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« Heller Hath No Fury
Emmet Otter: Jim Henson’s Lost Christmas Masterpiece
What, you’ve never heard of Emmet? This adorable 1977 Christmas movie is a retelling of The Gift of the Magi, Jim Henson-style. The characters are charming and eccentric, the puppets are sweet and cuddly, and the story itself has an earnestness that speaks to another place and time. No cleverly overdone pop-culture references in this children’s tale!
Emmet and his mom, Ma Otter, live together in a cabin by the river and make ends meet by taking in laundry and doing odd jobs around the neighborhood. After Emmet’s big-dreaming father passed away last year, Emmet and his mother have grown very close, best friends in fact. They paddle around their river town singing songs and daydreaming about the day they make it big — and the Otter family happens to have some pretty good pipes, by the way.
One day just around Christmas, Emmet and Ma hear that the town is having a talent show, and the winner gets 50 dollars. 50 dollars! Emmet thinks that would be just enough to buy his mom a piano for Christmas, and Ma thinks that would be just enough to buy Emmet a new guitar. But for Emmet’s jug-band instrument, he needs to cut a hole in his mother’s washbasin, the only piece of equipment she has for her laundry business. And for Ma’s performance she needs a new dress, so she pawns Emmet’s toolbox, the one thing he needs for his handyman jobs around town. So will Emmet win the talent contest, or will Ma Otter? Or will the troublemaking bullies the Riverbottom Gang steal the Otters’ glory?
The story is based on the Emmet Otter books by Russell and Lillian Hoban, who also did the wonderful Frances series, and Henson took special care to stick to the tone of the books. The puppets’ faces are soft and expressive and utterly huggable, and their costumes are all mufflers and knit caps and argyle sweaters. You can hear some inklings of Kermit and Cookie Monster and Bert in some of the characters (Henson and Frank Oz did several of the voices here), and the characters’ befuddled-but-still-trying attitudes have The Muppet Show written all over them. Even the town itself is adorable — sweet little cabins, warm Christmas windows and even sledding on the river. But the real star of the show is the music — the bluesy Jug Band packs a beat, believe it or not, and the Weasely talent-show competition from the Riverbottom Gang is all greasy psychedelic rock show, complete with an oozing stage performance by an Eel in a tank (downright sexy, I dare say). Ma Otter and her clear, high-mountain voice specializes in hymns and gospel, and in the end, the story manages to find common ground between different classes, different generations — heck, even different species. It’s perfect wintertime fare for kids and parents both.
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Dec 19, 2006 11:32 AM
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Michelle, it's so much fun that you wrote this. My husband and I were looking for Christmas movies and specials to buy, record, whatever for our grown daughter and I said I wish we could get Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas, if for no other reason than to hear the wonderful music.
I found it at Amazon, but there is some controversy over missing scenes from the original show that I don't fully understand. I guess it isn't available immediately. I will have to research this before I buy it.
Thanks for covering this gem - I hope more people see it soon!
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Dec 19, 2006 4:27 PM
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Michelle, I am so glad that you reviewed this wonderful little Christmas gem. I remember seeing this show when I was quite young and just loving it. You are right in that most people have never heard of this.
CinderAngelkc, good luck in your search. I may have to try and find it as well.
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Dec 20, 2006 8:41 AM
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It's funny that I read this today--I showed Emmet to my 4th grade students today, like I do every year on our last day before Christmas break. You're right, it is nothing like today's children's entertainment. At first they don't seem to quite know what to make of it but they then grow to like it a lot.
I actually have the VHS from when we taped it off of HBO when I was little--it's about 20 years old now. I'm thinking I may need to get it transferred to DVD or at least a new tape : )
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Dec 20, 2006 7:22 PM
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I did the research and thought I might share it here. Emmet Otter was originally done on HBO as a fairly simple, straight forward little creation of Jim Henson. A couple of years after it began running, some scenes were added, changed, and Kermit the Frog was added as a kind of narrator, I think. Then it began to run on ABC who bought the rights. Now when people watch it and originally saw the ABC version and see the original they think it has been cut. But I watched in the first year it was out and that is the version I want. Both versions are available on Amazon. The original version sans Kermit is about $10. The one with our favorite frog (I love Kermit BTW) is around $42. I'm glad I know the original. These are prices for the DVD. I did see VHS tapes but didn't notice the prices.
Again, thanks Michelle for the article giving me the nudge I needed to find this.
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Dec 20, 2006 11:10 PM
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Hey everybody,
I had a bit of a hard time getting my copy, but you can order it online from Newbury Comics for $9.99. The DVD was released in 2005 and has special features like interviews with the voice cast and the puppet makers, not to mention outtakes and even a sing-along! The interviews are pretty informative as to the chronology, distribution and making of our beloved Emmet. But the best part is, no more Emmet on VHS!
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Dec 21, 2006 9:55 AM
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#1 is John Denver and the Muppets, "A Christmas Together". I have the CD, it was less than $10 at Target, but what I really want is the DVD of the television special. As far as I know, it hasn't been released. It makes me sad.
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Dec 21, 2006 11:50 AM
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Wow! That brings back memories! I remember watching this as a child over and over!
"Look at the birdies up in the trees"
"We're not birds, we're a jugband!"
Now I have to get it too!
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Dec 21, 2006 1:53 PM
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my absolute favorite Christmas Special... thanks for writing this Michelle!! I am glad it is getting the recognition it deserves
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Dec 22, 2006 10:05 AM
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When I read your teaser headline on the homepage, The best Christmas Special you won't be watching (or something to that effect) I tried to guess what it might be. Emmett Otter never came to mind. Then when I opened your page I had to do the old heel-of-the-hand to the forehead "Of course!!!" That is one of the cutest, most touching ever made specials. I wish to add my thanks to you for reminding us of it.
Happy Holidays!!
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Dec 22, 2006 3:04 PM
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