I adore the Muppets’ Christmas CD
and I cried when Kermit sang “The Rainbow Connection” live
during a tribute to Jim Henson at the D23 Expo six years ago, but I’m not a big
Muppets fan. Tim and Karen, on the other hand, love the Muppets, so the three
of us got tickets to a lunch event at the Henson studios, last Saturday,
honoring Muppets-master Jim Henson,
who was posthumously inducted as a Disneyana Fan Club “legend.”
But let’s get real: we were mainly there to see the studio, which is one of the
most historic lots in Hollywood.
Built on La Brea, just
south of Sunset Blvd., the studio was home to Charlie Chaplin’s film company
from 1917 until it was sold in 1953. To fit in with the surrounding architecture
of the time, Chaplin created a compound that looks like an English village. I
remember always being fascinated by it when I was a kid, driving to the La Brea tar pits with my
family.
La Brea entrance to the studio
Interior: homey offices
Chaplin peaking out from a doorway on La Brea
In 1966, the studio was
bought by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss, who converted it into the HQ of their
record label, A&M. Jim Henson took over in 2000 and installed a 12-foot
statue of Kermit, dressed as Chaplin’s “Little Tramp,” at the entrance, where
he remains today.
Kermit as the Little Tramp
Lunch, which was served on the Chaplin sound stage, featured
some of the more famous dishes (e.g., Cobb salad and grapefruit cake) of the
long-gone Brown Derby restaurants.
Cute Muppet centerpieces
We, however, were most thrilled by the lot itself. Tiny, compared to other
studios we’ve seen, the lot was homey and very intimate. After lunch, we got to
walk around and tour the grounds on our own. It was a wonderful way to spend a
Saturday afternoon.
Jim's son Brian's office (click on image to enlarge)
Emmys
Life-size Carol from Where the Wild Things Are
Muppets everywhere!
Kermit
On lampshade
Miss Piggy as lady's room sign
Men's room sign
Relaxing before heading home
No comments:
Post a Comment