"Just You, Just Me"! Ken Shapiro, known best for proto- SNL / SCTV / MadTV skit comedy, had passed in 2017, starting as a child actor appearing with Milton Berle back in the 1950s! He wrote, produced and directed, and starred in a few skits (such as this one) in the cult classic 1974-released film, "The Groove Tube".
Before "The Groove Tube", you can see familiar skits from the short-running PBS comedy show, "The Great American Dream Machine" done a year prior.
Although Ken would be involved in a few more films with Chevy Chase (who stars in "The Groove Tube" with Ken) like "Modern Problems", Mr. Shapiro decided to retire early with the $28M gross he took in from his cult comedy film (I'm sure he took home less) and spend his final years in Las Cruces, NM.
As for this video, although I'm a kid from the suburbs, I visited NYC often in the 1970s as a kid - and these scenes are like yesterday. Since I'm not monetized, I'm not schlepping into NYC to do this properly, so you get the cheap seats with Google Maps as the comparison.
It will never look proper, because they used a fisheye lens on the movie camera for the film, so everything looks perspectively 'larger' than it really is. Even Google Maps has mucho distortion, but I did the best I could to match up the locations without a hotdog pushcart blocking everything.
The buildings all remain essentially the same - except for the obvious updates and change of ownerships. I believe all buildings may retain their 'names', but Colgate-Palmolive (I'm guessing) is the only corporation still in their original home building built for them.
Except for obvious technological changes (phones, updated cars, lighting, some building renovations that mainly changed storefront door positions), buildings have added ADA-compliance by removing steps on sidewalks and making room for ramps such as (The American Tobacco Building) shot - which was the hardest to match - since they've completely destroyed what was seen on film on the side street (the planter Dancing Man falls in), added handrails, reduced access by adding planters and bollards, etc. Oh, and less smokers!
But, you'll see essentially little has architecturally changed. All the buildings remain and the concrete designs are mostly still intact, matter of fact everything in 2020 looks FRESH, even though most of these buildings were still relatively new in 1974. My favorite is the First National City Bank Bldg - which still houses a Citibank. the Citi Tower (built around this time) is a block away on Lexington.
Interestingly, this video exposes monopolization and company failures. Westvaco was a milk carton mfg. company. Chemical Bank was bought by Chase Manhattan Bank which in turn became JPMorgan Chase. Exxon left NYC - and that side entrance seen when Ken 'kicks' used to be where you'd go to the Exxon Touring Service to get your free maps (like AAA). And TWA doesn't have a street-level office in the Racquet & Tennis Center building.
Look up Ken Shapiro on YouTube and see some of his other work. Too bad such talented guys stop sharing their skills publically - because of corporate limitations that made him give up.
