Showing the humans before introducing them

[minor muppetz]

I've noticed something about the first three Muppet movies and Follow That Bird: For the most part when the main humans first appear on-screen, it's briefly, and we aren't really introduced to them until their next scene.

Think about it: In TMM, we first see Max giving orders as Kermit rides his bicycle into the construction sight for a Doc Hopper restaurant. Then while Kermit and Fozzie are on stage we see Max again, this time with Doc Hopper, as they enter the El Sleezo cafe, and Max quickly brings Doc's attention to Kermit as they watch from outside the window (since Doc wanted Kermit for his spokesman I wonder why they waited outside, as opposed to coming in to meet them? Hey, they could have rescued the two during the bar fight).

Then in GMC, we first see Nicky and Lady Holiday briefly during the opening sequence, when Nickey mysteriously sings "and me!" before taking Lady Holiday's jewels and running off. We get to hear a bit about Lady Holiday before meeting her, and we hear some about Nicky before meeting him again... but it is awhile before we do get to properly meet them.

MTM has the smallest example. We briefly see Ronnie Crawford during the "You Can't Take No for an Answer" montage, and then we don't see him again or meet him until the last half hour. But we pretty much get to meet Pete and Jenny as soon as they enter the film.

And in FTB, we first see the Slease brothers during Kermit's news report, when we cut to various characters watching the news. Sam and Sid don't do much talking, and we don't quite know why they are there. I wonder what most people thought of them when they first saw this scene (I doubt any of us would remember, though).

 

[GonzoLover85]

since Doc wanted Kermit for his spokesman I wonder why they waited outside, as opposed to coming in to meet them?

They had to run down the street and set up the tv's inside that shop to all play his commercial off his one remote.

 

[CensoredAlso]

You know you're right, I never thought about it, but they did utilize that plot device often in order to establish the human characters' personalities, even in a small way.

 

[minor muppetz]

I wonder if Jason Segal and Nick Stoller have picked up on this. I expect Gary and Mary to be introduced at the start of The Muppets, but Chris Cooper's character very well could get a brief cameo before getting a proper introduction.

And for some reason I can't quite remember if it's common in many movies for important characters to make brief cameos before they are introduced more. I feel it might be true for some of the Spiderman characters.

Out of the examples I mentioned, I think Ronnie Crawford's is both the briefest, has the longest gap between "first appearance cameo" and "introductory scene", and is the one that people are least likely to think about upon first viewing.

 

[TSSD]

Too tell you the truth, I never noticed Ronnie in the movie before his scene. Oh well, guess that's an excuse to watch MTM again!

 

[CensoredAlso]

Too tell you the truth, I never noticed Ronnie in the movie before his scene. Oh well, guess that's an excuse to watch MTM again!

Yeah definitely check it out, it's a great little, quick moment, because you see Ronnie's intrigue with the Muppets even then, lol.

 

[minor muppetz]

I have been thinking about that scene, and somehow I feel it would have been better if Bernard Crawford was shown in that scene as opposed to that woman (who I guess would either be his secretary or wife... or maybe both... but we'll never know). She just looks at the script, looks past the door (probably to Bernard, giving the rejection), and then shakes her head to the Muppets. I don't think she's even shown saying anything.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I have been thinking about that scene, and somehow I feel it would have been better if Bernard Crawford was shown in that scene as opposed to that woman (who I guess would either be his secretary or wife... or maybe both... but we'll never know). She just looks at the script, looks past the door (probably to Bernard, giving the rejection), and then shakes her head to the Muppets. I don't think she's even shown saying anything.

Well the thing is I imagine a big time guy like Crawford would be having his secretary screen projects first before he sees them, so his time is not wasted, lol.

 

[minor muppetz]

Well the thing is I imagine a big time guy like Crawford would be having his secretary screen projects first before he sees them, so his time is not wasted, lol.

Some secretary she was, rejecting the script after only glancing at the cover (I know, Leonard Winestein threw the script in the garbage without even reading it as well, and Bernard Crawford would have probably rejected it as well).

 

[minor muppetz]

Not to get too off-topic, but I was watching that scene recently, and noticed that when the Muppets give the secretary the script, even though she just chuckles and shakes her head in rejection, it looks like she does keep the script. All this time I'd been under the impression that Kermit had only one copy of the script, that the copy he gave to Mr. Wineson that instantly got thrown into the trash was that only copy (we never see Kermit with a copy of the script afterwards), and had wondered how Ronnie obtained a copy of the script. Considering he was an aspiring producer and the son of a big producer, I guess he looked at scripts his father rejected.