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Obit: Jack Wild @ 53...Was on "H.R. Pufnstuff"

T

ThatManDan

The Associated Press is reporting the death of 53 year old Jack Wild,
who played the Artful Dodger in the
movie musical "Oliver" has died.
His agent says Jack Wild had mouth cancer.
Wild also was the hero in the T-V series "H.R. Pufnstuf."
Wild struggled with alcoholism as an adult and blamed his
cancer on his heavy drinking and smoking.
Diagnosed with cancer in 2000, he had surgery,
chemotherapy and radiotherapy which left him unable to speak.
 
> The Associated Press is reporting the death of 53 year old
> Jack Wild,
> who played the Artful Dodger in the
> movie musical "Oliver" has died.
> His agent says Jack Wild had mouth cancer.
> Wild also was the hero in the T-V series "H.R.
> Pufnstuf."
> Wild struggled with alcoholism as an adult and blamed
> his
> cancer on his heavy drinking and smoking.
> Diagnosed with cancer in 2000, he had surgery,
> chemotherapy and radiotherapy which left him unable to
> speak.

Wow! I watched that show in reruns when it was on the Family Channel years ago. I didn't know he was 17 when he started that show back in 1969. I always assumed that he was younger than 17. There was even a movie made back in 1970 called Pufnstuf which starred him and Cass Elliot from the Mamas and the Papas. I even have the soundtrack album.

Another classic TV star lost yet again.
 
>
> Wow! I watched that show in reruns when it was on the
> Family Channel years ago. I didn't know he was 17 when he
> started that show back in 1969. I always assumed that he was
> younger than 17. There was even a movie made back in 1970
> called Pufnstuf which starred him and Cass Elliot from the
> Mamas and the Papas. I even have the soundtrack album.
>
> Another classic TV star lost yet again.
>

Believe it or not when Pufnstuf was on TV, there was actually a scandal about
Jack Wild's smoking habit. One of those teen magazines, 16? I think, could've been Tiger Beat ran a photo of Wild who a a major teen idol in those days. The problem was, it was a shot of Wild SMOKING A CIGARETTE !!! Many parents and even a large number of kids were upset about that. A few weeks later Wild made a statement admitting that yes he did smoke and he would try to quit. Sadly, he never did or if he did quit, he went back to the habit as the news release said he was a heavy smoker.

Interesting that back then, the thought of a teen idol smoking was considered, well shocking. Of course The Beatles and the Rolling Stones smoked and were popular with kids, but with Wild being on a kids show, I guess to many it went against the image. I seem to remember hearing that Bob Denver from Gilligan's Island was a heavy smoker even during his Island days and in his case, he refused to allow pics taken of himself with a cigarette in hand since there were many kids who enjoyed the show and he didn't want them to see him smoke.

My dad was saying it was the same case with Julie London on Emergency. She too was a big time smoker, even advertising Marlboros back in the 50s. But Emergency was very popular among kids, so on the show London didn't/couldn't smoke. True, London played a nurse on the show. But back then the sight of a doctor or nurse smoking, even at the hospital wasn't all that uncommon. Try to smoke inside a hospital today/

Today, depsite all the smoking laws and such, really many parents could care less if the current and recent wave of teen idols do such things.
After all The Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears smoked, and many of the members of BB sported tattoos too. Bobby Sherman or the Osmonds with tattoos? Never. Well at least back then anyway.

During the so called cigar craze back in the 90s, many stars were seen lighting up, even many stars who were popular among kids such as Will Smith. I dont remember anybody really making a fuss about it. Now 20-30 years earlier, chances are it would.
 
>
> My dad was saying it was the same case with Julie London on
> Emergency. She too was a big time smoker, even advertising
> Marlboros back in the 50s. But Emergency was very popular
> among kids, so on the show London didn't/couldn't smoke.
> True, London played a nurse on the show. But back then the
> sight of a doctor or nurse smoking, even at the hospital
> wasn't all that uncommon. Try to smoke inside a hospital
> today/

I remember an episode of Emergency where Julie did smoke(only very briefly) in the room where the snack machines were when they took their breaks and she was watching TV. It was a 5th season episode(1975-1976). Speaking of which,both Jack Webb and Bobby Troup(both of whom were married to Julie) were heavy smokers as well and on the 50's Dragnet you hardly ever saw Jack Webb without a cigarette wherein in the 1960's version of Dragnet,you hardly ever saw Jack with a cigarette,in some episodes he did,but not very often.
 
> >
> > My dad was saying it was the same case with Julie London
> on
> > Emergency. She too was a big time smoker, even
> advertising
> > Marlboros back in the 50s. But Emergency was very popular
>
> > among kids, so on the show London didn't/couldn't smoke.
> > True, London played a nurse on the show. But back then
> the
> > sight of a doctor or nurse smoking, even at the hospital
> > wasn't all that uncommon. Try to smoke inside a hospital
> > today/
>
> I remember an episode of Emergency where Julie did
> smoke(only very briefly) in the room where the snack
> machines were when they took their breaks and she was
> watching TV. It was a 5th season episode(1975-1976).
> Speaking of which,both Jack Webb and Bobby Troup(both of
> whom were married to Julie) were heavy smokers as well and
> on the 50's Dragnet you hardly ever saw Jack Webb without a
> cigarette wherein in the 1960's version of Dragnet,you
> hardly ever saw Jack with a cigarette,in some episodes he
> did,but not very often.
>
I recall hearing that ABC & Universal threatened to fire Dirk Benedict from "Battlestar Galactica" if he didn't stop smoking cigars on camera and this was back in '78. They actually thought it would have been a turn off to women. They weren't worried about about the kids who were watching.<P ID="signature">______________
"I look out for me and mine."-Capt. Malcom "Mal" Reynolds in Serenity</P>
 
Dragnet (was Re: Obit: Jack Wild @ 53...Was on "H.R. Pufnstuff")

> Speaking of which,both Jack Webb and Bobby Troup(both of
> whom were married to Julie) were heavy smokers as well and
> on the 50's Dragnet you hardly ever saw Jack Webb without a
> cigarette wherein in the 1960's version of Dragnet,you
> hardly ever saw Jack with a cigarette,in some episodes he
> did,but not very often.
>
Dragnet was sponsored by Chesterfield in the 1950s, which would explain the smoking in every scene.
 
Re: Dragnet (was Re: Obit: Jack Wild @ 53...Was on "H.R. Pufnstuff")

> > Speaking of which,both Jack Webb and Bobby Troup(both of
> > whom were married to Julie) were heavy smokers as well and
>
> > on the 50's Dragnet you hardly ever saw Jack Webb without
> a
> > cigarette wherein in the 1960's version of Dragnet,you
> > hardly ever saw Jack with a cigarette,in some episodes he
> > did,but not very often.
> >
> Dragnet was sponsored by Chesterfield in the 1950s, which
> would explain the smoking in every scene.
>
Speaking of TV cops smoking like chimneys, it seemed like Sonny Crokett(Don Johnson) was seen with a cigarette more times than not in the first couple seasons of "Miami Vice".<P ID="signature">______________
"I look out for me and mine."-Capt. Malcom "Mal" Reynolds in Serenity</P>
 
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