Whatever Happened To: The Cast Of "Sigmund And The Sea Monsters”

Back in the 1970's, Sid and Marty Krofft were the kings of kid's television.  With hits like, "H.R. Pufnstuf," "Land Of The Lost," "Electra Woman and Dyna Girl", and most surprisingly "The Donny And Marie Show" these guys had it all.  According to Sid, one time when he was in Paris, Liberace came backstage and asked him to tour with his act, and Dean Martin once saw them at the New York's World's Fair and invited them to perform puppet girls on his show.

One of their best known shows was "Sigmund And The Sea Monsters" about two brothers, Johnny (Johnny Whitaker) and Scott Stuart (Scott Kolden), who discover Sigmund (Billy Barty), a friendly young sea monster who had been thrown out by his comically dysfunctional undersea family for refusing to frighten people.

The boys would hide Sigmund from being found by Sigmund's brother monsters, Blurp (Bill Germaine, Larry Larsen) and Slurp (Fred Spencer, Paul Gale) in their clubhouse and from their overbearing housekeeper Zelda (Mary Wickes), elderly neighbor Mrs. Eldels (Margaret Hamilton) and Sheriff Chuck Bevans (Joe Higgins). Zelda was the boys' housekeeper while their parents were away on vacation and strangely, never seen on the show, nor did they return home by the end of the series.

Johnny (Johnny Whitaker) would also sing songs as part of the plot development about what he was thinking or feeling about something going on in his life, from things that made him happy to anxiety about girls...way before the series "Glee" was even a thought.

Maybe it was the theme song,"Friends" by Mark Klingman and Buzzy Linhart that just makes you happy, or maybe it was because it was on the beach in southern California, or maybe the theme of loving someone even if they are "different" but when this show aired on Saturday morning during "The Kroft Supershow," eyes were glued.

The series only lasted two seasons with most of Season Two taped with minimal sets. (While videotaping the first episode of Season Two, a hot light fell and started a fire and although one was injured, the fire destroyed all of the sets and much of the costumes and other props.) Rip Taylor joined the cast as a magical 'Sea Genie' named Sheldon who lived inside a sea shell and Zelda was replaced by a new housekeeper named Gertrude, played by Fran Ryan. Gertrude was a tough USMC drill instructor. The boys were relieved when Zelda returned after Gertrude was scared away by the house being "haunted".

So what happened to the cast?

A new version of Sigmund is now available on Amazon Prime with a few changes from the original show:

David Arquette plays the evil villain Captain Barnabus who believes sea monsters are real and devotes his time capturing them, and instead of living with a housekeeper the boys are spending the summer at their aunt's place with their cousin when they discover Sigmund.  How cool that a new generation gets to experience this silly show.

Sigmund, the sea monster with Johnny and Scott as friends...we ❤️ya.  📺