Time Piece (1965): Cast & Plot
Time Piece is a 1965 short fantasy comedy starring Jim Henson as Man, Enid Cafritz and April March. It runs 9 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 9 min
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- The Jim Henson Company
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Time Piece About?
The premise of Time Piece without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
The nine‑minute experimental film explores dislocation in time, rhythmic time signatures, the philosophical nature of time, and humanity’s slavery to it. Written, directed and produced by Jim Henson, it premiered at the Museum of Modern Art in May 1965, ran for eighteen months at a Manhattan theater, and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Live‑Action Short Film.
Time Piece Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- swinging on a vine
- time
- montage
- winking at the camera
- looking at the camera
- cowboy
- mona lisa
- painted elephant
- hiccup
- flying
- scene based on painting
- child
+38 more Show fewer
- banana
- stripper
- very little dialogue
- drummer
- diving board
- head on a platter
- drinking
- dog
- whistler's mother
- eating
- cooking dinner
- neighborhood
- displacement
- cocktail
- leopard
- forest
- flowers
- stop motion
- elevator
- cash register
- machine
- explosion
- office boy
- lighting a cigarette
- water cooler
- office
- bouncing breasts
- high heels
- shootout
- traffic cop
- pogo stick
- repetition
- traffic
- canary
- cough
- doctor
- surrealism
- new york city
Time Piece Cast & Characters
Jim Henson leads the cast as Man, with Enid Cafritz as Wife and April March as Stripper.
-
Jim Henson as Man - Enid Cafritz as Wife
- April March as Stripper
-
Frank Oz as Messenger boy
Also Starring in Time Piece
· 8 more- Jerry Juhl Bartender
- Don Sahlin Comic
- Dave Bailey Drummer
- Jim Hutchison Male Dancer
- Diana Birkenfield
- Dennis Paget
- Sandy Patterson
- Barbara Richman
Time Piece Plot Summary
What happens in Time Piece from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Time Piece unfolds as a kinetic mosaic, a cinematic pulse where fast-cut scenes fall into a rhythmic pentameter and every beat blends with sound and repetition. At the heart of this hypnotic collage is the Man, Jim Henson, who sits patiently in a hospital bed. The identity of the doctor remains unnamed, yet the moment is underscored by a heartbeat that grows louder and more insistent with each passing frame. The Man’s only line, a stark and repeated cry of “Help!,” reverberates through the opening and is echoed again and again, a ghostly leitmotif that anchors the film’s dreamlike logic.
Help!
Full summary
The whole story of Time Piece, scene by scene
How Well Do You Know Time Piece?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which performer portrays the Man who lies in the hospital bed?
Seen Time Piece?
Movies Like Time Piece
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Time on My Hands, The Wizard of Speed and Time and Period Piece.
Time Piece FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, cast and post-credit scenes of Time Piece, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Time Piece?
Time Piece runs 9 minutes.
When was Time Piece released?
Time Piece was released on May 7, 1965.
Who is in the cast of Time Piece?
Time Piece stars Jim Henson as Man, Enid Cafritz as Wife and April March as Stripper, among 12 credited actors.
Does Time Piece have a post-credit scene?
No. Time Piece has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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