Ray the Raychem Seal and Miss Piggy
Ray the Raychem Seal
Today I looked at two unrelated yet fascinating curiosities, the first of which is the first thing I’ve watched for the site that actually wasn’t created or run by Jim Henson at all but which is significant due to its performer, and the second of which features the debut of one of the most important characters in the entire Muppet canon.
We begin a short industrial video, much like the films Jim made for companies such as IBM, but this one was actually done by Dave Goelz, who is best known today for performing such beloved characters as Gonzo and Boober Fraggle. In my post on Jim’s 1974 appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, I discussed how Goelz originally became involved with the Henson Co., and how Jim initially hired him as a
Read MoreJim and Kermit Visit Johnny Carson
Kermit and Jim visit Johnny.
On January 23, 1974, Jim Henson and Kermit made an appearance on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, in order to plug The Muppets Valentine Show, the first Muppet Show pilot, which ABC aired as a special a week later on January 30th. More on that in another post, and how this pilot came to be, coming later today.
For now, however, just a quick recap of this visit to Johnny Carson. It starts off with Limbo: The Organized Mind, a recreation of the same sketch Jim brought to Carson in 1968. Here, however, rather than just the background projected footage, I was actually able to see the finished product, with Limbo’s floating face in front of it, which was fascinating but also quite creepy, as well, particularly the bit in which the eyes and mouth
Read MoreSesame St S4: Highlights #2
Today, I finish my coverage of Sesame Street Season 4 with a number of clips that I found via the show’s official YouTube channel. First off, another Martians clip, this time with our two intrepid explorers happening upon a grandfather clock:
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Off the Street
Flip greets Ernie and Bert.
Before continuing on with the fourth season of Sesame Street tomorrow, today I took a look at two guest appearances various characters from the show made in September and October of 1972, shortly before it began. The first, from Sept. 14th, is the Muppets’ 4th and final episode of The Flip Wilson Show. Whereas Big Bird, Oscar, Kermit, and some Anything Muppets visited Flip on previous occasions, Bert and Ernie show up this time around, and even reference a guest spot Flip had made on their show the previous year, although unfortunately I wasn’t able to track down that footage.
After a short prelude in which Bert is a bit nervous to perform, until Flip and then Ernie reassure him, and then Flip compliments Ernie on his
Read MoreJim Henson on Dick Cavett
Dick Cavett and his Muppet double.
After years of making appearances on nighttime variety and talk shows, Jim Henson and Co. had one of their most prominent spotlights on the November 25, 1971 Thanksgiving Day special edition of The Dick Cavett Show, in which Cavett hosted Jim, the Muppets, and by extension, the other puppeteers, for the entire 90-minute program.
And what probably struck me more than anything else while watching this episode was just how broad an artistic universe Jim had already brought to life by this point. Most of the classic Muppet Show characters are still yet to be created but, having watched all of the various elements up to this point being gradually assembled chronologically, it’s quite remarkable to
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