Jim Henson

by N.C.


a

Introduction to the Creator of Muppets

One of the most successful puppeteers of the 20th century was Jim Henson. He impacted people of all ages through television and movies. Christopher Weekes, a small time movie writer, gives Henson the title “The Father of Dreams” (Weekes). Henson enlightened the lives of many children through his love and creation for his fantastic muppets.

He was born in Greenville, Mississippi, on September 24, 1936. He was the second son of Paul Ransom and Elizabeth Marcella Henson. He moved to Washington, D.C. in 1946. He then went to high school and started his puppet career. Jim married his first and only partner Jane Nebel in his freshman year in 1959. From then on Jane was a big part in the Jim’s business. They had five children. They are Brian, Paul, Cheryl, Lisa, and Heather. All of the family worked with Jim during his career. Some of them worked behind the scenes and some even worked with the puppetry.

Jim Henson’s career started off quickly with much purpose. His first appearances occurred while he was still in high school. He appeared on a morning show in Maryland for WTOP-TV. He went professional when he was a freshman at the University of Maryland. He was hired to NBC and did a five-minute late-night show called Sam and Friends. In the 1950’s, his career sky rocketed and he appeared on many shows such as The Jimmy Dean Show and The Tonight Show.

A Journey through Jim's Life

Jim created muppets from the name marionette puppet. Jim and his company could take from a couple of hours to a couple of months to create his muppets. Some could be plain fabric as some could be mechanical. Jim never did like wooden puppets because he thought they don’t express enough emotions. That is why none of his puppets were ever wooden and why he made Kermit the Frog have a big mouth so Kermit could express many emotions (The Mississippi Writers Page). Jim named Kermit after one of his childhood friends, which was very sincere of him. Kermit was first made from Jim’s mother’s green coat.

Jim Henson was at one time doing three shows in one day. He wasn’t doing his shows for the money. He was doing the shows for his love of entertaining and the puppets. Jim Henson said “Follow your enthusiasm. It’s something I’ve always believed in. Find those parts of your life you enjoy the most. Do what you enjoy doing” (Fionaurora). He stated, “I love puppetry and what puppetry is” (Harris). He only made $100 dollars a week at that time. He only made $5 dollars a show for Sam and Friends in 1954. He even had to make his props and puppets all from scratch and his own money. Bill Pardy, one of the muppet writers, said, “Jim truly cared about the world. His work for the environment comes from deep within…” (Fionaurora).

Jim made many commercials. In 1968 he made his first television special called Muppets on Puppets for National Education Television. In the 1960’s he had a company that had a wide variety of shows mostly for children. He had made music, books, and T.V shows. Some successful shows were Fraggle Rock on HBO and Muppet Babies on CBS-TV. His first movie ever made was called The Muppet Movie in 1979. This movie appealed to young and old people. The movie was a lead for many other movies such as The Great Muppet Caper in 1981, and The Muppets take Manhattan in 1984. Jim Henson also produced movies that were for once apart from the muppets. He produced Dark Crystal in 1982 and Labyrinth in 1986. They had characters unlike the muppets. Jim’s work was also featured in comic strips, theme parks, and ice shows.

During Jim’s time in his business, he made T.V. more entertaining for adults and children. He said in his interview with Judy Harris that, “There’s not much done of a quality nature for kids” (Harris). This is the reason why he started the T.V. show Sesame Street in 1969 and is still aired to this day. It is designed especially for young children. It teaches preschoolers their numbers, letters, and social values (The Mississippi Writers Page). He also worked with Saturday Night Live when he made new characters in the land of Gorch.

The Glory and Fame

Jim was always involved in helping people. He was once the president of the Puppeteers of America. He was also involved in the UNIMA. It was a national marionette association. One reason why Meekes may have called Jim the “Father of Dreams” is for the times that Jim helped other people other than himself achieve his/her dreams. Jim had held auditions for workers that would be helpful to him, but that would also be able to fulfill his/her life’s dreams. Many of the people that worked for him during his career were Jerry Juhl, Don Sahlin, and Frank Oz.

In 1987 Jim received an award in the Television Academy Hall of Fame. Jim Henson received seven Grammy awards, four Peabody awards, eighteen Emmy awards, and many other awards during his lifetime. He lived for 74 years and died in New York on May 16, 1990 due to Pneumonia. Deanne Durrett, a successful author, said:

Jim Henson reached his life goals in many ways. He not only brought respect to the art of puppetry in the U.S., but also appealed to the child in all of us as he gave us characters to love in common bond with people around the world. In doing so, he not only left the world a better place, but will continue to have a positive impact for generations to come (Fionaurora).
Jim Henson made hundreds of shows, specials, movies, and books during his life. Many of his productions are still aired and popular. Henson has also made over 500 hundred puppets with the help of his company. They will be used for years to come. Many of his puppets are preserved in museums and exhibits. Jim has made a difference in many lives. He cared about every child and that is why he made the muppets along with all of his productions. He only portrayed positive things for the world and he accomplished his goal with heart and zest. He will always be remembered for his love and success to his puppets and his people.

List of Works Cited


This webpage created by N.C. for History and Thought of Western Man, Rich East High School. Last update, 22 April 2003.

Return to Index

 

Rich Township High Schools
District 227
20290 Governors Highway
Olympia Fields, IL 60461
(708) 679-5800

 Rich East
High School Campus
300 Sauk Trail
Park Forest, IL 60466
(708) 679-6100

[ Home ] [ About Our School ] [ School News ] [ Calendar of Events ] [ Teaching and Learning ]
[ Athletics and Activities ] [ Student Club Information ] [ Contact Us ]
[ District 227 Main Page ] [ Rich South H.S. ] [ Rich Central H.S. ] [ Rich East H.S. ]

Copyright©2003 Rich Township School District 227. All Rights Reserved.