The Wacky Wednesday's Countdown To Halloween entry is Season 01, Episode 19. of one of the funniest TV shows ever produced, "The Muppet Show!"
Every episode of "The Muppet Show" featured a "special" guest star, and on this one it was the always amazing Vincent Price.
As I'm sure you know, "The Muppet Show" was a fast moving array of skits, and for this one, since Vincent Price was on it, the emphasis was on "Scary," and "Monsters," hence, a dark and dreary castle!
The Great Gonzo and Fozzie Bear are at the front door when they see a couple of ghosts, which sets the mood.
Of course, Vincent Price shows up at the castle too!
Vincent is accompanied by his beautiful assistant played by Uncle Deadly while the hideously deformed but unseen monster waits outside.
This episode actually aired on January 29th, nearer to New Years than Halloween, so when there is a transformation scene, Vincent turns into Jack Parnell who was a bandleader and the conductor for "The Muppet Show" orchestra instead of a monster. Jack Parnell was also a drummer who was voted 'Best Drummer' for seven years in a row by Melody Maker magazine in the 40's and 50's. Jack's son Ric played the drummer in "Spinal Tap."
Since Vincent Price was also an excellent cook, and culinary expert, they have a panel discussion with him and Chef Pierre Lacousse and Gorgon Heap.
First Gorgon ends up eating the chef!
Much to Kermit's demise, both Gorgon and Vincent Price think that some frog legs would be tasty!
Vincent admits "I'm a bit of a Devil, but I do like frog's legs."
Next is this trio of ghosts doing a strange but fun version of The Beatles' "I'm Looking Through You."
One of the final sequences has Kermit thanking Vincent for being on the show.
They kind of goofed up this part though, but if they hadn't, the gag wouldn't have worked. Kermit tells Vincent that "In a lot your movies, you're always turning into a vampire, and well, how do you do that?" Vincent then flashes some big fangs, but the truth is, Vincent Price never played a vampire in a movie until "The Monster Club" came out in 1981, unless you want to count the "Snoop Sisters" episode called "A Black Day For Bluebeard" from 1974, that had Vincent Price as an actor playing a vampire.
...............And proceeds to chomp down on Vincent's jugular vein!
HAPPY VIRTUAL HALLOWEEN!!
5 comments:
Weird that it aired in January, always assumed it was Halloween time! Classic fun, though. Price was always a good sport.
Vinnie was a good sport, as were most of the other guests. Must have been a fun show to be on!
Price played a vampire in The Monster Club, but that was three years after this.
Good catch!! I'll go and remove "ever."
One of his best and sweetest (and final) role was the toymaker in EDWARD SCISSORHANDS, one of my late wife's and my favorite movies. A very bittersweet movie it was. She and I both cried like babies at the end, or maybe it was the pouring rain the night we went to see it? Not sure, but I'm sure that the amazing and wonderful Vincent Price was and is a favorite of both of us, forever...
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