The Cube (film)

The Cube
Still from the TV program
Written by	Jim Henson Jerry Juhl
Directed by	Jim Henson
Starring	Richard Schaal
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
Production
Producer(s)	Jim Henson
Running time	54 minutes
Release
Original release	February 23, 1969 – February 21, 1971

The Cube is an hour-long teleplay that aired on NBC's weekly anthology television show NBC Experiment in Television in 1969. The production was produced and directed by puppeteer and filmmaker Jim Henson, and was one of several experiments with the live-action film medium which he conducted in the 1960s, before focusing entirely on The Muppets and other puppet works. The screenplay was co-written by long-time Muppet writer Jerry Juhl.

The teleplay only aired twice: first on February 23 of 1969, with a rerun on February 21 of 1971.

An unnamed man, simply called "The Man in the Cube" (Richard Schaal), is trapped in a cube-like white room as he asks if anyone can hear him. A stool is brought in by a maintenance man named Arnie (Hugh Webster) who discovers it covered in strawberry jam as he wipes it down. After Arnie leaves, the Man tries to find the door. He encounters a variety of people come through various hidden doors in which each one claim that he can get out through his own door.

His first visitor is a woman named Margaret (Lolo Farell) who claims that the man is her husband Ted as she appears with parents (Alice Hill and Moe Margolese) are also present. Her door closes on the Man before she can get him out.

The Man then meets Mr. Thomas (Rex Sevenoaks), the manager of this entire establishment. When asked about the Cube, Mr. Thomas states that he has asked himself that question many times where it is too good to be true. Mr. Thomas shows the Man the Call Button that he should push if he ever needs anything. Mr. Thomas then works to deny the fact that there are other Cubes like this while stating that while some people are quite content and stay in the Cube, others would wish to leave. As Mr. Thomas leaves, he tells the Man that he must find his own door.

Arnie returns again where he gives the Man a telephone and states that he can get him anything he wants. Arnie exclaims that the only trouble with this establishment is that there is no organization and The Man wouldn't believe the weirdos that run it. He also talks about the four tons of chocolate rabbits while mentioning that he's been working here for 14 years where there hasn't been a request for chocolate rabbits. As Arnie goes outside to call the Man to see if the telephone is working, the Man sees a brief opening until the telephone rings and Mr. Thomas briefly appears to give the receiver to him before leaving. The Man answers it and Arnie tells him that the telephone is in business. The Man discovers that his telephone only calls up Arnie. When the Man throws it towards the wall, Arnie opens it as it flies through as Arnie rewards his accuracy by giving him a chocolate rabbit.