Perhaps it was my age. In 1991, I was a mere 13 years old, and watching Lamb Chop on PBS (or Shari Lewis for that matter) wasn’t in the repertoire of “fun” programs to watch on television. There was action, there was sci-fi, there was Saturday Morning Cartoons, but there was no Lamb Chop. Was I deprived of greatness when I was young? Should I prepare my unborn children for VHS copies of Shari Lewis’ creation within our home? Watching my first episode (albeit a longer direct to video release), I was surprised by how well Lewis with her sock-puppet creations of Lamb Chop, Charlie Horse, and Hush Puppy kept my attention. The humor seemed sharp (or felt sophisticated), the theme – at least in this episode – was obvious, and the inclusion of a half puppet half human world was intriguing. This seemed to be a cheaper version of “Sesame Street”, without the genius of Jim Henson. There is no doubt in my mind the talent that Shari Lewis had, her positive mental attitude towards children, the simplistic approach to giving a strong moral, and those gosh-darn cute puppets were impressive on a low-budget level … BUT … has it remained as popular today as it was first introduced in 1957?
Not to disappoint, but the answer is a hesitant “yes”. The hesitancy is not from Lewis’ creation, but instead the format used to deliver her message. What she created, using ventriloquism instead of Henson puppetry, was genius. Her characters were, and still are, appealing to children and adults alike. Would this still hold a child’s attention today? Tough call with the special effects used in every venue, but for me – there was something genuine about the simplicity of Lewis’ work. All of this is a big introduction into the film that I watched recently entitled, “Lamb Chop in the Land of No Manners”. Found obscurely on VHS, this was my doorway into this unknown world. This is where the hesitancy comes into the mix. While the message that Lamb Chop learns about manners is universal – and incredibly important even today – the road to get to the finale was paved with rushed drawings, mixed media headaches, and Hush Puppy; a character I was not quite prepared for.
In the 1990s, one of America’s leading cartoonists was a man named Mort Gerberg. He is the headline for this film, portraying not only himself, but also a sort of sketch artist as Lamb Chop attempts to recreate her impression of the “Land of No Manners”. Transported there via a door wished for in her bedroom (after a difficult day of no manners), she and my arch nemesis Hush Puppy, get pulled into this world where children run free, but nobody is allowed free time to take a shower. The film is mixed between Hush Puppy telling her story, Lamb Chop trying to get some food, and Gerberg keeping up with everything. Tough? It was harder to watch than it was to explain. Gerberg’s images seem sloppy, while for a majority of the scenes he is just retracing a full image below his paper. I realize that he couldn’t create on scene, but it felt staged and cheap. Meanwhile, Lamb Chop kept popping up everywhere. In one scene she would be at the table, in another scene on his shoulder, in another scene next to Lewis. If there was ever a more spastic puppet, Lamb Chop would be it.
As if Lamb Chop was directing, our scenes cut between Gerber drawing, Charley Horse talking, and animation to fill in the gaps. The animation, not surprisingly was cheap and ill-represented Gerberg’s ability. It felt as if Shari Lewis had one good idea, and they needed to stretch it into 45-minutes. The scenes, animated or otherwise, just didn’t run smoothly – causing inconveniences and headaches. Again, Lewis’ message was sweet, delivery left much to be desired.
Which now leads me to my final conflict with this made-for-TV, capture-the-kiddies VHS release; a character I was unprepared for – Hush Puppy. Did this puppet have a dialect that would be unsuitable today? Was it stereotyping, or merely trying to add spice to a new Lewis creation? As I watched, I – fresh eyes and all – had trouble with this character. The dialect seemed off, pushing the envelope of humor and into derogatory. Again, I don’t want to dismiss Lewis’ contribution to the education of children, and Charley Horse even made sense, but Hush Puppy felt rough around the edges. Was this the intention?
VIDEO: This was a decent child’s film. Short enough to keep attention, and the mixed media would probably be appreciated by the young, but as an adult it just felt sloppy. The message was strong and successful, but overdrawn and repetitive. The dinoslobs, while creative, were not developed and due to budget, seemed a bit one-dimensional. There was no true fear; we spent a considerable amount of time getting to the Land, explaining the characters, and less time escaping. Overall, a bust of a story.
VISUAL: VHS people. It was grainy, noisy, but very vibrant. Lewis knew what colors would stand out – and used them to her advantage.
SOUND: There was a slight theme song, but it was lost in the shuffle. It was synthesizer based, and equally as cheap. For a show that ran for 7 years, they knew how to cut a budget.
EXTRAS: Surprisingly, there was an extra. One minute into the credits, Lewis gives us a clip of one of her 1950s show. The creativity was impressive. I liked this black and white juxtaposition with the puppetry. Also, Lewis was kinda hot at that time!
Overall, I wasn’t impressed. Yes, I liked what Lewis was attempting, but this “special” just felt extremely cheap. The idea of the dinoslobs was creative, but ill-conceived. What was said, and pushed for 45-minutes could have easily been done on one of her 25-minute segments with a stronger effect. Does this stop me from watching Lewis’ work? Nope, just stops me from suggesting this film.
…oh, and Hush Puppy still confuses me….
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