This is a music video excerpted, I believe, from the 1980 underground cult film, Forbidden Zone. The tune is "Pico and Sepulveda," as originally recorded in 1947 by "Felix Figueroa," which was reportedly a bogus name for some secret configuration of Freddy Martin's band. The record gained fame in the seventies when Dr. Demento featured it often on his popular radio program.
I've heard the song oodles of times but I was somehow unaware of the writer credits on it. The lyrics were penned by Eddie Maxwell, who was a writer and occasional performer with Spike Jones. The music, I was surprised to learn, was by Jule Styne. That's right: Jule Styne. The man who wrote the score for Gypsy, Funny Girl, Bells Are Ringing and so many more. He even wrote the music for Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol. How did I not know 'til now that he also wrote "Pico and Sepulveda?" (I don't know when he wrote it but Styne was a very prominent songwriter by 1947. The year before, he had a huge hit when Sinatra recorded, "Five Minutes More." In 1947, Doris Day introduced "It's Magic" in a movie, Sinatra introduced "Time After Time" and Styne and his main lyricist, Sammy Cahn, had their first Broadway hit with High Button Shoes, which introduced "Papa, Won't You Dance With Me?"
And to think: 1947 was also the year he had "Pico and Sepulveda" not climbing the charts…or at least, not climbing very far. Here's the tune itself…
