In the ninth episode of "Cherry Magic," the romantic comedy Japanese drama, we see the continuation of the heartwarming story of Adachi and Kurosawa. Adachi discovers that Kurosawa has been harboring romantic feelings for him and is blown away by this revelation. He starts questioning his own feelings and wonders if he should reciprocate. As Adachi tries to come to terms with his emotions, he realizes that he has been developing feelings for Kurosawa as well. However, he is afraid to confess his true feelings due to the fear of rejection and the potential impact it may have on their friendship. Meanwhile, Kurosawa starts to feel frustrated as he can sense Adachi distancing himself.
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65 years ago, she was a “New Face.” But in her most famous role, you never got to see her face.
Billie Hayes was packed under all kinds of make-up as the scenery-munching Witchiepoo on H.R. Pufnstuf, a live-action show nestled amongst the cartoons on Saturday mornings in the 1969-70 television season.
Only seventeen episodes were made but they still resonate with anyone who watched the show way-back-when. You can partially credit Hayes for that. Witchiepoo was supposed to be the villainess, but she seemed to be having a great time camping it up, so kids loved her.
Hayes has passed away at the age of 96.
She got a break when she was cast in “New Faces of 1956,” a revue staged by Leonard Sillman and partly written by Paul Lynde. She moved on to the role of Mammy Yokum in Li’l Abner not long afterwards. But she had been around before that. For example, she appeared in what Variety called a “vestpocket musical” that kicked around for about a year and a half before it arrived at Gogi’s Larue in New York City in 1953. Of the six original cast members, she was the only one kept for the whole time. The trade paper called her “a mugging cutup as evidenced in a very bouncy ‘Back in the Old Routine’,” which earned her an encore.
Here’s a story from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution of September 9, 1953. I don’t understand the ‘50s preoccupation with asking women show-folk about getting a man. There’s some of that in this story.
Visiting Comedienne Wants Contract With Fun, Not Man
By JEAN ROONEY
A visiting bachelor girl admits she wants a long-term contract, but it can be with a movie or TV company instead of a man.
But Billie Hayes may have been joking when she made this announcement as she came to Atlanta Tuesday morning from Manhattan.
A tiny, curvesome, platinum blond, a comedienne by trade, Billie is one of the stars of an entertainment troupe in the city for about 10 days to appear with an international fashion show to be presented by Rich’s and the Young Matron’s Circle for Tallulah Falls School, Sept. 14-19.
Husky-voiced Billy [sic], who weighs in at a neat 110 pounds and measures five feet two inches high, quickly explained she has nothing against romance.
“I just haven’t time to dress up and go out courting a man,” she elaborated, without a smile.
Besides Billie’s “awfully undomestic,” she reported. “I always have to pick a roommate who can cook.”
The little blonde bounced into the entertainment whirl when she was in high school in Du Quoin, Illinois.
Since then, “a hundred years ago,” she has made Manhattan her headquarters, fanning out for night club appearances over the country as well as starring on national TV shows.
With a style her friends say is like Mickey Rooney’s, Billie’s acts range from take-offs on a fluttery dean of a girls’ finishing school to a rubber-necking American tourist in Paris.
But the little blonde isn’t sure how she makes people laugh. “I guess I’m so doggoned happy other people know it,” she said.
As to Southerners’ sense of humor, Billie thinks they are “a little reserved and dignified in their appreciation of comic situations.”
“They don’t double up guffawing like audiences do in other parts of the country,” she explained.
She and Atlantans “understood each other” when Billie appeared in an Atlanta hotel supper club about a year ago.
“I hope I’m still good for a laugh,” she chuckled.
Let’s turn our attentions to the role you know about. Yes, a Saturday morning show which looked like Mayor McCheese would show up any minute drew the attention of a few reporters (and not because of drug culture fan theories). I haven’t found a byline for this feature story, which appeared in papers around November 18, 1969.
Much Ado About Witchiepoo
HOLLYWOOD — Witchiepoo, portrayed by Billy [sic] Hayes, might well qualify as the Sad Sack of Saturday morning television.
Somehow, Witchiepoo, hard as she may try, just doesn't qualify as an authentic genuine 14-karat creature of evil. She has too many hangups. For one thing, she seems to lack authority even in her own castle, as when she asks:
"Castle, Castle, I hate to boast.
But who's the Witch who sends you the most?"
When the castle answers, "Not you, you old fossil!" Witchiepoo's only recourse is to kick the castle and exclaim in frustration, "Ahhh, you got termites in your tower!"
This is the character who tries unsuccessfully every Saturday to make life difficult for "H. R. Pufnstuf," the friendly dragon-mayor of Living Island, and his island friends, especially Jimmy ("Oliver!" star Jack Wild) and Freddy Flute, on the NBC Television Network.
"I wanted to do this role very much," said Billie "Witchiepoo" Hayes, the gamine-like actress who considers herself basically a singing and dancing comedienne. "I felt they would really let me be nutty, zany and wild."
Witchiepoo, according to Billie, shares some of the elements of two other characters she has portrayed, including Mammy Yokum in "Lil’ Abner (Broadway, national company and motion picture), and Minnie Fay in "Hello Dolly" (Las Vegas).
"Witchiepoo" said Billie "is really wilder and nuttier than Mammy. She's allowed more freedom. She can cry and admit she was scared or frightened."
Witchiepoo's gentler elements remind Billie of Minnie Fay in “Hello Dolly.”
“Minnie had a sweet character,” said Billie. “This comes out from time to time in Witchiepoo, too, when she is down and feels a warmth for Seymour (one of her two otherwise abused sidekicks).
Billie, who is the youngest of four children (two boys and two girls) was born to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Brosch in Duquoin, Ill.
"My dad still lives there," she said. "He's a retired coal-miner. He was president of his Local for 40 years. My dad is a sort of colorful kind of character, and I'm a lot like him. He's like a gremlin. He's a nonstop talker. He has a booming voice and stands up and uses his hands when he tells a story." Billie's mother passed away in 1952.
"She was a great, softspoken cheery, outgoing person," said Billie. "I was thrilled when a family friend came to me after the show in Las Vegas and said, 'I can't tell you how you remind me of your mother.' You look and act just like her. Mother was very dedicated to helping people who were in need. She was also the school's Santa Claus every year. I believed her till the third grade. Then I recognized Momma's voice. I asked her if she was Santa Claus. She said, 'Only at school.' I called her Santa in class, but when she gave me my present, I whispered 'Thank you. Momma.' "
Billy, who is single, lives in Hollywood. She has two new hobbies, photography and bicycling (she just bought a 10-speed bike). She also has an 11-year-old dog, Tina, a boxer-Great Dane.
"She's my true life sidekick" said Billie. "But I don't hit her, like I do Orson in the series."
Billie is pleased at the way youngsters are taking to Witchiepoo. As one adult friend put it, "They love Jack (Wild), but they don't hate you you've got that hangup!"
If she needed evidence that children like her, she got it recently when a mother kept prodding her shy youngster to speak to Witchiepoo, As she knelt down to the boy's level, he asked, "Will you hug me?"
Margaret Hamilton, who knew a little something about witches, praised Hayes’ performance on ‘Pufnstuf,’ calling her “one of the best witches ever.” Perhaps for once, the Wicked Witch of the West got something right.
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Air Dates:
On NBC, from 9/6/69 - 9/4/71
On ABC, from 9/16/72 - 9/1/74
Number of Episodes:
17
While out by the sea one day, Jimmy, a teenager, and Freddie, his talking flute, were lured to a boat. The boat was sent by Witchiepoo, an evil witch who wanted Freddie. Once Jimmy and Freddie had taken off in the boat, Witchiepoo changed it into an evil ship. Jimmy and Freddie were rescued by H. R. Pufnstuf, a talking dragon who is the mayor of Living Island. On Living Island, everything on the island is actually living, including trees, flowers, books and candles (hence the name, Living Island).
Throughout the series, Jimmy tried to return home and Witchiepoo tried to get Freddie - neither of them ever suceeded.
Technically, Pufnstuff did not start in the 1970s. It originally aired in 1969 and was into reruns by the time the decade arrived. Since it continued to air on Saturdays until September 73 (and continued on Sunday mornings for an additional year) and was the show that started the whole slew of Krofft shows on Saturday morning and ushered in a whole new era of live action Saturday morning shows in the 70s, I felt it had to be included on this site. Although there was only one season of new episodes, the show spawned a feature length film, Pufnstuf, in 1970.
Pufnstuf and Witchiepoo, along with various other secondary characters, were brought back from time to time for appearances on other Saturday morning Krofft shows (including the Krofft Superstar Hour/Bay City Rollers Show), live events, and prime time series, like the Krofft produced Brady Bunch Hour and even CHiPs.
(November 2010) HR Pufnstuf is being re-released on DVD on Jaunary 18, 2011. The set will be available in two formats, the standard one and a collector's edition which includes a Pufnstuf bobblehead. So far, the bonus features announced include downloadable vintage coloring book sheets and an episode of Horror Hotel, which was one of the segments on the Krofft Superstar Hour and The Bay City Rollers Show and featured Witchiepoo and other Pufnstuf characters.
Pre-order the DVDs from Amazon:
(May 2009) For those that haven't picked up the, now out-of-print, box set, all 17 episodes of the series are now available for purchase from iTunes.
The Pufnstuf movie is also available from iTunes. For those that would prefer a hard copy version of the movie, it was also released on DVD this month. While there are no extras included, the DVD contains the wide screen version of the film.
(May 2008) Once again, a three hour block of Krofft shows are airing on cable in California. Currently, Pufnstuff is airing as part of the block. More information is available here.
Paul Lynde Halloween Special was released on DVD on October 2, 2007. The 1976 special features an appearance by Billie Hayes as Witchiepoo, along with Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch of the West. Other guests include Betty White, Tim Conway, Florence Henderson, and the rock group KISS.
Lennie Weinrib, who provided the voice of H.R. Pufnstuf and was a writer on the series, passed away on June 28th. Besides voicing Pufnstuf, Weinrib was also the main writer on the series. Weinrib provided many of the voices for other Krofft series, including Lidsville and Sigmund and the Sea Monsters. Other Saturday morning live action work included voicing the character of Knock-Knock, the woodpecker, on the Skatebirds, as well as guest spots on the Ghost Busters and the Kids from C.A.P.E.R.
Krofft writer Mark Evanier's wrote a great obit on Weinrib here and linked to another good one here, which lists many of his animation credits.
Other Pufnstuf clips are available through the Krofft's Myspace Video page.
Images/Screen Captures:
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A painting by artist Matthew Bone in the Krofft Super Art Show.
I’m pretty sure that most of our readers over the age of 40 are familiar with the work of Sid & Marty Krofft. The brothers were responsible for bringing strange, and sometimes psychedelic TV shows like H.R. Pufnstuf, The Banana Splits, and Sigmund and the Sea Monsters to the minds of impressionable kids back in the late 60s and early 70s. Now interpretations of the many colorful and weird TV characters the Krofft’s created for their television shows are on display at a show at the La La Land Gallery in Los Angeles.
The show opened late last month and featured work from over twenty artists including The Ren & Stimpy Show alumnus Chris Reccardi who had this to say about his childhood memories of H.R. Pufnstuf:
“It’s innocent.” People grow up, but I think the best people just grow layers around the child within them. Part of it is nostalgia, ‘Oh my gosh, this meant so much to me as a kid.’ I’ve worked in animation for 35 years and H.R. Pufnstuf—I’m not familiar with their other stuff—it’s a well-written show. Even though it’s pre-school, it’s not stupid.”
The various artistic expressions based on the characters created by the Krofft brothers that are featured in the show include paintings, three-dimensional works, and even a felt cereal box with H.R. Pufnstuf’s famous mug on it. If you’re in the Los Angeles area, I’d highly recommend taking in the fantastic-looking show as it runs through September 25th. Images that are currently hanging on the walls of the La La Land Gallery below can be seen below.
“AhSidAndMartyWanna” by Oliver Hibert.
“H.R. Puf’n'Puf” by Chris Reccardi.
“Banana Splits Drop Out” by Dawn Aquarius.
“Swirlies Cereal” by Snaggs. The back of the box is pictured below.
“Pufnstuf Parade” by Krista Perry.
“Sigmund” by Jesse Riggle.
“PufNStuff” by Art of Chase.
“H.R. Pufnstuf, Jimmy & Freddy” by Arbito.
A contribution from La La Land’s own Kii Arens.
Meanwhile, Kurosawa starts to feel frustrated as he can sense Adachi distancing himself. He becomes unsure if he should confess his feelings or if it will jeopardize their friendship. The episode beautifully portrays the complexities of emotions and the fear of taking a leap of faith in matters of the heart.
Throughout the episode, we see Adachi and Kurosawa interacting with each other, trying to navigate their newfound feelings. They share moments of laughter, vulnerability, and understanding, further deepening their bond. It becomes evident that their connection goes beyond friendship, and they both yearn for something more. In the final scene, we are left on a cliffhanger as Adachi nervously contemplates whether to confess his feelings to Kurosawa or not. The suspense leaves viewers eagerly waiting for the next episode to see how their relationship unfolds. Overall, episode nine of "Cherry Magic" showcases the emotional journey of Adachi and Kurosawa as they navigate their feelings for each other. It highlights the delicacy of romantic relationships and the fear of risking friendship for love. Viewers are left eagerly anticipating the next episode to witness the climax of this heartwarming story..
Reviews for "The emotional journey of the characters in Cherry Magic! Episode 9"
1. John - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "Cherry Magic" episode 9. The pacing felt off and the storyline didn't progress much. The characters were also behaving in ways that didn't make sense based on their previous development. Overall, it felt like a filler episode that didn't contribute much to the overall plot. I hope the next episode will be better.
2. Sarah - 1 star - Episode 9 of "Cherry Magic" was a complete letdown for me. The writing felt lazy and predictable. The dialogue was cringe-worthy, and the acting wasn't convincing. I found myself fast-forwarding through most of the episode because I lost interest. I hope the show can regain its charm in the next episodes.
3. Alex - 2 stars - I was really enjoying "Cherry Magic" until I watched episode 9. The storyline took a strange turn, and it felt completely out of place. Some of the character actions and decisions were unrealistic and inconsistent with their personalities. It felt like the writers were trying too hard to create drama without thinking about the logic behind the characters' choices. I hope they can redeem themselves in the upcoming episodes.
4. Emily - 3 stars - Episode 9 of "Cherry Magic" didn't live up to my expectations. The plot felt scattered, and it was hard to follow what was happening. Some scenes dragged on for too long, while others were rushed. The editing could have been tighter to create a more cohesive narrative. I was hoping for more character development, but it felt like a missed opportunity. I hope the show can get back on track in the next episode.
5. Michael - 2 stars - I have been a fan of "Cherry Magic" since the beginning, but episode 9 was a disappointment. The writing felt lazy and lacked creativity. The conflicts introduced in this episode were dealt with in a superficial and predictable manner. The chemistry between the characters also felt forced and unnatural. I hope the show can improve in the future episodes and bring back the magic it had at the start.