Whatever Happened to ‘H.R. Pufnstuff’s Jack Wild? The Tragic Story of the ’60s Child Star
I’ve written a lot about all of the amazing kids’ shows created by brothers Sid Krofft and Marty Krofft — and, whenever I mention H.R. Pufnstuf, without fail, someone will suggest that I do something on Jack Wild. Part of me has really not wanted to do it, mostly because I know how the story ends. That said, I’ve been doing a little more research and I have come to the conclusion that the actor’s story is a little more complex than it first appeared to be.
The Krofft brothers got the inspiration for H.R. Pufnstuf from work they did for the 1968 World’s Fair; fleshing those ideas out further, they developed the TV show, which debuted in 1969. Jack Wild starred as Jimmy, an 11-year-old boy who becomes shipwrecked by the nefarious Witchiepoo (played by the amazing Billie Hayes), who wants his magical flute. On the island, Jimmy meets its residents — living, talking objects.
Everett Collection
It’s surprising to realize that only a single season of this show was ever produced — the series aired so frequently in reruns, it felt like there were far more than just 17 episodes.
I know that Jack was proud of his work on this show, but probably not as proud as he was of the work he did on the 1968 movie Oliver!, where he played the Artful Dodger. That movie won six Oscars, including Best Picture, and Jack was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor at the age of 16. This is pretty awesome stuff for anyone, let alone a kid of Jack’s age. Throughout his career, Jack would look for opportunities to work again with friends like Mark Lester and Ron Moody, who played Oliver Twist and Fagin, respectively.
Oliver! (1968). Credit: Everett Collection
One of those opportunities occurred just a couple of years later, when Jack costarred with Mark Lester in the coming-of-age romance Melody. Although the film was a box office disappointment in both the U.S. and Britain, it turned out to be a huge hit in Japan, of all places. I really don’t remember this film, and to this day, I haven’t seen it. I have, however, heard many of the songs that came from the film’s soundtrack, including “To Love Somebody” and “First of May” by the Bee Gees, as well as the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young hit “Teach Your Children.”
Melody (1971). Credit: Everett Collection
While pursuing a motion picture and TV career, Jack was also creating music during the early seventies. He released three albums and had a minor hit in the UK with the single “Some Beautiful,” but he wasn’t ever really able to crack the music charts in the U.S. Still, the songs that I’ve listened to are enjoyable, and if you’re a fan of Jack’s work, they’re worth tracking down.
Jack’s last album was released in 1972, and I’ve got to think that he had to be a little disappointed by the frosty reception that all three albums received. He had been marketed in both the U.S. and the UK as a teen heartthrob, but he never really delivered the musical hits the way that David Cassidy, Bobby Sherman or Donny Osmond had.
Couple that kind of pressure he felt due to appearing in box office non-starters like his 1973 film The Fourteen, and it’s easy to see why, by the age of 21, Jack was already a diagnosed alcoholic. Fortunately, Jack had friends like Mark Lester who would, from time to time, check in on him. So, although the job offers were starting to dry up, he never felt like he was without friends.
For most of his career, Jack had always looked young. When he was filming H.R. Pufnstuf, the guy was 17 years old! It’s kind of amazing that when the years finally did catch up to Jack, they really caught up to him in a hard way. Later on in life, he looked even older than he really was. At some point, as his marriage was falling apart and he was starting to get feedback that opportunities were being missed because of his alcoholism, Jack said no more. He was resolute. He would change his life.
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Even during his most challenging times, Jack was always something of an optimist, and his ability to look forward in a positive way would prove invaluable throughout his life. Once Jack was able to turn things around, good things did start to happen.
In 1991, Jack scored a role in Kevin Costner‘s Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. It was a small role, but a fun one — he was one of Robin’s Merry Men. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves was a huge box office hit, and Jack was thrilled at the opportunity to perform in such a visible piece of entertainment again.
Jack met his second wife, Claire, in 1995, and although they did not formally marry until a decade later, the two were inseparable from the time that they met. Claire provided Jack with even more incentive to stay sober. He wanted to be the man that this beautiful lady deserved, and he was. Defying the odds, Jack became a strong and caring human being, someone that you would want to be friends with.
In an interview with journalist Jack Rayner in 2018, Claire said that her husband’s “cheeky openness carried him through a lot of things, and was very much him, he was like that when I met him. He could laugh at himself as well. He didn’t take himself too seriously.”
Five years after meeting Claire, Jack would be diagnosed with oral cancer. Over time, he had his vocal cords removed, and then, part of his tongue. Times were tough. But he would not go down without a fight. While battling cancer, he also spent time working on his autobiography that, when it was finally released, was titled It’s a Dodger’s Life.
Jack succumbed to cancer on March 1, 2006, at the age of 53. Claire was with him to the very end, and her love buoyed both of them up through some pretty rough moments. I’ve read some of the interviews with Claire and it’s pretty darn clear that these two loved each other very, very much. When you couple that with the career that Jack had, the joy that he provided through his performances in music, movies and TV; well, now you see why it’s a story well worth telling.
On her personal website, Claire has shared this quote from Jack about his life: “I only wish I’d invested my money and not drank quite so much, but other than that I don’t think there is much else I’d change. And I did have a lot of fun.”
Remind 
Kid Stuff
June 2018
Unleash your inner child by reliving your favorite kids TV shows, cartoons, toys and more!
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