It's been pretty clear to me that Jim Henson was a massive fan of Edgar Bergen to the point of hero-worship. (For which he gets major points, not that he needs them.) In the original The Muppet Movie, they give Bergen and Charlie McCarthy a solo moment, where the camera fills the screen with them as judges at a state fair. That's all they do in the movie -- nothing to say, just a stand-out close up. And if memory serves, the movie is dedicated to Edgar Bergen. High praise from one master puppeteer to another.
Which is why this video is such a treat. It's when Edgar Bergen appeared on the The Muppet Show.
This isn't a good example of Bergen's craft. He and Charlie have little to do, and when Charlie does talk, you get the sense that Bergen almost was taken by the song around him and forgot that he was a ventriloquist. He never was known for great technique, just majestic characterization and humor, but this is among the worst you'll see. There is even a point where he's pretty much "open mouthed." But that's moot, because the clip is so special for so many reasons.
And at the top of that list is that it's the Muppets singing to Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy to "Consider Yourself One of Us."
That's good enough for me.
Which is why this video is such a treat. It's when Edgar Bergen appeared on the The Muppet Show.
This isn't a good example of Bergen's craft. He and Charlie have little to do, and when Charlie does talk, you get the sense that Bergen almost was taken by the song around him and forgot that he was a ventriloquist. He never was known for great technique, just majestic characterization and humor, but this is among the worst you'll see. There is even a point where he's pretty much "open mouthed." But that's moot, because the clip is so special for so many reasons.
And at the top of that list is that it's the Muppets singing to Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy to "Consider Yourself One of Us."
That's good enough for me.
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