The Muppets Valentine Show

[ploobis]

Hey Gang'

Since Valentines Day is just around the corner I thought it would be nice to talk about the 1974 Muppet Valentines special.

First of all, Has anybody here been watching the special now that Valentines Day is coming?

Second, What are your favorite scenes?

Third, Who are your favorite Muppets from this special?

Also, I find it kinda cool that this was not only a Valentines TV Special, But was also a pilot for the future Muppet Show series. The special gave us classic recurring characters like Kermit The Frog, Rufus The Dog, Thog and The Frogs and introduced us to some new characters like Wally, George The Janitor, Mildred Huxtetter, Droop, Brewster and Crazy Donald (AKA Crazy Harry).

So, Lets talk about this classic Muppet special in honer of it being close to Valentines Day!

 

[MartyMuppets]

Well I had been thinking about asking a question about this special sometime. So if I may can I ask if anyone can clarify this point for me?
I had heard elsewhere on this forum that Mia Farrow sang "How Much is that Doggy in the Window" with Rufus as part of this show and it was cut out at some time. When I understood the Valentine Special was to be released uncut I assumed the scene with that song was inserted back in. But even though Mia and Rufus do appear together and Mia sings to him, whatever the song is it is certainly not "How Much is that Doggy in the Window"

Can anyone explain this discrepancy to me please? And incidentally does anybody know what song is sung on the DVD anyway?

 

[MartyMuppets]

I just took a glance at MC's guide and it lists the song as "Believe Me if all Those Young Charms" something like that, it's a long title to try to remember.

Nothing about the song confusion I'm wondering about though.

 

[ploobis]

Well I had been thinking about asking a question about this special sometime. So if I may can I ask if anyone can clarify this point for me?
I had heard elsewhere on this forum that Mia Farrow sang "How Much is that Doggy in the Window" with Rufus as part of this show and it was cut out at some time. When I understood the Valentine Special was to be released uncut I assumed the scene with that song was inserted back in. But even though Mia and Rufus do appear together and Mia sings to him, whatever the song is it is certainly not "How Much is that Doggy in the Window"

Can anyone explain this discrepancy to me please? And incidentally does anybody know what song is sung on the DVD anyway?

The song that Mia Farrow sings to Rufus is "Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms". I really don't know anything about the song "Doggy In The Window" being in the special, I never even read anything about that. The special is definitely uncut in the Muppet show season two DVD though.

 

[MartyMuppets]

http://forum.muppetcentral.com/showthread.php?t=6404

I found the above thread. Reading it again makes me understand that the confusion is apparently all based upon a mistaken rumour.

Anyway it's a great special and how thrilling that it is uncut.

 

[Drtooth]

I've seen it on the DVD set, adn I will say this. it was very tame, and not half as fun as Sex and Violence was. Heck, I'd still wish they'd so a show exactly like Sex and Violence without guest stars that cut around like that.

That said, the Froggy went a Courting number was the only really interresting thing in there.

 

[Convincing John]

That said, the Froggy went a Courting number was the only really interresting thing in there.

"C'mon, frog. I'll buy ya a beer."
"Uh huh. Uh huh."

Yeah, I thought it was pretty tame as well. The only part besides that one that stood out to me was the Galley-oh-hoop-hoop sketch.

I haven't gotten around to watching it on the DVD. "Endearing Young Charms"? The only thing I know about that song comes from this old gag.

Maybe if Mia Farrow made Rufus explode, that number would've been more "dynamite".

Convincing John

 

[minor muppetz]

It is a really good special. Considering this was apilot, I wonder if Jim Henson ever intended on using the same setting for The Muppet Show (the set looks appropriate for valentine day... Would it look out of place if it wasn't promoting valentine day?).

I really like Wally, and Droop, and Thog. Crazy Harry's "dynamite" running gag was great. I've notied that after the side wall explodes we don't ever see any more shots of that wall in the special.

I like both of Kermit's big scenes, and the closing song, and Mia's number with Thog.

I have watched this special three times in the last two weeks. I've noticed something strange about the closing credits sequence. At one point, Rowlf appears, and it looks like he's saying something to Mia, but his voice isn't heard (of course, we don't actually see his face when it looks like he's talking), and then it looks like Ernie appears and says something to Mia, and what he says can't be heard, but Mia seems to laugh at what Ernie says, and then when Bert appears, Ernie is heard saying "Bert, whata re you doing here?" (and he's also heard saying "Goodnight, Mia"). Since owlf and Ernie shared a performer and appear so close together in one take, it would make sense if Jim Hensonw as supposed to dub dialogue for Rowlf which mistakenly didn't get edited into the special, and that a performer just mouthed out what Rowlf was supposed to say (instead of performing the dialogue live on set before the correct voice was dubbed), but then why would half of Ermie's dialogue not be heard?

This special wasn't my first exposure to any of the characters (except for the ones who pretty much only appeared in this special, like Wally), but it is the first time I knew the names of Mildred, George, Brewsters, Thog, Droop, and Miss Mousey, and the first time that I heard their voices (okay, I'd already heard Droop's vocie in The Muppet Christmas Carol, but I had forgotten about that scene until a year later).

 

[peyjenk]

I haven't watched it yet this year... I guess time's runnin' out. I think when I get home from work I'll watch it in-between laundry loads.

 

[ploobis]

I remember the first time I saw the Muppets Valentine Show as a kid! It was the night they first showed it on Nickelodeon. When I first saw the commercial for it, It was all I could think about! I kept counting the days for it to come on!

It was a great night!