Reputably known for his creative children’s programs like HR Pufnstuf and popular primetime series like Donny & Marie in the 1970s, TV producer Marty Krofft passed away in Los Angeles at the age of 86, according to his publicist Harlan Boll.
He passed away on Saturday, with kidney failure being the cause of death. Sid and Marty began their careers as puppeteers and went on to receive stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Along the way, they gave children’s television a distinct and dreamlike feel and launched singing siblings like Donny and Marie Osmond, as well as Barbara Mandrell and her sisters, to primetime fame.
In 2018, the brothers were honored with a Daytime Emmy for lifetime achievement, and two years later, they were inducted into the Walk of Fame.
Sid Krofft shared his sadness over his younger brother’s passing on Instagram, stating that Marty’s fans meant the world to him.
HR Pufnstuf made a lasting impression on cultural history
With its wholesome variety show hosted by the youngest hosts on television at the time, The Osmonds made a lasting impression on the cultural history of the 1970s.
Later, in the 1990s, it saw a resurgence as a daytime talk show, and in 2010, it saw a Broadway Christmas production. With the 1980–1982 television series Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters, which highlighted the country music star, the Kroffts maintained their success.
Like the Osmonds, HR Pufnstuf showed enduring appeal in popular culture.
Even with just 17 episodes, the bizarre series, which included characters like a redheaded dragon in cowboy boots, a talking flute, an island, a witch, and a shipwrecked boy, ranked 27th in a 2007 TV Guide poll of all-time cult favorites.
Mutt & Stuff was another popular Krofft project
The title character appeared on another popular Krofft brothers project, Mutt & Stuff, which enjoyed multiple seasons on Nickelodeon more than 45 years after the show’s 1969 premiere.
Marty Krofft, proud of the long-lasting success, said, “I’ve got to give ourselves a pat on the back to make another hit at this time in our lives.” In an interview with the Associated Press prior to the episode’s filming in 2015, this viewpoint was expressed.
Though there was ongoing conjecture that HR Pufnstuf represented a 1960s obsession with consciousness-altering drugs, Krofft shot down these theories, saying, “If we did the drugs everybody thought we did, we’d be dead today.” He underlined how unfeasible it is to work while intoxicated, saying, “You cannot work stoned.”
More about the Krofft brothers
Born as Sid and Marty Yolas, Sid Krofft and Marty Krofft were a Canadian sibling duo best known for their work as writers, puppeteers, and creators of television.
They were also known as The Krofft Brothers. Especially in the 1970s, they produced a lot of children’s television shows and variety shows in the United States through their production company, Sid & Marty Krofft Pictures.
Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, Land of the Lost, and H.R. Pufnstuf are a few of their well-known works. Large-headed puppets, creative plotlines, and copious use of low-budget special effects were hallmarks of their fantasy shows.
Sid and Marty Krofft, of Greek and Hungarian ancestry, were born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Originally, their surname was Yolas. They admitted in 2008 that their earlier claim, made up by a publicist in the 1940s, that they were the fifth generation of puppeteers in their family was untrue. Peter, their father, began his career as a clock salesman in Canada.
He later moved to Providence, Rhode Island, and then to New York City. The well-known puppeteer Sid Krofft did vaudeville acts and featured performances with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
Sid developed “The Unusual Artistry of Sid Krofft,” a solo puppet show, in the 1940s and performed it all over the world.
