly in the minority as regards to my opinion of "Wouldn't It Be Nice", and admittedly, Eugene Landy does come across as an almost messianic figure. Still, I found it an interesting read. It'd be intriguing to see what kind of autobiography the substantially more mentally stable (I think!) Brian Wilson of today would write, given that a fair few major things have happened since "Wouldn't It Be Nice" was released.

reply

I remember watching this movie when it premiered on ABC around 7 years ago. In fact, I taped the movie at the time and I am certain that originally the name Van Dyke was used in the movie. Today I caught part of it on a movie channel and noticed they had edited it so he is called Sam. Not sure why it was changed after the initial premier, but they also cut out a few seconds of the scene right after Tommy gives Brian the LSD or whatever it was. Initially they show Brian coming into the room frantically telling Marilyn there's a spider on his face.

reply

Yep I have the Emmy consideration tape and Van Dyke is named. Weird.

Licensed to kill gophers by the government of the United Nations.

reply

"After all, Love was probably just looking out for what was best for him and his band."

Just the best for him in my opinion. He was just angry that he used to ALWAYS write with Brian and then all of a sudden you had Pet Sounds (with most songs written by Asher) and SMiLE (most songs written by VDP).. I mean people sometimes say "Gee, Mike was right because I don't like VDP's lyrics"... but why then, did Mike not complain about releasing Heroes And Villains, Wonderful, Wind Chimes & Vegetables... And then VDP also co-wrote the lyrics to She's Goin' Bald (which was a new song).. and then of course on later albums there was the release of Cabinessence (which Mike REALLY hated some of the lyrics) and Surf's Up (again he hated some of the lyrics).. Mike might not admit it (I think he has on occasions) but he was smoking pot etc.. around Smiley Smile.. Mike just wanted to have a hand in writing most of the Beach Boys songs.. He wanted to work with Brian (I don't blame him to be honest - who wouldn't want to work with a musical genius?)

reply

VDP was most definitely named in the original motion picture. I have the original airing on tape, and when I saw this question, I popped it in to verify my statement.

I could be mistaken, but didn't VDP pass on a couple of years ago? If so, it's possible that the executor of his estate had orders to change the name so as not to defame the character of a dead man.

I am a dyed-in-the-wool Beach Boys fan, and VDP's influence on Brian, for the most part, I think ruined the Beach Boys. Yes he did help Brian write a few classic songs, but he had more than his share clunkers too.

reply

First of all, Van Dyke is alive and well...certainly not dead.

Second, Van Dyke's influence on Brian pushed Brian to do some of the most creative work of his career. I don't know which "clunkers" you speak of but I really don't think you can boil songs like "Surf's Up", "Heroes and Villains", "Wonderful", "Wind Chimes" and several others to just "a few classic songs".

The Pet Sounds/Smile period was Brian's peak as an artist, and Van Dyke was instrumental (pardon the pun) in bringing out the best of Brian. Brian and Van Dyke were creating songs that would have brought more respect to the Beach Boys than they had ever enjoyed before.

If anything ruined the Beach Boys, it was Brian's mental illness and Mike's seeming distain for artistic progress.

reply

Correct -- VDP is very much alive; the prior poster might have confused Carson Parks, Van's brother, who did indeed die a couple of years ago.

From what I heard, the reason the name changed to "Sam" in repeat showings is because VDP put up a big stink about how the character was portrayed.

reply

Yep, Mr Parks is very much alive. In fact, a couple of years ago (actually six years now) Brian reached out to him when he decided to finish the SMiLE album he and VDP were working on back in 1967.

Its all on the documentary "Beautiful Dreamer". A must see for any Brian Wilson Fan. It was very touching how they seemed to pick up where they left off 37 years prior and it was another step Brian took to fully heal after his nervous breakdown so many years ago.

reply

I don't know how much he wanted to work with Brian, or how much it was that he wanted Brian to change the direction he was going into and get back to writing the happy, rocking surf and car songs that made them so successful in the past.

And in the early days, Brian also co-wrote with Roger Christian (I think his name was?) who was the car expert. Just wanted to add that in!

reply

The version of the movie I have does refer to the character as "Van Dyke". One example of this is when Brian begins having the "hanger-ons" at his house and Mike Love and Bruce Johnston come to his house and Brian introduces Mike Love to him by saying, "Mike, have you met Van Dyke?" Then tells Van Dyke, "This is my cousin Mike Love" and Van Dyke says "I have a saying about cousins...it's ok to invite one into your house...."

As I recall there is also a reference to the name of Sam as being what Van Dyke calls himself during that period in history. I need to re-watch the movie to find where this happens in the movie.

As for "Wouldn't it be Nice", it is an interesting book if you read it with the understanding it is as much fiction as it is fact, and was supposedly ghost written in large by Landy in any case. It's entertaining, but take none of it as gospel.

Shane F.

reply

I saw the same version.

reply

"Also, to the best of my knowledge, the Tommy Shaffer charcter may have been loosely based on that Of Loren Schwartz."

Isn't Tommy Shaffer just a renaming of Tony Asher? If I recall correctly that fits with other accounts where it is through Tony Asher that Brian meets a lot of the people he hangs out with during pet sounds and smile.

reply

I just re-watched this movie and the portrayal of VDP is probably the worst part of it. He's completely demonized and is portrayed to be a pseudo-intellectual dink. It mostly comes from the fact that the attempt to write lines the way Van Dyke talks completely fails. The real Van Dyke, in casual speech, says some incredibly brilliant and poetic things. It's also a travesty they changed the line Mike Love had an issue with from "over and over the crow cries uncover the cornfield" to something about some guy named Geronimo. So dumb and ridiculous. They also portray Van Dyke and Brian becoming friends a lot earlier than they did in real life, and show Van Dyke as being one of the people who introduced Brian to psychedelics which isn't the case. Part 1 of the movie is decent for it being a made for TV movie, but part 2 is just a terrible portrayal that didn't really acknowledge the brilliance of some of the stuff being made during that time. THey make Brian out to be a kook who was out of his mind doing stupid things, when in reality he was out of his mind doing brilliant things..

reply

I just watched the movie last night on HDNet on demand, I was wondering too why Van Dyke Parks was referred to as Samuel. Maybe it did have something to do with the way he was portrayed, he was grouped in with all the "hangers-on" that were taking advantage of Brian and practically living at his house. The movie certainly managed to show the Smile sessions as completely shambolic, if it was that crazy it's not surprising it was put to rest for so long...

reply

[deleted]

FWIW, I happened to flip past this movie on VH1 Classic this evening and the version they are showing has gone back to calling "Sam", Van Dyke Parks. Mr. Parks is still alive and kicking so, if there was a legal issue requiring them to to change the name for a time, it has been resolved.

reply