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Pufnstuf (film)

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Pufnstuf
Original Theatrical Poster
Directed byHollingsworth Morse
Written byJohn Fenton Murray
Si Rose
Produced bySid and Marty Krofft
Si Rose
Malcolm Alper
StarringJack Wild
Billie Hayes
Martha Raye
Mama Cass
Billy Barty
Voices of
Walker Edmiston
Joan Gerber
Al Melvin
Don Messick
CinematographyKenneth Peach
Edited byDavid Rawlins
Music byCharles Fox
Production
company
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release dates
  • 3 June 1970 (1970-06-03) (San Antonio, Texas - Premiere)
  • 15 June 1970 (1970-06-15) (United States)
Running time
98 minutes
94 minutes
(Sony print)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1 million[1]

Pufnstuf (also known as Pufnstuf Zaps the World) is a 1970 American comedy fantasy musical film produced by Sid and Marty Krofft Enterprises and released by Universal Pictures. It is based on the children's television series H.R. Pufnstuf, a show that features a cast of puppets on a "living island."

Plot

[edit]

After Jimmy is wrongfully ejected from the school band for tripping, his flute transforms into a magical talking golden flute named Freddy and they venture on a journey. Orchestrated by Witchiepoo, Jimmy takes an evil boat to Living Island, an island where everything is alive. He befriends the island's inhabitants, who are led by Mayor H.R. Pufnstuf, but the evil Witchiepoo is determined to steal Freddy the Flute from him in order to impress the visiting Witches' Council and the Boss Witch so that she may win the Witch of the Year Award.

The witch steals the flute by disguising herself as a pretty dance instructor. Jimmy and Pufnstuf then head to Dr Blinky’s and think of a plan to rescue Freddy. Jimmy then came of with an idea thanks to a talking chimney. Jimmy and his new friends recover the flute by disguising themselves as firemen while having Googy Gopher dig a tunnel to Witchiepoo's castle and faking a fire. As the gang celebrates their victory of saving Freddy, a mail carrier pelican named Orville Pelican showed up delivering the mail. This gives Pufnstuf and his friends an idea to get Jimmy and Freddy off the island. So they hitch a ride in Orville’s beak but failed to take off and crashed into a rock due to the weight.

When Witchiepoo receives a call from Boss Witch saying she’s bringing her witch convention to Witchiepoo’s castle and wants to see Freddy flute, she retaliates by bombing and destroying Pufnstuf's town. During the rampage, she is blown away by the West Wind (portrayed as a cowboy head), which destroys her Vroom Broom.

Jimmy feels sorry for having endangered the Living Island inhabitants and leaves with his flute without telling them in order to prevent further danger. Witchiepoo returns to Pufnstuf's town disguised as a flower and shrinks all of the inhabitants before casting them into her castle dungeon as prisoners. When Jimmy learns what has happened to the townspeople, he is resolved to save them.

Witchiepoo prepares Pufnstuf as the main meal by putting him in a rotisserie with an apple in his mouth. As Boss Witch and the other witches of the council including Witch Hazel arrive for the convention, Jimmy disguises himself as a witch to enter with the other witches. Jimmy is exposed while trying to save Pufnstuf. The witch steals Freddy once again while Jimmy was placed in the dungeon with the others.

When all hope was lost, Googy Gopher digs into the dungeon to save them all, except for Pufnstuf, who will soon be cooked. As Jimmy and the gang escapes the castle, Boss Witch makes a deal with Witchiepoo, She’ll make Witchiepoo the witch of the year if she gives her Freddy. Witchiepoo accepted the deal. Meanwhile back at Dr Blinky’s house, they plan a rescue. A book tells them that the only thing that scares witches is a good fairy angel. They all dress as white good fairy angels, raid the castle, scare off the Witches' Council and save Freddy and Pufnstuf.

Witchiepoo is the only witch to discover that they had been faking, and she flies to try to catch Boss Witch and the other witches to tell them to return. En route, her minion Orson sees the good guys at the town, and she orders him to use her doomsday bomb on them but also says to take the wheel. Orson accidentally drops the bomb inside the vehicle while literally taking the wheel, blowing the Vroom Broom apart and sending Witchiepoo and Orson plummeting to earth, lamenting yet another defeat.

Jimmy and his friends troubles we’re finally over…at least for now. During a closing musical number, Pufnstuf says, "When good friends pull together, they can do anything."

Cast

[edit]
  • Jack Wild - Jimmy
  • Billie Hayes - Wilhelmina W. Witchiepoo
  • Cass Elliot - Witch Hazel
  • Martha Raye - Boss Witch
  • Billy Barty - Googy Gopher, Orville Pelican, Dwarf Witch
  • Jane Dulo - Witch
  • Allison McKay
  • Jan Davis - Witch Way
  • Princess Livingston - Witch
  • Sharon Baird - Judy Frog, Stupid Bat, Shirley Pufnstuf
  • Joy Campbell - Cling, Orson, Boyd, Hippie Ant
  • Roberto Gamonet - H.R. Pufnstuf
  • Andy Ratoucheff - Alarm Clock
  • Angelo Rossitto - Clang, Seymour Spider
  • Felix Silla - Polkadot Horse
  • Johnny Silver - Dr. Blinky, Ludicrous Lion
  • Van Snowden
  • Lou Wagner
  • Hommy Stewart
  • Pat Lytell
  • Buddy Douglas
  • Jon Linton
  • Bob Howland
  • Scutter McKay
  • Roberta Keith - Dancer
  • Penny Krompier
  • Brooks Hunnicutt
  • Barrie Duffus - Dancer
  • Evelyn Dutton - Dancer
  • Tony Barro - Dancer
  • Ken Creel - Dancer
  • Fred Curt - Dancer
  • Dennis Edenfield - Dancer

Voice cast

[edit]
  • Walker Edmiston - Dr. Blinky, Ludicrous Lion, Seymour Spider, Candle, Hippie Tree
  • Joan Gerber - Madame Willow, Miss Wristwatch, Freddy the Flute (some scenes)
  • Al Melvin - H.R. Pufnstuf, Heinrich Rat, Living Island Boat, Orville Pelican, Polka-Dotted Horse, Stupid Bat, West Wind
  • Don Messick - Freddy the Flute, Googy Gopher, Orson Vulture

For unknown reasons, Lennie Weinrib, who voiced H.R. Pufnstuf and other characters in the TV series, did not reprise his roles for this film.

Production

[edit]

Prior to the debut of H.R. Pufnstuf, Sid and Marty Krofft announced in May 1969 their intentions to produce a feature film based off the series.[1]

Following the success of the H.R. Pufnstuf television series, the film was rushed into production for theatrical distribution, with filming beginning in January 1970.[2] The film was financed by Universal Pictures and Kellogg's Cereal,[2] also a sponsor of the television show.

Sid Krofft cast his next-door neighbor, singer Cass Elliot, as Witchiepoo's frenemy and bitter rival Witch Hazel.[3] According to actress Joy Campbell McKenzie, Elliot was "very distant. Not rude or arrogant but she just didn't mingle, which most people were surprised about."[4]

Martha Raye was cast as Boss Witch. The cast and crew expected Raye to behave as a diva, but she instead befriended those behind the scenes, even inviting them to dinner.[4] However, Wild referred to Raye as "a right old cow."[5] Raye's involvement in Pufnstuf led to her role as Benita Bizarre in the Kroffts' television show The Bugaloos. The film had its world premiere matinee in San Antonio, Texas on June 3, 1970.

Album

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A soundtrack album was released on LP, cassette and 8-track in 1970 (Capitol/EMI Records SW-542), featuring the songs and the score by Charles Fox. A bootleg version of the LP was rereleased on CD in 2006 by El Records (ACMEM65CD). While the pressing is by a legitimate European company, the source tape is an unauthorized bootleg, noticeable for several loops added to various tracks.

Track listing

[edit]
  1. "If I Could" - Jack Wild
  2. "Fire in the Castle"
  3. "Living Island" - Jack Wild/Cast
  4. "Witchiepoo's Lament"
  5. "Angel Raid"
  6. "A Friend In You" - Jack Wild
  7. "How Lucky I Am"
  8. "Pufnstuf" - Jack Wild/Cast
  9. "Charge"
  10. "Different" - Mama Cass Elliot
  11. "Zap The World" - Jack Wild, Billie Hayes, Martha Raye
  12. "Leaving Living Island"
  13. "Rescue Racer To The Rescue"
  14. "Finale:a) If I Could / b) Living Island" - Jack Wild
  • Note: The title song was covered by the Pickwick Children's Chorus on the album Sesame Street and Other Children's Pop Hits.

Home media

[edit]

Pufnstuf was released to DVD on May 19, 2009 by Universal Studios Home Entertainment. It includes the original trailer of the film, and it is presented in its original widescreen presentation. It was later released to Blu-ray disc on September 21, 2021 by Code Red, also in widescreen and with the original trailer.[6] The film is also available in digital media format.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Pufnstuf (1970)". AFI. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Passing Show, The Bridgeport Post, January 22, 1970 p. 21
  3. ^ Sid Krofft Interview on YouTube. Retrieved January 16, 2009.
  4. ^ a b The Joy Campbell McKenzie Interview [1] at [2] Living Island.
  5. ^ Wild, Jack It's a Dodger's Life (2016) p. 139
  6. ^ Pufnstuf, Blu-ray.com, Retrieved January 19, 2022
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