The ‘HR Pufnstuf’ co-creator was 96 years old.

seed croftAn imaginative puppeteer who teamed up with his younger brother Marty to build an entertainment empire. triple TV shows such as banana Split Adventure Hour, HR Purple Stuff and lost landyou are dead He was 96 years old.

croftwho was eight years older than Marty and a creative force in the business, died in his sleep Friday at the Los Angeles home of his friend and business partner, Kelly Killian. Marty dying 86 years old in November 2023.

“I dream the dream and Marty makes it happen,” Sid said of their 2000 partnership. interview For the Television Academy Foundation.

The two were well-known theater puppeteers when they were hired in 1968 to design costumes for NBC’s live-action segment. Banana Split Adventure Hour. Furry animal characters (Figgle,bingo, dropper and Snooki), members of the rock band were an instant hit on the Saturday morning show, which ran from 1968-70 (and was rerun thereafter).

The following year, NBC asked them to create a Saturday morning children’s show, and they came up with the following proposal: HR Purple StuffIt’s a story about a shipwrecked boy (Jimmy, played by Jack Wild) who lands on a magical island. title character, Purple Stuffis a modified version of Luther, a friendly dragon created for the 1968 show. Hemis pair In San Antonio.

NBC first wanted a second season of 17 episodes, but they declined because the brothers only offered a raise in rights fees, which was well below what it cost to make the show. Purple Stuff It was canceled in 1970 but continued in reruns.

Purple Stuff‘S The psychedelic sets and costumes were such a hit with college students that the Beatles requested that a complete set of tapes of the episodes be sent to England. The appearance of the show sparked many whispers that the brothers had been on drugs (perhaps LSD as well?), but Marty denied this.

“You can’t just put on a show,” he said. said The Hollywood Reporter When I visited for exploration in January 2016 croft Archive.

The duo followed. Purple Stuff with Boogalus (1970-72), claymation series Leesville (1971-73), Sigmund and the Sea Monster (1973-75) and lost land (1974-76) spawned an ill-fated Will Ferrell film adaptation in 2009. The show also became very popular in syndication.

“We broke the hearts of all the children.” Marty said. thursday. “There is this. croft Look – the colors. It has an edge. “Disney has no edge.”

actually, crofts‘The style was so popular that McDonald’s copied it and created Mayor. Mac Cheese and McDonald’s Land early 1970s Advertising campaign. that crofts He sued and won a reported seven-figure settlement in 1977.

A year ago, the brothers opened The World of Sid & Marty. croft A theme park at the new Omni Complex (now CNN headquarters) in downtown Atlanta. Spread over six levels, it is said to be the world’s first vertical amusement park. It had about 600,000 visitors during the recession. 70’sHowever, it was not enough to cover the costs and interest payments, and the park closed after just six months.

Before long, other small children’s producers included: Hanna-Barbera sold to a large company, crofts We were still developing the show into a great finale. 1960s Independent. By the end of 2015, they had a hit on Nickelodeon. mutts and stuff (He even appeared as a guest in one episode. Purple Stuff).

that crofts He has also developed numerous live-action variety shows, including: brady bunch hour, Donny & Marie Show, Bay City Rollers Show and Barbara pick and pick sisters.

They produced another children’s show based on their childhood, hosted by Richard Pryor, and their puppets toured with acts such as: Judy Garland, liberationThe Mills Brothers, Tony Martin, Cyd Charisse and frank sinatra.

croft He was born in Montreal on July 30, 1929, and as a child he and his family lived in Maine, Rhode Island, and the Bronx. As for PR, the brothers like to say they come from a multi-generational lineage of puppeteers. In fact, the story was fabricated. Their father was a watch salesman who immigrated from Greece at an early age. 1900s.

“The Krofft family played with dolls their whole lives.” Marty joked about the brothers’ childhood interest in puppetry. By the age of 15, Sid was already clubbing in New York.

(They had two other brothers. high Harry, who died while fighting in World War II and passed away last year, briefly worked at a company before entering real estate.)

At age 20, Sid was hired by Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, and Marty joined his brother full-time in 1958 after his assistant left. they opened them Poupe in parisis an adult-only burlesque puppet show that was a huge hit when performed to sold-out crowds at dinner theaters in the San Fernando Valley.

“them Poupe It took us from acting, Sid’s acting, to business,” Marty said. mclain I was there on opening night and I came while Richard Nixon was running for president.

them Poupe took it with World’s fairs were held in Seattle in 1962, New York in 1964, and San Antonio in 1968. There were 240 dolls, most of them topless women. hour The magazine called it “dirty puppetry.”

Afterwards, the production became so popular that “we couldn’t even take our closest friends to the theater,” Sid said. It attracted approximately 9.5 million viewers during its first 10 years of performance.

All of this led to performances at Six Flags amusement parks across the United States, at one point employing more than 100 puppeteers, and appearances on television, including regular gigs. dean martin show (They created a chorus line of attractive girl dolls for variety shows before being replaced by The gold diggers).

Survivors include his three nieces (Marty’s daughters), Deanna, Christina and Kendra; Publicist Adam Fenton said Krofft had surgery in November and his recovery had been “difficult and disappointing.”

Until recently, Krofft and Killian were interviewing celebrities for their Instagram Live show. Sunday with Sid. At the time of his death, they were finishing two books about his life and career. One is from Croft’s perspective as a performer, the other is from Croft’s perspective as a behind-the-scenes character.

“I loved Sid with all my heart. He taught me more than I can put into words about the art of Hollywood, the magic of the stage, and the depth and complexity of human nature,” she said. “I didn’t know Sid for his show. I only knew the guy who created it. And that man was special. I wish I spent more time with him. I will miss his big blue eyes, his dimpled, cheerful smile and the warmth that seemed to follow him wherever he went.”