"I Hope That Something Better Comes Along" Performers

[goshposh]

who manipulated rowlf during this scene?

 

[mikebennidict]

what do you mean by manipulated?

 

[minor muppetz]

I think he meant who performed Rowlf, since that scene had Kermit and Rowlf, two Jim Henson characters. Of course, Jim Henson might have manipulated Rowlf while somebody else manipulated Kermit.

Since Miss Piggy had left before Rowlf was introduced, it's possible that Frank Oz performed him (or Kermit), since he would have been on the set and wouldn't have had a character he needed to perform. Of course, The Muppet Show Fan Club newsletter had an article about The Muppet Movie, saying that it took nearly one day to film each minute (though I think that's exaggerating a bit; It said that it took 87 days to make a 90 minute film, with one minute a day, but then there'd be three extra minutes, and the film was 94 minutes long in it's american release, and 96 minutes long in it's original UK release).

The early script that was posted at Tough Pigs mentions that Statler and Waldorf were originally meant to be in the resturaunt scene. I don't know if their scene was actually filmed and deleted, but if it was, Richard Hunt could have been manipulating Rowlf, or possible performing the hands while Jim or Frank manipulated the body. That would make sense, since all three performers performed other characters and were probably on the set. But then Steve Whitmire might have been performign Rowlf, or possibly Rowlf's hands (since Steve Whitmire usually performed Rowlf's hands after he joined).

 

[David French]

The early script that was posted at Tough Pigs mentions that Statler and Waldorf were originally meant to be in the resturaunt scene.

The book of the film indicates they were meant to be at the El Sleezo Cafe. There's certainly a photo of them drinking coffee/tea there so presumably it was filmed but deleted from the film.

 

[minor muppetz]

I don't know if you've read the "Road to Hollywood" anthology at Tough Pigs (which is a description of an early script), but in the script, Statler and Waldorf appear at both resturaunts. As far as I know, only their scene at the El Sleezo Cafe is pictured in the book.

 

[anytimepally]

My guess is that Jim was performing Rowlf, and someone else was doing Kermit... I have nothing to back this up with, but Kermit's part in the song seems to be secondary to Rowlf's, at least to me, and if you had two characters in a scene, the performer would usually perform the one with the more critical role.. and, of course, someone else would have to do Rowlf's hands...