Paul Henson (father of Jim Henson)

[King Jim]

I never knew that Jim Henson's father Paul Henson outlived him.

According to Wikipedia:

On May 12, 1990, Henson traveled to Ahoskie, North Carolina, with his daughter Cheryl to visit his father and stepmother. The next day, feeling tired and sick, he consulted a physician in North Carolina, who could find no evidence of pneumonia by physical examination and prescribed no treatment except aspirin.[27] Henson returned to New York on an earlier flight and canceled a Muppet recording session scheduled for May 14.

 

[minor muppetz]

I think it was mentioned in Street Gang.

 

[cahuenga]

Jim Henson´s Stepmother Barbara Brown has died on 3 April 2012. But I have no idea on Jims father obituary..

 

[mupcollector1]

I'm not sure if I can mention or discuss this on the forum but since this was mentioned in either a book or newspaper article, I think I will.

Did anyone ever hear the story during the 1950s when Jim was doing Sam and Friends that his father told him that showbiz was a poor way to make a living and he wanted Jim to become a herb scientist like him and the article said something about how that made Jim want to follow his dreams more so.

So I'm not sure if there was any kind of close father son relationship between them. A lot of the family related stuff I think Jim mentioned once that he preferred to keep personal and has been rarely mentioned. I find it however very fascinating as a historian to study these kinds of things. But I also noticed on the forum people can go so far when discussing these sort of subjects. Rats.

I know in the blacklisted Muppet Man script (I think it's banned from the internet now) There was all this stuff with Jim's father and even Jane that I won't mention in detail. Great script, I loved it, I backed it up on a few CDs. But there's the whole thing of inaccuracy and stuff and how The Jim Henson Company bought it to basicly barry it. I think Lisa Henson mentioned in an interview how she didn't like the script because it was historically inaccurate and just mostly hollywood storytelling. (By the way, Muppet Man isn't on Muppet Wiki is it? I tried to find it and there's just a brief discussion on it and not any kind of investigation on what things are accurate and what's not, but that's just my opinion as a historian / fan)

But yeah, Jim's family other than Jane and his kids we've heard them speak in interviews and stuff but Jim's mother and father and any other member never. And even Paul Jim's brother who was killed in a car accident when Sam & Friends started, that and Jim and Paul being very close brothers, that's basicly it.

Again, Muppet Man sort of mentioned some stuff with Paul trying to study and Young Jim acting silly driving his brother nuts, but we don't know if this script had much historical fact source.

Anyway I just wanted to kind of put that out there since I consider myself a Jim Henson historian. Though it's really hard to find new sources other than Jim's Red Book and trying to find old interview footage.

 

[Hubert]

Interesting thing you say about the Paul Henson not wanting Jim to go into show business. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Think about it: The whole time one of Jim's main themes was to follow your dreams no matter what gets in your way. But from the stuff we'd originally heard about Jim's early years, he'd kinda just gotten in there and didn't have serious opposition from family or friends. But with this, that makes sense as to what could have given Jim the basis to be able to tell us about this message through his work.

 

[mupcollector1]

Interesting thing you say about the Paul Henson not wanting Jim to go into show business. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. Think about it: The whole time one of Jim's main themes was to follow your dreams no matter what gets in your way. But from the stuff we'd originally heard about Jim's early years, he'd kinda just gotten in there and didn't have serious opposition from family or friends. But with this, that makes sense as to what could have given Jim the basis to be able to tell us about this message through his work.

Totally agree. I think most artist's parents are like that sometimes. I know my Dad is a lot like that. And my mother doesn't think explosions are funny. lol

Speaking of Jim's family. If you ever hear stories about them, there's a bunch of great funny stories out there.

Like I think at the resent Disney convention thing where they honored a tribute to Jim and Brian excepted the award with either Lisa or Cheryl. Brain tells this story about how the Henson kids were kind of rough teenagers that had a bit of attitude and Jim would make them breakfast and he would constantly make goofy sound effects each time he pored the batter onto the pan or even when taking a pen out of his shirt pocket. lol And they are all yelling at him to stop and Jim's having a great time pestering them. lol Now that I can totally say brings out the Ernie in Jim. lol

Then there was a piece of home movie footage on the People Profiles documentary of the family at their New Mexico ranch riding not horses BUT COWS running around tagging each other. lol

And anyone ever hear the stories how Jim would work late nights and sometimes when he came home during the day he would just walk past the 5 kids, and they had a ton of pets (cats, dogs, hamsters, birds, etc) without saying anything, just quickly pass everything then going to his lawn where their was one lawn chair where he would sit at for a little bit which would be his moment of piece. I don't remember if I read that in the People Magazine or the Life magazine from 1990.

Speaking of the People Magazine, amazing detail on Jim's final hours. All this stuff they didn't even cover on the documentary. I totally need a copy for my library. I know that it's free to read on their site. Heck, I need a new Life magazine because mine is sort of falling apart. If anyone has a spare copies of these, PM me.

 

[minor muppetz]

I know in the blacklisted Muppet Man script (I think it's banned from the internet now) There was all this stuff with Jim's father and even Jane that I won't mention in detail. Great script, I loved it, I backed it up on a few CDs. But there's the whole thing of inaccuracy and stuff and how The Jim Henson Company bought it to basicly barry it. I think Lisa Henson mentioned in an interview how she didn't like the script because it was historically inaccurate and just mostly hollywood storytelling. (By the way, Muppet Man isn't on Muppet Wiki is it? I tried to find it and there's just a brief discussion on it and not any kind of investigation on what things are accurate and what's not, but that's just my opinion as a historian / fan)

I never saw the script when it was supposedly online, but I read that at a public event that Frank Oz spoke at he'd mentioned that he read that script and said that he would NOT have any part in it if it were made. This info came sometime after he'd mentioned that he didn't think the script for The Muppets represented the characters well. Considering he had problems with The Muppets script and even the finished film, and based on the fan reactions I read about the Muppet Man script, I am not surprised.

 

[mupcollector1]

I never saw the script when it was supposedly online, but I read that at a public event that Frank Oz spoke at he'd mentioned that he read that script and said that he would NOT have any part in it if it were made. This info came sometime after he'd mentioned that he didn't think the script for The Muppets represented the characters well. Considering he had problems with The Muppets script and even the finished film, and based on the fan reactions I read about the Muppet Man script, I am not surprised.

Really? Frank didn't like it, wow. Must have been totally inaccurate then. Though I did like how they wrote for Jim in terms of his vocabulary and stuff but then again, certain things were a bit exaggerated. It's a weird script and I think this screenplay writer really wanted this thing made, it goes so far as Kermit talking to Jim Henson in his New York Apartment. And something with Kermit marrying Miss Piggy to get her before she marries Link Hogphrob. lol Like Miss Piggy would marry Wart Brain. lol
If anyone wants to read this script, PM me and I can send you the PDF of it.

Personally as a screenplay writer myself, I think I can do a better job. I would love to write a Jim Henson documentry but I personally would want it to be 100% accurate and sources to back it up instead of error like in the script. Like how in the script they said Jim had 6 sisters. And it's Muppet movie songs every time there's an even in Jim's life. Like half musical / half inaccurate drama.

If this guy seriously wanted this thing made, he should have pitched the idea before writing it and get a strong study team and of course the Henson Family and Henson Archives involved.

But thank God for Jim's Red Book I can't wait to own the release this October. I'll probably pre-order it and carry around with me all the time like I do with It's not easy being green and other things to consider.


Anyway It's kind of off subject but speaking of Frank Oz, I've heard that he didn't like the new Muppet Movie script. But then again I heard that was a draft. But did he really not like the finished movie?
I heard he was going to direct and even write the next Muppet movie but it looks like Disney has got him beat since Muppets 2 is coming up next summer (Just my opinion, couldn't they come up with a better title like in the classic movies? And seriously, a sequal? Muppets don't do sequals. Ow well, I really enjoyed the new movie, no complaints surprisingly because I'm super critical about the new stuff now a days but this new movie I thought was beautiful. I can't get "Life's A Happy Song" out of my head, I'm still singing it when I'm waking up or walking outside. lol It's like "Together Again" lol)

 

[BobThePizzaBoy]

Anyway It's kind of off subject but speaking of Frank Oz, I've heard that he didn't like the new Muppet Movie script. But then again I heard that was a draft. But did he really not like the finished movie?

From what I've heard, he has seen it but doesn't want to state his thoughts in public. It seems implied he wasn't impressed by it, but then again maybe he was. I really don't know.

 

[mupcollector1]

From what I've heard, he has seen it but doesn't want to state his thoughts in public. It seems implied he wasn't impressed by it, but then again maybe he was. I really don't know.

I thought he refereed not wanting to state his thoughts about the script or when he does see the movie, because I think that interview was before the premiere of the movie.