Thursday, March 5, 2015

Walk of Fame Animals Godzilla, Muppets, Kermit the Frog Big Bird

Hollywood Walk of Fame Animals
Godzilla, The Muppets, Big Bird & Kermit

Animals on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Featured on this page are Godzilla, Kermit the Frog, Big Bird and the Muppets as a group. They're sometimes live-action and not exclusively animated. This is the second half of a two-part series.

 
The only actual animals with stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame are three dogs: Strongheart, Rin Tin Tin and Lassie. Links to other pages at the end of this article.

Godzilla Posters, Cases, Shirts
Retro/Contemporary, Customize
Godzilla
6925 Hollywood Blvd.

Godzilla Hollywood Walk of Fame: Godzilla (Gojira) is a daikai, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishiro Honda's 1954 film Godzilla.

The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games, novels, comic books, television series and an American remake. 

Where Godzilla is from: With the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki still fresh in the Japanese consciousness, Godzilla was conceived as a monster created by nuclear explosions and a metaphor for nuclear weapons in general. As the film series expanded, the stories took on less serious undertones portraying Godzilla in the role of a hero, while later movies returned to depicting the character as a destructive monster. ....

I read that the name Godzilla comes from the Japanese words for gorilla and whale. Do you know a BrideZilla, a BossZilla, Mom-in-Law-Zilla? What character started it all?

Attributes

Godzilla's appearance has changed over the years, but many of his characteristics have remained constant. His roar has remained the same, only changing in pitch. Godzilla's approximate appearance, regardless of the design of the suit utilized for the creature, remains the same general shape, which is instantly recognizable: a giant, mutant dinosaur with rough, bumpy charcoal-gray scales, a long powerful tail, and jagged, bone-colored dorsal fins.

Godzilla's iconic character design is a blended chimera inspired by various prehistoric reptiles, gleaned from children's dinosaur books and illustrations from an issue of Life magazine: Godzilla has the head and lower body of a Tyrannosaurus, a triple row of dorsal plates reminiscent of a Stegosaurus, the neck and forearms of Iguanodon and the tail and skin texture of a crocodile.


Godzilla's dorsal plates have themselves altered in size and appearance over the years. A Tokyo mall had a huge lighted Godzilla-shaped holiday tree recently that was a social media sensation. 

Godzilla Costumes aren't that common but they are really varied. You can find dinosaur or dragon costumes, gorilla or sea creature costumes more easily. Put them all together and have a really fun event. The adult onesie costumes, such as the dragon, dinosaur Kigurumi are Snuggie-like and really popular.


Godzilla movie trailer 1954


Godzilla's coloration has been debated. Early on when the black and white films were produced, Godzilla was thought to be green. Artwork, toys and the Hanna-Barbera cartoon showed him this way. Later his color changed in different depictions to having a greenish hue to being "his classic charcoal gray" in films in the Millennium series starting with Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack.

Although his origins vary somewhat from film to film, he is always described as a prehistoric creature, who first appeared and attacked Japan at the beginning of the Atomic Age. In particular, mutation due to atomic radiation is presented as an explanation for his size and powers. The most notable of Godzilla's resulting abilities is his atomic breath: a powerful heat ray of fire from his mouth.
--  Wikipedia

Ellie Shoes, Zilla Wedge w/Coil Trim
also available thru
Sole Boutique Velvet Bootie
Godzilla got his (its?) star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on November 29, 2004.
Artists, dress and shoe designers use these iconic characters for inspiration all the time. 

The Zilla shoe has a hidden platform of nearly 2" and silver coil trim. Are you into ruffles?

Jeffrey Campbell, known for his incredible design sense, has done a wedge shoe named after the Little Shop of Horrors character of Audrey II. Like many of these shoes they sell out fast and can be hard to find.

The larger-than-life carnivorous Venus flytrap plant's teeth are referenced with zig-zag detail. The ones that are embellished with spikes and studs are that much better.



Kermit the Frog
Kermit Disco Dancer

6801 Hollywood Blvd.

Kermit the Frog is puppeteer Jim Henson's most famous Muppet creation, first introduced in 1955. He is the main protagonist of many Muppet projects, most notably as the host of The Muppet Show, and has appeared in various sketches on Sesame Street, in commercials and in public service announcements over the years. 

Kermit was performed by Henson until his death in 1990. Since then, Kermit has been performed by Steve Whitmire. He was voiced by Frank Welker in Muppet Babies and occasionally in other animation projects.

Kermit performed the hit single The Rainbow Connection in 1979 for The Muppet Movie, the first feature-length film featuring Henson's Muppets. The song reached #25 on the Billboard Hot 100. Kermit's iconic look and voice have been recognizable worldwide since and in 2006, the character was credited as the author of Before You Leap: a frog's eye view of life's greatest lessons, which is an "autobiography" told from the perspective of the character himself. ....

Awards and commemorations

Kermit was awarded an honorary doctorate of Amphibious Letters on May 19, 1996 at Southampton College, New York, where he also gave a commencement speech. He is also the only amphibian to have had the honor of addressing the Oxford Union. A statue of Henson and Kermit was erected on the campus of Henson's alma mater, the University of Maryland, College Park in 2003.

Kermit was given the honor of being the Grand Marshal of the Tournament of Roses Parade in 1996.
Kermit/Muppets Postage
With current postage rates
On Kermit's 50th anniversary in show business, the United States Postal Service released a set of new stamps with photos of Kermit and some of his fellow Muppets on them. 

The background of the stamp sheet features a photo of a silhouetted Henson sitting in a window well, with Kermit sitting in his lap looking at him.

In 2006, on Kermit's 50th anniversary, Kermit, Texas was taken over by the frog during their homecoming week, ending with Kermit himself crowning the homecoming queen. The city of Kermit's main water tower was then painted with the face and signature of the frog. 

Musicians who play left-handed: Kermit the Frog plays the banjo. Jim Henson was left handed. Like Paul McCartney, Dennis Wilson, Jimi Hendrix and Tony Iommi, Kermit plays his banjo left-handed.

Kermit also grand-marshaled Michigan State University's homecoming parade in 2006.
-- Wikipedia  

Muppets Kermit disco dancing (seen above) posing by Disney; The Muppet Shop is just one of the Disney specialty selections. Get designs on clothing and different products.

Kermit got his star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame on November 14, 2002.

Jim Henson and some Puppet Trivia

Jim Henson, Muppets creator, also has a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame, 6631 Hollywood Blvd. He posthumously received his star on September 24, 1991, which would have been his 55th birthday. He isn't the only puppeteer on the Walk. 

Shari Lewis is one of a select group of puppeteers or ventriloquists who have stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Remember Kukla, Fran and Ollie? Jim Henson, Edgar Bergen, Paul Winchell, Fred Rogers and Fran Allison are other puppeteers or ventriloquists who have been honored with stars.


First Emmy Award 1949

On January 25, 1949 the first person to win the Emmy Award for Most Outstanding Television Personality was Shirley Dinsdale and her puppet Judy. Dinsdale was a ventriloquist for the children’s show Judy Splinters

So the first Emmy winner was not only a woman but a ventriloquist on a kid's show, to boot.  It further shows the importance of the art and children's programming.

Kermit Costume : Kermit the Frog Toddler Costume : Infant Costume Kermit the Frog costumes for adults, kids, toddlers and infants Your little one can sing and dance along to the Jim Henson's The Muppet Show with our Kermit the Frog toddler costume. The Muppets Kermit the Frog Infant costume is an officially licensed The Muppets product by Jim Henson.



Lady Gaga costume
In 2010, Lady Gaga went on German television wearing a coat made of hundreds of Kermit the Frog dolls. It was designed by Jean Charles de Castelbajac.  She wore a headband featuring a Kermit head shimmering with crystals.

"My friends and I in New York ... we believe in vanity," Gaga says, her Kermit headband staring down at her face. "I dress this way all the time because it inspires my life. I dress this way because my whole life is art and my whole life is performance." She also said, "You don't need money to live the way that I live. You just need a good idea and creativity."

The outfit was said to be a statement in honor of wearing something personalized and to call attention to the need to not wear fur and animal products.
-- quote from New York Magazine


Lady Gaga Kermit Costume : Adult Lady Gaga Frog Costume She rocks, she's eco-friendly - She won't wear real animal skin, she wears something else.....

2 piece Adult Lady Gaga Frog Costume
Comes with frog boa with lots of frogs. Would you use it as a Halloween costume? For the cocktail party at the local aquarium? Also includes frog headband. When you need a green costume, when you need to wear frogs or get noticed by the costume judges, when you want to be covered in amphibians for reasons of your own. One size. Wig and glasses are not included.

This was among the costumes featured when the characters on Glee did an homage to Lady Gaga (and Kermit?). 

Union Bay Women's U149 Sunglasses, Three colors
"Encrusted with sparkling "diamonds," logo-scripted ear pieces, and gorgeous gradient lenses with 100% UV protection."

Style and safety without the big designer price tag. Similar to a style worn by reality stars such as Kim Kardashian. Budget friendly but look great and real UV400 protection included.


Are Kermit and Miss Piggy Married??



"In The Muppet Movie, she has just won such a contest (Miss Bogen County) when she first meets Kermit and joins the Muppets.

In The Great Muppet Caper Piggy proves she has a talent for tap dancing, seemingly without knowing it. She and Kermit also kiss (on the lips, yet slightly covered) while Miss Piggy is a prisoner in jail; Miss Piggy ends up wearing Kermit's fake mustache, while Kermit has X-marks on his upper lip.

Eventually in the films, Kermit started returning her affections and (unwittingly) married her in The Muppets Take Manhattan (though subsequent events suggest that it was only their characters in the movie that married, and that their relationship is really the same as ever.)"
-- From Miss Piggy's Wikipedia entry



Kermit the Frog serenades us with Rainbow Connection





What's My Line?  November 16, 1952
First guest is a is a frog catcher, Then a woman who hand paints men's shorts.
Walter Winchell is the mystery guest



Can you do a Kermit the Frog impression?




Big Bird

7021 Hollywood Blvd.

Gund Soft and Shaggy Big Bird doll
Big Bird is the main protagonist of the children's television show Sesame Street. Big Bird, like many of the other Sesame Street characters, is a Muppet character. He is sometimes referred to simply as "Bird" by his friends.

Officially performed by Caroll Spinney since 1969, he is an eight-foot two-inch tall bright yellow bird. He can roller skate, ice skate, dance, sing, write poetry, draw and even ride a unicycle. ...

He lives in a large nest behind the 123 Sesame Street brownstone (which he had to completely rebuild in Season 32 after it was destroyed by a hurricane). 

He has a teddy bear named Radar, after Walter "Radar" O'Reilly of M*A*S*H, who had a teddy bear and was also lovably naive and innocent. Radar was given to Big Bird by Gary Burghoff when he guest starred on the show. Later on, however, it was said that Big Bird got the bear as a gift from Mr. Hooper. ....

What kind of bird is Big Bird?

It is believed that Big Bird is probably a giant canary. However, in an episode of Sesame Street Big Bird was asked if he was related to the cassowary, he replied, "I'm more of a condor." On a 1976 episode of Hollywood Squares, he said he was a lark. 

In the film, Don't Eat the Pictures, Osiris calls Big Bird an ibis. Zoologist Mike Dickison hypothesizes that Big Bird or Grandicrocavis viasesamensis, is a type of flightless crane.
 -- Wikipedia

The Colbert Report Finale




In September 1970, Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch were among the guests on the premiere episode of The Flip Wilson Show. Running on NBC, it is the first successful network variety series starring an African American.

October 2012, Big Bird has appeared on Saturday Night Live (at least once with Seth Meyers). He didn't appear on SNL alongside Paul Simon when he wore a turkey costume and sang Paul Simon still crazy after all these years November 20, 1976.

He also appeared on The Colbert Report and on the finale of Stephen Colbert's The Colbert Report in December 19, 2014, singing We'll Meet Again. Here's a list of those who appeared courtesy of the LA Times:

"Barry Manilow shared the stage with Gloria Steinem, Ken Burns and Doris Kearns Goodwin, James Franco hummed along with Henry Kissinger, Cyndi Lauper, Big Bird, Tom Brokaw and the Cookie Monster. 

"Mandy Patinkin was there and Bryan Cranston, singing along with Michael Stipe, Yo-Yo Ma, Mike Huckabee, George Lucas, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Katie Couric to name just a few. Pussy Riot showed up on tape as did former President Bill Clinton."

Cookie Monster must've appreciated the fact that Stephen Colbert had a C-shaped desk and "Cookie, Cookie, Cookie starts with C."

Big Bird was added to The Walk of Fame in Hollywood on April 21, 1994.


Big Bird Gets Political in 2012

Big Bird Costumes were popular in 2012 partly due to the mention of Big Bird and the funding of public broadcasting in a presidential debate.

Sesame Street characters are iconic, nostalgic characters for young and old
Find Big Bird Halloween Costumes Including the:
Big Bird Plush Vest Toddler/Small Child

Muppets Star on Walk of Fame

The group star for The Muppets received their group star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Tuesday, March 20, 2012

6834 Hollywood Boulevard in front of the El Capitan Theatre



 

Emcee was Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, President/CEO Leron Gubler

Guest Speakers: Walt Disney Studios President, Rich Ross; The Jim Henson Company CEO, Lisa Henson and Writer/Actor Jason Segel
How cool that families were able to attend the ceremony



Related articles of interest: 

Animals on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Part One

Animated Characters on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Part One

Celebrity family members who have Hollywood Walk of Fame stars next to or near one another

Raymond Burr Rear Window to the Senate floor : Burr remembered for playing Steve Martin (not THAT Steve Martin) in Godzilla, King of the Monsters

Contemporary Pop Rock Country Memorial Songs: Pop, Rock & Country Tribute, Memorial Songs, Inspiration from Paul McCartney, the members of Monty Python, the friends and colleagues of Jim Henson, more

Shari Lewis Lamb Chop, Las Vegas and Outer Space

There's a Skeleton in My Love Story; Love Your Local Paleontologist 

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