Pigs singing the Happy Wanderer

[Skye]

And don't you also just adore the realistic sound effects to suggest the noises made by the first two pigs bouncing down the mountainside Caroline?
And also the effect of the sound of the boulders rolling. Does it not sound so appropriately real?

I wonder if they may have pushed the last pig down as opposed to crushing him against the mountainside. Otherwise the wolf may have had a hard time collecting the meat so he could have all three pigs in his stewpot.
Just imagine the wolf waiting for the third pig to fall then quickly runs for cover with a shriek as the boulders come tumbling right behind.
Naturally he was very pleased with the goat for killing the pigs for him but he had to say, "Next time tell me if you're going to do something like that. I've never had such a close call ever before."

That's true, the noises and effects did sound really real. The screams of the pigs as they were going down were great, too. The muppeteers did an awesome job with that!

You know, I'm imagining your wolf scenario, and they should've put something like that in the sketch! That would've been pretty funny, too. Like, the wolf down at the bottom gathering up the pigs, and then an "Uh-oh" or something before he runs off and then the boulders hit. Of course, the sketch is wonderful as is, but that added thing could've been very entertaining!

And yay!! Congrats on your thread having 150 posts!! That's so great. And here's to many more!

 

[MartyMuppets]

Thanks. I'm sure I'll be able to keep this thread alive for quite a good long while yet.

Another good little subtle hint in retrospection that fits in logically with the acts of the goat is how the first two pigs fall off the alpine track when they appeared to be standing still.

It does make one think doesn't it? How could they have slipped on loose rocks at times when they weren't even taking a step in the first place?

HA HA HA Obviously it never even occured at the crucial time to the remaining two pigs when their best buddy met with tragedy.
The last pig as I've pointed out earlier may have been fearfully more suspicious, but at the time it didn't dawn on even the audience first viewing.

 

[MartyMuppets]

And, I recently got the Time Life video with this episode on it

You certainly are very fortunate to have acquired it Caroline. Is it a video as in a video tape or a DVD?

So you'd be able to see the sketch right from the very start with a bare mountain-side scene and the first pig from the lead slowly appearing climbing up with his two buddies following pretty close behind him. I'm a bit envious. I haven't seen it start like that for ages. When the television stations started broadcasting re-runs they edited out the sketch immediately before it with Miss Piggy singing "Trees" and also that teeny bit at the beginning. They began it with all three pigs in sight just before they begin singing. The link in youtube more or less begins at that very point as well.
SIGH I wish it was complete. I would love to see exactly what it looked like again. As I vaguely seem to recall there is some music playing for a few moments before the pigs start to come into view and it continues playing the tune of the number until they all make their positions clearly in place and turn to face the camera as they begin to sing.

Is this more or less pictured correctly in my memory Caroline?

 

[MartyMuppets]

Another good little subtle hint in retrospection that fits in logically with the acts of the goat is how the first two pigs fall off the alpine track when they appeared to be standing still.

It does make one think doesn't it? How could they have slipped on loose rocks at times when they weren't even taking a step in the first place?

I just watched the youtube link again a few times and was reminded of this previous post of mine and I thought if any of the pigs could have genuinely slipped on a loose rock it was the last one while he was making his way upwards with arms outstretched in front of him to grasp the outcrop just before he sang Val de ahahahahaha.
It's a very keen observation I've now pointed out about the pigs falling down when they weren't moving at all, don't you agree?

 

[MartyMuppets]

Have you also noticed that the pig on the end has one of his legs hitched up at the start of the number? You can even see his climbing shoe on his foot which looks a little bit like a sneaker.

I wonder if that was an unintentional gesture which they decided to just leave in rather than re-shoot that part of the take since it does seem rather un-natural, doesn't it?

It looks like he would have been literally balancing on one leg momentarily while his other leg was lifted up and draped around the ledge of the mountain track meant for holding on with his hands

 

[MartyMuppets]

I just noticed redBoobergurl's current signature "I love Fall" meaning I suppose the season of the Fall also known as Autumn.

Well she may love the Fall but I bet sure as heck those three pigs don't like it one little bit.
And I don't believe they enjoy listening to the music of the Rolling Stones either

 

[Skye]

Marty, it is a VHS videotape that I got. And your memory is very impressive! It does start that way exactly. I'd have to watch it again, as I don't remember for sure if the music starts playing before the pigs come into sight, but I do believe that's the way it is. But yes, it's pictured extremely correctly in your memory.

I do agree, that is a very keen observation that you made about the pigs falling when they weren't moving at all. I hadn't really thought about that before, and it is a very interesting point!

I hadn't noticed that you can see the shoe on that one pig either. It looks like a sneaker, huh? That is really funny, and indeed, certainly odd! Now, you are referring to the pig who fell first, correct? If so, then maybe if the pig was afraid of heights, he didn't have any good footgear for climbing, so he grabbed the next best thing! Or, since it is an odd thing, I'll bet they purposely put it in just to see if people would notice. These are the Muppets, after all!

And I don't believe they enjoy listening to the music of the Rolling Stones either

Ha! That's a good one, Marty! And I'll bet you're darn right!

 

[MartyMuppets]

Marty, it is a VHS videotape that I got. And your memory is very impressive! It does start that way exactly. I'd have to watch it again, as I don't remember for sure if the music starts playing before the pigs come into sight, but I do believe that's the way it is. But yes, it's pictured extremely correctly in your memory.

I do agree, that is a very keen observation that you made about the pigs falling when they weren't moving at all. I hadn't really thought about that before, and it is a very interesting point

Thanks Caroline. Now I really wish the season sets would start quickly coming out more than ever so that I can see it for myself.

Thinking about that observation makes me feel sorry for them all over again. heh Whether the wolf was masterminding the whole thing or not that mean, evil goat should have left those sweet, innocent piggies alone. They had done nothing to deserve their terrible fate. BOO-HOO-HOO! WAAAHHH! SOB!SOB! WHIMPER! BLAAAARRTT! (that's the sound of me blowing my nose)
I hope Piggy really did take her revenge for them

But seriously I think those three pigs did eventually recover from falling to their deaths. The last pig with the huge snout and small beady eyes was very different from most of the other whatnot pigs and that was his very first role on the Muppet Show. And he went on to appear in several further fourth and fifth season episodes. You couldn't miss him. He always stuck out like a sore thumb. And if he could easily come back I can see no reason to suppose his best buddies didn't continue to be on the show amidst all the other pigs as well.

So I do sympathize with them but I have consolation knowing that at least they got well again after their fatal injuries. Too bad we humans can't recover from such bad misfortune the way muppets can eh?

I'll bet the three of them were very glad to never again be cast in sketches where they wound up deceased. Once was more than enough and it must have been very painful for the dear piggies

 

[erniebert1234ss]

Aries is a ram, guys.

BJ

 

[MartyMuppets]

Aries is a ram, guys.

BJ

Oh well at least it's close enough. Rams are sort of similarly built like goats