The Muppet Movie script (June 12, 1978 draft)

During development the script for The Muppet Movie went through many drafts. The following draft, dated June 12, 1978, was written by Jerry Juhl and Jack Burns. Shooting would begin less than a month later, on July 5.
While it is unknown how many more drafts there were between this script and the final shooting script, the film's structure and major scenes are all present in this draft. However there were also many changes made as development of the film continued. Most of the songs hadn't been written yet nor had any of the guest star cameos been cast, so many of the musical numbers and cameo scenes in this draft are essentially placeholders. This early draft included cameos for George Burns and Henry Kissinger. The final script cut a number of extraneous scenes (including a lot of extra Doc Hopper chase material), it made Max a more sympathetic character, and introduced Animal and Scooter earlier in the film. Another small but very significant change after this draft: they re-focused Kermit's basic motivation for going to Hollywood from becoming "rich and famous" to "making millions of people happy".
The following scans are of a script sent to Danny Horn (editor of MuppetZine) by Jerry Juhl. Horn later wrote a series of articles about this script for Tough Pigs in 2002 entitled "The Road to Hollywood".
==Script==
Muppet movie script 0000.jpg|Cover
Muppet movie script 000.jpg|Cover page with note to Danny Horn from Jerry Juhl
Muppet movie script 001.jpg|pg 1:Introductory note
Muppet movie script 002.jpg|pg 2:World Film Industries
Muppet movie script 003.jpg|pg 3:Miss Piggy and Kermit arrive
Muppet movie script 004.jpg|pg 4:Screening room
Muppet movie script 005.jpg|pg 5:Roll film
Muppet movie script 006.jpg|pg 6:Fisherman enters
Muppet movie script 007.jpg|pg 7:Did you say Hollywood?
Muppet movie script 008.jpg|pg 8:Open auditions for frogs
Muppet movie script 009.jpg|pg 9:Arnie the Alligator
Muppet movie script 010.jpg|pg 10:Kermit says goodbye to George
Muppet movie script 011.jpg|pg 11:Goodbye to Fred
Muppet movie script 012.jpg|pg 12:Kermit on a bicycle
Muppet movie script 013.jpg|pg 13:Road hog
Muppet movie script 014.jpg|pg 14:Looking for Prince Charming
Muppet movie script 015.jpg|pg 15:Henry Kissinger
Muppet movie script 016.jpg|pg 16:The El Sleezo Cafe
Muppet movie script 017.jpg|pg 17:At the bar
Muppet movie script 018.jpg|pg 18:Myth, myth!
Muppet movie script 019.jpg|pg 19:El Sleezo bar fight
Muppet movie script 020.jpg|pg 20:Show time at the El Sleezo
Muppet movie script 021.jpg|pg 21:Statler and Waldorf at the El Sleezo
Muppet movie script 022.jpg|pg 22:Kermit and Fozzie dance
Muppet movie script 023.jpg|pg 23:Doc Hopper sees Kermit
Muppet movie script 024.jpg|pg 24:Duck!
Muppet movie script 025.jpg|pg 25:Doc Hopper makes an offer
Muppet movie script 026.jpg|pg 26:Frog legs commercial
Muppet movie script 027.jpg|pg 27:You make a lousy frog
Muppet movie script 028.jpg|pg 28:Kermit says no
Muppet movie script 029.jpg|pg 29:Giving Doc Hopper the slip
Muppet movie script 030.jpg|pg 30:Movin' Right Along
Muppet movie script 031.jpg|pg 31:Rehearsing jokes
Muppet movie script 032.jpg|pg 32:Doc Hopper's billboard
Muppet movie script 033.jpg|pg 33:What did the porcupine say?
Muppet movie script 034.jpg|pg 34:Meanwhile...
Muppet movie script 035.jpg|pg 35:They don't look like Presbyterians
Muppet movie script 036.jpg|pg 36:Introducing the band
Muppet movie script 037.jpg|pg 37:Let 'em read the screenplay
Muppet movie script 038.jpg|pg 38:Disguising the car
Muppet movie script 039.jpg|pg 39:I don't know how to thank you
Muppet movie script 040.jpg|pg 40:In a rainbow colored Studebaker
Muppet movie script 041.jpg|pg 41:Robin in the glove compartment
Muppet movie script 042.jpg|pg 42:Gonzo's entrance
Muppet movie script 043.jpg|pg 43:A really ugly chicken
Muppet movie script 044.jpg|pg 44:Hopping mad
Muppet movie script 045.jpg|pg 45:Two wrongs make a right
Muppet movie script 046.jpg|pg 46:I want to go to Bombay
Muppet movie script 047.jpg|pg 47:Jack not name, Jack job!
Muppet movie script 048.jpg|pg 48:We'll take that one
Muppet movie script 049.jpg|pg 49:Doc Hopper makes plans
Muppet movie script 050.jpg|pg 50:Railroad flatcar
Muppet movie script 051.jpg|pg 51:Herd of cows
Muppet movie script 052.jpg|pg 52:Beauty pageant
Muppet movie script 053.jpg|pg 53:Edgar Bergen cameo
Muppet movie script 054.jpg|pg 54:Miss Piggy's entrance
Muppet movie script 055.jpg|pg 55:Kermit and Piggy
Muppet movie script 056.jpg|pg 56:Gonzo buys balloons
Muppet movie script 057.jpg|pg 57:Gonzo drifts away
Muppet movie script 058.jpg|pg 58:Gonzo's flight
Muppet movie script 059.jpg|pg 59:Aunty Amy's Custard Pies
Muppet movie script 060.jpg|pg 60:Doc Hopper shaves
Muppet movie script 061.jpg|pg 61:Gotta catch up with those guys
Muppet movie script 062.jpg|pg 62:The awesome responsibility of command
Muppet movie script 063.jpg|pg 63:Henry Kissinger as the waiter
Muppet movie script 064.jpg|pg 64:You mad, impetuous thing
Muppet movie script 065.jpg|pg 65:Telephone call for Miss Piggy
Muppet movie script 066.jpg|pg 66:Kermit and Rowlf
Muppet movie script 067.jpg|pg 67:Take myself for a walk and go to bed
Muppet movie script 068.jpg|pg 68:Phone call for Kermit the Frog
Muppet movie script 069.jpg|pg 69:Tied up
Muppet movie script 070.jpg|pg 70:Professor Krassman
Muppet movie script 071.jpg|pg 71:Kermit, whatever you're planning...
Muppet movie script 072.jpg|pg 72:Karate
Muppet movie script 073.jpg|pg 73:A call from Bernie
Muppet movie script 074.jpg|pg 74:The film breaks
Muppet movie script 075.jpg|pg 75:Eat another seat cushion
Muppet movie script 076.jpg|pg 76:Another Kissinger cameo
Muppet movie script 077.jpg|pg 77:Mount Rushmore
Muppet movie script 078.jpg|pg 78:Mount Rushmore and Kissinger
Muppet movie script 079.jpg|pg 79:Scooter and Animal
Muppet movie script 080.jpg|pg 80:Hitch-hiking
Muppet movie script 081.jpg|pg 81:Miss Piggy's back
Muppet movie script 082.jpg|pg 82:Green hamburger
Muppet movie script 083.jpg|pg 83:Countdown
Muppet movie script 084.jpg|pg 84:The desert
Muppet movie script 085.jpg|pg 85:Gonzo and Scooter sing
Muppet movie script 086.jpg|pg 86:Kermit talks to himself
Muppet movie script 087.jpg|pg 87:I promised me
Muppet movie script 088.jpg|pg 88:"Exterior - Desert - Night"
Muppet movie script 089.jpg|pg 89:When's the audition?
Muppet movie script 090.jpg|pg 90:Breakfast at Hollywood and Vine
Muppet movie script 091.jpg|pg 91:A sweet nothing
Muppet movie script 092.jpg|pg 92:Lady of Spain
Muppet movie script 093.jpg|pg 93:Insta-grow pills
Muppet movie script 094.jpg|pg 94:Ghost town
Muppet movie script 095.jpg|pg 95:Showdown
Muppet movie script 096.jpg|pg 96:Insta-grow Animal
Muppet movie script 097.jpg|pg 97:Receptionist
Muppet movie script 098.jpg|pg 98:Lew Lord
Muppet movie script 099.jpg|pg 99:The standard Rich and Famous contract
Muppet movie script 100.jpg|pg 100:The end
==See also==
*The Muppet Movie deleted scenes
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Category:Transcripts
Category:Production Documents
Category:The Muppet Movie