Sesame Street - Girl In The Quicksand (B&W silent film)

[popgasmstreet]

this is great...for years, i've been telling people about this, and everyone thought i was crazy. i havent seen this in about 35 years and it is still pretty close to what i remember, right down to the narration. (although i didnt remember the 'yippee' at he end). i didnt remember it being a gun and a vine, though. for some reason, i remember a crossbow, but this is definitely it.

[Kevin90028]

This thing gave me nightmares as a little kid. Why on earth would they ever show this on Sesame Street? To teach kids who live in jungles and carry guns how to get out of quicksand, should those circumstances ever arise? What were they thinking?

[afriendofbean]

Another way for that girl to get out of the quicksand is for her to put her arms out to the side and not moving her legs at all (moving the legs causing a downward suction) and then she would stop sinking as soon as the quicksand reached her arm pits. Once the quicksand reached her arm pits, all she would have to do is keep her arms straight out to the side and keep her legs still and then she would just have to push forward with her hands to the dry ground.

[maidenrulz1]

They should throw Elmo in the quicksand, LOL. About the gun thing, this is the only time I ever saw a gun used on Sesame Street (although I never gave it a second thought as a kid). That would NEVER be allowed today! I remember on The Electric Company there were lots of skits where guns were used. All these PC Nazis that have ruined Sesame Street would shit bricks if they saw that, LOL. Hell they probaby watched all these shows when they were kids and now they want to destroy them! PC-ness sucks

[ElleBee81]

@maidenrulz1 True. I was thinking the same thing. I never thought twice about the gun shooting a vine as a kid either.

[deadengines187]

I wish that fucking wanker really sank!

[Pocockable]

@deadengines187

PLEASE REMOVE THIS COMMENT! Sesame Street is intended to be a safe and friendly environment for children!

[menslady125]

What was she doing near the quicksand in the first place?

[afriendofbean]

Since she had a gun, maybe she was going hunting in the jungle and all of sudden without knowing, she stepped in quicksand or, maybe she was camping out in a wet rainforest and she was taking a walk while keeping a gun with her since there were wild animals around and then she stepped in the quicksand probably thinking it was just a huge puddle of mud not minding about stepping in mud if she was wearing boots where she found out it was quicksand once she saw she was sinking.

[ur2sensitive]

This is actually from an old silent film called "Plunder" and the actress is called Pearl White.

[afriendofbean]

I didn't know that this skit was from a silent flim called "Plunder." Probably if this skit was from the film "Plunder", it was probably filmed in 1923 since Pearl White passed away in the year 1933. Although, since Pearl White had a gun in this skit, I didn't think it was a good idea to show this skit, since having guns on Sesame Street is not a good idea. (Back then, I didn't know that it was Pearl White in this skit. I thought that it was Shirley Temple looking a little bit older).

[giantpanda371]

Die girl die? why?

[giantpanda371]

It was here I first heard of quicksand. But I use to think it only existed in movies.

[afriendofbean]

This skit was also the first skit for me too where I learned what quicksand is. I remember seeing this skit in the mid 80s and I did remember that, that girl climbed up and out on a vine but, I didn't remember how the vine got close to her, or if the vine was hanging over the quicksand where the girl quickly grabbed it and pulled herself out before she sank all the way down.

[ElleBee81]

@afriendofbean you know you're right...I bet they cut the gun shot out when we were kids. now the whole thing would not be ok. what changed?

[afriendofbean]

Yes, I think the gun shot was cut out. Probably there were two skits with this girl sinking in the quicksand and the one here was the one where the girl had a gun but, the one we saw when we were very young was probably where she didn't have a gun where maybe the vine was just hanging close to the quicksand where she quickly grabbed it and climbed out.

[therock557]

Not yippeee. DIE GIRL, DIE!!!!

[GeoVII]

I remember seeing this skit when I was three, and it scared me to death watching that girl sink in the quicksand. I was actually afraid the girl was going to die, and it didn't help that the narrator was just watching the girl sink without doing a thing about it. XD

[afriendofbean]

I was also scared watching that girl sink in the quicksand. Also I agree that the narrator wasn't doing anything about it that the girl was sinking. I also mentioned 5 months ago that, the narrator should've explained to the audience how to get out of quicksand if you do get caught in it when you're all alone. The narrator should've explained all this as soon as the girl in this skit climbed out.

[regthrumper]

the chick in the film is actually Pearl White, and the clip is from her old silent film serial "The Perils of Pauline".

[jonnytbirdzback]

Thanks. BTW, do you think that movie's on youtube?

[grecomic]

It might be. Unfortunately, "The Perils of Pauline" was a serial and not all the episodes have survived.

[afriendofbean]

I didn't know that, that was Pearl White in this skit but, I wonder when this Sesame Street quick sand skit was taken because I know that Pearl White passed away in the year 1938, and I saw this skit in the 1980s.

[afriendofbean]

It looks like the reason that girl in this skit was sinking fast in the quicksand was because she was moving and struggling around too much.  She was very lucky that she had a gun to bring a vine close to her but, I wonder what she was doing with a gun. Maybe she was going hunting in the jungle and all of a sudden, she stepped inside quicksand.

[d72jjpilc]

I remember this - Sesame Street in the 1970's had a few 1920's-like skits like this one. This one, obviously, demonstrates 'in' and 'out,' but there also were at least two featuring kids in the audience ('danger' and 'exit'), one featuring 'help,' and one featuring 'over.' From what I see, though, all four of the ones I mentioned are already on YouTube, so thanks to those who posted them.

[afriendofbean]

Yes, this skit definately does demonstrate between "in and out" but, I thought it would've been a good idea if the person who was doing the voiceover in the background explained to the audience (for the very young kids) what quicksand is, and that you should stay away from it, and the person could've also explained to the audience how to get out of quicksand if you do get caught in it when you're all alone. The person could've explained all this as soon as the girl in this skit climbed out.

[afriendofbean]

Is that girl in this skit actress Shirley Temple looking just a little bit older? I think this because the girl in this skit looks a little bit like Shirley Temple?

[afriendofbean]

I liked this skit. This skit taught me that quicksand is very dangerous. I'm glad I know and learned what to do if I ever get stuck in quicksand if I am ever alone.

[sserpent21]

I remember this. No guns on Sesame Street anymore. Too many people would shoot Elmo.

[afriendofbean]

I agree. It's probably not a good idea to show guns on Sesame Street for the little kids to see. Maybe the girl on this skit had a gun because was going hunting in the jungle and then just stepped inside quicksand. I wonder as soon as she climbed up the vine and then into the tree, I wonder how she got down from the tree if it was very high and extremely steep to climb down.

[bennyraven]

I LOVED these!