"The Jukebox Man": An Original
Chicano Roots Screenplay
by Mark Guerrero
“The Jukebox Man”
is a screenplay written by Howard Reekie. It’s essentially
a story of a young Chicano musician, frustrated with performing
endlessly in the local LA scene who gets a gig in Mexico City.
There, he discovers his real cultural roots, in an aura of
mystery, fantasy and love.
The screenplay, having been first
inspired by my music,
contains seven of my songs. Howard would come and see me perform at
Jeremiah's in
Fountain Valley, California, in Orange County. I would
regularly perform a song I wrote called “Pre-Columbian Dream,” a song that Howard fell in love with. He approached me and said
that he’d like to write a screenplay based around this love song
set in the pyramids of Pre-Columbian Mexico, (Pre-Columbian
meaning before Columbus came to the so-called “new world.”)
Howard suggested we get together so he could interview me to get
ideas for the storyline. He wound up basing the story very
loosely on elements of my life, along with major elements of
fiction.
The lead
character, Mark Cusco, is a local musician, who makes his living
playing cover songs in clubs and restaurants with his Anglo
partner Billy. “Cover” musicians perform current and classic
rock songs, usually trying to play them like the original
recordings. They can soon become nothing more than human
jukeboxes, hence the title “The Jukebox Man.” Through a series
of unexpected and mythical-like events, he finds his roots and
begins writing his own songs inspired by his own culture. The
story takes place in the barrios of East Los Angeles, Orange
County, Arizona, and Mexico City. My music is interwoven into
the storyline. Some of the songs included are “Pre-Columbian
Dream,” “On the Boulevard,” “Orale!, and the title song,
“Jukebox Man.”
Howard Reekie
was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He has a Bachelor of Science
degree from Northwestern University, Illinois, followed by a
master’s program in Data Communications after moving to
California. He’s had a successful career as a screenwriter,
“script doctor,” producer, motion picture packager (budgets,
scheduling, marketing), and web designer. He and I are very
much interested in having the screenplay produced as a motion
picture.
Title Song
Lyric & Sound Byte Below
Jukebox Man
He’s been out on this circuit for God knows how
long
There’s no end in sight but he’s crankin’ out the songs
His brain’s like a computer, he keeps ‘em all on file
A record simulator to make the people smile
He’s a jukebox man, jukebox man
Sing those words to the letter
Make me feel better
Mr. jukebox man
He dreams of fame and fortune while he’s singin’
in a bar
He knows the odds are bad of ever bein’ a star
But music is his purpose and reason to survive
It helps maintain his sanity and keeps his hope alive
Jukebox man, jukebox man
Sing the old and the new
You know what to do
Mr. jukebox man
Jukebox man, do what you can
Make me remember all the good times I had
And carry me back to a faraway time
When I was younger and the music was fine so fine
He belts out all the greatest hits, the chestnuts
that they know
The songs we all grew up with, he puts on quite a show
At home his own creations sit silent on a shelf
A world of his own making but known to no one else
Jukebox man, jukebox man
He’ll go down singin’
The bells are ringin’
For the jukebox man
