November 25, 2023
Marty Krofft, one half of the Krofft brand of brothers who brought us a slew of iconic '70s kids' shows, died Saturday, November 25, 2023, of kidney failure in L.A.
He was 86, and is survived by older brother Sid, who is 94.
Mr. Krofft, born on April 9, 1937, in Montréal, followed his brother into puppetry in the 1950s with their Les Poupées de Paris, a puppet show for grown-ups that received TV exposure in 1965.
Their big break came when they were asked to contribute to the characters and sets of Hanna-Barbera's The Banana Splits (1968-1970), which showcased their gift for imaginatively corny showmanship, which would dominate their future output.
Their first co-production for television, H.R. Pufnstuf (1968-1970), was a sensation that lives on in pop culture history — in spite of having just 17 episodes and one feature film (1970). It made actor Jack Wild (1952-2006) into a teen star, and provided a memorable role for Billie Hayes (1924-2021) as Witchiepoo.
A sort of psychedelic Wizard of Oz, the series was followed in rapid succession by their shows The Bugaloos (1970-1971), Lidsville (1971-1972), Sigmund and the Sea Monsters (1973-1974), Land of the Lost (1974-1975), Far Out Space Nuts (1975), The Lost Saucer (1975) and The Krofft Super Show (1976-1977), which featured such series as Electra Woman and Dyna Girl.
They also produced specials or series for the cast of The Brady Bunch, Donny & Marie Osmond, the Bay City Rollers, Raquel Welch, the Mandrell Sisters, Patti LaBelle and ... Richard Pryor!
Other noteworthy productions include the disastrous Pink Lady and Jeff ( 1980) and the political satire D.C. Follies (1987-1989).
The brothers were producers on the 2009 Land of the Lost feature film.
In 2020, they received a joint star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They were also recipients of a Lifetime Achievement Daytime Emmy.
Marty is survived by his two brothers, three children, five grandchildren and one great-grandkid.
