Friday, October 29, 2010

Lidsville - from http://vinnierattolle.blogspot.com

"In the middle of a summer, in the middle of a park, there began a great adventure for a boy whose name was Mark..."


Yes, on September 11, 1971 (whatta date!), the brothers Krofft premiered their legendary, whacked-out kiddie show, "Lidsville." The original Eddie Munster, Butch Patrick, played the aforementioned Mark, a nosy boy who fell into a magician's hat and wound up stranded in a world full of Hat-People. The nemesis of the Hat People was The Great Horatio J. Hoodoo, a manic, green-faced wizard who was campily portrayed by stage legend (and "Match Game" star) Charles Nelson Reilly. Starring as the bumbling, somewhat asexual Genie who escapes Hoodoo's clutches and winds up serving Mark was none other than Billie Hayes, who'd made a splash a few years earlier as the wise-cackling Witchipoo, the villain in "H.R. Pufnstuf." The seventeen episodes revolved around Mark's attempts to return to the real world as Hoodoo made life miserable for him and the good hat people.


Just like "Pufnstuf," "Lidsville" has come under scrutiny for a variety of reasons. By the time the Kroffts' third series hit the air, they'd discovered that they'd gained a reputation with viewers older than their target demographic, and it's reflected in the writing. Matter of fact, although it was very innocent (and would fly over the heads of youngsters), they even managed to slip in a pretty dirty joke during a song crooned by Hoodoo and crossover guest Witchipoo.


The titular "Lid" is an old slang term for a hat, but by the '70s the word "Lid" had taken on an entirely new meaning, namely as slang for an eighth of an ounce of marijuana. The title coupled with the completely off the wall premise (living hat people) and trademark, kitschy, colorful designs of Sid and Marty Krofft shows, resulted in the show now being looked upon as a kiddie acid trip. And perhaps rightly so, though the Krofft brothers vehemently deny the use of any mind altering substances by themselves or the crew. Butch Patrick, however, later claimed that he'd smelled a very distinctive odor wafting from Sid's office...


Seeing episodes of the show today, it looks like Charles Nelson Reilly was having the time of his life devouring the scenery. And perhaps he was once the cameras were rolling and he got into character. However, the makeup and wardrobe that Reilly had to wear as Hoodoo was grueling, and he was so miserable on-set that he was unashamed to let everyone know of his misery. One day Reilly took "a Hoodoo Holiday" and simply didn't come to work -- which halted production, much to the annoyance of the entire cast and crew. For years following "Lidsville," Reilly tried to distance himself from the show (he gnashed his teeth every time someone mentioned it on "Match Game"), but before he died, Mr. Reilly finally embraced the role that made him familiar to a generation of children.


Music wasn't quite as pivotal to "Lidsville" as it was to "H.R. Pufnstuf" and "The Bugaloos," but there was still plenty of it. Butch Patrick entered the show telling producers he couldn't sing, so he wasn't called on to do it often. In Hoodoo's home, there was the resident "Hat Band" who'd routinely interrupt scenes with their annoying songs -- which were usually all sung to the same melody. One of the good hat people was a definite precursor to Adam Sandler's recurring "SNL" sketch, Opera Man -- Tonsilini the top hat only spoke in operatic song. No album was released, so I ripped the music from the DVD. If I were to include all of the songs sung by The Hat Band and Tonsilini, this share would be unbearable, so it's incomplete... but it has all of the big songs from the show and at least it's listenable. Butch Patrick did eventually record a few songs; I've not been able to find his single "Gypsy Rainbow," but I tacked on four of his other tracks: "I.O.I.O." / "I Want Sugar All the Time" (backed by Sugarloaf) and "What Ever Happened to Eddie?"/"Little Monsters," which he released under the name "Eddie and the Monsters." I've also included Marilyn Manson's song "Dope Hat." Nope, I'm not mad as a hatter for doing so -- Manson sampled some dialogue from "Lidsville" in the song.

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