Table of contents

1 Biography 2 Filmography 3 Television Roles 4 Cult Status 5 External sites

Biography

Reilly was born in the Bronx, New York in 1931. In 1944, at the age of 13, Reilly became a survivor of the Hartford Circus Fire in Hartford, Connecticut.

He made his first appearance in a motion picture in 1957 in an uncredited role in A Face in the Crowd.

In 1965, he was made regular appearances as himself on The Steve Lawrence Show, which aired for a single season. From 1968 to 1970, he appreared as Claymore Gregg on the television series The Ghost & Mrs. Muir.

In 1969, he appeared as the evil magician "Hoodoo" in H.R. Pufnstuf, a psychedelically-flavored live-action children's program produced by Sid and Mary Krofft that aired on Saturday mornings on NBC. In 1971, he rerpised the role as a major character on the similar Krofft show Lidsville, about a boy who falls into a magician's hat. It is through these roles that Reilly's voice and mannerism were probably embedded into a generation of young fans.

During the 1970s, Reilly was perhaps best known for his appearances as a celebrity panelist on the television game show Match Game.

Filmography

• A Face in the Crowd (1957)
• The Tiger Makes Out (1967)
• Cannonball Run II (1984)

• The Steve Lawrence Show (1965)
• The Ghost & Mrs. Muir - Claymore Gregg (1968-1970)
• H.R. Pufnstuf (1969) - Hoodoo
• Lidsville (1971-1973) - Hoodoo

Mr. Reilly is referenced in the song "I Like Hubcaps," featured on The Brak Album by Brak. Additionally, he is mentioned in the song "Serrated Edge" by the Dead Milkmen.

Mr. Reilly was parodied by Alec Baldwin in a sketch on Saturday Night Live.

External sites