Lidsville Billy Hayes Interview

Weenie the Genie

The show involved a teenage boy named Mark (Butch Patrick) who fell into the hat of Merlo the Magician (Charles Nelson Reilly) and arrived in Lidsville, a land of living hats. The hats on the show are depicted as having the same characteristics as the humans who would normally wear them. For example, a cowboy hat would act and speak like a cowboy. The characters' houses were also hat-shaped.

The villain of the show was a magician named Horatio J. HooDoo (also played by Charles Nelson Reilly in a magician's costume and make-up). Among other notable characters were Raunchy Rabbit (Sharon Baird in mascot, but voiced by Walker Edmiston), Weenie the Genie (Billie Hayes who also reprised her H.R. Pufnstuf role, Witchiepoo, in one episode), and Rah-Rah the football helmet (portrayed by Jerry Maren, voiced by Lennie Weinrib).

The vain, short-tempered, but somewhat naive HooDoo flew around in his Hatamaran, blasting the good citizens of Lidsville with bolts of magic (referred to as "zapping") and keeping them in fear, demanding that they pay him their Hat Checks. Mark helped the good hats resist as he attempted to find a way back home. HooDoo, trying to reclaim control of the androgynous Weenie from Mark, often enlisted the services of four Bad Hats consisting of Mr. Big, Captain Hooknose, Bela the Vampire's Cowl, and Boris the Executioner's Hood. In his high hat home, HooDoo was besieged by the taunting music of the Hat Band, as well as all of his talking knicknacks (the parrot, Mr. Skull, the mounted alligator head, the sawed-in-half lady, to list only a few). HooDoo also experienced further aggravation at the hands of his aides, the dim Raunchy Rabbit and his two-faced card guard, Jack of Clubs (a walking deck of playing cards). HooDoo watched the action going on in downtown Lidsville from his hat home by using his Evil Eye, a device similar to a TV set, but resembling an eyeball. He also had a hot hatline phone. The show relied on an endless array of puns based on hats.

Many of the episodes were about Mark trying to get back home, but the evil HooDoo prevented him from leaving. Weenie, being a nervous bumbler, was, in fact, a genie, but many of the tricks and spells didn't work right anymore after being a slave to HooDoo for so long. In the show's final episode, scenes from some of the past episodes were featured, as HooDoo's mother had paid a visit to find out what has been going on in Lidsville. Unfortunately for Mark, he did not return home at the end.

Music was also a part of the show, with songs being performed by the characters in several episodes.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Billy Hayes Interview
• Liddsville
• Weenie the Genie

[TheDeathdealer667]

Hayes is the president of the animal rescue organization Pet Hope, which she founded in 1984 to care for and find homes for abandoned animals. On her personal website, Hayes offers autographed photos for donations to Pet Hope as charity.

[TheDeathdealer667]

Her first voice role was as a character named Orgoch on the Disney feature film The Black Cauldron in 1985. Other voice work has included roles on cartoons such as The Further Adventures of SuperTed, Johnny Bravo, W.I.T.C.H., The Batman, Tale Spin and Darkwing Duck.

[TheDeathdealer667]

Hayes played Mammy Yokum in both the Broadway and film versions of Li'l Abner, appeared on the soap opera General Hospital in the 1980s, and did the voiceover for the character Mother Mae-Eye on the animated series Teen Titans and the character Granny Applecheeks in The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy. Hayes also had a short role in The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald as One-Eyed Sally.

[TheDeathdealer667]

Hayes portrayed a similar character in other roles, including Episode 8.10 of Bewitched ("Hansel and Gretel in Samantha-Land"), Weenie the Genie in the Sid and Marty Krofft program Lidsville, and Maw Weskitt in Episode 39 of the second season of The Monkees ("Hillbilly Honeymoon").

[TheDeathdealer667]

Billie Hayes (born 1932) is an American actress best known for her comic portrayal as Witchie-poo on the Sid and Marty Krofft television series H.R. Pufnstuf. Her characteristic cackle and animated physicality were notable during the show's 17-episode run in 1969–70. She reprised this role in The Paul Lynde Halloween Special.

[VelvetCyberpunk]

What a lovely lady! She was a huge part of my childhood, and she made it just a little bit better. It's gratifying to know that she's so nice.

[PapaThxx]

Thanks for the memories.Thanks for sharing your life and talent with us and generations to come.

[Gibsonburgman]

does anybody know if she's still alive and how old she is?

[antoniorossiz]

Oh Billy

[miuxita80]

la adorooooo!!!