Edgar Bergen

Charlie and Edgar in The Muppet Movie

Famed vaudevillian Edgar Bergen (1903-1978) and his wooden sidekick, Charlie McCarthy held particular meaning for Jim Henson. Bergen guest starred on Episode 207 of The Muppet Show, accompanied by both Charlie and his other dummy, Mortimer Snerd.

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." This idea of magic is echoed by Jim Henson who said, "Certainly Edgar Bergen's work with Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd was magic, magic in the real sense. Something happened when Edgar spoke through Charlie, things were said that couldn't be said by ordinary people. It's a way of looking at ourselves and our wolrd in a fresh perspective. That's what theater does and what humor does and what Edgar Bergen did. He left this world a happier place because he was here, and I think that's about the finest thing a person can do with his life."

Edgar Bergen's daughter, Candice Bergen, also appeared as a guest star on The Muppet Show.

Bergen once said: "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."