Jim Henson

Director

September 24, 1936 (53 years)

† May 16, 1990

Greenville, Mississippi, USA

Biography

James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990) was an American puppeteer, actor, animator, creative producer, and director who achieved worldwide notability as the creator of the Muppets. Henson was also well known for creating Fraggle Rock (1983–1987) and as the director of The Dark Crystal (1982) and Labyrinth (1986), as well as creating the puppets for Sesame Street (1969). Born in Greenville, Mississippi, and raised in both Leland, Mississippi, and University Park, Maryland, Henson …

Filmography

7.3

Labyrinth

Frustrated with babysitting on yet another weekend night, Sarah, a teenager with an active imagination, summons the Goblins to take her baby stepbrother away. When little Toby actually disappears, Sarah must follow him into a fantastical world to rescue him from the Goblin King. Guarding his castle is the labyrinth itself, a twisted maze of deception, populated with outrageous characters and unknown dangers.

7.3

Fraggle Rock

The Fraggles are a fun-loving community of creatures who live in a subterranean fantasy land where they love to play, sing and dance their cares away, sharing their world with the tiny Doozers and the giant Gorgs. The series teaches empathy and tolerance and encourages children to understand people different from themselves.

8.2

The Storyteller

The Storyteller, aided by his cynical dog, narrates classic folk tales, fables, and legends.

7.9

Muppet Babies

The Muppet Babies (Kermit, Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzy and company) live in a large nursery watched over by Nanny. The babies have active imaginations, and often embark upon adventures into imaginary worlds.

8.9

The Jim Henson Hour

An hour-long anthology series hosted by Jim Henson and generally included two segments. The first, MuppeTelevision, features comedy skits starring the Muppets, as well as frequent guest appearances by popular entertainers. The second often rebroadcasts original productions, primarily The StoryTeller.

7.1

The Dark Crystal

On another planet in the distant past, a Gelfling embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of a magical crystal and restore order to his world, before the grotesque race of Skeksis find and use the crystal for evil.

6.9

The Great Muppet Caper

Kermit and Fozzie are newspaper reporters sent to London to interview Lady Holiday, a wealthy fashion designer whose priceless diamond necklace is stolen. Kermit meets and falls in love with her secretary, Miss Piggy. The jewel thieves strike again, and this time frame Miss Piggy. It's up to Kermit and the rest of the Muppets to bring the real culprits to justice.

N/A

NBC Experiment in Television

An attempt by NBC to emulate the success of the CBS hit The Twilight Zone, this hour-long anthology series showcased different actors, stories and creative talent each week.

6.4

The Muppet Musicians of Bremen

Four mistreated farm animals seek refuge as a band of traveling musicians in this musical tale narrated by Kermit the Frog.

7.1

Time Piece

Dislocation in time, time signatures, time as a philosophical concept, and slavery to time are some of the themes touched upon in this 9-minute experimental film, which was written, directed, and produced by Jim Henson. Screened for the first time at the Museum of Modern Art in May of 1965, "Time Piece" enjoyed an eighteen-month run at one Manhattan movie theater and was nominated for an Academy Award for Outstanding Short Subject.

7.1

The Cube

An unnamed man, simply called "The Man" is trapped in a cubical white room where anyone else can enter and leave, but which he himself apparently cannot leave. A stool is brought in covered in strawberry jam, the furniture changes throughout the play. The main character, is subjected to an increasingly puzzling and frustrating series of encounters, as a variety of people come through various hidden doors. But, as many remind him, he can only leave through his own door, so he must find it to leave.

7.9

Dog City

This parody of film noir and gangster flicks takes us through the dangerous town of Dog City, teeming with colorful Muppet Dog characters. Rowlf the dog is your guide through the underside of canine life during the 1930s in Dog City. Our hero, Ace, enters the world of bulldog gangsters and terrier molls when he inherits a saloon from his late Uncle Harry. Unwilling to pay protection money, Ace finds himself the target of Bugsy, a bulldog bully who owns most of Dog City. Life can be ruff!

N/A

The Song of the Cloud Forest

Milton, a lonely golden toad whose species are on the verge of extinction, finds himself in two minds when he realizes that his only potential mate is in the captivity of a group of human beings.

6.7

The World of 'The Dark Crystal'

A documentary which explores the making of Jim Henson and Frank Oz's 1982 fantasy film 'The Dark Crystal', which originally aired on PBS in the United States on January 9, 1983. This one-hour documentary details the technological innovations in the field of animatronics, art design, film making, and Henson's own brand of magic. Requiring 5 years of production, including over two years of pre-production, The Dark Crystal was inspired by the imagination of artist Brian Froud and conceived by scores of talented designers, builders, technicians, and performers. The World of the Dark Crystal shows how Jim Henson's Creature Shop in London and the Muppet Workshop in New York brought Brian Froud's art and Jim Henson's vision to life.

6.9

Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas

A poor otter family risks everything for the chance to win the cash prize of a talent contest for Christmas.

7.0

Run, Run

RUN, RUN, a polished live-action effort shot by Jim Henson and Frank Oz in Greenwich, CT in October 1965, is a visualization of the joys of childhood and the wonder of nature. In the short, Jim’s daughters run freely through woods saturated by the colors of autumn into the warm embrace of their mother. The action is underscored by Joe Raposo’s lilting music, giving a sense of visual poetry.

7.8

The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show

Miss Piggy hosts her own variety show, with special guests John Ritter, George Hamilton and Tony Clifton (Andy Kaufman). Under the direction of Kermit the Frog, the Muppets work in the control room and, amidst chaos, manage to keep the show on the air. Throughout the show, a romantic triangle develops among Piggy, Ritter (who is smitten with the pig) and Hamilton (who is deeply uncomfortable with the star's romantic inclinations).

N/A

Fraggle Rock: Live by the Rule of the Rock

Gobo has not received his usual postcard from his Uncle Traveling Matt. He eventually comes to realize that he must venture out into Outer Space to look for him. Meanwhile, Red and Wembley discover a creature who is whatever you believe it is. The trouble starts when Ma Gorg believes it into being a monster in the basement of the castle. And Cotterpin Doozer decides she’d rather be a Fraggle like Red, than spend the rest of her life building with the Doozers.

N/A

The Storyteller: The Soldier and Death

Because of kind acts toward three beggars, an honest soldier returning from war is given a magical sack, an unbeatable deck of cards, a ruby whistle and a comparable dance, which he uses to save a kingdom and to foil Death.

6.7

Rocky Mountain Holiday with John Denver and the Muppets

Rocky Mountain Holiday is a one-hour musical variety special featuring John Denver and the Muppets, which aired on ABC on May 12, 1983. In the special, John and the Muppets go on a summer camping trip to the Rocky Mountains.