If you were a child in the late 1960s or early 1970s, chances are you saw a few episodes of H.R. Pufnstuf. H.R. Pufnstuf came in 22nd on TV guide’s Top 25 Cult Shows. I was born in 1974 and I remember gathering around the TV to watch Jimmy, Witchiepoo and all the other characters of H.R. Pufnstuf.
In 1969, Sid and Marty Kroff, who also created The Banana Splits, came up with the classic, H.R. Pufnstuf. The show was on the air through 1971 and had a total of 17 episodes. The show was so popular that NBC ran the reruns for many years.
The story is about Jimmy (Jack Wild), a boy who has a magic golden flute. The flute talks and is named Freddy. The evil Wilhelmina W. Witchiepoo (Billie Hayes) wants the flute and tries to trap Jimmy. She tricks him into getting into a boat headed for adventure. Witchiepoo rides along above the boat in a crazy broom-like contraption called a “Vroom Broom.” Jimmy becomes shipwrecked on Living Island and is saved by Mayor H.R. Pufnstuf, who is a dragon. Everything on Living Island is alive, even the trees.
Jimmy was taken in by Pufnstuf. He took Jimmy to a cave to protect him from Witchiepoo. Pufnstuf’s cave is the only place the witch’s magic has no effect. Jimmy and Wilhelmina W. Witchiepoo are the only humans in this show. The other characters on the island are comprised of people in large costumes or puppets. These characters included castles, houses, clocks, boats, books, and mushrooms – you name it, was alive. Witchiepoo and her henchmen Orson Vulture, Seymour Spider, and Stupid Bat were always trying to get Jimmy and his flute. Their efforts always failed, just like Jimmy’s attempts to get home.
One of my favorite episodes was “The Birthday Party,” when Jimmy turned 12 on the island. The show was always one of my favorites. From time to time, I will catch myself singing, “H.R. Pufnstuf, Who’s your friend when things get tough….” The show also inspired a full-length feature film in 1970, simply named, Pufnstuf.
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