The Muppet Christmas Carol: 30 Facts You Probably Didn't Know About The Festive Classic |
Michael Caine strikes a pose with The Muppets
If you’re anything like us, then setting time aside to watch The Muppet Christmas Carol (otherwise known as the greatest film of all time) is an integral part of your festive schedule.
From the flawless soundtrack and the costumes to Michael Caine’s spot-on performance, there’s a lot to love – but how well do you really know the festive classic?
To mark the festive season, we’ve uncovered 30 facts about the movie that even those who think they know it back to front might not have picked up on…
1. There was a lot riding on The Muppet Chrismtas Carol in the 90s, as it was the first Muppets movie to be released in cinemas since creator Jim Henson’s death
It was also the first big-screen outing for the Muppets in the better part of a decade, and marked the first time many people will have seen the characters in action since their creator’s death two years earlier.
Jim Henson with Kermit The Frog
The Muppet Christmas Carol opens with a dedication to both Jim and fellow Muppeteer Richard Hunt.
Richard died in January 1992 from AIDS-related complications, almost a year before the movie hit cinemas, with most of his usual characters being absent from the Muppet Christmas Carol, and others being recast.
Jim Henson and Richard Hunt at the Oscars in 1986
2. Kermit The Frog performer Steve Whitmire says he had a supernatural experience the night before he began filming Muppet Christmas Carol
Following the death of Jim Henson, Steve took over the role of Muppets favourite Kermit The Frog. He’d already performed the character in a couple of smaller projects, but Muppet Christmas Carol was his first film since taking over as Kermit – not to mention his first time singing as him.
Steve previously told The Guardian: “The night before we pre-recorded the songs, I had a lot of trouble getting to sleep, thinking: ‘I really want this to be good, this means so much to everybody.’
“Then I had a bizarre dream. I was in this building that was all white, and Jim was there. He comes over to me, in a hurry to get somewhere quickly. I said to him: ‘I’m really nervous about taking over Kermit.’ He looked at me. Jim would do this thing where he would take one finger and put it on his bottom lip as he was thinking – he thought like this for a second and said: ‘It’ll pass.’ And he walked away.”
Steve Whitmire with Kermit in 2003
He added: “It felt much more like a visit than a dream. The feeling from that gave me confidence for the whole film.”
3. Songwriter Paul Williams – who previously penned Kermit’s Oscar-winning signature tune Rainbow Connection – was on hand to make sure Steve got Kermit’s voice just right
“Paul would stand in the recording booth and close his eyes while I was singing, to decided whether it sounded like Kermit or not,” Steve recalled to fansite Muppet Central.
“He’s not a harsh guy, at all. He’s one of the most easy-going, nicest people we’ve worked with, but he was really sensing it, and if I didn’t do it just right, we did it again.”
4. Muppet Christmas Carol was not only Brian Henson’s first time helming a Muppets project – but his first time directing any film
Brian Henson at the premiere of The Muppet Christmas Carol in 1992
The late Jim Henson’s son Brian took on directing duties, and while it might have been new to him, you apparently wouldn’t have known it.
“Brian was incredibly good, right from the beginning,” Muppeteer Dave Goelz told The Guardian. “Michael Caine got halfway through the film before he found out it was Brian’s first time directing – he couldn’t believe it.”
5. The film was originally intended to be a TV special – until Disney got their hands on the script
Disney was quick to see the potential in The Muppet Christmas Carol, which is how it ended up getting a full cinema release.
6. That being said, despite going on to become a Christmas classic, it didn’t quite set the box office alight at the time
It had stiff competition from the much-anticipated sequel to Home Alone and another Disney project, Aladdin.
7. Muppet Christmas Carol’s songs have become festive staples – but there were originally even more of them
Yes, not one but two songs were recorded for the film but ultimately never recorded. Chairman Of The Board would have been performed by Sam The Eagle under the guise of young Scrooge’s headmaster, while Bunsen and Beaker would have performed Room In Your Heart for the older Scrooge in a bid to try and spread some festive cheer, and........