H.R. Pufnstuf facts for kids

Quick facts for kids H.R. Pufnstuf
Created by	Sid and Marty Krofft
Starring	Jack Wild Billie Hayes
Voices of	Lennie Weinrib Joan Gerber Walker Edmiston
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	17
Production
Producer(s)	Sid and Marty Krofft
Running time	25 minutes (per episode)
Distributor	CBS Television Distribution
Release
Original network	NBC
Original release	September 6 (1969-09-06) – December 27, 1969 (1969-12-27)

H.R. Pufnstuf is a fun TV show for kids made by Sid and Marty Krofft in the United States. It was the very first show where the Kroffts used live actors and huge, life-sized puppets. The show had 17 episodes and first aired from September 6 to December 27, 1969. It was so popular that NBC kept showing it on Saturday mornings until August 1972. You might have also seen reruns on ABC or MeTV.

Welcome to Living Island

The Krofft brothers first created the H.R. Pufnstuf character for a big event called HemisFair '68. He was a mascot for a show there.

H.R. Pufnstuf tells a classic fairy tale story of good versus evil. It's also about a stranger in a strange land. The show is about a boy named Jimmy, played by actor Jack Wild. Jimmy is 11 years old when he gets to the island. He turns 12 in an episode called "The Birthday Party."

Jimmy and his talking flute, Freddy, take a ride in a mysterious boat. But this boat actually belongs to a mean witch named Wilhelmina W. Witchiepoo. She is played by Billie Hayes. Witchiepoo rides a special broomstick vehicle called the Vroom Broom. She used the boat to trick Jimmy and Freddy. She wanted to bring them to her castle on Living Island. Her plan was to capture Jimmy and steal Freddy for herself.

The Mayor of Living Island is a kind and helpful dragon named H.R. Pufnstuf. He was played by Roberto Gamonet and voiced by Lennie Weinrib. H.R. Pufnstuf rescues Jimmy and keeps him safe from Witchiepoo. His cave is the only place where her magic doesn't work.

All the characters on Living Island are large costumes or puppets. They are often animals or everyday objects that come to life. Everything on the island is alive! This includes houses, boats, clocks, and even candles. Many characters sound like famous movie stars.

Meet the Characters

Main Heroes and Villains

• Jimmy (played by Jack Wild) – A young boy from England. He was tricked into coming to Living Island by a magic boat. Witchiepoo wanted to steal his special talking flute, Freddy.
• H.R. Pufnstuf (played by Roberto Gamonet, voiced by Lennie Weinrib) – A friendly dragon who is the Mayor of Living Island. He always helps Jimmy.
• Freddy the Flute (voiced by Joan Gerber) – Jimmy's magic talking flute. Witchiepoo often tries to steal him.
• Cling and Clang (played by Joy Campbell and Angelo Rossitto) – Two short, quiet police officers. They work for H.R. Pufnstuf as his Rescue Racer Crew. Cling wears red and Clang wears green. The Kroffts said they are actually bells!
• Wilhelmina W. Witchiepoo (played by Billie Hayes) – The main bad guy of the show. She is a wicked but not very good witch. She always tries to get Freddy the Flute for her own plans. She flies a big broom with a steering wheel called the Vroom Broom. She is mean to everyone, even her helpers. But when she fails, she often feels sorry for herself.
• Orson Vulture (played by Joy Campbell, voiced by Lennie Weinrib) – A somewhat clumsy vulture who works for Witchiepoo. He is her favorite helper. He helps her with many tasks and is her co-pilot on the Vroom Broom.
• Seymour Spider (played by Angelo Rossitto, voiced by Walker Edmiston) – A not-so-smart spider who is another of Witchiepoo's helpers. He often helps her with her hair.
• Stupid Bat (played by Sharon Baird, voiced by Lennie Weinrib) – A bat who is Witchiepoo's least favorite helper. He mostly delivers messages. As his name suggests, he isn't very smart.
• Skeleton Guards – Two skeletons who guard Witchiepoo's castle. They get scared easily and often run away from danger.

Other Living Island Friends

• Dr. Blinky (played by John Silver, voiced by Walker Edmiston) – An owl who is Living Island's doctor and scientist. He is also in charge of H.R. Pufnstuf's "Anti-Smog, Pollution, and Witch Committee."
• Judy the Frog (played by Sharon Baird, voiced by Joan Gerber) – A singing and dancing frog. She is one of H.R. Pufnstuf's friends and the island's entertainer.
• Pop Lolly (voiced by Lennie Weinrib) – A living lollipop who makes and sells candy.
  • Cheese Guards – Two guards made of cheese who work for Pop Lolly. They help him protect his candy from the Hippie Ants.
• Ludicrous Lion (played by John Silver, voiced by Walker Edmiston) – A lion who sells things from his horse-drawn wagon. He is clever and sometimes a bit sneaky about money. But he is still one of the good guys and helps stop Witchiepoo.
  • Polka-Dotted Horse (played by Felix Silla, voiced by Lennie Weinrib) – A kind horse who works for Ludicrous Lion.
• Tick Tock (played by Andy Ratoucheff, voiced by Lennie Weinrib) – A walking alarm clock. He warns everyone when Witchiepoo is coming.
• Grandfather Clock (voiced by Walker Edmiston) – A walking grandfather clock who is married to Grandmother Clock.
• Grandmother Clock (voiced by Joan Gerber) – A walking grandmother clock who is married to Grandfather Clock.
• Miss Wristwatch (voiced by Joan Gerber) – A fancy, human-sized wristwatch.
• Hippie Ants - A group of ants who try to get free candy from Pop Lolly.
• The Boyds - A group of birds who are Living Island's band.
  • Lady Boyd (played by Sharon Baird, voiced by Joan Gerber) – A blue bird who is the lead singer of The Boyds.
• Shirlee Pufnstuf (played by Sharon Baird, voiced by Joan Gerber) – A dragon who is H.R. Pufnstuf's sister. She is a famous actress.
• Max Von Toadenoff the Great (voiced by Lennie Weinrib) – A toad who works as a film director.
• The Good Trees – Several walking, talking trees who always help H.R. Pufnstuf and his friends. They include:
  • Hippie Tree – (voiced by Lennie Weinrib) A tree with sunglasses who talks in hippie slang.
  • Madame Willow (voiced by Joan Gerber) – An older, fancy female tree.
  • Chief Redwood (voiced by Walker Edmiston) – A tree with a feathered headdress.
• The Evil Trees – Three trees on Witchiepoo's side. They speak with a spooky accent.
• The Mushrooms – A group of talking mushrooms on Witchiepoo's side. If they touch you, you turn into a mushroom!
• Witchiepoo's Castle – A talking, living castle where Witchiepoo and her helpers live.
• Dr. Blinky's House – A broken-down house that sneezes a lot. It has other talking things inside, like a fireplace, a test tube, a candle, a talking human skull, and talking books.
• The Winds – The Winds of Living Island. H.R. Pufnstuf often calls on them to blow Witchiepoo out of the sky. They include the North Wind, the South Wind, the East Wind, and the West Wind.

Theme Song Fun Facts

The show's theme song, "H.R. Pufnstuf," was written by Les Szarvas. However, Paul Simon is also credited. This is because Simon successfully sued the Kroffts. He said the theme song sounded too much like his song "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)." So, he is now listed as a co-writer of the song.

Episode Guide

Who Played Whom?

• Jack Wild – Jimmy
• Billie Hayes – Wilhelmina W. Witchiepoo

Puppet Performers and Voices

The Pufnstuf Movie

While the TV show was still being made, the Kroffts were asked to create a movie version. This movie, called Pufnstuf, came out in 1970. It was made by Universal Studios and the show's sponsor, Kellogg's Cereal. Most of the actors and crew from the TV show were in the movie. It also had special guest stars like Cass Elliot and Martha Raye.

The movie was released on VHS in 2001 and on DVD in 2009. Some new characters appeared only in the movie, like Googy Gopher and Orville Pelican. Also, the characters voiced by Lennie Weinrib in the show were voiced by Allan Melvin and Don Messick in the film.

The Kroffts have wanted to make a new H.R. Pufnstuf movie for a long time.

Live Shows and Tours

There were many live stage shows in the USA featuring the characters from the TV show. One famous show was "H.R. Pufnstuf & The Brady Kids Live at the Hollywood Bowl" in 1973. This performance was later released on VHS.

A special H.R. Pufnstuf puppet show was also at The Sid and Marty Krofft Puppet Theater. This was at Six Flags Over Mid-Missouri in 1971. H.R. Pufnstuf and his friends Cling and Clang also made appearances at the park.

The McDonaldland Lawsuit

H.R. Pufnstuf at Knott's Berry Farm in the 1970s

The Krofft brothers sued the fast food restaurant McDonald's. This was because McDonald's created characters for their "McDonaldland" advertising campaign. The Kroffts believed these characters copied their show's ideas. The court agreed that McDonald's had copied parts of the show. This case was called Sid & Marty Krofft Television Productions Inc. v. McDonald's Corp. and was decided in 1977.

See also

In Spanish: H.R. Pufnstuf para niños