Kappa Delta Phi and H.R. Pufnstuf: Difference between pages

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{{infobox television |
{{Expand|date=April 2007}}
| show_name = H.R. Pufnstuf
'''Kappa Delta Phi''' ('''ΚΔΦ''') is a college general men's fraternity, founded on [[April 14]], [[1900]] at [[Bridgewater Normal School]] now known as [[Bridgewater State College]]. It has 13 active chapters.
| image = [[Image:Pufnstuf.jpg|250px]]
| format = [[Children's television series]]
| runtime = 0:25 (per episode)
| producer = [[Sid and Marty Krofft]]
| starring = [[Jack Wild]]<br>[[Billie Hayes]]<br>[[Sharon Baird]]<br>[[Joy Campbell]]<br>[[Van Snowden]]<br>[[Buddy Douglas]]
| voices = [[Lennie Weinrib]]<br>[[Joan Gerber]]<br>[[Walker Edmiston]]
| country = {{USA}}
| network = [[NBC]]
| first_aired = [[September 6]], [[1969]]
| last_aired = [[September 4]], [[1971]]
| num_episodes = 17
| imdb_id = 0063907
}}


'''''H.R. Pufnstuf''''' is a children's television series produced by [[Sid and Marty Krofft]] in the [[United States]]. There were seventeen episodes of the show originally broadcast from [[September 6]], [[1969]] to [[September 4]], [[1971]]. It was so successful that [[National Broadcasting Company|NBC]] kept it on the Saturday morning schedule for a full three seasons until August 1972. The show was filmed at [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount Studios]].
Nahum Leonard - Founding FatherKappa Delta Phi, founded in 1900 at Bridgewater State College by Nahum Leonard has moved forward to encompass 30 other campuses. Since the founding of Kappa Delta Phi, it has sought to strengthen the bonds of brotherhood and to seek truths in our professions. We have fulfilled that goal with great success. Our Brothers are leaders in their professions and are located throughout the world. Our active brothers have been admitted into a large family with old traditions and our alumnus have been weathered by wars and the hardships of the world to offer all brothers a better view of the world in which we live. Once a Kappa man Always a Kappa man. We wear our badges with honor. We enjoy the privileges and benefits of Kappa Delta Phi for life. We are blessed with the knowledge that there is always a home to come back to and a large family they can depend on.


==Origins==
The purposes of this fraternity shall be to bring together males of good character who are studying in institutions of higher education and who manifest a keen interest in higher education; to promote the highest ideals and educational practices; to promote a spirit of good citizenship and to seek change in our institution only through duly constituted authority; to actively support the fight against discrimination on the basis of race, color, or creed; and to strengthen and preserve the bonds of brotherhood which link men together working toward a common cause.
The H.R. Pufnstuf character was originally created for the [[HemisFair '68]] world's fair in 1968, where the Kroffts produced a show called Kaleidescope for the [[Coca-Cola]] pavilion. The character's name was Luther and he became the symbol of the fair.<ref>[http://www.liveworld.com/transcripts/borders/6-10-1999.1-1.html New video boxed-set "The World of Sid and Marty Krofft"<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>


==Plot==
Since the beginning of time, men have found it helpful and enjoyable to gather together for many reasons. Lodges and clubs have been found in all walks of life - from the knights of old to the military and political men of today. Fellowship has indeed been one of the basic needs of the individual. Therefore it is only natural for groups of college men to meet together in Greek letter societies.
''H.R. Pufnstuf'' introduced the Kroffts' most-used plot scenario, revolving around a boy named '''Jimmy''' (played by [[Jack Wild]]) who had accidentally found Living Island, a magical place where everything was alive. The Mayor of Living Island was a friendly dragon named '''H.R. Pufnstuf''' (voiced by the show's writer [[Lennie Weinrib]]) and the costume was worn by Property Master Albert F. Bentley. Jimmy had been lured to the island with his friend, a talking flute named '''Freddy''', by a magic boat which promised adventures across the sea. The boat was actually owned and controlled by a wicked witch named '''Wilhelmina W. Witchiepoo''' (played by [[Billie Hayes]]) who rode on a broomstick-like vehicle called the Vroom Broom. Jimmy was taken in by Pufnstuf, who was able to protect him from Witchiepoo as the cave where he lived was the only place her magic had no effect. Apart from Witchiepoo, all of the characters on Living Island were realized via large, cumbersome costumes or puppetry. Since everything on Living Island was alive (namely houses, castles, boats, grandfather clocks, candles, books, trees, mushrooms), virtually any part of the Living Island sets could become a character, usually voiced in a parody of a famous film star, such as [[Mae West]], [[Edward G. Robinson]] or most notably [[John Wayne]] as "The West Wind". A [[running gag]] is Witchiepoo always trying to steal Freddie-and always failing.
Since the turn of the century, the increase in fraternities has been rapid, with the total membership of all the fraternities numbering in the millions.


==Cast==
Fraternity men have been, and still are the leaders in colleges and universities. The college fraternity supplements book learning by setting up a proving ground in which the members may practice what they learn in the lecture hall and help themselves become well-rounded individuals.
* [[Jack Wild]] - Jimmy
* [[Billie Hayes]] - Wilhemina W. Witchiepoo


===Voice cast===
Kappa Delta Phi is a fraternity interested in higher education, and also encourages social life. As boys grow into men, there is to be found the development of poise, grace, and confidence which are essential to the progress and success of the real professional.
* [[Lennie Weinrib]] - H.R. Pufnstuf, [[Béla Lugosi|Bela Lugosi]] Tree, Dr. Blinky's Talking Book, Orson Vulture, Polka Dotted Horse, Stupid Bat, West Wind
Joining Kappa Delta Phi costs more than money. It costs your time, your effort, loyalty, and cooperation. It has been worth it for thousands of men.
* [[Walker Edmiston]] - [[Boris Karloff]] Tree, Dr. Blinky, Dr. Blinky's Candle, East Wind, Grandfather Clock, Ludicrous Lion, North Wind, Redwood, Seymour Spider
* [[Joan Gerber]] - Freddy the Flute, Grandmother Clock, Judy Frog, South Wind, Miles Vandusen
* [[Andrew Dowsey]] - Freddy the Flute (1 episode)


==Film==
Kappa Delta Phi Fraternity serves as an effective recreational outlet in contributing to the four years of educational experience.
The show's popularity led to the release of a film spin-off in 1970, called ''[[Pufnstuf (film)|Pufnstuf]]''.<ref>[http://www.kiddiematinee.com/p-pufnstuf.html PUFNSTUF (1970, U.S.)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The film featured guest appearances by [[Cass Elliott]] and [[Martha Raye]]. The show and the film were both notable for bright colors, fast edits, sped-up film, musical segments and [[pop culture]] in-jokes, and appealed to young adults almost as much as children.
Important Dates
Membership in 1900 - 14
Membership in 2000 - 21,000


In 2002, the Kroffts were in talk of a big-budget remake, to be made by [[Paramount Pictures]], [[Nickelodeon Movies]] and [[Columbia Pictures]]. Plans for this remake have since been shelved.
April 14, 1900


The complete series was released as a DVD box set in the [[United States]] in February 2004. The film has also been offered on VHS, now out of print.
Founded at Bridgewater State Normal School, Bridgewater, MA


==Tours==
1901
A number of USA stage show tours were run starring the same characters from the show.
Official badge adopted


==In popular culture ==
1902
<!-- NOTE: DO NOT INSERT PARODIES, TRIBUTES, ETC., UP HERE -- THEIR SECTION IS FURTHER DOWN THE PAGE. -->The show was the subject of a successful [[lawsuit]] brought by the Kroffts against the [[fast food]] restaurant [[McDonald's]], whose [[McDonaldland]] characters were found to have infringed the show's [[copyright]]. (Sid & Marty Krofft Television Productions, Inc. v. McDonald's Corp., 562 F.2d 1157, decided by the [[Ninth Circuit]] Court of Appeals in 1977.)<ref>[http://www.coolcopyright.com/cases/fulltext/kroftmcdonaldstext.htm CoolCopyright | Chapter 6 | Sid & Marty Krofft Television Productions, Inc. v. McDonald's Corp<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
Nahum Leonard named "Father of the Fraternity"


Billie Hayes reprised her role of Witchiepoo in the ''[[Lidsville]]'' episode "Have I Got a Girl for Hoodoo."
1904
Fraternity Grip adopted


An epsiode of [[CHiPs]] featured H.R. Pufnstuf being stopped by the CHP!
1906
First Convention held at Young's Hotel, Boston, MA


===Claims of drug references===
1909
The Krofft brothers have responded in several interviews to popular beliefs that subtle drug references existed in the show.<ref name="owen">Rob Owen. "'H.R. Pufnstuf' leads TV Land's foray into 'retrovision'," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, [[April 1]] [[1999]], page D1.</ref><ref name="boas">Liz Boas. "When giant puppets walked the Earth, Sid and Marty Krofft creations like `H.R. Pufnstuf ' once roamed wild on kids' TV - now they're invading again: A Sid and Marty Krofft Primer," ''Austin American-Statesman'', [[December 12]] [[1996]], XL Entertainment section, page 38.</ref><ref name="revival">Tim Clodfelter. "Revival: the fantastic worlds of Sid and Marty Krofft are back in vogue again," ''[[Winston-Salem Journal]]'' ([[Winston-Salem, NC]], [[August 17]] [[2000]], page E1.</ref> For example, the title character's name "Pufnstuf" has been interpreted as a reference to smoking hand-rolled (H.R.) [[cannabis (drug)|marijuana]] (puffin' stuff)<ref name="owen"/><ref name="boas"/><ref name="triplett">Ward Triplett. "Who's your friend?" (Etc. column), ''[[The Kansas City Star]]'', February 2, 2004, page D3.</ref><ref name="finney">Daniel P. Finney. "Creators are clear: 'Pufnstuf' was definantly an acid trip," ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'', February 17, 2004, page D3.</ref><ref name="walker">Kevin Walker. "Masters of puppets - New videos. Movies deals on the table. Suddenly, former Saturday morning television kings Sid and Marty krofft are hot again," ''[[The Tampa Tribune]], [[June 18]] [[1999]], Friday Extra! section, page 20.</ref><ref name="revival"/> &mdash; Marty Krofft has said the initials "H.R." actually stand for "Royal Highness" backwards<ref name="finney"/><ref name="walker"/> &mdash; and the show's theme-song lyric "he can't do a little, 'cause he can't do enough" has been read as referring to the addictive nature of drugs. Pufnstuf has quotes like "Whoa dude!" and other "hippie" slang words. Lennie Weinrib, the show's head writer and the voice of Pufnstuf, has said, ''"I think fans gave it a kind of mysterious code-like meaning, like ‘Ah, was Pufnstuf puffing stuff? Like grass?’ Was it psychedelic? Was it drug oriented? Not to us, it wasn’t."''<ref>{{cite web
Black and gold colors adopted
| title = H.R. Pufnstuf: The Strange World of Sid & Marty Krofft
| work = [[E! True Hollywood Story]]
| publisher = [[E!]]
| date= 2000
| url = http://www.bugaloos.com/THS-HR.html
| format =
| doi =
| accessdate = }}</ref><ref name=">Ellen Warren & Terry Armour. "Steppenwolf book impresses Metcalf, who should know" (INC. column; includes news brief on the E! special), ''Chicago Tribune'', [[December 11]] [[2000]], page 2.</ref> In one 2000 interview, Marty Krofft answered the question by saying, "The Krofft look has a lot of color, but there were no drug connotations in the show," and he addressed the topic at length in an interview with the ''[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]]'' in [[2004]], in response to the question, ''"OK, let's get this right out in the open. Is 'H.R. Pufnstuf' just one giant drug reference?"'':


{{Cquote|''We've heard that for 35 years. We did not intentionally do anything related to drugs in the story. People thought we were on drugs. You can't do good television while on drugs. People never believe you when you say that, but you can't. The shows were very bright and spacey looking. They may have lent themselves to that culture at the time, but we didn't ascribe that meaning to them, and I can't speak to what adults were doing when they were watching the shows. We just set out to make a quality children's program.''|40px|40px|Marty Krofft|''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'', February 17, 2004<ref name="finney"/>}}
1911
Scholarship Cup adopted


Authors of books on the show and its contemporaries, however, have not always accepted the Kroffts' alternative explanations for apparent references to drugs. David Martindale, author of ''Pufnstuf & Other Stuff'', maintains that the Kroffts' need to attract an audience that are now parents of impressionable children forces them at least to downplay the ''[[double entendre]]s'': "But to deny it, the shows lose some of their mystique. The Kroffts prefer to remain playfully vague."<ref name="owen"/> Martindale said in another interview that he fully believes Marty Krofft's insistence that he did not use drugs, especially given that Marty's focus was that of a businessman, but Martindale describes Sid Krofft as "a big kid" and "a hippy," saying, "His comment when I told him we were going to do this book was - and I quote - 'Oh, far out.' He says these shows didn't come from smoking just a little pot, and you could say, 'Oh, yeah. It comes from smoking a lot of pot.' But I think he was very deliberately doing double meanings so the show could amuse people on different levels."<ref name="silva">Elda Silva. "Head back in time with David Martindale's 'Reruns' column," ''[[San Antonio Express-News]], [[April 20]] [[1998]], page 1C.</ref> Kevin Burke, co-author of ''Saturday Morning Fever: Growing Up with Cartoon Culture'', argues that the "consistency of thought" in the rumors of drug references has a basis, although his co-author and brother Timothy Burke, a history professor insists "human beings are capable of achieving hallucinatory heights without chemical assistance."<ref name="owen"/> Contradicting his own position, Marty Krofft has either admitted or hinted in occasional interviews that the references were made knowingly; in one case, a writer reported that when pressed as to the connotation of "[[lid]]s" in the title ''[[Lidsville]]'', "Well, maybe we just had a good sense of humor," Krofft said, laughing."<ref name="walker"/> His comments to another interviewer were more direct; in a ''Times Union'' profile whose author observed, "Watching the shows today, it's hard to imagine a show with more wink-and-nod allusions to pot culture, short of something featuring characters named [[Joint (cannabis)|Spliffy]] and [[bong|Bong-O]]," Krofft conceded that the show's title had been an intentional marijuana reference, as had ''Lidsville'', but "that was just a prank to see if they could get them past clueless NBC executives" (author's words).<ref name="mcguire">Mark McGuire. "Hey kids, it's Wink and Nod: Sid and Marty Krofft (mostly) made the '60s vounterculture safe for Saturday morning television," ''[[Times Union|The Times Union]]'' ([[Albany, NY]]), [[February 13]] [[2004]], page D1.</ref>
1914
General Fraternity established with 36 active members


===Parodies and tributes===
1929
One of the most notable parodies of ''H.R. Pufnstuf'' was "The Altered State of Druggachusetts", a segment on the [[Home Box Office|HBO]] comedy series ''[[Mr. Show with Bob and David]]''. The sketch consists of a failed pilot for a kids' show introduced by "Sam and Criminy Crafft" ([[Bob Odenkirk]] and [[David Cross]]). The show itself is similar to ''H.R. Pufnstuf'', with drug references made humorously overt. Instead of a talking flute, the boy carries a talking [[bong]], and all of the residents in Druggachusetts take or are living incarnations of various narcotics.<ref name="wham">Richard Leiby. "Wham! Right on the funny bone: the high low comedy of 'Mr. Show'," ''[[Washington Post]]'', [[October 23]] [[1997]], page B1.</ref><ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEY96hDHxcM Video clip of "The Altered State of Druggachusetts"] on YouTube</ref>
Kappa Delta Phi becomes National Fraternity


Nike made a skateboarding shoe for their SB Dunk line named after the show, with the colors of the shoe resembling those of Pufnstuf.<ref>[http://www.skiptomyshoe.com/cart/Nike-Dunk-Low-Premium-SB-Pufnstuf-pr-334.html Nike Dunk Low Premium SB (Pufnstuf) :: NIKE SKATEBOARDING :: skiptomyshoe.com<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
1930
President's Cup adopted


Excerpts from the show can often be seen playing on the TV in the hotel room Earl and his brother share in ''[[My Name Is Earl]]'', and the October 18, 2007, episode features an extended scene with H.R. Pufnstuf as a super-crimefighter working alongside the title-character's brother in a fantasy creative-writing exercise.{{fact|date=April 2008}}
1940
Coat of Arms adopted


H.R. Pufnstuf appeared in the ''[[South Park]]'' episode "Imaginationland." That episode also aired on the same week of his appearance on ''My Name Is Earl.''{{fact|date=April 2008}}
1947
Official Key adopted


In the "Happy Birthdays" episode of ''[[George Lopez (TV series)|George Lopez]],'' <!-- Do not change show name -- despite popular misconception it is NOT titled "The George Lopez Show," but simply "George Lopez." -->it is said that H.R. Pufnstuf was one of George's childhood heroes, and a man in a Pufnstuf costume appears at Max's birthday party. Later on, George dances to the Pufnstuf theme with the man in the costume.{{fact|date=April 2008}}
1949
National Relations Award adopted


The rock band [[Everclear (band)|Everclear]]'s music video for "AM Radio," a tribute to the 1960s and 1970s, features a short clip from the show.{{fact|date=February 2008}}
1959
Philanthropy Award adopted


The first season ''[[CHiPs]]'' episode, "Green Thumb Burglar" featured H.R. Pufnstuf pulled over driving a car. Ponch and Jon make him get out of the car and walk, as the costume obstructs the driving view of the road.
1962
Display Award adopted


In [[Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls]], when Ace is roughly shoved against a car, he says, "Hey! What are you? H. R. Shovenstuf?", an obvious reference.
1966
National Emblem, the crow, adopted


On the [[NBC]] television show [[Will & Grace]] in episode 1-09 "The Truth About Will & Dogs" "Will" becomes obsessed with a new puppy "Grace" adopted. While having an argument about the way Grace is treating the puppy, he accuses her of giving the puppy the "Witchiepoo Finger" when the puppy does something wrong. This is a reference to the character Witchiepoo and her trademark point.
1967
National Flower, the yellow rose, adopted

1968
National Fraternity reorganized

1969
New National Constitution adopted
Edward F. Webber Scholarship Award adopted
Nahum Leonard Scholarship adopted
Senior Scholarship adopted
The Golden Key published

1978
Summer Workshops for Chapters established

1983
Distinguished Service Award Scholarship adopted

1985
Outstanding Chapter Award adopted
Outstanding Leadership Award adopted

1986
National Rushing and Pledging Manual established

1989
National Alumni Association is incorporated

1990 Kappa Delta Phi joins the National Inter fraternity Conference

1993
Alpha Stone is dedicated
Paul G. Collette Award for Excellence is adopted

Chapters List

Kappa Delta Phi National Fraternity Chapters

* Alpha - Bridgewater State College - Bridgewater, MA
* Beta - Salem State College - Salem, MA
* Gamma - Keene State College - Keene, NH
* Delta - Boston University - Boston, MA
* Epsilon - Rhode Island College - Providence, RI
* Zeta - University of Maine at Farmington - Farmington, ME
* Eta - University of Maine at Machias - Machias, ME
* Theta - Edinboro University - Edinboro, PA
* Iota - University of Southern Maine - Gorham, ME
* Kappa - Southern Connecticut State University - New Haven, CT
* Lambda - Husson College - Bangor, ME
* Mu - University of Maine at Presque Isle - Presque Isle, ME
* Nu - Thomas College - Waterville, ME
* Xi - Lyndon State College - Lyndonville, VT
* Omicron - Massachusetts College Of Liberal Arts - North Adams, MA
* Pi - Cape Cod Community College - West Barnstable, MA
* Rho - University of Maine at Fort Kent - Fort Kent, ME
* Sigma - Plymouth State University - Plymouth, NH
* Tau - Castleton State College - Castleton, VT
* Upsilon - Umass Lowell - Lowell, MA
* Phi - University of Maine at Augusta - Augusta, ME
* Chi - Southern New Hampshire University - Manchester, NH
* Psi - Framingham State College - Framingham, MA
* Omega - Unity College - Unity, ME
* Alpha Alpha - University of Maine - Orono, ME
* Alpha Beta - Bryant University - Smithfield, RI
* Alpha Gamma - State University of New York - New Paltz, NY
* Alpha Delta - St. Anselm College - Manchester, NH
* Alpha Epsilon - Albright College - Reading, PA
* Alpha Zeta - Lasell College - Newton , MA
* Alpha Eta - UMASS Amherst - Amherst, MA

A sister [[sorority]], '''Kappa Delta Phi National Affiliated Sorority''', was first established in 1971 at Husson College in Bangor, Maine. The sorority has grown to 13 active chapters and 2 colonies.

==Mission Statement==
The Kappa Delta Phi Educational Foundation is a [[501(c)(3)]] [[non-profit organization]] which creates the opportunity for members and friends to support the [[undergraduate]] student's needs. This foundation will build financial resources to support [[scholarship]]s, speaker [[Grant (money)|grants]], and other educational purposes. This foundation is committed to enhancing the fraternity experience for all its active membership.

==Purpose (National Fraternity)==
To bring together males of good character who are studying in institutions of higher education and who manifest a keen interest in higher education; to promote the highest ideals and educational practices; to promote a spirit of good citizenship and to seek change in our institution only through duly constituted authority; to actively support the fight against discrimination on the basis of race, color, or creed; and to strengthen and preserve the bonds of brotherhood which link men together working toward a common cause.<ref name="KDP">{{cite web
|title=Who And What We Are
|work=The Kappa Talk of Kappa Delta Phi National Fraternity
|url=http://www.kappatalk.com/who.html
|accessdate=2006-07-12
}}</ref>

==Purpose (Sorority)==
To encourage the higher educational ideals and practices in our institution. To promote a spirit of good citizenship, individual character and fellowship. And to oppose discrimination on the basis of race, color or creed in order to strengthen and preserve the bonds of sisterhood.
From http://www.kappadeltaphinas.org

==Chapters==
{{main|List of Kappa Delta Phi Chapters}}


In the sci-fi series [[Farscape]], the character [[Utu-Noranti Pralatong]] is nicknamed "Witchiepoo" by the series' protagonist, [[John Crichton]].


In recent internet culture, some consider H.R. Pufnstuf to be a close relative to the Pillsbury Doughboy, who is better known as Pop'N'Fresh. <ref>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pillsbury_Doughboy </ref>


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{reflist}}
[http://www.kappatalk.com/about about Kappa Delta Phi]


==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.worldofkrofft.com/3rdmil/krofft/krofft.nsf/Items+-+By+Show?openview&start=1&count=999&expand=10#10 World of Krofft - Online Museum of H.R Pufnstuf collectibles]
*[http://www.kappadeltaphi.org/ Official National Fraternity Site]
*[http://www.70slivekidvid.com/pufn.htm 70s Live Action Kid Vid]
*[http://kappadeltaphinas.org/ Official homepage of the national sorority]
*[http://www.retrojunk.com/details_tvshows/496-hr-pufnstuf/ Retro Junk]

*[http://www.jumptheshark.com/topic/hr-pufnstuf-general-comments/954 Jump The Shark]

*[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a990827.html The Straight Dope] Was McDonaldland plagiarized from the old "H. R. Pufnstuf" kids' TV show?
{{North-American Interfraternity Conference}}
*[http://www.pimpmyfoot.com/Nike-Dunk-SB-Puf-n-Stuff-Edition-p/sb-28.htm Nike SB Dunk Pufnstuf Edition]
*[http://www.coolcopyright.com/cases/fulltext/kroftmcdonaldstext.htm CoolCopyright.com] full text of the Kroffts vs McDonald's court case
*[http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/hrpufnstuf.php DVD Verdict - Region 1 DVD Review]
*[http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=13449 DVD Times - Region 0 DVD Review]
*[http://hrpufnstuf.blogspot.com/ Todd Kauffman's H.R. Pufnstuf based Blog]


[[Category:Organizations established in 1900]]
[[Category:Children's television series]]
[[Category:North-American Interfraternity Conference]]
[[Category:1960s American television series]]
[[Category:United States student societies]]
[[Category:1970s American television series]]
[[Category:1969 television series debuts]]
[[Category:1972 television series endings]]
[[Category:NBC network shows]]
[[Category:Television programs featuring puppetry]]
[[Category:Saturday morning programming on NBC]]
[[es:H.R. Pufnstuf]]
[[fr:H.R. Pufnstuf]]

Revision as of 22:57, 9 October 2008

H.R. Pufnstuf
File:Pufnstuf.jpg
StarringJack Wild
Billie Hayes
Sharon Baird
Joy Campbell
Van Snowden
Buddy Douglas
Voices ofLennie Weinrib
Joan Gerber
Walker Edmiston
Country of origin United States
No. of episodes17
Production
ProducerSid and Marty Krofft
Running time0:25 (per episode)
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseSeptember 6, 1969 –
September 4, 1971

H.R. Pufnstuf is a children's television series produced by Sid and Marty Krofft in the United States. There were seventeen episodes of the show originally broadcast from September 6, 1969 to September 4, 1971. It was so successful that NBC kept it on the Saturday morning schedule for a full three seasons until August 1972. The show was filmed at Paramount Studios.

Origins

The H.R. Pufnstuf character was originally created for the HemisFair '68 world's fair in 1968, where the Kroffts produced a show called Kaleidescope for the Coca-Cola pavilion. The character's name was Luther and he became the symbol of the fair.[1]

Plot

H.R. Pufnstuf introduced the Kroffts' most-used plot scenario, revolving around a boy named Jimmy (played by Jack Wild) who had accidentally found Living Island, a magical place where everything was alive. The Mayor of Living Island was a friendly dragon named H.R. Pufnstuf (voiced by the show's writer Lennie Weinrib) and the costume was worn by Property Master Albert F. Bentley. Jimmy had been lured to the island with his friend, a talking flute named Freddy, by a magic boat which promised adventures across the sea. The boat was actually owned and controlled by a wicked witch named Wilhelmina W. Witchiepoo (played by Billie Hayes) who rode on a broomstick-like vehicle called the Vroom Broom. Jimmy was taken in by Pufnstuf, who was able to protect him from Witchiepoo as the cave where he lived was the only place her magic had no effect. Apart from Witchiepoo, all of the characters on Living Island were realized via large, cumbersome costumes or puppetry. Since everything on Living Island was alive (namely houses, castles, boats, grandfather clocks, candles, books, trees, mushrooms), virtually any part of the Living Island sets could become a character, usually voiced in a parody of a famous film star, such as Mae West, Edward G. Robinson or most notably John Wayne as "The West Wind". A running gag is Witchiepoo always trying to steal Freddie-and always failing.

Cast

Voice cast

  • Lennie Weinrib - H.R. Pufnstuf, Bela Lugosi Tree, Dr. Blinky's Talking Book, Orson Vulture, Polka Dotted Horse, Stupid Bat, West Wind
  • Walker Edmiston - Boris Karloff Tree, Dr. Blinky, Dr. Blinky's Candle, East Wind, Grandfather Clock, Ludicrous Lion, North Wind, Redwood, Seymour Spider
  • Joan Gerber - Freddy the Flute, Grandmother Clock, Judy Frog, South Wind, Miles Vandusen
  • Andrew Dowsey - Freddy the Flute (1 episode)

Film

The show's popularity led to the release of a film spin-off in 1970, called Pufnstuf.[2] The film featured guest appearances by Cass Elliott and Martha Raye. The show and the film were both notable for bright colors, fast edits, sped-up film, musical segments and pop culture in-jokes, and appealed to young adults almost as much as children.

In 2002, the Kroffts were in talk of a big-budget remake, to be made by Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies and Columbia Pictures. Plans for this remake have since been shelved.

The complete series was released as a DVD box set in the United States in February 2004. The film has also been offered on VHS, now out of print.

Tours

A number of USA stage show tours were run starring the same characters from the show.

In popular culture

The show was the subject of a successful lawsuit brought by the Kroffts against the fast food restaurant McDonald's, whose McDonaldland characters were found to have infringed the show's copyright. (Sid & Marty Krofft Television Productions, Inc. v. McDonald's Corp., 562 F.2d 1157, decided by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in 1977.)[3]

Billie Hayes reprised her role of Witchiepoo in the Lidsville episode "Have I Got a Girl for Hoodoo."

An epsiode of CHiPs featured H.R. Pufnstuf being stopped by the CHP!

Claims of drug references

The Krofft brothers have responded in several interviews to popular beliefs that subtle drug references existed in the show.[4][5][6] For example, the title character's name "Pufnstuf" has been interpreted as a reference to smoking hand-rolled (H.R.) marijuana (puffin' stuff)[4][5][7][8][9][6] — Marty Krofft has said the initials "H.R." actually stand for "Royal Highness" backwards[8][9] — and the show's theme-song lyric "he can't do a little, 'cause he can't do enough" has been read as referring to the addictive nature of drugs. Pufnstuf has quotes like "Whoa dude!" and other "hippie" slang words. Lennie Weinrib, the show's head writer and the voice of Pufnstuf, has said, "I think fans gave it a kind of mysterious code-like meaning, like ‘Ah, was Pufnstuf puffing stuff? Like grass?’ Was it psychedelic? Was it drug oriented? Not to us, it wasn’t."[10][11] In one 2000 interview, Marty Krofft answered the question by saying, "The Krofft look has a lot of color, but there were no drug connotations in the show," and he addressed the topic at length in an interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 2004, in response to the question, "OK, let's get this right out in the open. Is 'H.R. Pufnstuf' just one giant drug reference?":

We've heard that for 35 years. We did not intentionally do anything related to drugs in the story. People thought we were on drugs. You can't do good television while on drugs. People never believe you when you say that, but you can't. The shows were very bright and spacey looking. They may have lent themselves to that culture at the time, but we didn't ascribe that meaning to them, and I can't speak to what adults were doing when they were watching the shows. We just set out to make a quality children's program.

— Marty Krofft, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 17, 2004[8]

Authors of books on the show and its contemporaries, however, have not always accepted the Kroffts' alternative explanations for apparent references to drugs. David Martindale, author of Pufnstuf & Other Stuff, maintains that the Kroffts' need to attract an audience that are now parents of impressionable children forces them at least to downplay the double entendres: "But to deny it, the shows lose some of their mystique. The Kroffts prefer to remain playfully vague."[4] Martindale said in another interview that he fully believes Marty Krofft's insistence that he did not use drugs, especially given that Marty's focus was that of a businessman, but Martindale describes Sid Krofft as "a big kid" and "a hippy," saying, "His comment when I told him we were going to do this book was - and I quote - 'Oh, far out.' He says these shows didn't come from smoking just a little pot, and you could say, 'Oh, yeah. It comes from smoking a lot of pot.' But I think he was very deliberately doing double meanings so the show could amuse people on different levels."[12] Kevin Burke, co-author of Saturday Morning Fever: Growing Up with Cartoon Culture, argues that the "consistency of thought" in the rumors of drug references has a basis, although his co-author and brother Timothy Burke, a history professor insists "human beings are capable of achieving hallucinatory heights without chemical assistance."[4] Contradicting his own position, Marty Krofft has either admitted or hinted in occasional interviews that the references were made knowingly; in one case, a writer reported that when pressed as to the connotation of "lids" in the title Lidsville, "Well, maybe we just had a good sense of humor," Krofft said, laughing."[9] His comments to another interviewer were more direct; in a Times Union profile whose author observed, "Watching the shows today, it's hard to imagine a show with more wink-and-nod allusions to pot culture, short of something featuring characters named Spliffy and Bong-O," Krofft conceded that the show's title had been an intentional marijuana reference, as had Lidsville, but "that was just a prank to see if they could get them past clueless NBC executives" (author's words).[13]

Parodies and tributes

One of the most notable parodies of H.R. Pufnstuf was "The Altered State of Druggachusetts", a segment on the HBO comedy series Mr. Show with Bob and David. The sketch consists of a failed pilot for a kids' show introduced by "Sam and Criminy Crafft" (Bob Odenkirk and David Cross). The show itself is similar to H.R. Pufnstuf, with drug references made humorously overt. Instead of a talking flute, the boy carries a talking bong, and all of the residents in Druggachusetts take or are living incarnations of various narcotics.[14][15]

Nike made a skateboarding shoe for their SB Dunk line named after the show, with the colors of the shoe resembling those of Pufnstuf.[16]

Excerpts from the show can often be seen playing on the TV in the hotel room Earl and his brother share in My Name Is Earl, and the October 18, 2007, episode features an extended scene with H.R. Pufnstuf as a super-crimefighter working alongside the title-character's brother in a fantasy creative-writing exercise.[citation needed]

H.R. Pufnstuf appeared in the South Park episode "Imaginationland." That episode also aired on the same week of his appearance on My Name Is Earl.[citation needed]

In the "Happy Birthdays" episode of George Lopez, it is said that H.R. Pufnstuf was one of George's childhood heroes, and a man in a Pufnstuf costume appears at Max's birthday party. Later on, George dances to the Pufnstuf theme with the man in the costume.[citation needed]

The rock band Everclear's music video for "AM Radio," a tribute to the 1960s and 1970s, features a short clip from the show.[citation needed]

The first season CHiPs episode, "Green Thumb Burglar" featured H.R. Pufnstuf pulled over driving a car. Ponch and Jon make him get out of the car and walk, as the costume obstructs the driving view of the road.

In Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, when Ace is roughly shoved against a car, he says, "Hey! What are you? H. R. Shovenstuf?", an obvious reference.

On the NBC television show Will & Grace in episode 1-09 "The Truth About Will & Dogs" "Will" becomes obsessed with a new puppy "Grace" adopted. While having an argument about the way Grace is treating the puppy, he accuses her of giving the puppy the "Witchiepoo Finger" when the puppy does something wrong. This is a reference to the character Witchiepoo and her trademark point.

In the sci-fi series Farscape, the character Utu-Noranti Pralatong is nicknamed "Witchiepoo" by the series' protagonist, John Crichton.

In recent internet culture, some consider H.R. Pufnstuf to be a close relative to the Pillsbury Doughboy, who is better known as Pop'N'Fresh. [17]

References

  1. ^ New video boxed-set "The World of Sid and Marty Krofft"
  2. ^ PUFNSTUF (1970, U.S.)
  3. ^ CoolCopyright | Chapter 6 | Sid & Marty Krofft Television Productions, Inc. v. McDonald's Corp
  4. ^ a b c d Rob Owen. "'H.R. Pufnstuf' leads TV Land's foray into 'retrovision'," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 1 1999, page D1.
  5. ^ a b Liz Boas. "When giant puppets walked the Earth, Sid and Marty Krofft creations like `H.R. Pufnstuf ' once roamed wild on kids' TV - now they're invading again: A Sid and Marty Krofft Primer," Austin American-Statesman, December 12 1996, XL Entertainment section, page 38.
  6. ^ a b Tim Clodfelter. "Revival: the fantastic worlds of Sid and Marty Krofft are back in vogue again," Winston-Salem Journal (Winston-Salem, NC, August 17 2000, page E1.
  7. ^ Ward Triplett. "Who's your friend?" (Etc. column), The Kansas City Star, February 2, 2004, page D3.
  8. ^ a b c Daniel P. Finney. "Creators are clear: 'Pufnstuf' was definantly an acid trip," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 17, 2004, page D3.
  9. ^ a b c Kevin Walker. "Masters of puppets - New videos. Movies deals on the table. Suddenly, former Saturday morning television kings Sid and Marty krofft are hot again," The Tampa Tribune, June 18 1999, Friday Extra! section, page 20.
  10. ^ "H.R. Pufnstuf: The Strange World of Sid & Marty Krofft". E! True Hollywood Story. E!. 2000.
  11. ^ Ellen Warren & Terry Armour. "Steppenwolf book impresses Metcalf, who should know" (INC. column; includes news brief on the E! special), Chicago Tribune, December 11 2000, page 2.
  12. ^ Elda Silva. "Head back in time with David Martindale's 'Reruns' column," San Antonio Express-News, April 20 1998, page 1C.
  13. ^ Mark McGuire. "Hey kids, it's Wink and Nod: Sid and Marty Krofft (mostly) made the '60s vounterculture safe for Saturday morning television," The Times Union (Albany, NY), February 13 2004, page D1.
  14. ^ Richard Leiby. "Wham! Right on the funny bone: the high low comedy of 'Mr. Show'," Washington Post, October 23 1997, page B1.
  15. ^ Video clip of "The Altered State of Druggachusetts" on YouTube
  16. ^ Nike Dunk Low Premium SB (Pufnstuf) :: NIKE SKATEBOARDING :: skiptomyshoe.com
  17. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pillsbury_Doughboy

External links

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