The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)

Kermit and his friends go to New York City 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 by), Jay Tarses (story by)

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 (voice)
Richard Hunt	...	Scooter / Statler / Janice / Beaker / Dog (voice)
Jerry Nelson	...	Camilla / Lew Zealand / Floyd / Bear / Chicken / Crazy Harry / Dog / Dr. Julius Strangepork / Granny / Penguin / Pops (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:

man wears eyeglasses | college | the muppets | hit by a car | frog | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Family | Musical | Romance

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Certificate:

G

Details

Official Sites:

Henson.com Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 July 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

Muppet Movie III

Filming Locations:

Hoboken Railway Station, Hoboken, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,416,022, 15 July 1984

Gross USA:

$25,534,703

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$25,534,703

Company Credits

Production Co:

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

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Brooke shields, James coco, Linda lavin, and Liza Minnelli all guest starred on the Muppet show.

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Goofs

Kermit should have known Miss Piggy wasn't going far - the train she leaves on is the Erie Lackawanna Railroad which was a local railroad servicing only New Jersey. Erie Lackawanna shut down in 1983 when it was taken over by New Jersey Transit Corporation.

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Quotes

Policeman: Hey! Watch it!
Kermit the Frog: Oh, sorry. I gotta get a contract so I can go out and kill 'em.
Policeman: [dismissing his suspicion after a moment] Nahhhhh!

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Crazy Credits

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

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Alternate Versions

The VHS and Family Channel versions have Animal's slow growls of "BAAAAAAD MAAAAAAN" (at Dabney Coleman) dubbed out, though his repeated shouts of the phrase can be heard at the end of the scene. However, the growls are present on the DVD version.

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Connections

Followed by The Muppets. (2015)

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Soundtracks

Right Where I Belong
Music and Lyrics by Jeff Moss
Performed by Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz, and Steve Whitmire

User Reviews

Not their best

This is my least-favorite of the three Muppet movies of the Henson era. There just isn't enough Muppets. Most of the gang leaves during the very beginning and it's all about Kermit, Piggy and Rizzo. Great characters, yes, but without the whole wacky ensemble it's just not the same. That, and the film is kind of just reinforcing what happened in the original Muppet movie, only replacing Hollywood with Broadway.

Don't get me wrong, it's an enjoyable movie, but it's not grade 'A' muppet material.