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Before home video was common, Fisher-Price produced "Movie Viewers" for kids where they could hand-crank a film cartridge featuring cartoon and puppet stars. There was no sound, but the cartridges contained actual film cells. Also, the viewer could be cranked as quickly or slowly as desired, and go backwards or forwards. There were both a TV screen version and a more common hand-held crank viewer.
Several cartridges were produced for Sesame Street from 1974 to 1980, including Alphabet, Big Bird's Birthday Party, Cookie Monster in the Kitchen, Numbers, On My Way to Sesame Street, and Sizes. Footage from the show is used as well as new bridging material.
Descriptions[]
Alphabet (1976)
- Cookie Monster presents the word "ALPHABET" on a magnetic board, then proceeds to eat the letters.
- Cartoon: The alphabet is displayed against morphing backgrounds.
- Cartoon: The letters A, B, C, D, E, F, and G come out of a construction worker's lunchbox.
- Film: The letters H and I are zoomed-in by the camera on street signs.
- Cartoon: A man turns the crank on a jack-in-the-box, with the lid crushing him.
- Cartoon: A kangaroo hops around the letter K.
- Cartoon: A fishing boy pulls out the letters L, M, N, O, and P.
- Film: The letters Q, R, S, and T are zoomed-in by the camera on street signs.
- Lefty the Salesman reveals the letters U and V inside his coat.
- Cartoon: The fishing boy pulls out the letters W, X, Y, and Z.
Big Bird's Birthday Party (1977)
Big Bird covers his eyes as a boy leads him into a room where The Kids are throwing a surprise birthday party for him. He is delighted when the others surprise him, and opens a huge gift box from them to find a large bag of birdseed, to which he immediately begins snacking on. Then they play "Pin the Tail on the Donkey," with Big Bird blindfolded and spun around, as the kids try to direct him to the donkey. It takes some doing, but he manages to stick the tail on the right spot. Then when they serve the birthday cake, Big Bird is unable to blow out the candle by himself, so the kids help him, to which the donkey on the wall wags its tail in amusement.
Cookie Monster in the Kitchen (1977)
Cookie Monster watches as a Pumpkin Anything Muppet baker prepares some apples for baking an apple pie, and enters the kitchen to take the apples, but the baker catches him and they chase around the house before the baker pounces on Cookie and makes him give back the apples and leave. But once back outside, Cookie Monster watches the baker make the apple pie, and once he takes it out of the oven to let it cool, Cookie Monster snatches it and they chase once again, inside and out (and the pie even runs past on its own a bit), and then once behind the baker's back, Cookie Monster eats the pie.
Numbers
- The Count displays the word "NUMBERS" on a chalkboard, then turns it over to reveal the number 1.
- Film: Animal zoo pairs (parrots and deer)
- Number Three Ball Film -- the ball travels through swinging doors
- Henson #4 -- A girl counts four dolls, then the baker presents four root beer floats.
- 1-2-3-4-5! -- fives are counted out on diamonds.
- The Count returns and holds up three fingers on each hand, then turns around to reveal a 6 on his cape.
- The Mad Painter paints a 7 on a woman's purse.
- Candy Man #8
- Martian Beauty #9
- Jazz #10 -- ten spies reveal their numbers.
On My Way to Sesame Street
- Cartoon: Birds appear out of boxes, eggs, and hats. (The opening used in Episode 0131.)
- Cartoon: Letters of the alphabet appear as a heart grows bigger and smaller behind them, changing color.
- Bert and Ernie attempt to assemble the letter R.
- Henson #5 -- five fruitcakes
- Cartoon: Shapes form, among other things, a bird, a clown, and a baby carriage
- Cartoon: A four-armed guru counts to 20 on his fingers.
Shapes
- Cartoon: A man bangs a gong reading "SHAPES," which comes apart (opening used for episode 0179)
- Cartoon: Christopher Clumsy makes shapes
- Film: Showcase of round things
- Cartoon: Squares found in many, everyday objects
- Ernie breaks apart a square and makes a smaller square from the two, triangle halves.
Sizes (incomplete)