At any time when I attend a particular presentation on the Museum of the Transferring Picture by the Jim Henson Legacy, my hope is to see a minimum of one clip I’ve by no means seen earlier than. Effectively, the percentages have been in my favor this weekend, as a result of this month’s occasion, “Contained in the Henson Vault,” promised materials by no means publicly screened earlier than, and certain sufficient, quite a lot of it was stuff I had by no means seen and even heard of.
The afternoon was hosted by Henson Legacy President Craig Shemin, who definitely is aware of his manner across the “vault.” I put that in quotes as a result of Craig made it very clear we weren’t really going into any Henson vault, only a metaphorical one. The occasion actually ought to have been known as “Craig Shemin’s Muppet Enjoyable-Time Jamboree Contained in the Redstone Theater Contained in the Museum of the Transferring Picture,” however that in all probability wouldn’t match on the ticket.
The occasion actually turned out to be an enormous tribute to a little-known arm of the Henson Legacy – the JHC Video Library, which was developed in 2002 as a manner of preserving Jim’s movie and video works in a single place. Since then, the Library has expanded with the cooperation and contributions of many various corporations, estates, organizations, and different sources specializing in preserving older media, ensuring the Legacy has copies of attention-grabbing issues just like the clips we noticed that day.
This system kicked off with a minor detour into the Ryan Dillon Assortment (visually represented by the vault from Raiders of the Misplaced Ark). You understand Ryan Dillon, proper? He performs Felix the Rooster on Sesame Road! However Ryan, like us, is a fan and a collector, and bought some uncommon Henson movies off of eBay that the Henson Legacy assortment was lacking, and he made certain they acquired copies. What a mensch!
First up was a number of minutes of the 1969 IBM movie “Rowlf-In,” a send-up of Rowan and Martin’s Chortle-In the place all of the jokes are about typewriters. Earlier than displaying the movie, Craig introduced some temporary highlights from Chortle-In which can be immediately spoofed within the piece, and outlined varied IBM phrases so the viewers knew what the heck was happening. Regardless of being fairly inside baseball, some jokes have been simply broad sufficient that the museum crowd might snigger at them. You may watch the total 25-minute model on YouTube!
Ryan’s assortment additionally included a 1969 commercial for Dash Chocolate Wafers (which you may acknowledge at the moment as a Package-Kat bar), starring a bunch of random humanoid Muppets (together with guys we’d later name Man Smiley and Grump).
Now got here the “Henson Vault” half, first showcasing materials originating from the Henson archive. One other Nineteen Sixties IBM movie was proven the place Rowlf, the one one left in his workplace, solutions a name to restore a typewriter within the information processing division. Whereas he does a poor job (utilizing Scotch tape and such), he overhears two employees speaking in varied information processing jargon, one in every of whom was performed by Jerry Juhl! Like seeing that man! Rowlf tries to slot in and spouts some jargon again at them of what information to enter, which causes every thing to blow up. Whoopsies!
Subsequent was one thing I’d by no means heard of – an incomplete proposal movie for use in a World’s Truthful-type exposition in Miami known as Interama. The plan was to have a presentation by the Muppets that built-in movie and dwell parts. Rowlf would seem dwell within the venue whereas interacting with a movie introducing the idea of Muppets, a few of their characters, and Jim Henson. Oh, and Splurge was there too! It’s wild that it’s 2025 and we’re nonetheless studying about new/previous, wacky Jim ventures.
A collection of uncommon commercials adopted subsequent. These included Rowlf inventing a machine that produced Esskay meats, Scoop and Skip in a collection of adverts for each Briggs Meat Weiners and Wilson’s Meats, the misadventures of the Southern Colonel for Southern Bread, and a quick PSA on wholesome consuming for the Advert Council starring the Cookie Monster. Whoops, sorry, I imply the Veggie Monster.
Criag now shifted to showcasing materials acquired from these previously-mentioned exterior sources. He made certain to credit score the unique sources of all the fabric from right here on, and we in all probability ought to too. It’s solely well mannered.
First have been highlights from the 1968 particular The Pied Piper of Astroworld, procured from the UCLA Movie and Tv Archive. The particular starred Soupy Gross sales because the titular piper looking for all his misplaced children within the titular Houston theme park. Highlights introduced included Rowlf welcoming Soupy and the youngsters by singing “Take into account Your self,” a efficiency of “Java” in a cave, Kenny Rogers and the First Version singing “Simply Dropped In (To See What Situation My Situation Was In)” whereas Rufus rides a bunch of rides, Soupy singing “I’d Do Something” (from Oliver!) with a Muppet lady, and everyone (together with visitor Lesley Gore) singing a reprise of “Take into account Your self.” Craig additionally quizzed the gang by highlighting a clip of a younger unknown, who turned out to be a then 17 year-old Brent Spiner.
Subsequent have been excerpts from the 1973 particular Hold US Lovely, discovered by a company known as Out of date Video. The range particular touched on varied environmental points, and the viewers acquired an enormous snigger from the introduced sponsor of the present – a gasoline firm. The primary clip was the opening medley, the place the varied superstar stars of this system, together with Kermit, sang quick, mediocre variations of well-known songs with new lyrics about how polluted the world is. Then got here the Muppets’ huge featured spot, the place a quartet of Muppets made out of trash sang a spoof of “Hey, Look Me Over,” celebrating their impending domination of the Earth. You may see that on YouTube too!
Then, we noticed segments from 1968’s The Fantastic Night time of Hercules Brown, a movie commissioned by the US Info Company for causes unclear to anyone. It facilities round Hercules Brown (duh doy), whose goals are introduced as varied puppet acts poorly segued to by Barnaby, a leprechaun character performed by Linn Sheldon (who was apparently an area TV character). The Muppet segments included the previous standbys of “Glo-Worm” and “Lovely Day,” in addition to an encounter with Rowlf concerning the mundane lives of canines. It was not not like a Jimmy Dean bit, solely with jokes that weren’t so humorous. The complete movie additionally options the work of different puppet acts, comparable to Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop and the Ritz Puppets. That is additionally one thing you’ll be able to watch on a sure tube-site (as restored by the Nationwide Archives).
Then got here the ultimate clip bundle, however it was actually the principle attraction (and the principle justification for having this occasion, it seems). Not too way back, the Henson Legacy was involved with Ed Sullivan’s granddaughter to rearrange a unique screening, when she revealed {that a} particular discovery had been made within the CBS vaults – all 10 episodes of the uncommon 1967 collection Our Place! The collection was the summer time alternative for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, however produced by the workforce behind The Ed Sullivan Present. Rowlf served because the emcee for the present, which featured superstar visitors, comedy routines with Jack Burns and Avery Schrieber, and songs by the Doodletown Pipers.
The Henson Legacy beforehand solely had one and a half episodes of the present, in black-and-white kinescope kind procured off of eBay many moons in the past. The present was presumed misplaced till this current discovery. Some temporary excerpts have been proven from these copies to show the outstanding distinction between them and the unique masters, which have been in full shade! Rowlf by no means appeared extra brown-grayer. Credit score should go to the Retro Video firm for offering the Legacy with these new masters.
We have been handled to highlights from throughout the complete run of the present. These included Rowlf singing with particular visitors like Nipsey Russell, Eddie Albert, and Joel Gray, an look by his nephew Ronald the Surprise Pup (a dwell pet), and Rowlf studying to play the ukulele with the assistance of Arthur Godfrey. Apparently, despite the fact that the present did properly within the scores, it by no means got here again after that summer time, and it’s my understanding that Rowlf by no means appeared in anything once more both. I believe. Or perhaps I used to be too busy scribbling notes to concentrate.
One thing this screening actually put into perspective was how a lot Rowlf really was the principle star of the Muppets again then. It’s straightforward to simply consider him as being on The Jimmy Dean Present and perhaps a business right here and there, however he was the point of interest of a lot of this footage, whereas Kermit was barely in something. Even in that Interama piece, it’s Rowlf who’s the face of the Muppets and Kermit is introduced as being just about on the identical degree as a anonymous, malfunctioning robotic character. It’s actually wild to consider how inside a few years of these things, the dynamic would utterly flip round.
As soon as once more, Mr. Shemin and the museum placed on one other great occasion; it’s at all times nice after they discover an excuse to interrupt out particular issues from the archives like this. I’m certain there’s much more goodies they’ve but to display, and I look ahead to each time which may be. I’ll go seek the advice of my native Zoltar machine to get a precise date to begin plan accordingly, and so do you have to!
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By Shane Keating
