The Muppets: The First Part is Silent; The Second Part is With Sound On Film is a 17-minute Muppets, Inc. compilation reel produced during the early years of the Muppets, mainly from Sam and Friends and various commercials.
A copy of this film can be viewed at The Paley Center for Media, although it is not catalogued with a summary, production credits or specific year. For want of an official description, this film appears to be a demo reel. "Part I: The Cast" introduces the main Muppet characters of the time. "Part II: Sound on Film" showcases various clips; while it boasts excerpts from Sam and Friends, various commercials appear, including road safety PSAs starring Sneegle.
Description[]
Fade in to a red title card. The handwritten caption reads: "The First Part of this Film is Silent."
Switch to a white title card that reads: "The Second Part is With Sound On Film."
Part I: The Cast[]
Up on a black board with colorful chalk illustrations. The camera pans across a trail of arrows, decorated with various images such as flowers, footprints, and drawings of Kermit and Yorick around the text: "Part I... THE MUPPETS... created by Jim Henson." The arrows, text, and pictures lead to the actual Yorick. He stops drawing with a stub of yellow chalk before facing the camera and devouring the chalk. The picture fades out.
A pair of human hands appear holding a handwritten card saying: "THE CAST." The hands then duck out of sight. As indicated, the viewer is silently introduced to the following Muppets, one at a time. Each introduction consists of 1) a human hand appearing with a Muppet's name on a card, and 2) a brief glimpse of said Muppet in action, including shrugging, striking a pose, dancing or making facial expressions.
- Kermit
- Harry
- Sam
- Yorick
- Moldy Hay
- Omar
- Professor Madcliff
- Theodore
- Mushmellon
- Mildred
- Icky Gunk
- Hank and Frank
- Scoop and Skip
- Will and Wonktins
The hand returns one final time as a clenched fist, then opens its palm to reveal a card reading "That's ALL." It clasps again and turns around to reveal on its knuckles: "At the Moment."
Part II: Sound on Film[]
A collage-style animation gives way to the title: "Part II: Sound on Film: Bits and Pieces from the Sam and Friends Show"
- Sam and Friends introductory theme and title card
- The Westerners
- An excerpt of a monologue by Limbo, lip-synching to the Ken Nordine recording "Down the Drain."
- Omar hosts a cooking show, throwing eggs, garlic and onions in a mixing bowl. Onions make him cry and blow his nose in a hanky, which is then thrown in the bowl.
- A Horse Named Bill
- Robot: "Expontential computation... All jobs requiring skill will be taken over by machines... for anything you can do we can do better... Look about you and you will see the machine... Come of age... see the automatic elevator... see the powerful bulldozer...see the ball.... see Jane throw the ball... see Jane run... run Jane run..."
- Visual Thinking
- Wilkins Coffee commercial: "Wilkins News Report" (with Scoop and Skip)
- Esskay commercial: Beatnik song by Kermit and Harry
- Calso Water commercial: Wilkins hits Wontkins with a pie
- National Council of Churches highway safety PSAs starring Sneegle and Billy and Sue
- - Don't Play in the Street
- - Don't Drive Too Close
Notes[]
- Theodore is the name of the Muppet otherwise identified as Chicken Liver. Whereas the Muppet is usually bald, in the introduction he sports white hair about the temples.
- Mildred is the name of the Muppet named Henrietta in Jim Henson: The Works; the puppet appears as a Fairy Godmother in The Muppets on Puppets.
- Omar's cooking segment was an early variation of The Swedish Chef, dressed in chef's hat and using live human hands.