1969: What’s an H.R. Pufnstuf?

It was at the San Antionio HemisFair in 1968 where inspiration for the Krofft brothers first TV show came from. Sid and Marty also put together a children’s stage show called Kaleidoscope which featured a dragon called Luther and they had hopes of making a Luther Land TV show. NBC didn’t like the name, so the Krofft’s came up with Pufnstuf inspired by the song, “Puff the Magic Dragon.” Sid later added H.R. to the name meaning “royal highness” only backwards. Premiering on this day in 1969, the show featured Jimmy (Jack Wild who played Oliver Twist in the movie musical, Oliver!) and his talking flute who boarded a happy-looking boat promising to take them on an adventure. Instead, the boat, which was owned by Wilhelmina W. Witchiepoo (Billie Hayes), was a trap to steal the flute. Jimmy is rescued by H.R. Pufnstuf (voiced by the show’s writer, Lennie Weinrib) and together they spent the next 16 episodes trying to get the boy back home. He never made it. The show’s theme song was written by Les Szarvas but is also credited to Paul Simon when he successfully sued the Krofft brothers for mimicking his song, “Feelin’ Groovy,” too closely. Though the show was a huge success, it was just too expensive for the Kroffts to produce. However, Pufnstuf the character made appearances in Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, C.H.I.P.S. and even The George Lopez Show.