Sept 15-21 Mockumentary Week: “Ladies and gentlemen, by way of introduction, this is a film about trickery – and fraud. About lies. Tell it by the fireside, in a marketplace, or in a movie. Almost any story is almost certainly some kind of lie. But not this time. No, this is a promise. During the next hour, everything you hear from us is really *true* and based on solid facts.”

If you had asked me the names of the California Raisins before this, I couldn’t tell you. Now I know they are singer A.C. Arborman, drummer Beebop Arborman, guitarist and pianist Red Raisin and bassist Stamford “Stretch” Thompson. From their rise as the Vine-Yls to their fall and rise back, this will tell you their tale.

Did you know their version of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” hit #84 on Billboard? Or that the album from this has them cover songs like “Green Onions” and “Tears On My Pillow?” Or that Will Vinton made the sequel, The California Raisins Sell Out, which has them trying other genres of music?

This is directed by Barry Bruce and features a writing crew that would go on to do much more afterward. Mark Gustafson would co-direct Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, while Craig Bartlett would create Hey, Arnold!

Raisins weren’t doing well before this. This concept was created by advertising firm Foote, Cone & Belding for a 1986 Sun-Maid commercial on behalf of the California Raisin Advisory Board. Copywriter Seth Werner said, “We have tried everything but dancing raisins singing ‘I Heard It Through the Grapevine.'” It worked and surprised everyone.

The sad real story is that ad agencies are scummy. I know this. I once owned one. Herschell Gordon Lewis ran one.

The California Raisin Advisory Board ended when members of the grape farming industry learned that Foote, Cone & Belding was continually raising the price of producing these commercials, with all the profits going back to the agency as well. In fact, the ads cost double what the farmer made.

The Raisins trademarks and copyrights became the property of the state of California, and in somewhat of a happy ending, they were licensed to the new California Raisin Marketing Board. After mergers, Foote, Cone & Belding is now Draft FCB, one of the largest agencies worldwide.

You can watch this on YouTube.