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"H.R. Pufnstuf" (1969)

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28 comments in total

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12 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
Frightening and traumatic, 17 September 2003
Author: Mike Conner from DC

This show, and many other Krofft programs (i.e. Lidsville and Land of the Lost), scared the hell out of me. In 1979 HR was deep in syndication, but that didn't stop a 4 year old from finding it. You'd sit down and watch, allured by the surreality, the "stranger in a strange land" themes and the larger than life puppet-like characters. You'd expect a benign Sesame Street-like program full of soft freindly characters. But in the land of Krofft all things are slightly twisted, mysterious, surreal. Just look at the expressions they've sewn into the faces of the characters. Dark man, dark. You'd be a little tense for the first 15 minutes, but then Freddy the Flute would bite Witchiepoo on the finger or some hitherto inanimate object would turn around and talk and freak the hell out of you, push you right over the cliff into full throttle terror... I remember crying hysterically and trying explain to my grandmother the freaky stuff that just went down on TV. She probably thought I was crazy. This stuff permeated my dreams and nightmares for years. I deeply repressed all things Krofft and then around age 20 learned that this show actually existed. Boy was I relieved, I hadn't made it all up. Absolutely priceless program, I've got some on tape.

Remember the sleestak? Enik? Chaka? That's a whole nother source of Freudian terror.

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9 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
The Citizen Kane of Talking Hamburger Movies!!!!, 1 November 2001
Author: Glenn Andreiev (gandreiev@aol.com) from Huntington, NY

I think some of my deep rooted problems originate from being placed in front of a television set circa 1969, and letting the hypnotic color-beserk images of H.R PUFNSTUF seep in. A little Brit kid (Jack Wild, where are you???) heeds a magical calling to ride a living, breathing canoe to an island where everything is alive. There's a crazy witch that is after the boy's talking flute, identical twin midget policemen, singing mushrooms and a goofy government figure named Puf-N-Stuf who resembles a bleached frog. The little boy wants to go home, but decides to help these weirdos sort out issues. What's interesting about this visually stunning kids show is that the characters were almost carbon copied to make way for the MacDonald figures. Mayor McCheese, the Hamburgler, the Grimace and the singing magic garden hamburgers all had their origins in this Sid and Marty Croft treat. From what I understand a lawsuit resulted

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7 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
You had to be there!, 6 March 2003
Author: grendelkhan from Xanadu

Anyone who didn't grow up in the 70's who sees this show just sits there in stunned amazement. But, if you saw this show back in its heyday, you probably loved it.

The Kroft shows were a surreal breed. They were puppeteers, but the puppets in these shows were, generally, people in elaborate costumes. The colors were bright and psychedelic. The names were a mixture of puns and silly jokes. There were plenty of songs and hijinxs galore. The stories were silly and lame, but they had a spirit and warmth to them. Loyalty and honesty were always at the heart of the characters and good values always triumphed.

Jack Wild made a name for himself in Oliver and stared as Jimmy. He is marooned on the Living Island by Witchipoo, who covets his Magic Flute. Jimmy is rescued by the mayor of Living Island, H.R. Pufnstuf. Each week, Witchiepoo would concoct another wild scheme to steal Magic Flute; and, each week, her scheme would backfire, thanks to her inept henchmen and her own stupidity.

The one thing that cemented a love of this show, for me, was Billie Hayes as Witchiepoo. Billie was a great comedian and gave her all to Witchiepoo. I was easily scared as a kid, but she was never frightening. Witchiepoo was too much of a screw-up to pose a real threat. She had a charm that made you want to come back. Plus, she had a cool, souped-up broom! And, from all accounts, she was a heck of a nice lady.

I've heard the drug jokes about this and other shows (i.e. H.R. Pufnstuf Hand Rolled Pufnstuf) from the Krofts. Yeah, they're weird and look like the product of a demented or medicated mind, but the writers weren't that young and were pretty straight-laced. Maybe it was just something in the air back then.

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7 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
You had to see this as a kid to 'get' it., 12 November 2000
Author: Jim Farris

For any adult born after 1970, this series (and the movie that was made from it) will make little sense, if any. Wild, raucous colors, dancing, singing, and an island where everything - yes, EVERYTHING - is alive.

Little Jimmy, coaxed to Living Island by the evil machinations of Witchy-Poo (the heavy of the series) finds himself in possession of a magic, talking flute, and trapped on an island of talking hats and dragons and witches, all of which he can barely comprehend. To an adult of today, the show simply makes little sense...

Ah, but if you saw it as a child, as I did, the show makes perfect sense. First, it's *FUN*. That, indeed, was one of the main points of the show - having fun. Yet, each show attempted to impart (as is typical for children's programming) a moral message. In general, the most common message of the entire series was "Perseverance". Keep trying, because though you may fail, if you keep trying, you may succeed in the end. Other lessons imparted by the show include 'Don't steal', 'Don't Lie', and 'Don't be Mean (despite how much fun it may be, you end up hurting others, and that isn't nice).'

Adults today look at the show, searching for depth, perhaps hidden meanings. Well, there *AREN'T* any - what you see is what you get. Cling and Clang have no "Hidden Meanings" - they are simply Cling and Clang. The talking flute is just a talking flute, and Jimmy is just a boy who wants to go home.

Alas, the networks decided to cancel the show. In an era where even the most critically acclaimed shows often died due to a slip of a point or two in the Nielsens, H.R. Pufnstuf was not the smash hit the network demanded. Adults of the time simply shook their heads as their children laughed and clapped and sang along with the simple songs, for parents of the time understood the show about as well as they understood the dark side of the moon.

Yet, I understood it as a child, as did all my friends of that time. Yes, we sang along with the theme song (which I can still sing today, word for word - it was mercifully short), laughed at the antics of the Living Islanders, booed the evil Witchy-Poo, and deeply felt for Little Jimmy, who sometimes wept for his heartfelt desire to go home. As a child, however, I often found I was jealous, even angry with little Jimmy. Living Island was, in the end, a fantasy paradise (despite Witchy-Poo), and for each moment Jimmy sighed and wished he could go home, I sighed and wished I could be there, on Living Island, instead of in the world of 1969, with it's turmoil and strife that were far beyond the comprehension of a little boy.

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8 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
ten, 21 January 2002
Author: sexsmith2000 (sexsmith2000@home.com) from Kelowna,Canada

This is a strange,scary,freaky demented show. All I can remember is a screaming, living flute, bizarro McDonaldland characters and "Withchy-Poo", by far the scariest villian ever on T.V. The thought of seeing this show again sends shivers up my spine. Therefore I have no choice but to give it a "10"

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6 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Under Witchiepoo's Spell, I Am, 10 June 2004
Author: Voni from San Francisco

Attention: If her charms are completely lost on you, read no further!

As someone who's never smoked the wacky tobacky, I do my best to ignore the alleged reference in H(appy).R(elaxing). Pufnstuf. Anyway, my story...

I was just a little too young to watch the show when it first aired. Today, having first seen it on TV Land quite recently, I would easily dismiss it as silly crap if it weren't for one thing: Witchiepoo, the resident villain. This little witch, as played by Billie Hayes, is irresistibly cute and utterly entertaining. She more than makes up for everything the show may lack. Kudos, though, to the rest of the cast, mostly puppeteers.

True, Witchiepoo may seem like a total rip-off of the Wicked Witches in "The Wizard of Oz", but I have yet to fall madly in love with Margaret Hamilton's green-faced ghoul, as excellent as she was in that role. It is a testament to Billie Hayes' talent that, through all the ugly make-up, she can be so wonderfully charming and adorable. Witchiepoo proves that a witch need not be pretty (Samantha, Sabrina) to be lovable. And I defy you to hear that sweet laugh of hers and not instantly fall under her spell!

Witchiepoo is the antithesis of so much sleazy TV programming today, and that's why I don't feel as silly as I could've about proclaiming my deep affection for this sweet and enchanting character. Thirty-five years since Witchiepoo first arrived, and it'll be a long time before I fall for another fictional character the way I've fallen for Witchiepoo. I am truly bewitched.

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4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
H.R. Pufnstuf....Who's your friend when things get rough?, 22 September 2006
Author: rcj5365 from Durham,North Carolina

This was one psychedelic children's show. In all,it was a memorable fantasy-musical adventure fiasco of a series that was filmed on a Hollywood studio lot-at Paramount Studios,and in turn was the first of several Sid and Marty Krofft Productions to be produced for Saturday Mornings. The executive producers were Sid and Marty Krofft themselves along with producer Si Rose,who was also the head writer for several episodes and also the producer-writer for several classic television shows which included "McHale's Navy","The Ghost and Mrs. Muir","F-Troop","My Three Sons","The Doris Day Show",and later with "The Dukes Of Hazzard".

The children fantasy-adventure series "H.R. Pufnstuf" had all the standard tricks associated with the production company,including fantastic costumes,brightly colored and outrageous noisy comedy. The action centered on prepubescent Jimmy,the only human seen on the show,who sail out one day with his talking flute Freddy in his shirt pocket. The evil and menacing and ugly Witchiepoo,however,who coveted the magic flute puts a spell on Jimmy's boat causing it to crash on Living Island. Once there,Jimmy is rescued by the island's leading citizen,an amiable dragon named H.R. Pufnstuf and is adopted by the other adorable denizens of the island including Blinky the wise owl,Cling and Clang,the midget cops,and Four Winds,a breeze with a human visage. All of them worked to keep Jimmy and his high-pitched nervous flute out of the clutches of the evil and diabolical Witchiepoo. However,Witchiepoo's plans constantly ran afoul of her incompetent help. On the plus side was her Vroom-Broom,a gandy contraption featuring a umbrella-shaded seat for the witch and a bathtub sidecar for her goofy vulture sidekick Orson. Unfortunately,Orson was part of Witchiepoo's problem as were Seymour the yellow spider and Stupid Bat. The fearsome(and sometimes frightening)looking Evil Trees and the Mushrooms were supposed to be the scary part of the show,but in turn was very effective in producing a scare tactic not only for little kids,but older teenagers in mind who were watching the show.

As for the show itself,the series "H.R. Pufnstuf" made a superstar out of British actor Jack Wild--who in turn before his television debut was see as the "Artful Dodger",who in turn was magnificent in his singing and acting talents in Carol Reed's 1968 Oscar-winning musical "Oliver",based on the characters from Charles Dickens' great novel. On the show however,you got to see some of the great musical talent that Jack Wild had and it shows with his singing and dancing abilities as well as his acting techniques. Not bad for a child actor though. Also mentioned here is the talents of Billie Hayes as the evil Witchiepoo. Her character was not only menacing but absolutely hilarious to boot,and it shows in some of the episodes. One funny lady. Bit of trivia about the show--"H.R. Pufnstuf"-only actors Jack Wild and Billie Hayes were the only human characters on the show--the rest of them were actors in costumes and their acting abilities were supplied by voice characterizations namely from the talents of Lennie Weinrib(who was one of the head writers for the show),Walker Edminston and Frank Welker.

When "H.R. Pufnstuf",made its premiere on NBC-TV on September 6,1969, the show became an immediate hit with not only with kids,but adults as well. The series lasted three seasons on the network until the final episode on September 4, 1971. Only the first season had original episodes. Seasons two and three were repeated episodes from the first season. During the height of the 1969-1970 season,"H.R. Pufnstuf", was a ratings winner and a smash hit with its audience--mainly with the audiences that consisted of children and its connection with the Saturday Morning audience. The show scored the highest ratings ever in the history of the network,and ousted the competition of other shows airing in the same slot on ABC and CBS. "H.R. Pufnstuf",was the most successful Saturday Morning series on NBC,and the only show besides the animated "The Pink Panther Show" and the live-action adventure series "Skippy:The Bush Kangaroo",to do so during the 1969-1970 season.

Only 21 episodes were produced for this series. After the phenomenal success of the show,Sid and Marty Krofft took "H.R. Pufnstuf",to the next level,and in 1970 Universal Pictures produced a feature length film version called "Pufnstuf",with Jack Wild,Billie Hayes,and Cass Elliott. After the show was cancelled in 1971,repeated episodes of the series were shown on Saturday Mornings on ABC-TV from September 16,1972 to September 1,1973 and from there moved to Sunday Mornings from September 9,1973 until the last repeated telecast on September 1,1974.

After the success of the show,actor Jack Wild went into oblivion never to be heard from since,with a exception for several appearances of children's shows during the remainder of the 1970's and 1980's. He is longer with us. A great talent on a great show.

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5 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
As Karl Bankwitz would say, "I Be Puffin' Stuff!", 3 July 2000
Author: MaxZorin from San Francisco City Hall

This is a weird, weird, weird show. My friend Tom and I are afraid to watch it because it feels like you are on drugs. Strange muppets, subliminal messages, hypnotic imagery, funky colors are all on parade in this 1969 TV Series about... you know, I have no clue what was going on! I don't know if this would be considered a recommendation, but I must admit, you should see this show once to see how "trippy" it really is.

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
You Had To Be There to Dig It Man (and 5 years old), 19 January 2007

Author: verbusen from Fahaheel, Kuwait

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This show rates a solid 10 because I watched this when it first aired and I remember the impression that flute had in my brain at the age of 5. This was possibly my favorite show at that time, Captain Kangaroo was great also, as where Kookla, Fran, and Ollie when they did their foreign film show on CBS. HR Pufnstuf I cant believe was only a 17 episode long show, I guess thats all you really needed as the stories are pretty much all the same, bad witch wants to steal the flute, HR gets captured and it's up to Jimmy to save the day or vice versa. Hey, its a show for 5 year olds so if your an adult watching this for the first time take that into account. You've got to admit that compared to what todays kids have there is nothing like the stuff Sid and Marty put out. After HR went away, I would watch Sigmond and the Sea Monsters where the kids were surprisingly now my age (a pre teen), it's like Sid and Marty made TV shows specifically for my age whenever they first aired, you gotta like that. I also caught Liddsville on Nick at Night and you want to talk about a strange cool show, that was right up there with HR, just no magic talking flutes (but a funny Charles Nelson Reilly). I never had nightmares watching this show as a 5 year old, I thought it rocked! I did try to play the flute though (my mom forced me into music), man did I suck at that (piano too!)! I never caught the Pufnstuf name suggestion till today, you'll have to excuse me, I'm usually the last one to catch on. 10 of 10 for HR, Jimmy and his talking flute!

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4 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
One psychedelic children's show!, 13 December 2000
Author: raysond from Chapel Hill,North Carolina

For those who were the children of the 1970's and who were up early on Saturday Mornings to catch one of the most psychedelic children shows ever devised,well let me say that it was just a creator's mindbending version of a acid trip through the eyes of its target audience: children. I had the opportunity to catch a feature length version of this,yes a movie version of this was made in 1969 which was recently seen one Saturday Morning(could you believe it)on some local cable channel. Here are the characters: you have a boy who wanders into a "Wizard of Oz" like world with his talking flute,magical characters that include the mayor who looks a franchise figure from some local food chain at McDonald's....hint...Mayor McCheese....and the evil Witchiepoo. Besides that there are lots of subliminal messages here(believe me,there in there!),and lots of funky and way out groovy colors and lots of imagary,including one scene where Jimmy looks like he's stoned on something! Yes,I'm surprise that the feature length version of this is not out anywhere on video,but if you do its worth seeing only once,but I do remember the TV series when I was a kid coming on NBC-TV Saturday Mornings. About the feature length version by the way,please by all means check out a rare guest appearance by Cass Elliott(from the 60's group Mamas and Papas)as one of the witches here who looks like she on some took a trip onto who knows what...see this for yourself!

About it's star Jack Wild by the way...who was a real hot teen idol when this film(and the TV series) came out,and by the end of the show's run, he disappear from sight..never to be heard from again.....Unless you seen him first in "Oliver"(1968) which was his best work.

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