Murray Plotsky (going by the pseudonym Martin Price) is the briefy main antagonist of the 1984 film The Muppets Take Manhattan. He is a Broadway producer who is actually a wanted con artist.
He was portrayed by the late Dabney Coleman, who also portrayed Franklin M. Hart Jr. in 9 to 5 and Commodore Louis Kaestner in Boardwalk Empire.
Biography[]
Martin Price was believed by many people to be a famous Broadway producer and was considered to be civil in nature. He was first seen when the Muppets entered his office to pitch their first Broadway play called Manhattan Melodies. At first, Price thought the play would be emphasizing the hard life in Manhattan, such as the crime wave and massive shootings, but Kermit the Frog explained that the play is actually a musical talking about a couple getting married. Kermit also explained that he and the other Muppets will star on the show.
Seemingly finding the idea to be intriguing, Price eagerly agrees to sign up a deal with the Muppets. However, when Price asked the Muppets to pay him three hundred by claiming it as a "standard Broadway procedure", the Muppets start to have suspicions about making the deal with Price. Just then, two cops arrive with an elderly lady, who identifies Price as the wanted con artist Murray Plotsky who stole away her invested money. It turns out that Plotsky himself has been scamming people (including the elderly lady) out of their own money and took on the job as a Broadway producer to cover his tracks, as the cops ordered him to go quietly with them by stating that he's done pulling up his last con job.
Realizing now that he has been exposed, Plotsky angrily grabs Gonzo (by the nose) and his pet chicken Camilla (by the neck), using them as hostages and threatening to kill them both if the cops try to stop him. Just before Plotsky is about to escape his office for a clean getaway, Animal comes by to both Gonzo and Camilla's rescue by grabbing Plotsky's legs, sending him to run around the hallway. Eventually, Camilla managed to bite Plotsky by his left ear, causing him to scream in pain and forcing him to release Gonzo, Animal and Camilla. This allowed the cops to arrest Plotsky while he angrily curses at the elderly lady and the Muppets by calling them crazy, but the elderly lady remarks that she wants her money back as she leaves with the cops to file charges against Plotsky. The ordeal almost killed Camilla as she ends up hyperventilating due to Plotsky strangling her by the neck, and Gonzo applied mouth-to-beak resuscitation to save her.
Realizing now that Plotsky was trying to scam them out of their money. the disgusted Muppets tried to appeal their proposal out to real Broadway producers, but the producers rejected the proposal because they feel that the show won't bring enough revenue. Eventually, a Broadway producer named Bernard Crawford allowed his son Ronnie Crawford to sign a deal with the Muppets as Ronnie was impressed with the pitch. The show became an instant success, and it can be implied that Plotsky would be sentenced to prison on charges of theft and fraud.
Trivia[]
- Though Plotsky's role is minor as he appeared briefly in the beginning of the film, he is the closest person being a big threat to the Muppets in the film as he was willing to cheat them out of their money by taking advantage of their Broadway musical proposal, as well as doing harm onto Gonzo and Camilla in order to intimidate the law.
