News: Another Lost Jim Henson Robot Film Found!

Last week I came across a long-lost film by Jim Henson from 1963. Here's a companion piece featuring Jerry Juhl, Henson's longtime collaborator. Juhl stars as "Charlie Magnetico" and Charlie's mother, "Mom Magnetico," as well as various other human roles.

The AT&T archive released this film to the public today. Here's part of what AT&T's archivists say about the film:

Juhl’s collaborations with Henson, especially in the late 1960s, with their commercial work for IBM and American Oil, return to the theme of the interactions of man and machine (and their subsequent difficulties!). Juhl's interest turned to writing late in the decade, and besides penning some science fiction, he contributed greatly to the crafting of the Sesame Street and Muppets characters' personalities. He later became the head writer for The Muppet Show and Fraggle Rock. Early in the 1970s, he moved to California. And he was able to work with his peers, who were located in New York, via Data Communications! Juhl was an early adopter of modem technology, and it allowed him to continue to do his work with Henson for decades.

Read the rest, or just enjoy seven minutes of Henson-y goodness:

Stick around for the explosions and missile launches towards the end.