The Muppet Movie is the first of a series of live-action musical feature films starring Jim Henson's Muppets. This film was produced by Henson Associates and ITC Entertainment, and originally released in movie theatres in 1979. Image File history File links The Muppet Movie DVD cover This is a DVD cover. ... James Frawley is an American director and actor. ... For the company founded by Henson, see The Jim Henson Company. ... Jerry Juhl (July 27, 1937 - September 27, 2005) was a television and movie writer best known for his work with Jim Hensons Muppets. ... For the company founded by Henson, see The Jim Henson Company. ... Richard Frank Oznowicz (born May 25, 1944), better known as Frank Oz, is an English film director, actor and puppeteer. ... Dave Goelz (born July 16, 1946) is a puppeteer best-known for his association with The Muppets, and in particular with the Muppet character Gonzo. ... Jerry Nelson (born July 10, 1934) is a Muppet puppeteer. ... Richard Hunt (August 16, 1951 - January 7, 1992) was an American puppeteer best known for his association with The Muppets. ... Kenneth Ascher (born October 26, 1944, Washington, D.C.), also known as Ken or Kenny Ascher, is an American musician (keyboards), songwriter and musical arranger. ... Paul Hamilton Williams (born September 19, 1940, in Omaha, Nebraska) is an American composer, songwriter, and actor. ... June 22 is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 192 days remaining. ... For the song by The Smashing Pumpkins, see 1979 (song). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... The Great Muppet Caper is the second of a series of live-action musical feature films, starring Jim Hensons Muppets. ... In film and video, live action refers to works that are acted out by flesh-and-blood actors, as opposed to animation. ... Allegory of Music on the Opéra Garnier Music is an art form that involves organized sounds and silence. ... For other uses see film (disambiguation) Film refers to the celluliod media on which movies are printed Film — also called movies, the cinema, the silver screen, moving pictures, photoplays, picture shows, flicks, or motion pictures, — is a field that encompasses motion pictures as an art form or as... For the company founded by Henson, see The Jim Henson Company. ... John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together The Muppets are a group of puppets and costume characters created by Jim Henson and the company he created. ... Henson Associates (commonly abbreviated ha!), is the former name of The Jim Henson Company, which held from 1976 to 1988. ... The ITC Entertainment logo The Incorporated Television Company (ITC) was founded by television mogul Lew Grade in 1954. ... // Events March 5 - Production begins on Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. ...

Plot

The film is a movie-in-a-movie, as we see Kermit the Frog and the rest of the Muppets gathering for the first screening of The Muppet Movie. Kermit notes that the movie is a somewhat fictionalized account of the true story of how the Muppets first got together. Kermit singing Bein Green in the first season of Sesame Street. ...

As the story opens, Kermit is enjoying a relaxing afternoon in the swamp, singing a tune and strumming his banjo, when he is approached by an agent (Dom DeLuise) who recognizes his talents and encourages Kermit to pursue a career in Hollywood. Inspired by the idea of making millions of people happy, Kermit sets off on his trusty bicycle. Almost immediately, he is pursued by the conniving Doc Hopper (Charles Durning), owner of a struggling french-fried frog legs restaurant franchise, and his assistant Max (Austin Pendleton), who have set their sights on Kermit as a potential new mascot. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A four-string banjo For other uses, see Banjo (disambiguation) The banjo is a stringed instrument of African American origin. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... ... Velo redirects here. ... Doc Hopper is a character from the Muppet Movie. ... Charles Durning Charles Durning (born February 28, 1923 in Highland Falls, New York) is an American actor of stage and screen, born to an impoverished Irish American Catholic family, which he left as soon as possible to ease the financial pressure on his mother. ... Frogs legs are one of the better-known delicacies of French and Chinese cuisine. ... Toms Restaurant, a restaurant in New York made familiar by Suzanne Vega and the television sitcom Seinfeld A restaurant is an establishment that serves prepared food and beverages to order, to be consumed on the premises. ... Look up franchise in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Austin Pendleton (born on 27 March 1940 in Warren, Ohio, USA) is an American movie, television and stage actor. ... A mascot, originally a fetish-like term for any person, animal, or thing supposed to bring luck, is now something—typically an animal or human character—used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team (the name often corresponds with the mascot...

Kermit stops at the El Sleezo Cafe, which is owned by James Coburn and whose patrons include Madeline Kahn and Telly Savalas. Kermit meets Fozzie Bear who is working in the place as a stand-up comedian. Kermit invites Fozzie to join him on his quest for stardom, and together they continue their journey in Fozzie's Studebaker. They make several new friends along the way, including Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem rock band (whom they bring up to speed on current events by giving them a copy of the movie script); Gonzo the traveling plumber, with his chicken girlfriend Camilla; Rowlf, the piano playing dog; and local beauty queen Miss Piggy, who leaps at the chance to accompany the group to Hollywood. James Coburn in Sam Peckinpahs Cross of Iron (1977). ... Madeline Kahn (September 29, 1942 – December 3, 1999) was an Academy Award-nominated Jewish American actress of movie, television, and theater distinguished by an unusual gift for comedy. ... Telly Savalas (January 21, 1924 – January 22, 1994) was an Emmy Award-winning American film and television actor whose career spanned four decades. ... Fozzie Bear Fozzie Bear is a fictional character, originally created by Jim Henson as a member of The Muppets. ... The Studebaker Commander was an automobile produced by the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Indiana (USA) and Studebaker Ltd. ... From Left to Right Janice, Floyd, Animal, Zoot and the band leader Dr. Teeth Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem is the name of a Muppet rock band that appeared on The Muppet Show. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A screenplay or script is a blueprint for producing a motion picture. ... Gonzo (aka Gonzo the Great or the Great Gonzo) is a puppet character, one of Jim Hensons Muppets. ... A plumber is a tradesperson who specializes in installing and maintaining systems used for potable (drinking) water, sewage, drainage, venting, heating and air-conditioning, or industrial process plant piping. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Rowlf is a Muppet musician from Jim Hensons The Muppet Show. ... Miss Piggy being moved on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Miss Piggy is a Muppet character primarily played by Frank Oz. ...

After Kermit and friends manage to evade Doc Hopper's schemes a number of times (adding several more Muppet characters to the group as they progress from scene to scene), Doc Hopper responds by capturing Miss Piggy in order to lure Kermit into his clutches. Kermit is very nearly lobotomized by a mad scientist's (Mel Brooks) electronic cerebrectomy device, intended to brainwash him into performing in Doc Hopper's TV commercials, until Miss Piggy manages a last-minute rescue with some blackbelt karate maneuvers. Mel Brooks (born Melvin Kaminsky on June 28, 1926) is an Academy Award-winning American actor, writer, director and producer best known as a creator of broad film farces and comedy parodies or, as he says, spoofs. // Born Melvin Kaminsky in Brooklyn, New York to Russian-Jewish parents Maximillian Kaminsky... Brainwashing controversies According to research and forensic psychologist Dick Anthony, the CIA invented the brainwashing ideology as a propaganda strategy to undercut communist claims that American POWs in Korean communist camps had voluntarily expressed sympathy for communism and that definitive research demonstrated that collaboration by western POWs had been caused... Commercial may mean: as a noun: a form of advertising, as in a television commercial as an adjective: referring to commerce or for-profit activities or trade (compare with non-profit organization) a breed of cattle, Commercial This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Refusing to run from a bully for the rest of his life, Kermit resolves to face Doc Hopper in a showdown. The gang stops in a Western ghost town, where they first meet Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker, but are soon joined by the bad guys on their heels. Kermit gives an impassioned plea to allow him and his friends to continue on their way and make their dreams come true. Although the speech falls on deaf ears, Kermit and friends are saved at the last moment by Animal, who has eaten Dr. Bunsen Honeydew's growth pills, grown as large as King Kong he successfully scares away Hopper and his henchmen. Bullying involves the tormenting of others through verbal harassment, physical assault, or other more subtle methods of coercion such as manipulation. ... UK single cover of Ghost Town Ghost Town was a number one hit for the British ska band, The Specials. ... Dr. Bunsen Honeydew Dr. Bunsen Honeydew is a fictional character from The Muppet Show, performed by Dave Goelz. ... Dr. Bunsen Honeydew Dr. Bunsen Honeydew is a fictional character from The Muppet Show, performed by Dave Goelz. ... The Electric Mayhem is the name of a Muppet rock band that appeared on The Muppet Show. ... King Kong battles a pterosaur in the original 1933 version. ...

The film ends with Kermit and the gang making it to Hollywood and then entering production on a film about their experiences (which, of course, is what we've been watching all along). ...

Soundtrack album track listing

1. "The Rainbow Connection" (3:14)
2. "Movin' Right Along" (2:58)
3. "Never Before, Never Again!" (vocal) (3:50)
4. "Never Before, Never Again!" (instrumental) (3:58)
5. "I Hope That Somethin' Better Comes Along!" (vocal) (3:58)
6. "Can You Picture That?" (2:30)
7. "I Hope That Somethin' Better Comes Along!" (instrumental) (2:29)
8. "I'm Going To Go Back There Someday" (2:52)
9. "America" (0:53)
10. "Animal...Come Back Animal" (1:30)
11. "Finale: The Magic Store" (5:16)

The Rainbow Connection is a popular song originally performed by Kermit the Frog (Jim Henson) in The Muppet Movie in 1979. ... About half an hour into the Muppet Movie, Kermit and Fozzie are driving across the USA in Fozzies Studebaker towards Hollywood. ... America the Beautiful is an American patriotic song which rivals The Star-Spangled Banner, the national anthem of the United States, in popularity. ...

Trivia

Early in their journey, Kermit and Fozzie pass Big Bird (Caroll Spinney) on the road, who notes that he's traveling to New York to try to break into public television, an obvious reference to the New York City-based Sesame Street for WNET. Big Bird finds Ernie in a game of Journey to Ernie. ... Spinney appears on a 1970s episode of Whats My Line Caroll Spinney, sometimes credited as Carroll Spinney or Ed Spinney (born December 26, 1933 in Waltham, Massachusetts, USA) is a puppeteer most famous for playing Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on the childrens television show Sesame Street. ... Not to be confused with Public Broadcasting Services in Malta. ... Sesame Street is an American educational childrens television series for preschoolers and is a pioneer of the contemporary educational television standard, combining both education and entertainment. ... WNET (Thirteen/WNET) is an American television station licensed by the FCC to serve Newark, New Jersey. ...

The producer (played by Orson Welles) who provides the Muppets with their "standard 'Rich and Famous' contract" at the end of the film is named Lew Lord, a play on Lord Lew Grade, who really gave the Muppets their big break. George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American theatre, screenwriter and film producer and director, and a theatre, radio and film actor. ... Lew Grade, Baron Grade (birth name Louis Winogradsky) (December 25, 1906 - December 13, 1998) was an influential showbusiness impresario and television company executive in the United Kingdom. ...

Two 1951 Studebaker Coupes were used for the filming. One was driven normally and used for long distant shots, while the second was designed to be driven with "Fozzie" in the driver's seat. The actual driver was located in the trunk and used a TV camera mounted in the nose to transmit an image onto a TV screen located in the trunk. This can be distinguished in the film by the missing nose "spinner" where the camera was located.

The finale features 250 Muppets singing the final verse of the final song. 175 Muppeteers had to hide underneath the stage in a large hole. The sequence took only a day to film.

This film, from 1978, aired on The Odyssey Channel on April 26, 1999, on The Disney Channel in 1997 and June 4, 2001, on The Hallmark Channel in 1998, and on VHS and/or DVD in 1980, 1993ˌ June 5, 2001 (VHS and DVD), and November 29, 2005. April 26 is the 116th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (117th in leap years). ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 4 is the 155th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (156th in leap years), with 210 days remaining. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... June 5 is the 156th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (157th in leap years), with 209 days remaining. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 29 is the 333rd (in leap years the 334th) day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Production Notes

The closing song, known as "The Magic Store/Rainbow Connection Reprise" featured a performance by every Muppet that had been created up to that time. The filming of this scene required the use of many more puppeteers than worked for Henson at the time. It is reported that John Landis and Tim Burton were among those who operated various Muppets to help create this scene ^{[citation needed]}. John Landis (born August 3, 1950 in Chicago) is an American movie actor, director, writer, and producer. ... Timothy William Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an Academy Award-nominated American film director, writer and designer known for his off-beat and quirky style. ...

The film was scored by Paul Williams and Kenny Ascher, and their song The Rainbow Connection received an Academy Award nomination and became the informal theme song of Henson Pictures. Paul Hamilton Williams (born September 19, 1940, in Omaha, Nebraska) is an American composer, songwriter, and actor. ... Kenneth Ascher (born October 26, 1944, Washington, D.C.), also known as Ken or Kenny Ascher, is an American musician (keyboards), songwriter and musical arranger. ... The Rainbow Connection is a popular song originally performed by Kermit the Frog (Jim Henson) in The Muppet Movie in 1979. ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... The theme music of a radio or television program is a melody closely associated with the show, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits. ...

The film had numerous celebrity cameos including Bob Hope, Mel Brooks, Steve Martin, Richard Pryor, Elliott Gould, Milton Berle, Telly Savalas, and Orson Welles. The movie was dedicated to ventriloquist Edgar Bergen, who made his final film appearance in this movie. Bob Hope, KBE (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003), born Leslie Townes Hope, was an English-born American entertainer who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, on radio and television, in movies, and in performing tours for U.S. Military personnel. ... Mel Brooks (born Melvin Kaminsky on June 28, 1926) is an Academy Award-winning American actor, writer, director and producer best known as a creator of broad film farces and comedy parodies or, as he says, spoofs. // Born Melvin Kaminsky in Brooklyn, New York to Russian-Jewish parents Maximillian Kaminsky... Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American comedian, writer, producer, actor, musician and composer. ... Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor III (December 1, 1940 – December 10, 2005) was a legendary American comedian, actor, and writer. ... Elliot Gould on the cover page of TIME magazine. ... Milton Berle This article or section seems not to be written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia entry. ... Telly Savalas (January 21, 1924 – January 22, 1994) was an Emmy Award-winning American film and television actor whose career spanned four decades. ... George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American theatre, screenwriter and film producer and director, and a theatre, radio and film actor. ... Sam Bermans caricature of Charlie McCarthy and Edgar Bergen for 1947 NBC promotion book Edgar John Bergen (February 16, 1903 – September 30, 1978) was an American actor and radio performer, best known as a ventriloquist. ...

One of the two specially-painted 1951 Studebaker Commanders used in the film resides in the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana. 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... The Studebaker Commander was an automobile produced by the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Indiana (USA) and Studebaker Ltd. ... Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana. ... Location in the state of Indiana Coordinates: County St. ...

The Muppets are a group of puppets and costume characters, and the company created by Jim Henson. ... The Great Muppet Caper is the second of a series of live-action musical feature films, starring Jim Hensons Muppets. ... The Muppets Take Manhattan DVD cover The Muppets Take Manhattan is the third of a series of live-action musical feature films starring Jim Hensons Muppets. ... Jim Hensons MuppetVision 3D is an attraction found at Disney-MGM Studios, part of Walt Disney World located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida and at Disneys California Adventure park in Anaheim, California. ... The Muppet Christmas Carol was the fourth feature film to star The Muppets, and the first produced after the death of Muppets creator Jim Henson. ... DVD cover Muppet Treasure Island was the fifth feature film to star The Muppets, and the second produced after the death of Muppets creator Jim Henson. ... DVD cover Muppets From Space was the sixth feature film to star The Muppets, and the first since the death of Muppets creator Jim Henson to have an original Muppet-focused plot. ... A Muppet Family Christmas is a made for TV movie produced in 1987, starring Jim Hensons Muppets. ... The Muppets at Walt Disney World is a television special starring Jim Hensons Muppets at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. ... Its a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie is an NBC television movie produced by Jim Henson Television in 2002, starring Jim Hensons Muppets. ... Promotional poster The Muppets Wizard of Oz, an original made-for-television movie, aired May 20, 2005 as a special Friday night edition of ABCs The Wonderful World of Disney. ...

External links

• The Muppet Movie at the Internet Movie Database
• Muppet Wiki: The Muppet Movie
• Tough Pigs: The Muppet Movie from Script to Screen