Synopsis

Set against a Depression-era California backdrop, Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson play "Mac and Jack," a pair of traveling entertainers and con men. They sell a supposed miracle potion, staging an arm-wrestling contest to convince a skeptical crowd of its power. After the scam succeeds, the partners give their earnings to an orphanage. The story then shifts to a saloon, where the duo perform as vaudeville-style singers and dancers before departing together in their wagon, continuing their colorful road-show adventure.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was filmed in October 1983 in and around Los Alamos, California, with the 1880 Union Hotel providing the saloon setting.

• Production reportedly cost around $500,000, making it an ambitious, short-film-style production for a pop single of the period.

• Linda McCartney appears as part of the staged arm-wrestling scam, while Michael Jackson's sister La Toya Jackson plays the woman associated with his character.

• The performers' characters are named "Mac and Jack," a playful combination of their first names.

• The video was built around vaudeville, traveling medicine shows, and old-fashioned American entertainment rather than a straightforward performance setup.

• During the shoot, Jackson visited the McCartneys at Sycamore Valley Ranch near Los Olivos and reportedly became interested in the property. He purchased it in 1988 and later renamed it Neverland Ranch.

• Paul McCartney was reportedly self-conscious about dancing alongside Jackson, whose reputation as a remarkably gifted dancer was already firmly established.

• The video helped establish "Say, Say, Say" as one of the era's most recognizable celebrity collaborations, presenting McCartney and Jackson as an intentionally mismatched but highly effective comedy team.