As mentioned last week, the elves in the Muppet Classic Theater DVD were dressed in Elvis-type garb and had Elvis hair. And all three of them spoke and sang like Elvis. The picture above shows the three Elvises making blue suede shoes.
For those of you who got the incomplete postings last week on my first two tries, you missed the video of The Elves and the Shoemaker segment of the DVD where they do their stuff. This is fun, so here are two ways to check it out if you haven’t already.
The full 9-1/2 minute skit:
The 5 minute edited version showing the Bad Shoes Blues song sequence and a bit more:
The Muppets returned to TV in 1996 in a new show called Muppets Tonight. It was very similar to the original The Muppet Show.
It ran for three seasons, which was long enough for three more appearances by the Elvises in a recurring feature, “Great Moments in Elvis History.”
The concept is interesting. They chose three great moments in world history and substituted Elvises for three of the main characters in each.
The Declaration of Independence:
Sorry for the lame picture quality. The video I grabbed it from is the only one I could find. The story has some fun with quibbling going on between Washington and Jefferson, particularly when John Hancock tells them that all ties with the king have been severed, and they argue about who really is The King.
When Ben Franklin arrives and tells them he has discovered electricity, they cheer and bring up their electric guitars. They break into a song using the melody from “Blue Suede Shoes,” with brand new lyrics.
One if by land,
Two if by sea.
Let’s all rock for democracy.
Don’t you, don’t you tread on me.
At the end of the skit, we get a fake preview of next week’s Great Moments in Elvis History. This is Elvis of Arabia, but it was five more weeks until the next Great Moments is shown, and it was not Elvis of Arabia.
Elvis the King and His Knights of the Roundtable:
Here we have Guinevere, King Arthur, Lancelot, and Merlin. The gag here is that the dragon has captured Guinevere. Merlin goes to rescue her, and the dragon is glad to give her back. The song parodied in this skit is Jailhouse Rock, with these lyrics:
The dragon has captured Lady G.
Don’t you worry, Excalibur is here.
Everybody knows that dragon is hot.
We’re rockin’ here in Camelot.
I like this front shot of Muppet Elvis Merlin.
The gag preview at the end of this skit is Tarzan of Graceland.
Elvis Caesar:
Here the Elvises are playing Brutus, Mark Antony, and Julius Caesar. There is no singing in this short skit, but there are plenty of gags.
The bit with Brutus brandishing a large knife was interesting, considering the actual facts of Caesar’s assassination.
The gag preview at the end of this skit is Sir Elvis Newton.
Someone has put together a YouTube video that combines all three Great Moments in Elvis History. Check it out.
I hope you enjoyed my three-part series on The Muppets and Elvis.
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