Honkers based on Harpo Marx

[mupcollector1]

I was just curious if The Honkers were modeled after Harpo Marx of The Marx Brothers. Similarities are basically they never speak and they use honk noises to communicate.

 

[minor muppetz]

Muppet Wiki doesn't say anything about Harpo Marx being an inspiration. According to Muppet Wiki, Tony Geiss came up with the characters, based on his own childhood habit of honking his nose. Unless Harop was Geiss' inspiration for honking his own nose, then I guess not.

 

[CherryPizza]

The concept of a non-talking character who many have a signature 'noise' has existed for as long as there has been performing arts. Harpo may be the most visible of these, but it would be a stretch to say that he was the definitive inspiration.

 

[mupcollector1]

I noticed in the early days when Jerry Nelson first performed Harry, when he sang "I can't help it" and when he got to the lines "Everyday I wake up and don't have any fun." I started to think how within the rythum of Harry's voice kind of sounded like Jimmy Durante. I wonder if Jerry looked at Harry and tried to imitate Jimmy Durante on the set due to Harry's nose. lol I remember that Count Von Count is well he's odviously a parody of Count Dracula but spicifficly the Count Dracula from the original 30s movie from Universal. Plus I think Uncle Deadly's voice was loosely based on Vincent Price before he finally met up with him in the Vincent Price episode of The Muppet Show. So I'm just curious even though there was parody Muppets from time to time, was there any celebrity influence with a lot of the main Muppet characters? The only other one I know of was Miss Piggy's name was loosy based on Peggy Lee (originally named Piggy Lee but someone decided to drop the Lee out of the name so it won't be too obvious, or risk of being sued, etc)

 

[cjd874]

Plus I think Uncle Deadly's voice was loosely based on Vincent Price before he finally met up with him in the Vincent Price episode of The Muppet Show. So I'm just curious even though there was parody Muppets from time to time, was there any celebrity influence with a lot of the main Muppet characters?

Uncle Deadly was NOT patterned after Vincent Price. He was inspired by the actor John Carradine. Scroll down, & Deadly is discussed after Thog.
http://www.toughpigs.com/a-chat-with-jerry-nelson-part-2/

I was just curious if The Honkers were modeled after Harpo Marx of The Marx Brothers. Similarities are basically they never speak and they use honk noises to communicate.

I never thought of it that way. Interesting, but I don't think that's what the Muppet writers were going for.

 

[dwmckim]

I noticed in the early days when Jerry Nelson first performed Harry, when he sang "I can't help it" and when he got to the lines "Everyday I wake up and don't have any fun." I started to think how within the rythum of Harry's voice kind of sounded like Jimmy Durante. I wonder if Jerry looked at Harry and tried to imitate Jimmy Durante on the set due to Harry's nose. lol I remember that Count Von Count is well he's odviously a parody of Count Dracula but spicifficly the Count Dracula from the original 30s movie from Universal. Plus I think Uncle Deadly's voice was loosely based on Vincent Price before he finally met up with him in the Vincent Price episode of The Muppet Show. So I'm just curious even though there was parody Muppets from time to time, was there any celebrity influence with a lot of the main Muppet characters? The only other one I know of was Miss Piggy's name was loosy based on Peggy Lee (originally named Piggy Lee but someone decided to drop the Lee out of the name so it won't be too obvious, or risk of being sued, etc)

Amazing Mumford's voice/manner of speaking was an homage to W. C. Fields.

 

[mupcollector1]

Amazing Mumford's voice/manner of speaking was an homage to W. C. Fields.

Hmm, interesting. I see the resemblance now. WOW, I haven't seen Amazing Mumford in a long time. Ala Peanut Butter Sandwiches.