Give Jim Henson 15 minutes of your time, and the father of the Muppets will teach you how to make your own puppets, using nothing other than household items – socks, potatoes, tacks, tennis balls, rubber bands, wooden spoons, and the rest. This primer originally aired on Iowa Public Television back in 1969, not long before Henson joined a fledgling TV production, Sesame Street, where he helped create the most famous puppets of our generation: Oscar, Ernie, Kermit, Bert, Cookie Monster, Big Bird and the rest. Though recorded 40+ years ago, the advice is simple and timeless. When you’re done watching this old favorite of ours, you can go deeper into Jim Henson’s imaginary world with these varied clips.
Jim Henson’s Original, Spunky Pitch for The Muppet Show (1975)
Watch Jim Henson’s Violent Wilkins Coffee Commercials (1957-1961)
Jim Henson’s Zany 1963 Robot Film Uncovered by AT&T: Watch Online
Jim Henson’s Animated Film, Limbo, the Organized Mind, Presented by Johnny Carson (1974)
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Digging through the OpenCulture archives and found this gem. While watching Jim Henson give a demonstration in puppet building is such a great thing as it is, watching Rufus, the dog muppet that pops up about 10:30 is the best — the acting subtleties of the muppeteer making Rufus look so interested watching Henson make the envelop puppet or Rufus discovering he’s got a thumb too. I wonder if Henson & co. ever did lessons in puppet ‘acting’?