Snuffy - 1978, 1979, 1980

[Michael Earl]

Hi all! Thought I'd clear up some confusion. My name is Michael Earl Davis, though I go by Michael Earl. In 1978 I met Kermiit Love at a Puppeteers of America festival in San Luis Obispo when I was 17. He liked my puppet maing and offered me a building job in New York. Growing up in the Bay Area, I had known Frank Oz's parents (Mike and Francis Oznowitz) through the local puppetry guild. Between them and Kermit talking to Jim Henson about me, Jim hired me in 1978 sight-unseen for The Muppet Movie. I had just turned 19. Afterwards, Jim asked if I'd like to take over the front end of Snuffy on Sesame Street since Jerry had hurt his back. Richard had been subbing for him and they needed fulltime replacement. Since I was young, tall and strong, and a good puppeteer, I got the job. The first season I lip-synced to Jerry's voice from the booth. The second season he told producers, "I'm a puppeteer, not a voice actor" and bowed out of the character all together. That lead to a big search for a new voice. They auditioned every voice actor in NYC and when I heard about this, I asked Kermit if I could audition...since I was already IN the puppet. He said ok, so on a home recorder, I read a scene from an old script doing both Snuffy and Big Bird's voices (I was also Caroll Spinney's understudy, as well as being in BB in Muppet Movie Finale). I got the job, the puppet was now all mine and was for that season and one more, three total. I also originated Polly Darton, Forgetful Jones (a young Kevin Clash, brand new to the show, performed Buster my Horse), a Honker, and many others, working with the writers, creating characters tailored to our talents. Brian Muehl and I (and Carroll Spinney) were the only fulltime puppeteers on Sesame Street at that time (I was under contract for 3 years). The other Muppeteers were in London much of the year shooting Muppet Shows and came to the street for Muppet Inserts just once a year. So Brian and I got a LOT of opportunity to learn through doing, script after script. I think I was in about 150 episodes; Brian many more because he stayed longer than I did, creating Telly, Barkley, etc. As for the Sesame Unpaved book, when I read it I called CTW lawyers who explained to me there were many inaccuracies in that book, and issued me a letter of proof stating my involvment in Sesame Street. So that's the real (partial) history of those years. I could write a book with many more of those stories, nice and naughty, but for now, here's for the record. - Michael Earl (Davis)

 

[Kimp the Shrimp]

Real Cool

 

[AndyWan Kenobi]

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing all of that!

 

[Ilikemuppets]

That's amazing! So your kind of like the underated Puppeteer, no offence.

 

[OverUnderAround]

First of all, great to hear from you and thanks for explaining the situation from those years on SS. It was wonderful to read what you experienced in those days. And yes I agree Sesame Street Unpaved is filled with errors. I once mentioned the book to some of the cast I had met and they made a face like if they had drank spoiled milk.

Thanks for sharing your memories!

 

[minor muppetz]

Didn't you also perform in The Muppets Take Manhattan? There have recently been a few members who performed in the finale of The Muppet Movie, but I was wondering if you could tell us about the wedding finale of The Muppets Take Manhattan. Did Jim Henson hire several puppeteers similar to how he did in The Muppet Movie? Did you perform Big Bird in that sequence, too?

Also, cna you tell us about any deleted scenes from The Muppet Movie and The Muppets Take Manhattan?

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Hi, Michael Earl. Thanks for sharing this information with us.

Earl Kress and Terry Angus (among others) have started whole threads dedicated to their memories of working with Jim and The Muppets. Please feel free to start a thread and (whether chronologically or not) post your memories of your history with them.

I'll even dedicate the thread as a "sticky" so it will appear at the top of the forum's section!

 

[MJTaylor]

I agree with everyone else who has posted Michael, it was great to hear from you. And it's a shame that SSU has so many errors. I remember reading the book and enjoying it but feeling dismayed at the mistakes made, such as this one which I didn't find out until recently; There was a section on Professor Hastings alongside a picture of Nobel Price.
Sorry if I went too far off topic, I guess one of the moderators will delete this post if I have.

 

[minor muppetz]

You mentioned that because of The Muppet Show you, Caroll Spinney, and Brian Meehle were the only full-time performers on Sesame Street. But Fran Brill didn't perform on The Muppet Show (except for in two episodes from the first season). Was she busy doing something else? Also, Brian Meehle did perform in a few episodes of The Muppet Show during the last season.

 

[minor muppetz]

It was said that Michael Earl Davis was Caroll Spinney's understudy at the time that he performed Snuffy. I wodner if he stopped being an understudy when he was cast as Snuffy. After all, at the time, everyone thought Snuffy was Big Bird's imaginary friend, which limited interraction between Snuffy and any other character who wasn't Big Bird. If something happened to caroll spinney and Michael Earl took over as Big Bird, I wonder what would have happened to Snuffy.