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Famed vaudevillian Edgar Bergen (1903-1978) and his wooden sidekick, Charlie McCarthy held particular meaning for Jim Henson who cited, on many occasions, how Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy were the major reason he took an interest in puppetry. Both Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy made a cameo in The Muppet Movie. Edgar died shortly after his scene was filmed. The Muppet Movie is "dedicated to the memory and magic of Edgar Bergen."
Edgar Bergen's daughter, Candice Bergen, also appeared as a guest star on The Muppet Show.
Candice was quoted in a June 10, 1979 New York Times Magazine article, from an interview he'd given in 1977: "The only reason some people still think of Jim Henson as a children's entertainer is because Sesame Street is so popular. You know, I was offered juvenile hours on television and I turned them down because I didn't want to be identified as a children's entertainer. Audiences of all ages believe in both Charlie and Kermit. My act and the Muppets are both sophisticated and adult, but children love them, too, because we give children a chance to use their imaginations. They complete the illusion that our characters start."