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.
| Spoiler Warning: The following contains important plot details of the entire film. |
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.
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 who has set his sights on Kermit as a potential new mascot.
Kermit stops at the El Sleezo Cafe, which is owed 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.
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.
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 badguys 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 and successfully scares away Hopper and his henchmen.
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
- "Rainbow Connection" (3:14)
- "Movin' Right Along" (2:58)
- "Never Before, Never Again!" (vocal) (3:50)
- "Never Before, Never Again!" (instrumental) (3:58)
- "I Hope That Somethin' Better Comes Along!" (vocal) (3:58)
- "Can You Picture That?" (2:30)
- "I Hope That Somethin' Better Comes Along!" (instrumental) (2:29)
- "I'm Going To Go Back There Someday" (2:52)
- "America" (0:53)
- "Animal...Come Back Animal" (1:30)
- "Finale: The Magic Store" (5:16)
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.
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.
A second verse for the song "I Hope That Something Better Comes Along" was cut from the film because it was considered too risque'. The complete song can be heard on the soundtrack album.
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.
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.
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.
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.
One of the two specially-painted 1951 Studebaker Commanders used in the film resides in the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana.
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