H.R. Pufnstuf

"Once upon a summertime, just a dream from yesterday, a boy and his magic, golden flute heard a boat from on the bay..."

"H.R. Pufnstuf" catapulted the Krofft brothers into the hearts of children (and stoners) worldwide, and it would continue to be a favorite for generations to come. Around the time they were coming up with ideas for a TV series, Sid was invited to view a rough cut of the film OLIVER!, and he took notice of a young boy named Jack Wild, who played the Artful Dodger. There was no other discussion of who was gonna get the lead in their new series -- that was the kid. Penny Marshall auditioned to play the witch (!), but the brothers felt she wasn't right for the part. "We couldn't have a Brooklyn witch," Sid once joked. Only one other actress auditioned for Witchiepoo. When stage veteran Billie Hayes stormed into the office, began cackling and jumping on the desk, she was immediately given the role.The story revolved around Jimmy, a youngster who was whisked away to Living Island, where everything from the plants and trees to the books are alive. (If everything's alive, I wonder what people eat on Living Island?!) Wilhimina W. Witchiepoo (Billie Hayes), a bumbling witch, was forever trying to get her hands on Jimmy's talking flute, Freddy, aided by evil mushrooms and trees, and cohorts like the aptly named Stupid Bat and her vulture sidekick, Orson. Basically a live-action cartoon, the show harked back to THE WIZARD OF OZ in plot (and colors!), and it debuted at a time when Saturday morning television was overrun with superheroes and action shows. Audiences were ready for a change.Premiering in 1969, Pufnstuf was an instant success. Quickly, however, the show came under scrutiny and before long, the Kroffts discovered some of the biggest fans of their shows weren't young children but college aged stoners who faithfully tuned in each week. Just like "Puff the Magic Dragon" before it, the title "Pufnstuf" seemed to suggest the creators were... puffin' stuff. It's become legend that "H.R." stands for "Hand Rolled" (though, according to Sid, it really stands for the words "Royal Highness," flipped around). Marijuana usage was on the rise (by the time the Kroffts vanished from Saturday mornings, it was the norm), and with its colorful sets, talking mushrooms and hippie trees, the show also seemed to also evoke the LSD usage that was so rampant in that era (decades later, Pufnstuf was lovingly spoofed in a wacky skit on "Mr Show" called "Drugachusettes"). It's also been noted that there's some disconcerting Freudian depravity in the plot: an aging hag has made it her quest in life to wrap her hands around a teenage boy's phallus-like flute. Of course, all of this is what people have read into it (no different that the theory that Bert and Ernie are lovers); there weren't any depraved hidden meanings intentionally added by the Kroffts or their writers.... but then again, these are the same guys who brought the world "Les Poupées de Paris."

Although a ratings success, "H.R. Pufnstuf" was a financial disaster -- the Kroffts sunk tons of their own money into the show and got nothing in return. They were offered a second season, but financially, they couldn't swing it. Universal Pictures and Kellogg's Cereal invested in a big-screen spin-off of the show, which was quickly thrown together after the filming of the series had ceased... but PUFNSTUF the movie was virtually ignored when originally released, and it's been neglected and virtually forgotten in the decades since...