The Hugga Bunch
 | This article needs more citations. (September 2010) |
| Type | Action figures |
|---|---|
| Company | Kenner Products |
| Country | United States |
| Availability | 1985– |
The Hugga Bunch was a 1980s toy line from the Kenner, Parker Brothers and Hallmark Cards. Starting in early 1985,[1][2] the companies manufactured the Hugga Bunch dolls, each of which held a smaller doll called a "huglet" in their arms.[3] During that year, the line generated over US$40 million in sales.[4]
The title characters in the franchise lived in a place called "Huggaland".
Film
[edit]| The Hugga Bunch | |
|---|---|
| Written by | David Swift |
| Directed by | Gus Jekel |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Budget | US$1.4 million[5] |
| Original release | |
| Release | 1985 |
The toys inspired The Hugga Bunch, a 1985 television film produced by Filmfair Communications.
Written by David Swift and directed by Gus Jekel, it earned a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Visual Effects. Produced for US$1.4 million, it was the most expensive TV special ever produced at the time.[5] Along with a making-of special, it was released on VHS, LaserDisc and Beta by Vestron Video's Children's Video Library.[6] To date, it has not been released on DVD and/or Blu-ray.
Plot
[edit]![[icon]](/everything/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding missing information. (September 2012) |
In the film, a girl travels through her mirror into HuggaLand to find a way to keep her grandmother—the only one who knows how to hug—young.
Cast
[edit]- Gennie James - Bridget Severson
- Natalie Masters - Grams Severson
- Terry Castillo - Huggins
- Tony Urbano - Hugsy
- Aarika Wells - Queen Admira
- Carl Steven - Andrew Severson
- Susan Mullen - Janet Severson
- Mark Withers - Parker Severson
- Kelly Britt - Aunt Ruth
- Richard Haydn - Bookworm (voice)
A Day Full of Hugs
[edit]In 1985, Parker Brothers released an album. Singers included Jonathan Edwards, Bradley Kane, Russell Horton, Michael Mark, Jessica Craven, Merle Miller, Terry Teszor, John Henry Kurtz, Steve and Tom Chapin.
| Song | Songwriters |
|---|---|
| Everybody Needs A Friend | Tom and Steve Chapin |
| All Kinds of Hugs | Tom Chapin, John Forster and Steve Chapin |
| Smiling Again | John Forster |
| The Choose-Up Song | John Forster, Steve and Tom Chapin |
| Through the Mirror | Steve Chapin, Tom Chapin and John Forster |
| March to the Bookworm's House | Tom and Steve Chapin |
| The Bookworm's Book | Steve Chapin, Tom Chapin and John Forster |
| The Hug-A-Lug Song | Johnny Talon and Don Specht |
| Shrugs Are Like the Measles | Tom Chapin, John Forster and Steve Chapin |
| Love to Share | John Forster |
References
[edit]- ↑ Haynes, Kevin (June 18, 1985). "Licensing show spurs vendors, but retail turnout disappoints". Women's Wear Daily (149). Fairchild Publications: 15.
- ↑ Haynes, Kevin (March 11, 1985). "A matter of character". Women's Wear Daily (149). Fairchild Publications: Y50.
- ↑ "Pound Puppies, Hugga Bunch to seek plush stardom". Discount Store News (24). Lebhar-Friedman Inc.: 41 February 18, 1985.
- ↑ "Hugga Bunch". Forbes. 140 (10–14): 192. 1987.
In 1985 Kenner Parker sold about $40 million worth of its Hugga Bunch doll, good for a new toy. Sad to say, Kenner Parker manufactured dolls valued at $60 million.
- 1 2 "Hugga Bunch". Ad Age. 33. Television Editorial Corp.: 49 1985. Retrieved September 3, 2010.
- ↑ "These Hugs Are Worth Millions!" (Advertisement). Billboard. Vol. 97, no. 51. VNU/Nielsen Business Media. December 21, 1985. p. 35. Retrieved September 3, 2010.
External links
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