Henson Rarities on Youtube

[tygerbug]

That would be a great find --

 

[minor muppetz]

I haven't watched the whole video of news coverage of Jim Henson's passing (I intend to do so by May 16), but I did skip through a lot of it to various points. And it seems like there's a few points in that video where instead of news coverage, something else is shown, like the "I'm Gonna Always Love You" music video and "A Song from Kermit" (though I think I once saw a post from someone who said that this clip was featured in one news show that provided coverage of Jim's death).

From what I've seen, it looks like the majority of clips featured are from Sesame Street. It also seems like a lot of the Sesame Street clips are ones that were featured in Sesame Street: 20 and Still Counting (I wonder if that was the source tape for those clips or if they were from different tapes). I've also noticed a Big Bird clip I'm not familiar with appearing at least twice, this clip has him walking down a real street.

It's also interesting to see behind-the-scenes footage from The Great Muppet Caper (for the balloon sequence, in addition to an alternate angle of Animal eating his surroundings from the first shot. I also noticed a clip I never saw before of Janice in her sunbathing outfit from the movie, didn't think she wore that anywhere else). I didn't think any behind-the-scenes footage was shot for that movie.

There's also a clip of The Newsman I don't recall seeing, looks like it was shot at the Muppet Workshop, as the characters around him appear to just be on display. Must have been a behind-the-scenes thing or something. And that clip has Elmo on display, so I'm guessing it's not from Of Muppets and Men.

 

[minor muppetz]

And it seems like there's a few points in that video where instead of news coverage, something else is shown, like the "I'm Gonna Always Love You" music video and "A Song from Kermit" (though I think I once saw a post from someone who said that this clip was featured in one news show that provided coverage of Jim's death).

I just watched the whole video, and see now that the music video ended one of those news shows, as end credits appeared halfway to the end. Still can't figure out the use of almost the full Song from Kermit without any special on-screen text or voice-overs or lead-ins or anything.

It's also interesting how a few times they said that Jim Henson sold his company to Disney the previous year, when the deal hadn't been finalized. Maybe they assumed he had already sold (it was a common rumor for years that Disney owned the Henson Company), or maybe they figured Disney would still be getting the company.

Seems like there's not much Creature Shop coverage. Of course, the Muppets and Sesame Street are both a lot better known, and I'm not sure whether The Dark Crystal or Labyrinth had achieved cult film status yet, but it's interesting how, even though they were the then-current films from the Creature Shop, The Witches and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles got more focus than TDC or L.

I guess I'm not surprised that, as with other Henson retrospectives, there's not much Fraggle Rock focus, but it does seem like there's slightly more Muppet Babies focus than in other Henson tributes.

During coverage of the memorial service, I noticed that right after they say that Jim requested that nobody wear black, we get interviews with Harry Belafonte and Paul Williams, both of whom wore black suits (or could they be really dark brown or blue?).

One of the news reports referred to Sam and Friends as "Sam and His Friends". And it was referred to as "Something called Sam and His Friends".

On the Entertainment Tonight news coverage, during the credits, when it lists where various clips are from, I'm surprised that The Muppet Movie was the only Henson production listed, and even more surprised that it says "Courtesy of ITC",when ITC no longer owned the rights. Though now I'm starting to wonder if "Courtesy of..." in credits listing film footage just means the company provided the clips as opposed to being the distributors. I also noticed recently in the credits for Rowdy Roddy Piper's CBS Saturday Morning Preview special that Henson Associates wasn't listed in the credits for companies that provided clips but Marvel was, so I guess that means Marvel provided the "Muppets, Babies, and Monsters" clips.

 

[Bliffenstimmers]

On the Entertainment Tonight news coverage, during the credits, when it lists where various clips are from, I'm surprised that The Muppet Movie was the only Henson production listed, and even more surprised that it says "Courtesy of ITC",when ITC no longer owned the rights. Though now I'm starting to wonder if "Courtesy of..." in credits listing film footage just means the company provided the clips as opposed to being the distributors.

Similarly, there is a clip of Kermit and the Elvises promoting their Muppet Classic Theater video on a news program in Texas (taurinecat on YouTube has it) but before they are introduced, a brief clip of Kermit singing The Rainbow Connection in The Muppet Movie is shown, a subtitle below crediting the clip to CBS/FOX Video, even though at the time Buena Vista had the video distribution rights. Strange...

 

[tygerbug]

The Newsman was featured in the Muppet Show 60 Minutes segment in 1979, though I'd assume Elmo wouldn't have been in the background then (not impossible though).

 

[cjd874]

The Newsman was featured in the Muppet Show 60 Minutes segment in 1979, though I'd assume Elmo wouldn't have been in the background then (not impossible though).

The Muppet that later became Elmo was originally used as a background monster in the late 1970s. I think his earliest appearance was in the Monsterpiece Theater sketch "Me Claudius" filmed circa 1978-1979. So yes, it is likely that Elmo was in the background.

 

[tygerbug]

After looking at it, that particular clip of the Newsman [with Lew Zealand and Elmo in the background] is not from the 60 Minutes appearance and looks like it could have been part of the same appearance as the Janice shot which precedes it. The context might paint it as a promotional appearance of some kind for The Great Muppet Caper.

 

[Mo Frackle]

After looking at it, that particular clip of the Newsman [with Lew Zealand and Elmo in the background] is not from the 60 Minutes appearance and looks like it could have been part of the same appearance as the Janice shot which precedes it. The context might paint it as a promotional appearance of some kind for The Great Muppet Caper.

Perhaps those clips were from the same source that featured behind the scenes footage of GMC.

 

[tygerbug]

 

[tygerbug]