The Muppet Movie + The Muppet Show: Harry Belafonte

Dir. James Frawley. 1979, 95 mins. DCP. With Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz. Kermit the Frog makes his way from his humble origins in a Florida swamp to fabled Hollywood, assembling a team of friends as he goes, including Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, and Gonzo. This enchanting and clever road movie, the first big-screen adventure for the Muppets, features delightful cameos from Madeline Kahn, Steve Martin, Richard Pryor, Orson Welles, and many others, and includes Kermit’s heart-tugging rendition of Paul Williams’s beloved, Oscar-nominated song “The Rainbow Connection.” 

Preceded by a free screening of: 
The Muppet Show: Harry Belafonte 
As a tribute to the late Harry Belafonte, a great friend of Jim Henson and the Muppets, we will present a special free screening of his memorable appearance on The Muppet Show immediately before The Muppet Movie. In this episode, widely hailed as one of the show’s finest, Belafonte performs his biggest hit, “Day-O,” a drum battle with Animal, and the powerful “Turn the World Around,” accompanied by new Muppet characters inspired by African masks. At a Jim Henson Legacy event in 2003, Belafonte reflected on the experience: “Nothing has ever been quite as enduring and as satisfying as those days and those hours and those moments I spent with the Muppet family.”  

1:00 p.m.: The Muppet Show: Harry Belafonte 

1:30 p.m.: The Muppet Movie

 

Tickets: $15 / $11 senior and students / $9 youth (ages 3–17) / free for MoMI members at the Senior/Student level and above. Order tickets. Please pick up tickets at the Museum’s admissions desk upon arrival. All seating is general admission. Review safety protocols before your visit.