Pufnstuf
(1970, U.S.) color 98 minutes
With: Jack Wild (Jimmy), Billie Hayes (Witchiepoo, Suzy Bugaloo, others), Martha Raye (Boss Witch), Mama Cass (Witch Hazel), Roberto Gamonet (H.R. Pufnstuf), Sharon Baird (Shirley Pufnstuf), Johnny Silver (Dr. Blinky/Ludicrous Lion), Andrew Ratoucheff (Alarm Clock), Billy Barty (Googy Gopher), Felix Silla (Polka-dotted Horse), Joy Campbell (Orson Vulture/Fireman), Jane Dulo , Jan Davis, Princess Livingston, Angelo Rossitto, Van Snowden, Lou Wagner, Hommy Stewart, Pat Lytell, Buddy Douglas, John Linton, Bob Howland, Scutter McKay, Roberta Keith, Penny Krompier, Brooks Hunnicutt, Barrie Duffus, Evelyn Dutton, Tony Barro, Ken Creel, Fred Curt, Dennis Edenfield, Allison McKay
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Plot Outline (IMDb): Jimmy runs away to be by himself after a bad day at school. He takes his flute down by the sea to relax. When he lays the flute down it become alive. (Turns to solid gold with diamond studs). Plotting to steal is a witch named Witchiepoo. Jimmy hops aboard a beautiful magic talking board that wants to take him out to sea. But the boat actually belonged to the Witch, who turned the boat back into a black evil craft meant to trap Jimmy and bring him to her. But Jimmy escape from the boat and make a swim for land. A Dragon named Pufnstuf was watching the whole event between Jimmy and the witch and he and the cops (two ants named Cling & Clang) go to aid Jimmy. Jimmy end up on the shores of Living island (everything is alive) & is rescued by Pufnstuf & Co. The rest of the movie has the witch trying to get the magic flute in order to impress Boss Witch and her Friend Witch Hazel (Mamma Cass), and Pufnstuf and Friends attempting to find ways to get Jimmy off of the island.
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Synopsis (Thomas J. Harris): We are clued in to the anticipated age level of the audience from the first seconds of the picture: before the credits, Witchiepoo" (Billie Hayes) rushes, growling, into a black frame from off camera and orders the viewers to "Sit down and be quiet while I tell you a story that's going to tear your hearts out. It's about a gang of goody-two-shoes-just like all of you out there-and what they did to poor, sweet, adorable me.'
As we bear the sound of a boy saying goodbye to his parents, she continues, "You hear that? That's the rotten kid that started it all. Let me show you what happened. And don't go away, or III zap you all into little frogs.' She then lifts the frame above her head, and the screen is enveloped by a helicopter shot of a suburban community.
We next see little Jimmy (Jack Wild) leaving his country home for school, flute in hand. The credits are superimposed over a rather crude montage of shots of Jimmy frolicking about the countryside (it is composed, as is much of the rest of the film, of unnecessary and repetitious cut-ins and cut-outs and zoom effects, presumably used to lengthen the sequence to fit the song over the credits, "If I Could").
As the last credit appears, he realizes he has been dawdling, and rushes off to Elmhurst junior High School, where the band of which he is a member is in the middle of practice. As he rushes to take his place, one of the boys trips him, and he falls head first into a drum. The others, who resent Jimmy because of his English accent and background, blame him for causing the incident, and the pea-brained bandleader is all-too-quick to side with them. Jimmy is banished from the band,
Trudging through a nearby forest, he stops to rest by a tree, discarding his flute nearby -at which point it goes through an in- explicable metamorphosis after which it becomes not only solid gold but also sports a voice! Jimmy, astounded, comments, "I never heard of a flute talking,' to which the flute, named Freddy, replies, "Did you ever speak to one before?" -an all-too-obvious attempt to recapture the clever repartee between Dorothy and her friends in Oz.
Grateful for some companionship, Jimmy skips merrily through the countryside, singing "A Friend in You" while Freddy provides musical accompaniment. At the foot of a hill they hap- pen upon a talking boat from a place called Living Island. Another, more lame exchange: Jimmy: "Freddy, that boat spoke to us." Freddy: "Well, let's not be rude to him." Jimmy: "Of course not. Some of my best friends are boats."
They hop aboard, and enjoy the temporary escape from the drudgeries of school, until Witchiepoo (Billie Hayes), riding her broom in the sky, spots Freddy and decides that having a solid gold flute in her possession would make her a shoe-in for Witch of the Year at the upcoming Witches Convention. Waving her wand, she causes the boat to sprout hands, which grab Jimmy, and orders it to take them to her castle. But Jimmy escapes and dives overboard.
Meanwhile, on nearby Living Island, the mayor, a dragon named H.R. Pufnstuf (Roberto Gamonet), spots the boy in trouble through his telescope, and orchestrates a rescue party to save him. Witchiepoo is foiled, but vows to get possession of the flute, one way or another. Jimmy is then introduced to the inhabitants )f the island, animals, plants and inanimate objects which are all able to speak. The remaining details of the plot are too depressing to get into: suffice it to say that they consist entirely of many redundant attempts by Witchiepoo to get possession of Freddy, and subsequent schemes by Jimmy, Pufnstuf et al. to rescue the lute, which they eventually do, and also themselves.
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But the plot is mediocre at best. Something seems missing here. Among other things, the laugh track heard in the series is absent, and curiously missed, on the big-screen version.
And PUFNSTUF does not use the same actor (Lennie Weinreb) used in the TV series, as the voice of Mayor Pufnstuf. The voice is done here by Allan Melvin (aka "Magilla Gorilla", and Sam The Butcher on THE BRADY BUNCH.) He sounds more like Huckleberry Hound than our beloved H.R.!
And, oh my, the songs... They are like fingernails on a chalkboard. They don't have the catchy "rock musical" sound of those on the TV series. Charles Fox/Norman Gimble penned the film's songs, and they sound more suited for THE FREE DESIGN (They did "Kites Are Fun".)
Actually, "Living Island" is not too bad a song, a big musical production number with the TINA TURNER-like singer (Actually inspired by Tina) from THE BOYDS (Who sing the TV end theme).
There is a "James Bond" theme musical reference. And some horn frills later used in the WONDER WOMAN TV theme. And as the music was by Charles Fox, I wonder if it was the same musicians? Charles Fox did music for: BARBARELLA (1968), THE GREEN SLIME (1969), LOVE AMERICAN STYLE (1970), PUFNSTUF (1970), BUGALOOS (1970), HAPPY DAYS (1974), WONDER WOMAN (1975).
Yet, there are rewards to a viewing: there is a great pre-credits introduction by Witchiepoo, speaking again a solid black background. She addresses the audience directly, as if she wandered into the theater and onto the screen. She then pulls the bottom of the screen up to start the movie (an aerial shot of Suburbia U.S.A.!) Witchiepoo appears as fourth-wall narrator again at the end.
There is some exciting outdoor scenery opening up the action of the credits sequence. As one might expect from the Kroffts, the whole thing is kind of surreal (and low-tech: you can even see the wires on Witchiepoo at the end, as she's floating in the sky!).
And in PUFNSTUF, we finally hear the full backstory of Jimmy's journey, briefly described in the TV series' opening sequence: Jimmy is given a hard time at band class. He's an outcast. They make fun of the way he talks (Jack Wild does have a lovable, if bizarre English accent). Of all things, he has to say, "GIWAFFE". (Giraffe)
As odd and dear as PUFNSTUF is, it's quite disconcerting to not have all the familiar elements of the fantastic TV show there.
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Young PUFNSTUF actor Jack Wild shot to fame in the smash hit musical OLIVER (1968). His recorded LPs include THE JACK WILD ALBUM (Capitol 545 LP), Everything's Coming Up Roses (Buddah 5083) and A Beautiful World (Buddah BDS-5110).
Sadly, this is the latest we've heard of Jack:
23:06 BST, Sunday 11th July 2004 -- by Neil Wilkes
Actor Jack Wild, most famed for his role as the Artful Dodger in the
musical OLIVER! (and as Jimmy on H..R PUFNSTUF), is due for emergency
surgery after a cancerous growth was discovered in his mouth. The star will have the operation later this week, resulting in the loss of his voicebox. "It's been a really terrible time and we all feared he wouldn't be with us much longer," a friend told the News of the World. "It's a tragedy he will lose his voice box as a result of this but the alternative is just too grim to contemplate." Wild shot to fame after appearing in the 1968 film, even landing his own US TV show at the age of 17.
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PUFNSTUF beget a movie soundtrack LP (CAPITOL SW 542), with music by Charles Fox (also available on 8-Track tape!).
The Kroffts were sued by Paul Simon, who claimed that the theme from H.R. PUFNSTUF stole from his "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)". Truth be told, the chorus is pretty close. I believe Simon won, too. (Note that "Friends", the theme from SIGMUND AND THE SEA MONSTERS cops more than a bit from "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing.")
For THE BOYDS rock group seen during the end credits, the lead singer is clearly patterned after TINA TURNER. The horn patterns on the end theme are similar to IKE AND TINA's version of "Proud Mary" (Released 01/71, which is after the show premiered, but listen and see!) I think Krofft said she inspired the character after he saw them play in Las Vegas.
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You find that most movies TV shows (and life) are based on something from before. I never caught the WIZARD OF OZ connections in H. R. PUFNSTUF until 25 years after the fact. There is an evil witch in a castle, talking trees, the jeweled flute (Ruby Slippers) and JUDY Frog, who sounds just like Judy Garland!
Of course, much has been said about the alleged drug references in the Krofft TV series in general, and H.R. PUFNSTUF in particular. I say they are there! As a kid, there was even a "head shop" in my town called PUFF N STUFF! And the show itself was decidedly suspect: one TV episode actually featured "magic mushrooms". And there are several scenes in the film with psychedelic colors clearly inspired by 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968) from just 2 years before.
In c. 1997, HBO's MR. SHOW did an excellent parody of the Pufnstuf cult called "The State Of DRUGGACHUSETTS", making light of the alleged drug allusions in the original PUFNSTUF show. With a small budget, they really re-create the look, heart and soul of the original in just a few minutes. Seek it out. It's on DVD, as part of the BEST OF MR. SHOW set.
Circa 1972, The Krofft brothers sued the McDonalds fast food giant over copyright infringement, claiming that the characters of Mayor McCheese, Big Mac and the Apple Pie trees were copied from the characters of Pufnstuff and the living trees without the Kroffts' permission.
Close observers will note that H.R. Pufnstuf had 2 different face designs, one with a stronger nose line. Lennie Weinreb was the voice of Pufnstuf in the TV series, and he wrote all the episodes for for the show as well. (Lennie was the only person to be rescued three times in one show of "Emergency", playing "Fred Gibson" in "The Firehouse Four", in 1974.) In PUFNSTUF, the voice of the Mayor is done by Allen Melvin. And the voice is entirely off. He speaks more like MAGILLA GORILLA.
The magical boat is also voiced by Allen Melvin (listed onscreen as AL MELVIN.) Melvin was also Sam the butcher on THE BRADY BUNCH and Barney Hefner on ALL IN THE FAMILY. An early Melvin cartoon voice was the low-budget BEETLE BAILEY for King Features.
The actor that always appeared inside the Pufnstuf costume was Roberto Gamonet.
Martha Raye plays "Boss Witch" here, as a the precursor to her lead character Benita Bizzarre in THE BUGALOOS (with her sidekick "Nazi Rat", likely inspired by HOGAN'S HEROES.) Boss Witch is a really strange character for a kids' movie. She is referred to as "Queen of all Evil…"
There is even some cross-dressing, with Jimmy masquerading as a witch to infiltrate the den of witches to rescue Freddie.
The Pufnstuf series and film spawned an unprecedented number of merchandising artifacts; one of the coolest is a now-rare "Freddy Flute" mail-in premium, available from Kellogg's cereal! (Note that Freddie the Flute sounds different in the movie. He has a higher voice.)
I always surmised the Gopher character was inspired by the one that appeared in Disney's WINNIE THE POOH cartoon, a few years earlier.
PUFNSTUF, long unavailable on video or TV, finally appeared on the STARZ channel a few years back, with an MV- rating for Mild Violence! As one might expect/hope, there are rumors of an upcoming big-screen remake of PUFNSTUF.
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A soundtrack CD: "HR PUFNSTUF AND OTHER SID & MARTY KROFFT FAVORITES" was released by Gazillion Records in 1998. It features "Twenty seven theme songs and fun tunes from those vibrant Saturday morning TV shows of the '70s. Are you ready for... Witchiepoo, Far Out Space Nuts, Electrawoman & Dynagirl, Bugaloos, Dr. Shrinker, Land Of The Lost, Bigfoot & Wildboy and so much more?"
The Gadzillion label is an offshoot of Interscope/Universal. The CD is produced by Riki Rachtman (of MTV Headbanger's Ball Fame). The CD itself is a mixed bag. There are a pitiful handful of pictures. Apparently, they still were not able to go back to the original stereo tapes on the PUFNSTUF songs and not all are included. I know the PUFNSTUF songs were recorded in stereo, because I have a copy of the only PUFNSTUF TV soundtrack that was released: a 45rpm Kelloggs mail order promo in vibrant stereo. In fact, I'm sure that's what they used to master the PUFNSTUF songs on the CD, an actual copy of the record; you can even hear the pops on some tracks. They didn't use all the songs on the 45 -- 2 mono PUFNSTUF songs sound like they were recorded right from a TV. And the main theme is in mono, too. It did not appear on the 45.
THE BUGALOOS cuts are 5 tracks (about half) from the stereo CAPITOL album and one mono cut not on LP. You can often find the whole BUGALOOS album on CD as a Japanese import. The horns do a flourish of the LOVE AMERICAN STYLE theme in the cut "If You Become A Bugaloo". Though he did not write this song, Charles Fox wrote the BUGALOOS theme and I would guess used the same studio musicians on this song. I still say there is a track on the BUGALOOS album that is reminiscent of a *YES* song. (It's not one on the CD.)
The rest of the Krofft CD is the same mixed bag and so-so quality.
The trippy LIDDSVILLE theme is in vibrant mono with some great synth
work. Most of the other Krofft themes are represented. Didja know that
Alan and Merrill Osmond co-wrote the ELEKTRA WOMAN, WONDERBUG and DR.
SHRINKER themes?! And what tune did they crib the ELEKTRA WOMAN theme
from? A disco-era tune. Is it "Dancing Machine" by THE JACKSON 5?
-- Mark. R. Hill
Video/DVD availability: VHS (Universal, oop)
Links of related interest:
Universal / Sid & Marty Krofft Productions
(premiere: May 1970, New York City)
Screenwriter: John Fenton Murray, Si Rose
Cinematographer: Kenneth Peach
Editor: David Rawlins
Music: Charles Fox
Art direction: Alexander Golitzen, Walter Scott Herndon, Joe Alves
Set designer: Arthur Parker
Special effects: Luke Tillman, Roland Chiniquy
Makeup: Ziggy Gieke
Choreography: Paul Godkin
Produced by Si Rose, Sid Krofft, Marty Krofft
Directed by Hollingsworth Morse
Review and Miscellany by Mark R. Hill
After (re)-viewing PUFNSTUF for the first time in nearly 30 years, I find it's really good and really bad. Visually, it's stunning. The movie opens up the TV show's introductory scenes and the colors are bold and crisp.
PUFNSTUF, References and Referenced:
SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937)
WIZARD OF OZ, THE (1939)
MY LITTLE CHICKADEE (1940)
"THE BUGALOOS" (1970)
ACE VENTURA: WHEN NATURE CALLS (1995)
ONE NIGHT STAND (1997)
SLUMS OF BEVERLY HILLS (1998)
MR. SHOW ???
GHOST WORLD (2000)
H.R. PUKENSHETTE (2000)
"I LOVE THE '70S" (2003) (MINISERIES)
PUFNSTUF: the CD
Jack Wild fan page
Pufnstuf audio files
the Kroffts
the Wild and Wacky World of Sid and Marty Krofft
H.R.
Pufnstuf fan page