Trevor Crafts - The Unseen Photos of Street Gang - How We Got to Sesame Street

Bob McGrath with Oliver Attie.

Trevor Crafts

Could you make that into a documentary?

I hadnt really thought about it before, at least not like that. It was a question asked of me in the spring of 2015 by my friend Stephen Christy, with whom Id formed an instant bond over our shared love of Muppets creator Jim Henson. I wasnt sure if it was possible to make a documentary about Sesame Street. I was pretty sure that the topic had been covered. I mean its Sesame Street. Who doesnt know about Sesame Street?

I had read the book Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street by Michael Davis out of a fascination with Henson as one of the great cinematic worldbuilders of modern media. I am, undeniably, a Sesame Street kid. Like so many people, I had grown up on the same street where Ernie annoyed Bert, Oscars best friend was a little orange-and-yellow worm, and Super Grover consistently crashed into the very thing he was trying to help.

As I read through the first few pages of the paperback edition of Street Gang, I could tell that this was a story that we, as a society, didnt really remember. Maybe we knew it at one point, but after fifty years we had clearly forgotten what it took to breathe life into this experiment. As I dove into the history I thought I knew, I was introduced to so many people that I had never heard of before. People like Jon Stone, the original director and creator of the street itself. I learned that Sesame Workshop founder and Sesame Street creator Joan Ganz Cooney poured years of her life into researching the original idea of the show. I marveled that Frankie Biondo, the original cameraman who filmed the pilot, still films the show today. The list goes on and on. These architects of a kids show made a meteoric impact on our collective global society. I knew it was a story that had to be retold; I needed to reintroduce everyone to the forgotten heroes of our childhood and our society. I needed to reintroduce the Street Gang.

The initial spark of a project often holds the most excitement and power for filmmakers. For me, I feel that spark as a tightness in my center. Its like the moment right before a kiss, or when you hear an amazing piece of music, or when you finally return home after a prolonged absence. That spark acts like a compass. When I follow the tug of its needle toward something great, and dont let the shadows of doubt get in the way, thats when little bits of magic can occur.

Follow the compass, get to greatness. Sounds very easy when its put that way. The truth, as Im sure you can guess, is anything but.

If you were to ask a random person on the street, Whats it like to be a filmmaker? you would probably get a slew of similar answers. You would hear things like You get to hang out with movie stars, or You get to go to exotic places, or You make lots of money. People will never say, You have to have the patience of Job from the Bible. And Im not even sure that patience is a strong enough word. Tolerant, stoic, and pertinaciousness might be a better combo. Sometimes the waiting lasts for years and years: From the time that I picked up Michaels book to the time the final film was in theaters took a little more than six years.

Right off the bat, obtaining the rights to turn Michaels book into a film proved harder than expected. Maybe it was an early omen of the odyssey that was yet to come. To me it seemed odd that in 2014, when I started the search, with the power of a high-tech, global information network at my fingertips, I couldnt locate the author of a New York Times bestselling book. As a general rule in business, I dont take a no at face value but look for a way to turn no into yes. I turned to social media, reached out to the Twitterverse, and combed the web looking for a valid email address that might not bounce back as undelivered.

McGrath with the Sesame Street kids and crew on the stoop.

Sesame Street executives watch Loretta Long, as Susan, chatting with Oscar the Grouch.

Weeks went by, and I had found nothing on my own. Even my entertainment lawyers, who also represent the parent company of the publisher, couldnt find him. Facing an early defeat, I finally called Stephen and told him the bad news. Sorry, cant find him, no documentary, no deep dive into the Street. Give me a day, I think have an idea, he said. Stephen is the kind of person who is instantly likable. I first met him at San Diego Comic-Con in 2013, and as we walked the expansive floor of the convention together, we were frequently interrupted by people coming up to hug him. Just seeing that, I knew he was the kind of person I could be friends with for a long time.

The next day Stephen called me back with Michaels cell phone number. I was shocked at how quickly he got something that had eluded me for months. I asked Brian Jay Jones, and he happened to have it. Brian Jay Jones wrote Jim Henson, a fantastic biography of Jim Hensons life. The world is a very small place, as they say. Especially between authors who write about the history of Muppets.

I knew what was next: Call Michael Davis and say, Hello, you dont know me, but I have an idea to tell your story.

During this waiting time, I had been working on the pitch that I would present to Michael, or to anyone who might be involved in this film. The film needed a core idea, something that would be an anchor but also provide the narrative drive necessary to propel the story forward.

For me, it all came down to the people that built Sesame Street. This film wouldnt be about the Muppets, it would be about the people. It would be about Joan Ganz Cooney, and Jim Henson, and Jon Stone. They would represent the three pillars that Sesame would be built upon: The Idealist, the Magician, and the Visionary.

I wanted to make sure that I didnt ruin anyones childhood with this film. I was going to make a film that instilled in others the same feelings that I got reading the book: that imagination and creativity with purpose can change the entire world for the better. That every time someone asks a question that starts with could, there are limitless possibilities to answer the call.