Grover and The Amazing Mumford!

[Jacqueline Ebbs]

HELLO BOYS & GIRLS!!!

Today's topic is brought to you by the letter "P" as in "PINEAPPLE" and the either the numbers "3" or "4" - you get to decide!

Wanna help me out??? There's a nice cookie in it for you!!! (pretend cookie of course)

I am in need of someone with a good memory who can remember a Grover & The Amazing Mumford (the magician) sketch in the '70's. Now, it may have carried into the '80's for all I know but I don't really remember.

The sketch goes like this:

The Amazing Mumford and his charming assistant, Grover, work on making things disappear - specifically, PINEAPPLES disappear! Mumford uses his famous words, "Alla peanut-butter SANDWICHES!!!" and POOF! The pineapples disappear and reappear before Grover's eyes.

After making the pineapples disappear one more time, Mumford gives Grover the wand and decides to let him try the magic on his own. All he wants Grover to do is just say the magic words and bring the pineapples back but he has to CONCENTRATE!!!!

Well, Grover takes the wand, takes a deep breath, concentrates and says the magic words...

"Alla peanut-butter SANDWICHES!!!!!" POOF!

Mumford has disappeared into the mist and the pineapples are still nowhere to be found. After a quick panic attack by Grover, he finally sighs, shrugs and says, "Oh well, he's happy. He's with the pineapples!"

__________________

Now my question to you boys and girls is exactly how many pineapples were there? Were there three or four of them?

You see, this is an old joke between my mother and myself. (Contrary to some people's popular belief I did NOT hatch from a POD - I actually DO have a Mother!)

- If we wanted to hear people NOT being funny, we'd watch the Muppet Show -

Anyway, we used to always tell each other to be "happy with the pineapples."

I *STILL* use this expression to this very day and not just to my Mom.

The point is, I'm giving my Mom a sentimental birthday gift. I want her to be forever happy ... with the pineapples. She collects "Swarovski Crystal" and they happen to make pineapple crystal pieces so I need to know how many of them to get.

Then I will write her a story with an old picture of me when I was 4 (and thought this was the best joke in town) and she will open the pineapples. (Everybody say AWWWWW!) - (I'm nauseating I know!)

Can anyone remember this for me? ANYONE????

 

[mikebennidict]

think there were 3.

 

[SesameMike]

Not exact, but here's the basic flow of events.

AMAZING MUMFORD: May I have a volunteer from the audience. (picks Grover) Come up on the stage.
GROVER: I get to be on the stage. I get to be ON THE STAGE! (climbs on stage) Yes sir!
AM: Here I have some pineapples.
G: (looks around) Where?
(Puff of smoke. Each of these is accompanied an exaggerated "poof" sound, along with a musical "ta-daaaa" and audience applause.)
(Four real pineapples appear on the magician's table).
AM: Now if you would count the pineapples.
G: 1, 2, 3, 4. 4 pineapples.
AM: OK, now watch as I say the magic words, A-la peanut butter sandwiches.
(puff of smoke. When smoke clears there are only 3 pineapples left.

Grover is quite impressed with the performance. This process repeats 3 more times, making one pineapple vanish each time, until no fruit is left on the table.

At some point, probably after the last pineapple disappearance, Mumford comments "A little something I learned in the Orient." But after that:

G: Gee, you sure are great. I wonder if I could do it.
AM: No, no! (in a desperate, worrisome voice; was he defensively holding out his hands?)
G: It looks easy. All you have to do, is say "A-la peanut butter sandwiches"
(puff of smoke. This time Mumford has vanished.)
G: (who chokes on the smoke) Cough cough cough cough, Mumfy. Mumfy? Mumfy? Where did he go? Oh well. He must be WITH the pineapples. He's happy.

 

[GonzoLeaper]

Grover turns into a rabbit

I do remember another sketch with The Amazing Mumford and Grover where Mumford was trying to bring a rabbit out of a hat and Grover was there as his assistant. I believe Mumford wound up having Grover turn into a rabbit and after saying his "Ala peanut butter sandwiches" line, there was a big poof and Grover had rabbit ears and started hopping around. I also seem to recall one time where Mumford made Grover disappear and then reappear later on. Hmm, Mumford and Grover. Kinda reminds me of another pair on The Muppet Show.
(don't you think?)

 

[SesameMike]

I do remember another sketch with The Amazing Mumford and Grover where Mumford was trying to bring a rabbit out of a hat and Grover was there as his assistant.

What happened there was Mumford kept saying his magic words to make a rabbit appear, and each time nothing happens -- or was it? Actually, with each incantation, Grover suddenly acquired another characteristic of a rabbit; long ears, a cotton tail, buck teeth, whiskers. At the end when Mumford walked away in frustration, Grover said something like "Poor Mumfy, tch tch tch tch" with the latter noise sounding like a rabbit nibbling at a carrot. Grover then hopped away with a series of "boing" sounds.

 

[Kimp the Shrimp]

Good Times

 

[Jacqueline Ebbs]

Wow!!!!

Sesame Mike you are a plethora of knowledge! <audience applauds with fervor!> Do you have these episodes on tape or something to review of do you have some kind of photographic memory????? Do you work for them? I am truly amazed at your intimate knowledge of the show! Hats off to you!

Kimp the Shrimp! Love your name by the way! Very cool. (Was Kimp the Shrimp a Muppet Character? I don't remember him/her if there was such a character) Anyway, the name itself either stolen or invented is "Tres Freaky Fun!" I agree with you, very good times indeed!

Anyway, thank you to you all for helping me with with this dilemma. I sincerely appreciate your help. I have done up my Mother's present (complete with a picture of me when I was 5, a sappy letter and the MAGIC words!) and I will give it to her tomorrow. I know she will cry. In a GOOD way though.

No, she wasn't born Christmas Day but she and my Father are always away from January to May taking a hiatus from the snow and COLD of Canada. They go to Arizona. Lucky people....except for the bugs.

* I don't do bugs * (except Tweedle Bugs because they are cute.)

Like I said, I really appreciate the help on this topic. It means alot to me. You guys are the BEST!!!!

Imaginary cookies to ALL who helped out! (Just keep them away from the Cookie Monster!)

Oh, before I forget:

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!
​

 

[SesameMike]

Jacqueline,
The only Sesame Street tapes I have are what I got off of Noggin. I remember these skits because I saw most of them 2 times when they originally aired, plus again on the weekend when some of the PBS stations recapped the week. Not to mention probably another time when the episodes re-ran in the summer.

I only watched the show this religiously for the first 7 seasons. I also find that I have a RainMan-like memory of TV shows from that era. But in any case, I am always happy to share the information here.

 

[Ziffel]

The Amazing Mumford skits were quite entertaining. In addition to the aforementioned ones, I liked the one with The Cookie Monster where Mumford keeps making the cookies disappear and reappear. Every time they would disappear Cookie would fret, "Oh no! Please bring cookies back!" And when they would reappear Cookie would be relieved and happy. Either way, the audience would cheer and clap at Mumford's work. When Mumford was finished with his act, the cookies were in the disappeared stage. So Cookie Monster desperately tries to recall Mumford's magic words, ala peanut butter sandwiches. But he doesn't. He says something like, "Uh...pistachio sandwiches! Apple butter, jelly, uh... Oh well. Ahm num num num num num (he eats the magic wand!). Then the audience cheers him for that feat and Cookie Monster dances off the stage happy.
That was a hilarious guess by The Cookie Monster when he said pistachio sandwiches. Nut sandwiches?! SS had some pretty amusing food items. I'm thinking also of when Lefty recites the alphabet to his boss and is offered a lollipop for having done it successfully. Lefty says, "Oh boy, is it a rasberry or pineapple?" Pineapple lollipop? Maybe there is such a thing but I never heard of that flavor. And then of course there was Ernie imagining he was eating a peanut butter and banana sandwich. And also Ernie telling Lefty the Salesman that his favorite ice cream flavor is banana royale tuttsi fruitsi (And BERT is the one who has the reputation for finding odd things appealing? Ha Ha ).
Oh that just reminded me of a great line by Bert when he, Ernie and Sharla were discussing what they dream about. Bert says, "I dream about sticks."
And the way Sharla said, "Sticks??" was so cute.
Okay, enough tangents from the original Amazing Mumford subject!

 

[Ziffel]

That was a hilarious guess by The Cookie Monster when he said pistachio sandwiches. Nut sandwiches?! SS had some pretty amusing food items. I'm thinking also of when Lefty recites the alphabet to his boss and is offered a lollipop for having done it successfully. Lefty says, "Oh boy, is it a rasberry or pineapple?" Pineapple lollipop? Maybe there is such a thing but I never heard of that flavor. And then of course there was Ernie imagining he was eating a peanut butter and banana sandwich. And also Ernie telling Lefty the Salesman that his favorite ice cream flavor is banana royale tuttsi fruitsi (

I forgot these soda flavors as revealed by Bert's bottlecap collection! There was Rasberry Smash, Prune Pop, Rhubarb Delight, and, of course, FIGGY FIZZ! (When I was really little I thought Bert was saying PIGGY Fizz. Well the cap did have a pig-like pinkish color!)