Man Up! by Ross Mathews

Ross Mathews. Man Up! Tales of My Delusional Self-Confidence. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2013.

Ross Mathews began his TV career as an unpaid internship, while in college, on the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno/” He arrived dress in a used suit (crossing his legs to hide a hold in the crotch) to discover he was interviewed by a woman wearing sweat pants. When she explained the internship would not be glamorous work, he replied it was better then cleaning the inside of trash cans at McDonald’s. He was hired on the spot.

The internship consisted of making copies, getting lunches (even though food was provided by caterers throughout the day), and delivering mail and messages

While the internship was unpaid, Mathews learned how to “accidentally” on purpose take extra food from the NBC cafeteria and to hide it to eat later. When he was called in to see the head writer, he feared he had been caught and feared getting arrested. Instead, they asked if he wanted to be on the show during interviews at a movie premiere. He accepted.

The eccentric Ross Mathews was a hit. “Ross the Intern” was given additional on the air assignments.

He met Gwyneth Paltrow while interviewing her. He asked to be friends with her. He was surprised to learn she watched him on “The Tonight Show” and agreed to be friends. They really did become friends.

Chelsea Handler asked Ross Mathews to open for her during some of her comedy shows. She was impressed She now produces an interview show Ross Mathews has on the E! network.

Ross writes about his life long interest in entertaining. He also writes about his youthful realization that there are people who bully people who they think are gay. He also writes how he realized he is gay and how he embraces who he is. 

Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Hollywood by Michael B. Druxman

Michael B. Druxman. Life, Liberty & The Pursuit of Hollywood: More of My Wacky Adventures in Tinseltown. Albany, Ga.: Bear Manor Media, 2013.

Druxman advises that the most important quality required in the film industry is tenacity. It took him ten years before he sold his first screenplay. Once that happened, more offers were extended.

Druxman was an agent. Druxman collected movie press kits. He discovered a bookstore that was selling press kits that had been stolen from the Warner Brothers library. Warner Brothers got their press kits back. From then on, Warner Brothers was more apt to listen to Druxman when representing his clients.

Druxman began as a Drama major (he lated switched to Sociology) at the University of Washington. He learned, when wondering why a humorous line was not getting a laugh, was that an actor should never anticipate the laugh. Stating it naturally allowed the humor to come forth.

Druxman went into stage directing in Seattle theater. Druxman observed Seattle did not present edgier plays. He successfully challenged their perceptions and fought over censorship with the theater board. He then cast and directed the plays that he wanted to present.

Druxman found there was not much money to be made in community theater. He moved to Los Angeles. He opened a low cost publicity service for the film industry. It was called Michael B. Druxman and Associates, although there were’t really associates. The standard deal was Druxman received 5% of an actor’s income during the time he handled publicity.

Druxman had three clients who stayed with him when they receive larger incomes. He considers them “men of principles”. THey are Steve Kanaly, Michael Ansara and Henry Darrow.

One client whose career he tried to resurrect was Reed Hadley. Yet there was a demand for new talet at a time when Hadley was a familiar face yet lacked a memorable name as a box office draw.

Druxman was hired to add dialogue to the movie “She Freak”. His name does not appear in the credits. He earned not to let that happen again.

Druxman observed that, in a comedy duo, the straight person’s reaction to a comic’s joke is what causes laughter.

Druxman can confrim from steam club membership that on of the most endowed actors was Rock Hudson. As several frustrated actresses stated, “what a waste.”

Druxman handled publicity for several composers including John Williams and Johnny Mandel.

Gale Gordon was a Druxman client. A published once asked Druxman to write a biography of Gordon as none existed. Druxman explain there was no book, as he did his work, went home to his wife, and was never involved in any scandals.

Edward Dmyrtryk, a director, was a client. Drmtryk once told an actor, who questioned his motive for a scene walking through a door, that “your motivation for walking through the goddman door is that’s the only way you can get into the goddamn roo Now, shut up and let’s shoot the scene.”

Druxman similarly recalls when he was directing and a addressing an actor on his motivation, telling him “Your motivation is that that’s where I want you to be.”

A director Gerald Mayr once told Druxman that, when directing animals, there is “nothing to it. I just tell the trained that I want the chimpanzee to do this or that, and the trainer makes the chimp do this or that.”

Druxma did publicity for Stanley Myron Handleman. He became popular and did several TV appearances as a comic. Handleman fired Druxman. Handleman found peopel began to ire of him and his career dwindled to a few appearances.

Druxman represented Jack Carter. They had a falling out yet ears later had friendly reunions.

Druxman represented Nicholas Hammond, the actor who was the first life action Spiderman on the 1977 TV series “The Amazing Spider-Man.” Hammond though, ever wore the Spider-man costume as that was a stuntman.

Druxman notes it is not just talent that gets parts. Often an actor fits a conception that the director has for how the character should be. More talented people are often rejected in favor of an actor who fits the part.

Richard Castallano was one of the most difficult clients Druxman represented. He was demanding. He threatened creative people with threats suggesting he had mob connections.

Charles Nelson Reilly was a client. Druxman found him as “scatterbrained” in real life as his acting persona. Reilly was on “The Dean Martin Show” where Marin and guests read their lines from cue cards with little or no rehearsals. Reilly learned his lines until once his script blew out of his convertible car. He decided from then on to also read cue cards as the others did.

George Raft was actor Druxman knew although they didn’t work together. Druxman observe how Raft, a big star, turned down roles in what became big hit movies such as “The Maltese Falcon” and “High Sierra”. Raft [aod $10,000 to get out of his contract. Raft ended up hosting at a restaurant in return for meals and little pay.

Druxman had a client who wanted an expensive trade ad celebrating that the actor had one line on a TV show.

When an actor has a poor performance, the truth can hurt and lying may be bad. Keenan Wynn once advised, when seeing an actor after a bad performance, to smile, shake the actor’s hand, punch the actor on the shoulder, and say “son of a bitch.”

Barbara Hershey, a Druxman client, changed her name to Barbara Seagull. She then changed it back.

A writer once wanted to create a TV series based on a character he wrote for a “Get Smart” episode. The writer later realized the “Get Smart” owners had the rights to his character.

Druxman writers how powerful the film industry is. A major star, unnamed, once killed a woman in a drunken hit and run. The studio was able to keep the story from the press.

Druxman doubts author’s Charles Higham’s ethics in printing gossip without finding facts. Highman wrote Errol Flynn was a Nazi spy while those who knew Flynn find without any merit. The Flynn estate sued yet couldn’t since the law states a deceased person can’t be libeled.

Watch Movies Learn Screenwriting by Joan Erskine

Joan Erskine. Watch Movies Lean Screenwriting. New York: Everybody’s Write, LLC., 2012.

Screenplays should tell good stories. A good story often comes from within the writer’s passion

A screenplay must engage an audience into desiring to watch a film. The screenplay present the film’s sound and describes the sights.

Most screenplays have a three act structure about a major character. facing challenges throughout a story presented within a theme. Plot points move the story towards dnew directions.

The first plot point often has the main character doing something different from what the character usually does. This new behavior creates the story. The second plot point creates conflict of some kind. The story turns towards a new direction just before Act II is over, This new directions usually leads to the end.

There are many themes, from love, fear, etc. The theme creates emotions through the story. The theme and story are intertwined. By making this interesting, an audience is entertained.

The main character should have a goal established in the first act.

A story’s true meaning is demonstrated through its genre. This creates a film that is of a genre such as biography, black comedy, buddy film, comedy crime drama, drama, documentary, fantasy, film noir, farce, historical, horror, musical, romantic comedy, satire, thriller, true crime, western supernatural, science fiction, etc. or some combination of these.

Character development is shown through providing the character with empathy and for the audience to development empathy for the character. The character may do something that makes the character sympathetic he protagonist should go through a character arc that changes the protagonist.

Character arcs can be seen as psychological changes where th character learns to cope or overcome a fear.

A character arc may change a character’s needs goals point of view, and/or attitude It is important there be high stakes for the protagonist to undergo this process.

An antagonist exists in a story to try and prevent the protagonist from reaching the protagonist’s goals.

Supporting characters provide the protagonist with a means of reflection and creating a voice, Often they question the views of the protagonist.

Characters require contrasting voices. These voices may still agree with others,

Showing something through action is often far better than presenting it in dialogue.

“Direct dialogue” is that which is obvious or “on the nose” dialogue. “Subtext” conveys through messages with underlying, different meanings.

Exposition is often used to show emotions and personality during conflicts. Actions though are often better to use than exposition.

Dialogue should consider characters’ personalities and emotions.

When writing a screenplay, find a theme find an idea; create a story; create characters; give characters arcs, goals, and needs;  create views, attitudes, values, feelings positive qualifies flaws, fears and beliefs for characters; know the life events that impact the characters; and write dialogue.

Scene development often is improved with interesting locations. The screenwriting should consider the important of timing. The mood or tone need to be shown. The protagonist is present along with showing the protagonists’s current state. Important other characters are introduced. There often is a bookend presentation of the first scene. The plot point sets events in an exciting new direction. There usually is reflection. In the second acts, events often take a “minor detour”. The protagonist finds some success, gains confidence. and takes the lead. The second plot point makes a final decision definitive. The Third Act presents final hurdles the protagonist must overcome. These are resolved.

The Technique of Film Editing by Karl Resiz

Karl Reisz, The Technique of Film Editing. 8th Ed., New York: Focal Press, 1960.

This book claims to be the first film editing published in England when it was first published in 1953.

V.I. Pudovkin declared that film editing is a form of creativity. How a film is edited can help express emotions and ideas. Even the early Lumiere Brothers films of the 1890s realized that editing was a form of expression.George Melies used camera trick shots in his eiditng. Edward S. Porter, a camera operator for Eison, used shots from different shoots to place together into displaying an intended idea in a film. Porter’s editing were revolutionary then in film. Porter demonstrated that editing can display a sense of time or could display a continuity in parallel actions. D.W. Griffith shows how editing can increase dramatic tension. Griffin woud show increased details in showing larger schenes for heightened drama. The editing of various degrees of close shots and long shots can heighten audience reactions. The correct rhythm of presenting scenes in editing impacts the visual presentation.

Sergei Eisenstein observed that the use of cross cuts, close shots, flash backs, etc. has similarities to literary techniques. The book notes that Soviet filmmakers then were taught how to create film for achieving political objectives.

Pudovkin wrote of the principle of constructive editing. Editing consider the celluloid film  and the composition of its appearance. A film narrative is displayed.

Griffith often favored long shots continaing close shots that crease dramatic effects. Pudovkin preferred continuity with details exposed in sequence. .Pudovkin did not like shots that lasted too long or using close shots more to break up a too lengthy scene.

Pudovkin experimented to demonstrate how shots are edited could change a viewer’s emotions. He saw film editing could be a mens for composing art.

Griffin’s films usually featured human conflict. Pudovkin’s films often concentrated ore on sidelights and story overtones. The editing reflecting their needs.

Eisenstein’s silent films were aimed more towards commentary over plot and the editing presents ideas leading to an ideological point. Eisentein saw his movies montages as intellectual movies where each picture in the moive has a single meaning that presented together create an intellectual context. The author finds the main difficulty with Eisentein’s style of movies is that viewers often find the point of the movie as obscure. It requires many viewers to further study an Eisetein silent film to understand what Esenstein intended to present.

The introduction of sound to film complicated film editing as sound and sight both needed to be edited. It became more important to pre-determined the order of shots in a film, how cameras should be set to film, and the timing of cuts when editing. A film had to have editing that was smooth in appearance. By contrast, many silent films including ones by Eisenstein and Griffin often had abrupt editing.

The director is usually responsible for a film’s continuity. Thus the director is often in charge of the editing.

Filmmakers ofen used symbolism in films. Often these are skillfully edited into films.

Documentary films often reuqire editing that focus on the film’s plot.

Edwin Porter had a rudimentary editing style. Conflict was timed in order to uplift the hero. Reaction shots contributed to visual contrasts.Cross cuts showed physical conflicts.

The author advises presenting an audience the physical details on a scene before moving to an action scene. Otherwise the viewer may be confused. Action scenes need to be carefully edited so the emphasis of the action is properly placed.

The placing of actors and their movements are important in scenes and how the scenes are edited.Sometimes editing focuses on a particular character, or sometimes a particular star actor that is the draw in attracting people to see the movie.

Serious films usually avoid jerky cuts that detract from its serious nature. Comedies are more apt to use jerky cuts or similar cuts that create discontinuity or anything that increases comedic distortions.

Russian montage sequences often use contrasting images that contribute towards an intended cumulative effect.In most American and British films, montages are generally rapid shots that convey a specific story.

Whatever a film has a plot or a theme often determines how it is edited. Documentary films are often theme oriented. Documentaries often have much raw film that needs to be edited into a documentary report. The presentation often has to appear life-like.

A film editor has to select which filmed material to use What is chosen should represent the desired mood. The sequence chosen should bolster that desired mood.There often should be a smooth continuity.

An educational film must b edited to avoid confusing the viewer. The changes presented must be deliberate.

The timing of shots is important. If the timing is too quick it may be confusing. If it is too long it may be boring.

Editing newsreels often requires keeping a “human angle” to the film.

Ernest Lindgren sees editing as “a filmic representation of reality through abrupt changes of view as a proper rendering of observed experience.” It is noted that most views occur from a stationary camera position and editing alters the directions of view or makes shots closer or further away. A lucid, smooth edting is usally required. The editing needs to be properly timed with a proper pace and rhythm.

Cuts can occur through dissolves or cuts. Some comedies use dissolves to allow time for laughter while moving to the next scene.

Sound editing can involve different levels and quality of sounds

Editin (circa 1960) involved numbering wih a wooden clapper the scenes that are shot. A sharp modulation appears on the sound track associated with the clapping sound These points are notd on the celluloid. The celluloid is placed into a synchroniser. A synchronized reel of sound and another of picture are created.  The reels are shown to check that they were properly synchronized. The same numbers are printed on the edges of both reels. Editing is done with either a Movioa, Acmioar, or an Editola. The film is placed into one of these achines and film viewed at a speed, up to three times normal, which is controlled by a foot pedal. A switch determines whether the film is viewed forward or in reverse. Most machines have a flywheel that slow the film viewing speed. The flywheel can be used manually to view frames one or a few at a time. When it is determined where to cut a film, that point is marked by pencil. Scissors are used to cut the film. Films are joined together on a splicer.

Editors usualy are who decides to lengthen or shorten a scene. Sometimes a sound editor or a composer may make a similar decision although usually the director makes the final decision.

While editing, the film editor must decide whether to use dissolves, fades, wipes, or some other optical effect. These decisions are on a form used by the laboratory developer.

After the visual is edited, a sound editor often works on a film. The dialogue is checked. If there are problems with the dialogue, actors may return to re-record the dialogue in what is knon as post-synchronising.

The music is usually added by the sound editor after this point. The sound editor then re-checks the sound. Some sound effects may be added. Some sound effects use as much as 12 tracks.

Sound dubbing occurs at this stage. The sound volume is set according to what is desired. Sound mixers may change the volumes of different tracks. The approved final sound is recorded onto one final version track.

A picture negative is then created in a laboratory. A married print is made from the negative for projection to viewers.

I, Rhoda by Valerie Harper

Valerie Harper. I, Rhoda. New York: Gallery Books, 2013.

The author had the role of Rhoda Morgenstein from 1970 to 1987, first on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” as Mary’s sidekick and then as the lead on the spin-off series “Rhoda”.

Harper knew from age six she wanted to be a performer. She took dance classes, including ballet, tap, and tumbling. She attended the Quintanos School for Young Professionals, which was a school aimed at entertainment families, even though her family was not in the entertainment business, with classmates such as Sal Mineo, Carol Lynley, and Tuesday Weld. At the same time, she studied at the Ballet Arts.

Harper began studying acting under John Cassavetes yet found it confused and left after two weeks.

Harper’s first paid job was for six weeks at Radio City Music Hall with the 36 member Cores de Ballet. She performed four times a day. The position required learning new dance numbers whenever the accompanying movie being shown changed. She found Radio CIty Music Hall backstage had dormitories with beds, showers, and a large cafeteria. She enjoyed the experience.

Her first film was dancing in “Rock, Rock, Rock”  which starred her classmate Tuesday Weld.

Her first regular job dancing was in the Michael Kidd Broadway production of “Li’l Abner”. She found the cast friendly and not backstabbing, which was the opposite of a common myth about fellow actors. She received $75 a week for eight shows per week. The show laster six months. After that, Harper went with the show where it played in Las Vegas for two months.

Harper gained weight and took diet shots to lose the weight. She got hepatitis from the shot. She had to leave as a cast member on Michael Kidd’s next play “Destiny Rides Again”.

Harper was cast in the movie “Li’l Abner”. Doing this caused he to gain weight again.

Harper than was in the Broadway play “Take Me Along” with Jackie Gleason. Gleason at times drank a lot, het his performances were always strong. Once, a man in the audience threatened to jump from an opera box seat in mid-performance. Jackie Gleason stopped him by yelling to him “Hold it right there” and then spoke to him long enough for security to reach him and pull him to safety. Gleason then resume acting with “sorry, folks, everyone wants to get into the act.”

Harper participated in her first strike when Actors’ Equity struck for a high minim pay plus better conditions, including no concrete floor rehearsal studios. She watched Celeste Holme at a Guild meeting proclaim “We must calm down. We are not a union. We are a Guild” to which Shelley Winters responded “Celeste, sit down! You don’t know your ass from your elbow. These kids are dancing for eight hours a day and destroying their legs.”

One of her fellow actors in “Take Me Along”, Jim Cresson, recommended Harper consider acting. Harper decided to take acting lessons from Mary Tarcai. Tarcai had been blacklisted for refusing to name Communists. Harper found herself failing at her acting studies, to which Tarcai replied Good Fail here in the studio, not out there when you’re working on a role.”

Tarcai taught Harper that “Acting is not about you self-expressed. Its about you creating other people.”

Harper earned a living by also appearing at industrial/trade shows.

Harper appeared in the play Wildcat” with Lucille Ball.

Harper was in the play “Subways are for Sleeping” produced by David Merrick. Merrick realized that critical reviews were going poorly so he found seven people with the same names as critics and had them watch the play for free and then used their names and photographs in ads praising the show.

Harper next acted in summer stock in “Come Blow Your Horn”. Harper was then offered to dance in the next Michael Kidd show. She turned it down to pursue acting.

Harper worked in sketch comedy clubs such as the Bitter End with performers such as Linda Ronstadt and Jerry Jeff Walker.

Harper became active with the Committee for the Employment of Negro Performers. The group picketed the show “Subways are for Sleeping” that Harper was in. They were upset that Blacks were not cast in the roles of Grand Central Station porters, positions that in real life were held by Blacks. Harper joined in picketing her own show until it was time to report to prepare for the show,

Harper joined Seven Arts CORE which fought to integrate the mostly white entertainment industry. She volunteered in their office. General Motors agreed to hire Blacks in their industrial shows.

Haper was convinced to move to California. He got a role in the TV series “Mayberry R.F.D.”

Paul Sills, who created Second City, convinced Harper and her husband Dick Schaal to join in forming a group called Story Theater that included Mary Frann and Peter Bonerz.

Harper worked in a small Los Angeles theater. A casting agent tracked her down requesting she audition for “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”. She was hard to find as she did not have an agent. Harper viewed the callback as an experience to work on her nervousness while reading with an established star as Mary Tyler Moore. She did not think she had a chance at getting the role. She looked at Mary Tyler Moore and told her “Look at you, white pants without a long jacked to cover your behind.” The producers laughed as she had become the role of Rhoda. She got the part She received $700 a week. She continued working with the Story Theater.

“The Mary Tyler Moore Show” production team was “lighthearted yet professional”. There was lots of laughter as people set out to do serious comedy. This was the first TV show to focus on a woman’s career.

There was table reads and first blocking on Mondays. There were blockings on Tuesday while the writers, while watching the blockings, determined how the material was working. Some times an entire script would be rewritten for Wednesday.

Harper learned to hit her marks for camera shoots, which she had not done in theater. She learned that script revisions were not a sign she was doing bad work but that the writers were improving the script.

Thursdays were rehearsals.

The first pilot of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” was redone and the redone pilot was bought by CBS.

Harper was often nervous before tapings, Mary Tyler Moore advised her to think of one scene at a time instead of fretting over the whole show.

Viewers identified with Rhoda’s issues of weight struggles and dieting. Rhoda was a foil to the eloquent Phyllis, portrayed by Cloris Leachman. The relationship between Rhoda and Phyllis was made complicated by having Phyllis’s daughter liking Rhoda.

Jay Sandrich observed that Harper increased awareness of feminism in America with her portrayal of Rhoda. The show present real adult characters in adult issues without resorting to caricatures. The show relied on intelligent humor.

“The Mary Tyler Moore Show” had seven female writers such as Linda Bloodworth-Thompson.

Harper won for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Rhoda. She began being recognized in public. She continued appearing on stage with “Story Theater” and went with the show when it went to Broadway. Linda Lavin replaced her when she returned to her TV work and then Harper resumed her role when her TV filming ended.

“The Mary  Tyler Moore Show” continued being successful by allowing the characters to change and grow. It was not the same type of jokes rehashed each week yet new issues and stories that were presented. New characters were introduced, as played by Betty White, John Amos, and Georgia Engel.

The show touched on issues yet only where relevant to the characters. As Harper put it, “The writers didn’t want to make statements. They wanted to reflect life.”

The woman who owned the house in Minneapolis used as the exterior where Mary’s character lived was upset with the notoriety and people disturbing her privacy. When the crew returned to film the outside of her house again, the woman covered her house in giant sheets reading “Impeach Nixon” so the house could not be filmed again.

Harper won for Best Supporting Actress a second time in a rare tie with Sally Struthers.

Harper received other work, appearing in several TV movies and then her first movie “Freebie and the Bean”.

Fred Silverman of CBS discussed spinning off Rhoda’s character onto her own show from the first season. After the fourth season, it was decided it should be done. Harper was uncertain about leaving a successful show. Mary Tyler Moore encouraged her to take her own show. Harper agreed to do it but only if she could return to “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” if her show, “Rhoda” did not succeed.

The same writers on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” developed “Rhoda”. Julie Kavner,who lost an earlier audition to play Rhoda’s sister on an episode of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” was cast as Rhoda’s sister, While filming “Rhoda”, Harper realized how much about acting she had learned from Mary Tyler Moore.

On the eight episode, Rhoda’s character got married. It was viewed by 51 million, or half of all TV viewers.

Harper won the Best Actress Award.

During the second season, the writers began hitting writing blocks. Much of the past humor about Rhoda had centered around her being unlucky in love. Now that Rhoda was happily married, her past charm about unlucky was gone.It was hard for the writers to develop conflicts for Rhoda. The show began focusing more on the other characters. It was decide Rhoda and her husband would separate in the third season.New characters were introduced. Viewers seemed upset at the inability of the characters to reconcile. It was decided they should divorce. This was the first time network TV characters divorced. CBS supported the decision.

“Rhoda” had good producers. Charlotte Brown, who had been a writer on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”, became the first female producer on a multi-camera TV series. Producers Dave Davis and Jim Brooks left “Rhoda” to create the successful TV series “Taxi.

During the fifth season of “Rhoda”, it changes it time slow six times. It lost viewers during these moves. The show was cancelled without airing four already shot episodes.

Harper remained politically active. She worked in support of the Equal Rights Amendment, which fell two states short from being enacted. She worked with the Hunger Project.

Harper switched to movie work.She appeared in the film “The Last Married Couple in America”, which was a personal irony as she had divorced before then. She then was in “Chapter Two” followed by “Blame It On Rio”..

Harper next was in a TV series “Valerie”. This was her first series working with different writers and producers. She did not feel her character was funny enough. She observed the live audience did not laugh as much and that the show relied on caned laughter. Her previous shows relied on connecting with live audiences, which they would translated well with the viewing audience.

Harper was on “Valerie” for two seasons. She had a difficult negotiation for the third season but reached an agreement. Then Lorimar, the production company, backed out of the deal, effectively firing Harper from her own show. Harper sued that she had been wrongly fired. She also sued that the name of the show not be kept “Valerie” without her.

While Lorimar proclaimed Harper was unprofessional, her network NBC hired her for a TV movie. Harper dropped her suit against NBC as NBC found her employable.

Harper won her lawsuit against Lorimar. The court decided she had been wrongly terminated. She won a “substantial” settlement and was to receive participation in future syndication.

Harper next starred in the CBS series “City”. It began in the top ten in ratings yet slipped and was not renewed after 13 episodes.

Harper and Mary Tyler Moore filmed a TV movie “Mary and Rhoda” which reunited the two characters. It was meant to also serve as a pilot in hopes of becoming a series. It was not picked up as a series.

Harper learned she has incurable cancer.She writes “I am happy. I am at peace. I am filled with love.”

My Life As An Art by Konstantin Stanislavsky

Konstantin Stanislavsky. My Life As Art. Moscow: Foreign Languages Publishing House,  (this second edition was originally published in 1928)

Stanislavsky was born in 1863. As a child he was in a children’s theater production where he was to pretend to throw a piece of wood into a fire. He wondered why he should pretend, so he went close to the fire to throw the wood in for real. His clothing caught fire. The author notes this obstinacy demonstrated in his first theater appearance continued through his career.

The author worked in theater, including puppets and ballet, beginning in his youth. He studied theatrical acts and bought books about theater and costumes. He rehearsed the acts and tried making the costumes he saw. He observed people and drew acting material from what he saw.

Nadezhda Medvedeva was an early inspiration to Stanislavsky. He was impressed how her acting and mannerisms allowed people to believe things they could not see. He appreciated and emulated the expressionism and polish of actor Alexander Lensky. Numerous other actors were also influences on Stanislavsky’s acting.

Stanislavsky appeared on stage with his actor parents. He spoke and gestured too quickly and learned from those mistakes not to repeat them. He sought to present of stage a “feeling of true measure”. He imitated another actor, M.P. Sadovsky, including his walk and mannerisms. In doing so, he learned that the “feeling of true measure” was feeling accomplishment and appreciation.

Stanisklavsky attended a drama school that followed the old imperial theater school of teaching as taught by Mikhail Semyonovich Shchepkin. He writes the actors were trained “simply---and who knows---more correctly than today.” The first lesson was to govern one’s body. He taught one needs to look the part and to speak a part as it is meant to be spoken. He taught how to properly speak with correct diction.

Others attempted to teach in the style of Schcepkin by teaching there was a way to play a part and the actor must work until meeting that role. Stanislavsky believed that true talent was found from deep inside the soul. Instead of the traditional method of being taught how to portray a role. Stanislavsky believe an actor needed to learn a craft.

Acting students then were taught to imitate their teachers. Yet they did not learn technique nor how to develop talent and how to be convincing and artistic.

Stanislavsky discovered when performing his first tragedy that a mistake is enlarged compared to comedy or vaudeville. Yet a good performance can resonate and “shake the souls” of those in the audience.

Stanislavsky went on to appear in numerous plays. He achieved great acclaim for his talents. He used his knowledge of psychology in creating roles. He examined the subtleties of his roles and portrayed them. He writes that stage emotion is a form of hysteria and that emotions must arise internally.

An actor needs to know when to show strong emotions. There are roles when showing emotions at the wrong time can ruin the performance. An actor should feel from the soul when the emotions are wrong.

An actor finds acting is strained as the task increases, such as showing emotions when the actor does not feel the emotions. Inexperienced actors produce buffers preventing good performances.

Stanislavsky directed plays. He presented to the actors what he imagined the roles should be and the actors then imitated him. As a director, he sought to be true and sincere. He found that truth stimulates emotions which then produces creative intuition.

Stanislavsky described the joy of acting as, “What a happiness it is to feel, even in once in a lifetime, what a real actor must feel and do on the stage? It’s paradise for the actor, and I came to know it in the course of my work’ and having come to know it, I refuse to accept anythhing else in art.” He states that proper technique makes acting an art.

In teaching actors Stansilavsky found it is easier to destroy old bad habits than it is to learn something new.

Acting requires much preparatory work. An actor must present realism. At first, Stanislavsky knew how to act only by intuition. He then sought artistic feelings and emotions to create a spiritual realism. An actor must feel the material truth to achieve genuine art and outward realism. The goal is to achieve genuine artistic truth.

Acting with symbolism and impressionism is achieved in one’s superconsciousness, which exists beyond the ultra-natural. This must develop naturally so the super-consciousness is removed from its inner self in one’s soul.

The only correct line for actors is that of intuition and feelings which emerge from the un-consciousness. This line defines the spiritual and physical aspects of acting.

If a role is one involving social-political issues, the actor must be true to the role and not be concerned with the social and political issues. The old way of thinking is an actor needs talent and inspiration, and that is essentially all an actor needs. Stanislavsky argues an actor needs technique that arises from te super-consciousness.

The old acting method was to study the psychology of a role and to develop a spiritual connection to the role, sometimes with the use of alcohol and/or narcotics. Stanislavsky believes acting an an art that arises internally from one’s own inner inspirations. As Stanislavsky wrote, “Real art should teach how to rouse in oneself the superconscious nature for superconscious organic creation.” From there, an actor develops an inncer technique.

Stanislavsky’s acting method consists of 1.) one’s inner and outer work upon oneself, which involves creating a psychic technique leading to a creative mood that provides inspiration  and 2.) inner and outer work on the role, which prepares an actor’s body to become the role by and presenting the role through one’s inner life. An actor studies the spiritual context of a meaning and finds its meaning.

Jim Henson by Brian Jay Jones

Brian Jay Jones. Jim Henson: The Biography. New York: Ballantine Books, 2013.

On “Sesame Street”, which used Jim Henson’s Muppets, sets were six feet high so puppeteers could operate the puppets while standing.

Many enjoyed it when Muppets interacted with children. Children were not subjected to the high sets. The puppets were then hand operated behind sets.

Henson was born to a Christian Science family They bought a television in 1950. Henson found inspiration he took from his childhood from stars such as Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, and Ernie Kovacs. In addition, he was drawn to the puppets “Kukla, Fran, and Ollie” as performed by Burr Tillstrom and starring Fran Allison.

Henson was also a fan of the comic strip “Pogo”. Henson learned from “Pogo” that one may expertly play to both young and adult audiences. He further learned from “Pogo” that audiences would accept controversial statements if they were made with a smile.

Also in 1950, the Christian Science Monitor published a comic that 13 year old Jim Henson submitted.

Henson read library books on puppetry. He used the lessons by auditioning for a puppet job on a local television station. He got the job and began working at age 17 on a program the “Junior Morning Show”. The show was cancelled after three weeks when it was discovered three other puppeteers were underage which violated child labor laws.

Fortunately, Henson worked long enough to impress Roy Meachum. He hired Henson to have puppets lip synch records on his “Saturday” show. Unfortunately, that show was cancelled soon afterwards.

Henson also tok classes at the University of Maryland.With the show canceled, he put his efforts into his studies, where he learned about television production and design, puppetry, and arts education, which was then the Home Economics Department, later renamed Practical Arts which included arts courses. This department had less math and sciences than required in other schools which appealed to Henson. Henson was one of six males in the program with 500 females. The puppetry teacher, Ed Longley, was informed his jewelry class that they was hired to teach, which was his specialty, also required him to puppetry, even though he was not a puppeteer. Henson became a leader in the class helping students on their group projects.

The local TV station WRC began a variety show “Afternoon” in 1955. On March 7, 1955, the puppeteers Henson and Jane Nebel were listed as the Muppets, a technical mistake since Muppets are the puppets and not the puppeteers. Still, this was the first ever mention of the Muppets.

Henson had to essentially develop new material for a live daily show. Show host Mac McGarry claimed Henson did so in a manner of minutes. Often a Muppet would lip sync to a novelty song.

Henson was uncertain of his work and asked to be added to the floor crew. Yet the show personnel loved his Muppets. It is claimed he was told if he kept up his Muppets that Henson would “get very rich.”

Nine weeks afterwards, the Muppets had their own show “Sam and Friends” on the 11 pm news with anchor Richard Harkness. Sam was a Muppet with friends that included Henson’s favorite character, a purplish Kermit made from a felt coat and two ping pong balls as eyes.

With TV, Henson realized that theater was what the camera presented, Henson watched his performances on a monitor so he could make immediate changes to make his act better. The Muppets had movable mouths and could show expressions.

Henson first was paid $5 a week. He was soon making $100 a week. At age 19, he was paid $5,200 yet took his set and puppet construction out of that money.

Henson was still in college and eyeing a television job in production and job design. He then did not think he’d be doing puppetry for long.

“Sam and Friends” was canceled in the summer of 1955. There were enough phone calls and letters upset over the cancellation that the show was returned and, instead of being on three nights a week, it was increased to five nights a week.

Jim Henson’s brother died in an automobile accident. Jim Henson realized there was a small time to accomplish things. Henson began working harder.

Word of the Muppets spread. They were signed to do a guest appearance on the “Tonight Show” with Steve Allen. The audience roared its approval of the Muppets.

“Sam and Friends” was added to the last minutes of the early evening news, thus appearing at 6:50 pm and 11:25 pm. In addition, there were appearances on other shows and public appearances. Henson had a job promised by WRC in its sets and scenes department, so he ended he college studying.

Henson experimented with camera tricks and angles and used different lens types. A wide angle lens made a Muppet moving forward appears to be running faster.

In 1957, Stan Freberg learned that his records were being used without credit or payment on the Muppets. A cease and desist order was issued. Yet, when Freberg saw the Muppets, he telegraphed “I take it all back. This is the greatest act I’ve ever seen. I am honored to let you use my records for ever and longer.”

Henson developed a Professor Madcliffe, a Muppet that Henson voiced. Thus a Muppet could interact with others.

The early Muppet humor was the Muppets lip singing to a song ending with either one eating the other or both blowing up.

Jim Henson and Jane Nebel, who dated and were then engaged to others, had a strictly business relationship. They became business partners in 1957.

The Muppets were hired by the John H Willkins Co. to be in commercials. A Muppet named Wontkins would refuse to sample Wilkins coffee and then be hit, shot, blown up, decapitated, etc. with a slogan such as “Use Wilkins coffee...or else!” As he learned with Pogo, one may be controversial if entertaining. WIlkins coffee sales increased 25%. Henson and Nobel won a local advertising excellence award. Wilkins Coffee sold Wilkins and Wontka puppets in 1958 as a promotion using the Muppets name. Henson and Nobel received no proceeds from the promotoin yet they were not bothered by it.

Other companies wanted to use Muppets in advertising. Nash’s Coffee paid $20,000 for eight commercials. Other coffee companies and a soda company around the country used Muppets. Henson reshot a commercial for each ratner than redubbing the company’s name.

“Sam and Friends” won an Emmy in 1959 for Best Local Entertainment Program.

Henson still preferred a career creating and painting sets. WRC asked Henson to keep “Sam and Friends” yet to have someone else perform the puppets. Henson asked a college friend Bobby Payne and then trained him to do the show. Jane Nebel ran the show.

Henson went on a European vacation. He marveled at numerous Punch and Judy puppet shows and how they interacted with audiences. He realized puppets were an art form. He returned excited to go back ino puppetry.

Henson returned to college in 1959. During his absence, the Muppets became part of the “In Our Town” daily afternoon variety show where they made regular daily appearances.

Henson and Nebel formally created Muppets Inc. in 1958 with Henson owning 60% and Nebel 40%. Engagements for both Henson and Nebel. They began dating and then married.

Henson added more voices. He never asked Nevel to provide voices.

The Muppets appeared on the ‘Today” show with host Dave Garroway in New York via a feed so they could stay in Washington, D.C.

Jane Nebel left performing after the birth of their second child.

The Henson family attended Puppeteers of America conventions. They befriended Mike Oznowicz, who had fled from Europe during the Nazis. Jim Henson got to know their son Frank, who was a high school senior expert on marionette. To Frank, this was a hobby. He had performed without pay at Fairyland Amusement Park and the Oakland Recreational Department. Jim Henson saw Frank perform and advised that Henson thought the ending was weak. Frank lated observed “That was Jim. My endings were a bit artsy, whereas Jim liked things to be blown up or eaten.”

Frank would later shorten his last name to Oz and would work on the Muppets. Jim Henson also met Jerome Juhl at the conventions. Juhl bcame the first full time employee at Muppets, Inc.

Henson and Juhl went to a weeklong U.S. Food Fair in Hamburg, Germany to perform. In some scenes, Henson and Juhl worked with Henson controlling a puppet’s mouth with his right hand and operating the puppet’s left hand. Juhl would operate the puppet’s right hand. They had to learn to work together.

For the Food Fair, Henson and Juhl performed a chef speaking mock German who frantically cut things up including a handkerchief and put them into a bowl that exploded in the end. This would later develop into the Swedish chef character,

“Sam ad Friends” ended December 15, 1961. The final showed the set exploding.

In 1962, Jim and Jane Henson, Jerry Juhl, and Bobby Payne filmed a TV pilot “Tales of the Tinkerdee”. No network bought it.

Jim Henson was elected President of the Puppeteers of America in 1962 at age 25. the youngest President they ever had.

The Muppets became regular on the “Mad, Mad World” TV program They also began appearing on the “Today” show about once a month.

The Muppets did seven Purina Dog Chows ads for Canadian TV. Henson asked master puppeteer Don Sahlin, to build the dog Muppets. Henson was impressed that he hired Sahlin as the Muppets main designer and builder. Sahlin was known for creating Muppets with abstract expressions and they were sewed with seams that were undetectable.

Purina offered Henson $100,000 for the rights to own the Rowlf dog Muppets shown in the commercials. Henson declined, realizing the importance of the business end of his work. He knew to keep ownership of characters.

Henson moved the business from Maryland to New York City. He moved into his new apartment at 5 am after driving all night and proceeded to appear on that morning’s “Today” show.

Henson, Juhl, and Sahlin opened a Muppets, Inc. office at 303 E. 53rd Street, Manhattan. A secretary was later hired and then 19 year old Frank Oz was hired. Oz worked part-time for $100 a week while taking college courses at City College of New York.

The “Today” show appearances ended. Fortunately, the Muppets were hired to be on seven episodes of “The Jimmy Dean Show” on ABC. Dean remembered the Muppets form seeing them on local D.C. television. Fan mail, especially for Rowlf, came in. Rawl was the first Muppet to perform with a human, Jimmy Dean. Rawl received more fan mail than did Jimmy Dean.

Jimmy Dean bought the Muppets on tour with him.

Dean paid the Muppets $1,500 per show for the first sven shows in 1963, then $1,750 for the remaining shows The pay was increased on the third season at $1,800.

It was observed that Muppets were popular with adults as well as children.

Commercial income ept the Muppets operations proceeding Alden Muvrey was hired to manage business and contracts. Under a year, Henson decided to handle the business end himself.

The Muppets did commercials for over 50 companies in under a decade.

Henson believed in reshooting until the shot was correct. A commercial could be shot over four days at $12,000 studio cost.

Over time, it was discovered that Jerry Suhl had writing talent as well as performing. Juhl began writing many of the Muppets scripts.

Henson filmed a short movie “Time Piece”. It run for 18 months in New York’s Paris Theatre. It was nominated for Best Short Subject, Live Action Academy Award The Muppets filmed a second pilot, “The Land of Tinderdee”.

Jerry Nelson was hired to give another voice to the Muppets. Frank Oz refused to do voices until about a year later.

Henson wanted a shot of an arrow sticking to an apple on top of a Muppet’s head. He hired a professional archer who needed five takes. Henson was not afraid while Jerry Nelson ducked as far as he could get. Jane would declare of Jim, “Oh, my God, he’s crazy.”

Frank Oz was drafted into the military. Jerry Nelson was hired full time. Frank Oz was rejected due to a minor heart condition just after his own farewell party had concluded.

The Muppets made regular appearances on the “Ed Sullivan” and “Tonight” shows along with other show guest appearances. Henson noted “our material does hav ea certain similarity” as characters still brlw up and dance to songs.

The Muppets co-hosted for a week on “The Mike Douglas Show” in 1966.

The Ideal Toy Company made Kermit and Rowl puppets. In a TV commercial for the puppets, a Kermit puppet advertised “buy us...(or) we’ll bite you in the leg.”

Henson saw his Muppets as tools that could be taken apart and used as needed. Unneeded Muppets were put into his children’s toy boxes. Eventually one of these toys would be salvaged and is now in the Smithsonian Institution.

Henson pitched TV show ideas “Moki” about an adrogynous man mistaken for a woman and for “Inside My Head” which showed montages of brain functions, and two Muppets themed shows, “Adventures of the Snerf-Proof from Planet Snee” and “Johnny Carson and the Muppet Machine”. None of these ideas sold in 1967.

NBC, though, had a TV series “Experiment in Television” for experimental film. They liked Henson’s “A Collage of Today”. NBC gave a $100,000 budget and produced “Youth 68: Everything in Changing, Or Maybe It Isn’t.”

It required 20 hour work days for two months. The program ended with a long haired young man declaring “Nothing will be changed. The people who watch a broadcast like this aren’t going to learn anything.”

The Muppet Inc. moved to two floors at 237bE. 67th St. The offices were renamed Henson Associate with amusingly amed divison HUM! (Henson Universal Music), HIT! (Henson International TV), HE! (Henson Entertainment), and HO! (Henson Organization).

In 1968, Henson aired “The Cube” on NBC, another experimental show. It was about a man trapped in a cube he learns he is on a TV show.

The Children’s Television Workshop (TCW) sought to create a school that would educate children, especially inner city poor children. Educational TV so far had been class lectures. Children’s TV had been entertaining but not very educational. The CTW sought a TV show with slapstick humor, avant garde videos, and would teach children. Jim Henson was approached. His first reaction was of disinterest as he did not see himself as a children’s puppeteer. He was offered creative avenues more than puppets including short teaching films. This got Henson’s attention. He was intrigued with creating “educational commercials” eight seconds long that would repeat two to three times hourly teaching about letters, numbers, body parts, etc.

Henson agreed to have Muppets on the show yet insisted on retaining character ownership. This caused some concern among the CTW attorneys. It was agreed they would share profits from seeling any Muppet-related items from the show.

Henson billed CTW $40,000 for the first batch of films, even though they cost more than that to make. He did not want to bill them for overages above their initial agreement.

Henson created the Muppet characters Bert and Ernie for “Sesame Street”. Big Bird was created to represent the awkwardness of childhood. Oscar was created as a grouch o the show would not be all sweetness.

Henson attended the 1969 Puppeteers of American annual conference. There he watched Puppeteer Carroll Spinney performing experimental interactive puppeteering and was impressed even though a spotlight ruined his animation. Henson tod Spinney I liked what you were trying to do”. Henson asked Spinney to join the Muppets. Spinney had been asked to talk with Henson four ear earlier. Spinney realized when Henson talked he meant to do it. This time, spinney responded he would do it. Spinney was inside the Big Bird costume.

“Sesame Street” began having already covered in Life magazine. It was a hit from the start,

The Muppets created a special “The Great Santa Clause Switch” with Art Carney. The script had been in progress for six years.

More people were hired as the Muppets expanded.

Some have wondered what educational lessons are taught by Muppets slapstick humor. Yet it got children watching the show.

A newspaper critical comment about Kermit caused Henson to keep Kermit off the show for almost a year. Herbert Birdsfoot filled the void but didn’t seem to work as well as Kermit. Kermit returned.

Monsters had long been a part of Muppets routines, often devouring other characters. A monster that would appeal to children, and not frighten them, was introduced as the Cookie Monster. A monster previously in the crowd, Grover, then stepped forward.

The show writers were often too idle. The Muppets would ad lib scenes with children.

In the second season, seven children watched “Sesame Street” in the U.S. It was shown in 50 countries, but not in Great Britain, where BBC labeled it “undemocratic and possibly dangerous.”

TV Guide estimated, accurately according to the author, that Henson Associates earned $350,000 in 1969, including about $25,0000 per commercia. Henson began devoting his energies to “Sesame Street” and vastly reduced his commercial work.

“Sesame Street” released records. The album won a Grammy for Henson singing as Ernie the song “Rubber Duckie”, which peaked at #16 on the hit list. Merchandising followed. Topper Toys earned over $5 milin selling “Sesame Street items.

The Muppets got their own TV show, “The Muppet Show”..A young executive Michael Eisner approved creating a pilot .

Henson estimated each show would require about $32,500 to create. It turned out each “Muppet Show” episode cost about $125,000. Eisner recommended approval of the show. “ A “Muppet Valentine Show” was shown on ABC to critical acclaims.

The Muppets made several appearance on the “Cher” show. The Cher” show producer raised the idea of CBS showing “The Muppets Show”. A pitch reel with Cher and Cher’s daughter Chastity was filmed with Muppets. CBS considered “The Muppet Show” for Sunday night but went with “60 Minutes”, a move that doomed “The Muppet Show” on CBS.

The Muppets were cast on a new show “Saturday Night Live” (SNL). The Muppets sketch was critcially condemned for jokes that didn’t work. Henson was upset that he had no script input as only SNL writers were allowed to write the skits. Write Alan Zweibel claimed wirters didn’t want to write the Muppets skits. Actor John Belushi referred to them as the “mucking Fuppets”.

“The Muppet Show” was accepted by Lord Lew Grade for his ITC/ATV produciton company for prime time syndication. At a time when most TV shows cost $80,000 per episode to produce, Henson was given $125,000 per episode. “Saturday Night Live” let The Muppets out of their SNL contract.

“The Muppets Show” became very successful in England. Two years later, they became a hit in the U.S. They then became a global hit.

“The Muppet Show” ran for five years. There would be three shows in soe stage of production including post production at most any one time.

The show placed character and visual interactions over jokes.

Meanwhile, the Muppets won two Emmys for their “Sesame Street‘“ work.

“The Muppet Show” began in the US. on five statons in 1975, and nearly162 stations in 1976.

The American Guild of Variety Artists named the Muppets as Entertainer of the Year.

Henson looked towards amking movies. Lord Lew Grade was agreeable to financing the movie. Henson asked for $8 million at at time when Disney films average $1 million. Henson didn’ tell Grande he had two movies in mind.

Frank Oz received more responsibility. He wasn’t a writer yet he would meet with the writers and would let them know what wasn’t working. Oz was given a Creative Consultant credit.

“The Muppet Movie” had a finale with 250 Muppets. 150 puppeteers were hired, including Tim Burton and director John Landis.

“The Muppet Movie” was released in 1979. It grossed $65 million in its first release.

“The Muppet Show” had 235 million viewers worldwide.

Henson wanted to d a non-Muppet movie. Lord Grade wanted to have another Muppets movie while their popularity remained strong.

For the movie “The Great Muppet Caper”, Muppets rode bicycles on radio controlled bicycles with some held together with rods so they could stand up together.

It took 20 weeks to film “The Great Muppet Caper”.

A scene in a hot air balloon was filmed using characters in one hot air balloon 1,000 feet in the air with remote control oerators in one helicopter and a camera operate held onto the bottom of another helicopter. The scene took a week to film.

Muppets Inc. developed a TV show “Fraggle Rock”. This show was carefully planned. HBO accepted it.

Henson began filming a movie “The Dark Crystal” which Henson had been working on for several years. Henson had the lead role and directed. Filming took almost six months while there was also filming for “Sesame Street”.

A corporate raider Robert Holmes a Cort took over Associated Communications and fored Lord Grade out. Holmes a Court was not a filmmaker. Henson wanted to move “Dark Crystal” away from Holmes a Court. “Dark Crystal” had most of what was created for it turned into “Fraggle Rock”.

“Fraggle Rock” began on HBO in 1983. It was a critical success. It lasted five years. It was seen in 90 countries, including the Soviet Union, making it the first Western TV series shown there. “The Muppet Show” was later added to Soviet broadcasting.

Henson bought back “The Dark Crystal” paying Holmes a Court $15 million. Universal released it in 1982. It opened to mixed critical acclaim. It grossed $40 million over its initial nine week run.

Henson began working on the next Muppets movie, “The Muppets Take Manhattan”. It began filming in 1983. The movie had Muppet Babies, which also led to profitable marketing. It grossed $25 million on $8 million costs.

Marvel Productions approached Henson about having a “Muppet Babies” animated children’s show. Henson wanted the show to “have a nice reason for being”. He noted “Fraggle Rock” was meant to promote “harmony and understanding”. “Muppets Baby” was designed to promote creativity.

CBS paid $250,000 per hour for the first 13 episodes of “Muppets Babies”. It led its Saturday morning time slot and did well in ratings running second behind “Pee Wee’s Playhouse” and won an Enny for Outstanding Animated Program in each of its first four years. The show lasted seven years.

Kermit becae spokesfrog for the National Wildlife Federation.

Holmes a Court still owned the first two Muppets movie, all 120 “The Muppet Show” episodes, and 10% of Muppet merchandising net income. Henson bought his Muppet property away from Holmes a Court for $6.5 million. This proved to be a wise decision by Henson.

Henson began working on the movie “Labyrinth” with Executive Producer George Lucas. Maurice Sendak sent a cease production legal request as he thought the ployt of “Labyrinth” appeared close to his book “Outside Over There”. Henson was hurt by his friend’s actions and Henson renamed “wild things”, a term Sendak used, as “fiireys” and gave Sendak an acknowledgement in the credits,

“Labryinth” cost $25 million o film. It grossed $12 million.

Henson next produced a one hour TV special “The Tale of the Bunny Picnic” for HBO and BBC.

Henson created a TV pilo “The Storyteller” which cost $943,000 for a 30 minute show.

NBC agreed to broadcast “The Jim Henson Hour” in 1989 yet with major format revisions. NBC wanted a mixture of skits, Muppets, and “Storytellers”. Henson began working on the new show for NBC a year before it aired. It was shown on Friday nights, a low viewership night. Some critics liked the “Storyteller” part yet not the rest of the show. This was the first time The Muppets were not the hit part of one of their productions. It was cancelled after a few months.

Henson realized he was spending an increasing amount of his time on the business end of obtaining funds, signing distributors, etc. Henson decided to sell to Disney. He sold it for $150 million. The “Sesame Street” characters were not included. Henson Associates changed its name to Jim Henson Productions to sound more like a movie produciton company. It had 150 employees.

Henson produced a 3-D Muppet movie for Disney theme parks, “Muppet Vision 3D”.

The sale to Disney meant Bernie Brillstein no longer could represent him. Henson gave Brillstein $10 million and pledged to pay him $500000 to continue serving as his personal advisor.

Henson, for the first time ever, called in sick one day. He had pneumonia with a rare infection, He was later hospitalized yet died a few hours later.

Negotiations with Disney continued years after Henson’s death. Disney bought The Muppets. Jim Henson Company kept the Creature Shop, which created the “Teenage Mutant Nina Turtles” characters, “Fraggle Rock”, “Labryinth”, and “The Dark Crystal”.