Rowlf the Dog



Rowlf the Dog (1962-present) is a brown-eared dog. He was the first Muppet to reach national stardom as a cast member of The Jimmy Dean Show from 1963 to 1966, and later went on to serve as the resident piano player on The Muppet Show, where he also played the silly surgeon Dr. Bob on the recurring sketch Veterinarian's Hospital.

"...Rowlf the Dog was actually the Muppets' first network television star. Rowlf was originally built for a Purina Dog Food commercial, but he later gained fame with weekly appearances on The Jimmy Dean Show in the 1960's. Back then Rowlf was a quiet philosopher with a lot of punch lines. When The Muppet Show came along Rowlf became known more for his piano playing expertise. Kermit was my father's best known character, but a lot of people think he was more like Rowlf in real life, except he couldn't play the piano as well...     - Brian Henson"

Personality & Appearance
Rowlf is a scruffy brown dog of indeterminate breed with a round head and floppy-ears. After more than a decade of successful solo guest appearances and acts, Rowlf eventually found a place as the down to earth piano player of the Muppet gang. Rowlf became popular for his dry and self deprecating sense of humor and, like most of the Muppets, a minute inability at times to see his own faults and shortcomings. With his permanently wide-eyed expression, Rowlf became a master of the double take, yet at the same time, his quick-wittedness made his very believable when he ad-libbed or fired off a quirky aside to the audience or co-stars.

A connoisseur of puns, Rowlf's comic ability were brought to the forefront at the piano, with Jimmy Dean on The Jimmy Dean Show and in Veterinarian's Hospital, At the Dance, and Merlin the Magician, MD.

Starting with The Muppet Show, Rowlf evolved into the musical maestro of the Muppets. His love for Beethoven grew (overshadowing his love for Hollywood canine Lassie) and his piano playing acts and skills became a staple of his role within the troupe. Rowlf's musical talents, aside from singing and piano playing, include adept mastery of the organ, synthesizer, banjo, harmonica, and ukulele.

Rowlf is a lover - he loves music, women, and the simple things in life (reading a good book, having a couple of beers, and take himself for a walk). Rowlf once expressed to a young puppy that is is "a Wonderful World".

Like most dogs, Rowlf is not the only pup in his litter. Although his family history hasn't been explored in much detail, his mother Tilly and his nephew appeared in some earlier appearances with him. Rowlf is also bilingual, his ability to speak both English and Dog has been an assest to the Muppet gang on several occasions. Furthermore, Rowlf has been a someone unofficial leader of the Muppet dogs in several productions including The Muppets Take Manhattan, The Jim Henson Hour, The Muppets at Walt Disney World

Although people tend to identify Jim Henson with Kermit the Frog, according to many sources (including Jim Henson: The Works), Rowlf's laid back and down to earth personality was perhaps the most in common with Henson's real life demeanor and personality.

Origins
Rowlf first appeared in 1962, in a series of Purina Dog Chow commercials alongside Baskerville the Hound. He also appeared in an ad for Esskay Meats during the same time period.

Rowlf was the first Muppet built by Don Sahlin. Unlike most of the early Muppets, he was designed as a live-hand Muppet. He was also among the first non-abstract Muppet characters, built to resemble a dog.

According to Jim Henson's original notes, other names considered for the character were Barkley, Woofington, Baskerville, Barkus, Howlington, Waggington, and Beowolf.

At a question and answer session at MuppetFest, Jane Henson discussed Rowlf's origins, stating how Rowlf was created for Purina Dog Chow commercials with the sidekick Baskerville, she continued stating "Baskerville didn't really have a future in front of him, but Rowlf did."

Rise to Fame
Rowlf rose to stardom as Jimmy Dean's sidekick on The Jimmy Dean Show. The show ran from 1963 until 1966. Rowlf the Dog was a regular on the show, appearing in every episode, and was billed as Jimmy's "ol' buddy." Between seven and ten minutes of every show were devoted to a spot with Rowlf and Dean. Many of the comedy sketches ended with the two singing a duet together. Rowlf's tenure on The Jimmy Dean Show allowed Jim Henson to develop the character over a period of time.

From 1966 to 1975, Rowlf would appear on other variety shows and programs. He served as a host to a summer replacement show Our Place, and as a spokesdog for IBM. Rowlf also appeared on several episodes of The Mike Douglas Show. He also hosted the 1968 special Muppets On Puppets and appeared in the 1965 Wilson's Meats Meeting Film as an example of the Muppets' exposure ("I'm the Muppets' big loveable shaggy dog Rowlf, from ABC's The Jimmy Dean Show!").

When Sesame Street debuted, Rowlf was used to promote the new show, since he and Kermit were the Muppets' biggest stars at the time. As such, he appeared in the Sesame Street pitch reel, explaining the concept and production process to a wary Kermit, and made a cameo in the first season, in the Baker Film for the number 9|nine.

On the February 17, 1972 broadcast of The Julie Andrews Hour, Rowlf engaged in friendly bantered with Julie Andrews and sangs "Julie, Do You Love Me" after she agreed to be his best dog friend.

The Muppet Show
Although Rowlf appeared in both Muppet Show pilots (The Muppets Valentine Show and Sex and Violence), he, like Kermit, was essentially relegated to background cameo appearances.

When The Muppet Show debuted, however, Rowlf was a main part of the cast. Rowlf was assigned the role of resident pianist (abandoning his ukulele skills from The Jimmy Dean Show) and would often perform classical music, and sing solos or duets. Rowlf also performed in the pit orchestra and sometimes sat in with the Electric Mayhem. Despite Rowlf's established fame among American audiences, a majority of his musical numbers were not seen in the US, as the sketches and songs starring Rowlf dominated the list of UK Spots.

Apart from displaying his musical talents, Rowlf continued his comedic style from The Jimmy Dean Show with his customary puns and gags – most notably as Dr. Bob, "the quack who has gone to the dogs," in "Veterinarian's Hospital," or with a female partner in the recurring At the Dance segments. Rowlf would occasionally take on other character roles in the onstage productions - including Sherlock Holmes and a Western bar piano player.

In 1985, Rowlf hosted two hour-long video compilations of The Muppet Show. In Rowlf's Rhapsodies with the Muppets, Rowlf sat at his piano and presented a compilation of his best numbers and other songs from The Muppet Show. In the other video, Country Music with the Muppets, Rowlf rented a barn and hosted his own country music program while showing clips from the show.

The Muppet Movie
Rowlf was prominently featured in The Muppet Movie as a piano player at The Terrace Restaurant, where he first meets Kermit. When Kermit is down, Rowlf shares his motto in life, a motto even he can't follow - "stay away from women." The two sing "I Hope That Somethin' Better Comes Along". An original draft of the script describes the song as "a sad/funny little duet based on the old 'can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em' theme, designed to allow for some good harmony howling from Rowlf."

The song featured a rare pairing of characters, as Jim Henson virtually performed a duet with himself. In order to achieve the effect, the vocals of the two characters were recorded separately by Henson and then combined.

Rowlf soon joined Kermit and the rest of the gang on their way to Hollywood. Before joining the Muppets, Rowlf's life was simple - he lived alone, would "go to work, come home, read a book, have a couple of beers, take [himself] for a walk and go to bed." While in the desert, Rowlf played harmonica as Gonzo sang "I'm Going to Go Back There Someday" (while Fozzie played ukulele). Rowlf served as the film's cameraman in the finale, as the Muppets prepare to shoot their movie.

Rowlf appeared on the piano in the promotional special The Muppets Go Hollywood, accompanying Johnny Mathis as he sang "Never Before, Never Again."

The Great Muppet Caper
In The Great Muppet Caper, Rowlf was a resident of the Happiness Hotel. He played piano during the song "Happiness Hotel" and commented on the chambermaids, bugs, and lice. He joined the Muppets on their quest to thwart Nicky's plot to steal the Baseball Diamond (accounting for the whoopie cushion, which he thinks is on the bus). Rowlf saves the day with his bilingual ability to speak dog as well as English. He is able to reason with Henderson's attacking guard dogs at the Mallory Gallery (a skill he would use again in A Muppet Family Christmas to communicate with Sprocket).

The Muppets Take Manhattan
In The Muppets Take Manhattan, Rowlf was a principal supporting player, co-starring in Manhattan Melodies. As the gang disbands, Rowlf leaves New York on a bus headed to Delaware. Rowlf displays cinematic range as the conflicted manager of a dog kennel, looking after Mr. Skeffington's dog Snookums and other canine tenants. When Rowlf gets the news that the show is on, he excitedly returns to the Big Apple, bringing along a host of Muppet dogs from the kennel.

A baby version of Rowlf appeared in Miss Piggy's fantasy, I'm Gonna Always Love You. The young pup played piano and sang along. Baby Rowlf was also part of the regular cast of babies in the animated show Muppet Babies. Baby Rowlf's role was of course that of the nursery's resident musician, often leading the others into on-the-spot songbreaks, with his ever-present baby piano. His voice in the animated program was performed by Katie Leigh. A slightly older, kid Rowlf, appeared in illustrated form in the Muppet Kids book series.

The Jim Henson Hour
On The Jim Henson Hour, Rowlf appeared in a series of sketches where he portrayed the character Merlin in "Merlin the Magician, MD.". The sketches (seen in episode 102 and episode 107) were similar to his Dr. Bob days in Veterinarian's Hospital, but with a medieval, magical twist. The wizard Merlin would use his magic to cure people's medical problems, making jokes and slinging puns all the while. In one sketch, Rowlf is turned into musical icon Elvis Presley.

Rowlf also narrated the film noir special Dog City on the show. The special features an all new cast of new Muppet dogs; however, Rowlf (the only pre-established Muppet present) is there as the audience's guide, and is the only character to break the fourth wall.

Rowlf would again be teamed with a group of Muppet dogs in the tenth episode's "Secrets of the Muppets" special. In the episode, Rowlf presides over a meeting of the O.M.D. (Organization of Muppet Dogs).

Television Specials & Appearances
John Denver and Rowlf sang "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" in A Christmas Together. The duet was also featured on the conjunctionally released Christmas album.

Rowlf appeared with the Muppets on The Merv Griffin Show in 1983. There, he performed his renditions of "Down Memory Lane" and "You and I and George" while at the keys of a piano

Rowlf appeared in the special Rocky Mountain Holiday. John Denver takes Rowlf on a wild plane ride, performing one stunt after another, in order to cure Rowlf's hiccups. In another scene, Rowlf relaxed on an inner tube in the river, until Gonzo popped the inner tube (and tried to break a world record, "Longest time underwater with a dog sitting on you").

Rowlf chased the truck all the way to Emily Bear's house in A Muppet Family Christmas. Once there, Rowlf made himself at home, communicating with Sprocket, playing "Sleigh Ride" on Emily's out-of-tune piano, and joining in the festivities.

Rowlf hosted his own play-along video, Sing-Along, Dance-Along, Do-Along, in which he taught viewers how to do a variety of musical activities.

Rowlf also appeared in The Muppets at Walt Disney World. In the special, Rowlf was captured by the Walt Disney World pet care center manager, as Rowlf had no owner or tags. While detained, he performed "live from the detention hall of the Disney World Pet Care Center" with the other dogs.

In 1990, Rowlf was a guest on The Arsenio Hall Show. When Rowlf came out, he immediately pointed to Arsenio and remarked, "Son of a bitch!" After the audience's hysterics died down, Rowlf added, "Coming from a dog, that's a compliment." The show marked Jim Henson's last public performance of Rowlf the Dog.

Post-Henson
After the death of Jim Henson, Rowlf continued to appear in Muppet productions; however, he appeared silently (and usually briefly). A rumor arose that the character would be permanently silent as a sign of respect for Jim Henson. As Brian Henson commented on in the audio commentary for The Muppet Christmas Carol, the character continued to appear as a tribute to the character and Henson's legacy. Still, Rowlf was not recast and kept in the forefront like Kermit, because the Muppeteers didn't feel there was a suitable and appropriate performer for the task.

An all-Rowlf album, titled Ol' Brown Ears is Back, was released by BMG Records in 1993. The album featured several songs from The Muppet Show, as performed by Rowlf at the piano with an orchestral accompaniment. Though it wasn't released until after Jim Henson's death, Henson recorded the vocals in 1984.

Rowlf was featured silently in The Muppet Christmas Carol (playing piano at Fozziwig's party), Muppet Treasure Island (as a patron of The Admiral Benbow Inn) and Muppets From Space (as a resident of the Muppet Boarding House).

Bill Barretta has since taken over the character and gradually transitioned into the role. The first word uttered by Rowlf following Henson's death was in Muppets Tonight episode 102; while playing piano during the closing number, Rowlf exclaims "Yeah!"

Rowlf had several lines of dialogue in The Muppet Show Live in 2001 and also spoke two lines of dialogue ("Hey, Kermit!" and "Yeah! Heh, heh. Oh!") in It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie in 2002. Rowlf had a 190-word monologue in episode 2 of Statler and Waldorf: From the Balcony, and Bill Barretta has since recorded a song ("The Christmas Party Sing-Along") as Rowlf for the 2006 A Green and Red Christmas album.

Performing Rowlf
Rowlf is a live hand puppet. Jim Henson would usually perform the head (and voice) and left hand, while another Muppeteer (including, at various times, Frank Oz, Jerry Juhl, Jerry Nelson, Louise Gold, and Steve Whitmire) performed his other hand. However, when Rowlf played the piano, Henson would helm the head and the second performer would control both hands on the keys. Steve Whitmire commented on performing Rowlf's piano-playing hands in a 1999 interview: "One of my favorite things to do, ever, in my career has been to do Rowlf’s hands on the piano, which is something that other people had done, but once I started doing it, I kind of have done it... since The Muppet Show days. I love it. It’s the best job in the world for somebody who sort of plays the piano, but would really like to play the piano well. The fact that you can approximate what it’s supposed to be and make it look really good."

Derek Scott, musical consultant for The Muppet Show, supplied Rowlf's pre-recorded piano playing on the program.

Trivia



 * Due to his status as the first nationally famous Muppet character, Rowlf was also one of the first commercialized characters. In 1966 Ideal Toys produced a Rowlf hand puppet. The puppet had a hole in his back for performing. Unlike the real Rowlf, the puppet has a felt tongue and a tail.


 * The fame of the piano playing dog led to two books of piano sheet music, released under Rowlf's name - Rowlf's Very Own First Piano Book and Rowlf's Very First Book of Classic Themes.


 * A backstage poster hanging on the wall of the Muppet Theater gives "Rowlf with his Honkey Tonk Piano" top billing (listed above "Fozzie Bear Stand Up Comedy Act" and "Miss Piggy Song & Dance Routine")


 * Rowlf has appeared on two United States postage stamps. In 1986 an illustrated depiction of Rowlf by Guy Gilchrist was the featured as part of the annual Love Stamp series. The second time was as one of the eleven Muppet postage stamps issued in 2005. Although 14 other Muppets have been featured on US postage stamps, Rowlf is the only one to have two different stamps issued in his honor.