An Interview with Geoffrey Felix

1. Can you explain to us what it was like being a puppeteer on Return to Oz?

Well, there were six puppeteers. Brian Henson was the principal on Jack Pumpkinhead Sue Dacre and Sui Lim assisted. Mak Wilson was the principal on Billina and Dave Greenaway and myself assisted. I was there almost throughout the film, although at the end I moved onto another project and Sue took over the wings. And she did a great job! It was my first film and I took every opportunity to be on set and learn as much as possible. Consequently when we had the crew screening, it was my past year flashing past and quite a giddying experience.

2. What was it like working with Walter Murch?

I thought Walter and Aggie were really nice people. The whole sacking business was intriguing. We all wondered what would happen next and when Walter summoned Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas to come along and nod approvingly, well we found out. All the stuff that had been shot in his absence then had to be re-shot. I remember thinking as they sat there, 'If the roof collapsed right now, there goes the film industry.' On set Steven Spielberg compared the smooth workings of Billina favorably to those of the Gremlins, much to the satisfaction of Steve Norrington. I never knew that Steve would go on to direct, and it amused me greatly to see Lyall Conway appearing in Blade 2. When Steven Spielberg left, he was driven out the studio in a gold Rolls Royce, and I seem to remember someone following on foot. It was quite grand, and a contrast in style to Jim Henson who, in later years, would go around the set on a push bike. Lyall Conway went on to mastermind the building of Audrey II in 'The Little Shop of Horrors'. A very nice chap, and worthy of more recognition.

3. Anything else you recall?

Generally I really enjoyed working on the movie. I was fascinated with how 'Wendy' Watkin used reflected light. Some special lamps were named after him. I also admired how the sets were built and the fact that all the mirrors in the hall of mirrors were hinged so that they didn't reflect any lamps. A film is made up of lots of teams and they all have to be coordinated together. So in the same way that three puppeteers have to work together on the puppet, so the camera crew have to work that machine and get things in focus, while its moving backwards, and panning! We had duplicates of Billina and Jack had a double, Stewart Larange (a mime artist who used to busk in Covent Garden), for the wide shots.

4. Any funny stories that happened on set?

One of the chickens was radio controlled and on the same frequency as some of the props on 'Space Vampires' in an adjoining studio. Consequently, whenever the chicken was turned on, their corpses started writhing! Well that's the story anyway. You will have to check with the people from the other movie to see if its true. One of the nice things that Walter and Aggie instigated was to have a masseuse available on set. This not only helped Michael Sundin who was bent double in Tic Tock, but also the wheelers whose backs were under great strain, but also those members of the crew that often got overlooked even though they are important to the movie. They felt that there was someone who cared about them and I felt that she had a calming effect if there was any problem. Michael went on to become a presenter on 'Blue Peter' a very longstanding programme in the U.K. Unfortunately he is no longer with us, but I remember his joy on hearing that he had got the job.

5. I heard about that, very sad. Anyone else you would like to give a "shout out" to?

I was pleased to work with Sue Dacre who is a wonderfully warm person and still a friend. Sue has a long career in puppetry. Sui Lim was a dancer and had performed in the stage show 'The King and I'. A very nice person, but we have lost contact because he is more based in the dance world. 'Return to Oz' was, I believe, Brian Henson's first major role in films. I worked for him on 'The Muppet Christmas Carol' and 'The Muppet Treasure Island'. He also performed the Dog in 'The Storyteller' with his father Jim directing. I like to think we got on well. Dave Greenaway had worked the eyes of Yoda as part of a team under Frank Oz and I enjoyed the comment on his apocryphal C.V. that his 'ambition was to graduate up to eyebrows'! I don't know what he is doing now, but I wish him well.

6. Finally, what did you think of the final cut of the film?

I think the personality of the director is extremely important to the atmosphere on set and, to an extent, the outcome of the film. It is, in effect, a mini dictatorship for the time that you are there. It was a period of learning for me and one which I value greatly. All puppet films are, in effect, special effects movies and require careful planning and more time. My opinion is that in the final analysis, its all down to the script. 'Return to Oz' was probably closer to the original books than 'The Wizard of Oz' which also had its dark moments. These were lessened by the music and the unforgettable performance of Judy Garland. I believe that 'Somewhere over the Rainbow' was voted the greatest musical number of all time but even then the music director had to beg to have it retained, so sometimes its down to luck as well.