This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2012) |
Kermit Ernest Hollingshead Love (August 7, 1916 – June 21, 2008) was an American puppet maker, puppeteer, costume designer, and actor in children's television and on Broadway. He was best known as a designer and builder with the Muppets, in particular those on Sesame Street.
Kermit Love | |
|---|---|
 Love as Willy the Vendor | |
| Born | Kermit Ernest Hollingshead Love August 7, 1916 Spring Lake, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | June 21, 2008 (aged 91) Poughkeepsie, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Puppet maker, puppeteer, costume designer, and actor |
| Years active | 1935—2008 |
| Partner | Christopher Lyall |
Early life
editLove was born in Spring Lake, New Jersey on August 7, 1916, to Ernest and Alice Love.[1] He was raised by his grandmother and great-grandmother following his mother's death when he was three years old.[1]
Career
editTheater
editLove began his theatrical career working as a marionette maker[2] for a federal Works Progress Administration theater in Newark, New Jersey in 1935.[3][4] He was also a costume designer for Broadway and other stage productions as in the 1930s, including the Mercury Theatre troupe with Orson Welles.[5] Love also appeared on stage in a bit part as a student for the 1937 play Naught Naught 00.
Love worked with many of the great figures of mid-century Broadway and American ballet. He was the costumer for the Agnes de Mille ballet Rodeo (1942), for the Kurt Weill musical One Touch of Venus (1943), and for Merce Cunningham's The Wind Remains (1943) and Jerome Robbins's ballet Fancy Free (1944). For George Balanchine he designed, amongst other items, a 28 ft (8.5 m) marionette giant for Don Quixote (1965).[1][2]
Jim Henson and the Muppets
editDuring the early 1960s, Love first crossed paths with Jim Henson through Don Sahlin, who urged him to meet with Henson. The three first collaborated on the La Choy Dragon for advertising the chow mein brand,[4] which was a precursor to Big Bird.[6] Love's theatrical background had given him particular skill at handling full body-puppets and tailoring them to allow freedom for the performer's movements. From this, Love went on to build Oscar the Grouch and then Big Bird[4] after a drawing was designed by Henson (though Sahlin had carved the first head). Love talked about how he designed Big Bird to subtly shed feathers in the course of normal movement,[7] "Not unlike a tree shedding leaves in the Fall." He believed this made Big Bird appear more natural to young viewers. Love co-designed Cookie Monster and he designed Mr. Snuffleupagus.[3][7] He accompanied the Big Bird costume (Love preferred calling it a "puppet") when it traveled overseas for appearances.[5]
Despite popular rumor, Love was not the namesake of Kermit the Frog; the character was created and named in 1955, before Henson met Love in the 1960s.[2][5]
Though he also worked on The Muppet Show and The Muppet Movie, Sesame Street was Love's domain, along with Caroly Wilcox, as one of the key supervisors. He portrayed Willy, the hot dog vendor, on Sesame Street.[2][3][5] He puppeteered on the special Julie on Sesame Street. For the feature film Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird, he served as special Muppet consultant, and appeared in many background scenes as Willy. He co-designed many of the Sesame Street puppets for the early international productions. For the special The Great Santa Claus Switch, he contributed to the giant Thig.
In his memoir The Wit and Wisdom of Big Bird, Caroll Spinney speaks affectionately of Love and his importance to the show, though noting an occasional cantankerous side.[3]
Beyond Sesame Street
editIn addition to his work on Sesame Street, Love remained busy as freelancer, creating and building puppets for the non-Henson puppet series The Great Space Coaster.[2]
One of his specials was watched by a young Kevin Clash, whose parents contacted Love and told him about their son. Love worked as a mentor to Clash[2] and introduced him to Jim Henson, and helped Clash get jobs on children's shows The Great Space Coaster and Captain Kangaroo. After both shows were canceled, Clash moved on to Sesame Street. Other works included building the Snuggle Bear[2] puppet for the Snuggle fabric softener advertisements.[3][4]
Love appeared as Santa Claus on the cover of New York magazine[4][2] in December 1982, 1984, and 1985.
Going into semi-retirement in the 1990s, Love remained active, building many full-body puppets for the Joffrey Ballet's The Nutcracker performances, such as designing the mice and the 16 ft (4.9 m)-tall Mother Ginger puppet, an association that continued to 2004. In 1993, he directed the Whirligig pilot for PBS at The Studios at Las Colinas, Irving, Texas. In 2001, he designed Aza, the bird-like mascot for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Personal life and death
editAlthough he was American, Love often spoke with an English, and sometimes French, accent.[1][2] He resided in Stanfordville, New York.[1]
Love died on June 21, 2008, of congestive heart failure[7] and pneumonia in Poughkeepsie, New York.[2][3] He was survived by Christopher Lyall, his partner of 50 years.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Hevesi, Dennis (June 24, 2008). "Kermit Love, Costume Creator, Dies at 91". The New York Times. Retrieved July 14, 2011.
Despite his assumed English (and sometimes French) accent, Kermit Ernest Hollingshead Love was born in Spring Lake, N.J., on Aug. 7, 1916. His father, Ernest Love, was a decorative plasterer. His mother, Alice, died when he was 3, and he was raised by a grandmother and a great-grandmother.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Stewart, Jocelyn Y. (June 26, 2008). "Influential designer had hand in 'Sesame'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f "'Big Bird' costume creator Kermit Love dies". Today.com. Associated Press. June 25, 2008. Archived from the original on March 14, 2016. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Spencer, Jim (December 15, 1983). "A gift of Love: The man who made Big Bird a star". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
- ^ a b c d "Kermit Love: costume designer, puppeteer and creator of Big Bird". The Times. June 26, 2008. Archived from the original on October 12, 2008. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
- ^ "Big Bird wings in with just one grouch: Oscar". The Age. March 15, 1984. p. 40 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "Cookie Monster co-creator Kermit Love dies". Metro.co.uk. June 25, 2008. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
