The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)

Kermit and his friends go to New York to get their musical on Broadway only to find it's a more difficult task than they anticipated.

Director:

Frank Oz

Writers:

Tom Patchett (story), Jay Tarses (story),

Stars:

Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jim Henson	...	Kermit the Frog / Rowlf / Dr. Teeth / Waldorf / Swedish Chef / Ernie / Granny / Horse & Carriage Rider / Link Hogthrob / The Newsman (voice)
Frank Oz	...	Miss Piggy / Fozzie / Animal / Bert / Cookie Monster / Ocean Breeze Soap Board Member / Sam the Eagle (voice)
Dave Goelz	...	Gonzo / Chester the Rat / Bill the Frog / Zoot / Beauregard / Jim the Dog / Dr. Bunsen Honeydew / Penguin (voice)
Steve Whitmire	...	Rizzo the Rat / Gill the Frog / Baby Kermit / Chicken / College Student in Audience / Dog / Lew Zealand (voice)
Richard Hunt	...	Scooter / Statler / Janice / Beaker / Dog (voice)
Jerry Nelson	...	Camilla / Lew Zealand / Floyd / Bear / Chicken / Crazy Harry / Dog / Dr. Julias Strangepork / Granny / Penguin / Pops / The Count (voice)
Juliana Donald	...	Jenny
Lonny Price	...	Ronnie Crawford
Louis Zorich	...	Pete
Art Carney	...	Bernard Crawford
James Coco	...	Mr. Skeffington
Dabney Coleman	...	Martin Price / Murray Plotsky
Gregory Hines	...	Roller skater
Linda Lavin	...	Kermit's doctor
Joan Rivers	...	Perfume saleswoman

Storyline

The Muppets graduate from college and decide to take their senior revue on the road. They hit the streets of Manhattan trying to sell their show to producers, finally finding one young and idealistic enough to take their show. After several mishaps and much confusion, things begin to come together for them.

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Plot Keywords:

college | amnesia | frog | cave | roller skating | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

G

Details

Official Sites:

Henson.com

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 July 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die Muppets erobern Manhattan

Filming Locations:

Empire Stages of New York, Long Island City, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

TriStar Pictures, Henson Associates (HA), Delphi II Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The scene of Miss Piggy singing "Saying Goodbye" with Kermit was filmed at the Lackawanna Rail Terminal in Hoboken, New Jersey. The train Piggy is on is an electric train designed and built by Thomas A. Edison.

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Goofs

The gum Miss Piggy inadvertently gets her hand stuck to just before getting her purse snatched was clearly not there when she first came up to the lamppost.

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Quotes

Kermit the Frog: Why don't you try something like: Ocean Breeze Soap will get you clean.
Jill the Frog: You mean just say what the product does?
Gil the Frog: No one's ever tried that before.

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Crazy Credits

After the final credits roll, you can hear Animal say "Bye Bye, Bye Bye, Bye Bye...Hasta Luego"

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Connections

Referenced in Caroline in the City: Caroline and the ATM (1995)

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Soundtracks

"You Can't Take No for an Answer"
Music and Lyrics by Jeff Moss
Performed by Jim Henson and chorus

User Reviews

"That'll teach ya to mess with a lady!"

I distinctly remember seeing "Muppets Take Manhattan" in the movie theater when I was 8 years old--following the film, I immediately demanded that my parents purchase the soundtrack LP (yes, on vinyl!). I loved this movie then; I love it still.

Actually, it's my favorite among the first three, classic Muppet films; "Muppet Movie" is great but overlong, while "Great Muppet Caper" is terrific, but seems a bit dated now. "Muppets Take Manhattan," on the other hand, never fails to entertain me, still makes me laugh out loud (the purse-snatching scene; Kermit in his Bert Convy 'fro), and even tugs at my heartstrings.

What's particularly nice about this adventure is that it's an affectionate love letter to Hollywood musicals of yore, without being overly parodying. The musical comedy cliches are presented in a matter-of-fact manner; just as we were expected to suspend our disbelief when Ruby Keeler went out onstage a nobody but "came back a star!", we suspend our disbelief to encompass a group of talking animals putting together a big budget Broadway musical in 2 weeks. These kind of hoary plot devices are presented straight-faced, without any self-conscious "winking" or irony.

The songs are all pretty darn terrific; the show-stopping "Together Again" finale is as good as any contemporary musical number of the last 20 years or so, while "It's Time for Saying Goodbye" always puts a lump in my throat: it's sentimental without being maudlin. The finale, "He/She Makes Me Happy" goes from being sweet to comically over-the-top in less than 3 minutes, and it's a joy.

The expected parade of cameos work well within the structure, without being intrusive. My particular favorites are Liza Minnelli's (the whole Sardi's scene is wonderful), Linda Lavin's (another terrific comedy moment: "YOU are Mr. Enrico Tortellini of Passaic, New Jersey!"), and Joan Rivers' (another gem). The Muppet performers are their usual, endearing selves: lovable, warm, likable. The "love triangle" between Kermit, Piggy and the human Jenny plays surprisingly well, and Piggy's jealous reactions are hysterical.

These days, "family entertainment" usually means disgustingly white-washed pap that anyone over 10 or 11 would find either sedating or inane. (Disney's live action "101 Dalmations" and its sequel spring to mind.) The Muppet movies proved that a G-rated film could be intelligent, witty, funny and entertaining for all ages. It's a formula that has yet to be improved upon, and "The Muppets Take Manhattan" just might be the best example of it.