![]() We're inside the dimly lit streets of my imagination. David Rudman was originally intended to perform Lefty in Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration.Walk with me for a moment.As a result, some of the artwork for Lefty (notably that of Michael J. One reference photo of the character (seen at right) features Lefty sporting a pencil-thin mustache, though there is no evidence of the puppet having the facial hair on the series proper.In the first and second seasons, the Salesman had slightly hidden angry eyebrows and eyelids, giving him a sinister look, but by the third season, the eyebrows were removed and his eye lids pointed up.Video: 40 Years of Sunny Days (closing line cut) Ernie pays for it with an invisible nickel. Lefty sells Ernie an invisible ice cream cone. Sketches see also: Sesame Street Gangsters Picture The Lefty/Ernie story "Ernie Buys a 12" in the 1975 Big Bird's Busy Book includes examples of these radio elements. (Marr, who specialized in huckster and barker roles, used elements of the character on other series, including Benny's.) The Salesman would show up and try to sell anything to Jack Carson (even a gun to commit suicide) and his catchphrase was "Tell ya what I'm gonna do," which he turned into a novelty song that same year. The other influence was an even earlier character known only as "The Salesman," played by Eddie Marr on Jack Carson's The Camel Comedy Caravan in 1943. c'mere a minute," to which Jack would usually respond "Who, me?" He would then attempt to "tout" Jack into changing trains, elevators, tables, whatever, but always in horse racing parlance. Greeting Jack Benny in a breathy, gangster-style undertone, the tout would say "Hey, bud. One was "The Tout" from The Jack Benny Program, introduced in 1945 and played by Sheldon Leonard. Several of Lefty's vocal mannerisms (outside of his elongated "Riiiight") derive from two different 1940s old-time radio characters, both of whom were a bit shady and had labels rather than names. ![]() ![]() He also appears in The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo as an audience member. He appeared at San Diego Comic-Con in July during the "Sesame Street Puppets Live!" show, and had a featured role in Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration, trying to sell Rosita and Super Grover a letter S in their pursuit for the missing Sesame Street sign. After his retirement, his existing skits were still kept in rotation until season 29.Īfter many years of absence, Lefty resurfaced in 2019 for new productions related to the show's 50th anniversary, now performed by Ryan Dillon. Lefty was mostly active on the show for the first four seasons (with one final skit in season 6), but his puppet would still occasionally be used in promo pictures, including a cast image from season 10. At the end of the book, Lefty returns to feed four and twenty blackbirds with birdseed that fills his carry-all bag. Grover is dressed as Jack (of " Beanstalk" fame), and the Salesman approaches from behind a tree with an offer: "Care for some candy beans for that cow?" Jack replies, "Thanks, Lefty! And do you also have a candlestick?" Lefty apparently has one in stock - a few pages later, Jack (of " Jack Be Nimble" fame) jumps over the candlestick. The boss was originally the only character who referred to him as "Lefty." Until the late 2000s, production materials, storybooks, and record albums have labeled the character simply as "The Salesman." On at least two occasions, Grover has referred to him by name, suggesting that Lefty isn't so mysterious to some.Ī 2008 book, Storybook ABCs, is the first use of Lefty's name in print. Some of Lefty's sketches involved his attempts to carry out assignments from his boss (see table guide down below for the page with those skits). Lefty's most well-known appearance was a song, " Would You Like to Buy an O?", which was recorded for the 1971 record The Muppet Alphabet Album, and later used on the show. Ernie whispers, "Who, me?" The Salesman answers with an elongated "Riiiiiight," and then begins his sales pitch: "How would ya like to buy." The Salesman signals to Ernie with a furtive whisper: "Hey, bud! C'mere." Ernie shouts, "Who, me?" and the Salesman shushes him excitedly. Lefty had his own "sneaky" musical theme at the beginning of most of his sketches. ![]() He speaks in a whispery voice, and usually tries to sell a customer (often being Ernie) such esoteric items as a letter O, a snowman, or an invisible ice cream cone. Lefty is a shady-looking salesman in a trench coat who appears on Sesame Street. Lefty in Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary Celebration Lefty on display at Jim and Jane Henson: Creative Work, Creative Play in Cos Cob, Connecticut ![]()
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