The Idea Man

Idea_Man_color — Idea Man color

Color film without Limbo.

The Idea Man is a three minute short film by Jim Henson which was used for a live performance with Limbo on The Mike Douglas Show on July 20, 1966.

During its premiere, Jerry Juhl explains that the process was created by Henson and introduces the piece as The Idea Man. Limbo, referred to here as the Floating Face, is performed live for the studio audience, broadcast to home viewers in black and white. Following the performance, Mike Douglas reveals the work done behind the curtain by Henson operating the mouth using strings attached to a pair of gloves, Jerry Nelson operating the eyes with a cable system, and additional support from Frank Oz.

In color, the film has featured in various screenings of vintage Henson material without the Limbo performance superimposed over the images; this version was published to the Henson Company's YouTube channel in July 2009.

Ideas[]

One of the film's objectives is to highlight the ideas that manifest in the mind of the protagonist. To this end, Limbo (whose voice is provided by Henson, pre-recorded to sync with the visuals) takes account of several ideas that have already been taken. Most of them are ordinary, everyday objects, but several of them are specific references to works by Henson, as well as other creators.