Directed by: | Arthur Rankin, Jr. Jules Bass |
Written by: | William J. Keenan
Lou Silverstone |
Music by: | Maury Laws |
Release date: | September 23, 1972 |
Running time: | 43 minutes |
Original network: | ABC |
Related specials: | Mad Monster Party? |
Mad, Mad, Mad Monsters is a 1972 cel-animated, Halloween-themed television special produced by Rankin/Bass Productions. The special aired on September 23, 1972 as an episode of The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie, and is a prequel of sorts to the 1967 stop-motion theatrical film Mad Monster Party.
Plot[]
The mad scientist, Baron Henry von Frankenstein, is planning to create a Bride for his Monster. His assistant, Igor, is jealous and expresses a great desire for a girl of his own, much to Henry’s annoyance. That night, Henry and Igor begin work on the Monster’s new mate. The Baron is proud of his new creation and names her the Monstress. After the Monstress’ creation is completed, Henry decides to make arrangements for a lavish wedding at the Transylvania Astoria Hotel. Arriving at the hotel, Henry gets the wedding booked on Friday the 13th while having the hotel manager, Harold, write down a required (and monstrous) menu and asks him to watch his pet vulture, Rosebud, and make sure he stays in his cage during the event, since he does not want him bothering his guests.
Many monsters are invited to the wedding, which include Count Dracula, his son Boobula, and their pet black cat, Ron Chanley the Werewolf, the Mummy, the Creature, Claude the Invisible Man, his invisible wife Nagatha, his invisible son Ghoul, and Ghoul’s invisible dog Goblin. Harold’s mailman brother Harvey gets the horrible job of delivering the mail to the Baron’s guests. After many frightening encounters with the monsters, Harvey pays a visit to his therapist. He suggests that Harvey take up a new line of work, and Harvey mentions that Harold asked him to watch over the hotel while he takes a vacation. The therapist advises Harvey that if the strange “occurrences” he experienced that day happen again that he keep telling himself “this is not happening, it’s all my imagination.”
Once the wedding guests arrive, they terrify the guests and staff as the fanboy bellhop, Norman, gets the autographs of the monsters (since he believes them to be movie stars). Norman even talks to Count Dracula and Claude about a rumor that the Wicked Witch of the East will fly out of the cake at midnight during the bachelor party. Henry arrives to see that the hotel is as he likes it, and tells Harvey he likes the new decorating job. He also reminds Harvey to keep an eye on Rosebud and make sure he stays in his cage. That night, when the bachelor party occurs, Count Dracula and Claude talk about various moments from the Monster’s past, much to his embarrassment. When Henry unveils the Monstress, the monsters are fascinated and begin fighting each other over her (except for Claude and Nagatha, who continue eating their dinner), which the Monstress finds very flattering. As midnight strikes, the Wicked Witch of the East does indeed fly out of the cake.
The Baron instructs Igor to take the Monstress into the hills and keep her there until midnight the next night, as that is when the wedding will take place. Unfortunately, he forgets Henry’s instructions and steals the Monstress for himself. However, this doesn’t go according to plan. After bringing her to an active volcano, she is first snatched up a pterodactyl, then lands in the clutches of an enormous, furry monster named Modzula, of whom she is taken as a victim (a la King Kong). Running back to the hotel, Igor uses charades to inform Henry what has happened. While Harvey stays behind, Henry leads the monsters, Igor and Norman to rescue the Monstress. When they catch up to Modzula, his wife, Mrs. Zula (who’s also a nag), shows up. He makes him release the Monstress, then drags him off to deal with him.
As the wedding approaches, Norman commissions his cousin to make a tuxedo for the Monster. Due to the priest not showing up, Harvey is enlisted to wed them. The Monster is nervous, but Henry helps him get over it, especially when he tells him if he doesn’t come out, then Igor will marry the Monstress. This prompts him to come crashing through the bedroom door. During the ceremony, Igor forgets the ring, so the Monster makes one by bending a rod. As the Bride’s face is finally shown, the happy couple kiss. But as they do, they release massive electrical energy. Henry, to his horror, realizes that the Monstress was built with AC current and the Monster with DC current. The energy end up destroying the hotel completely.
Sometime late, Harvey visits his therapist again. He tells him that the monsters are not real. The therapist turns out to actually be Dr. Jekyll, who drinks his elixir, becomes Mr. Hyde, and begins chasing a terrified Harvey. As the credits rolls, the Creature, Count Dracula, the Werewolf, the Mummy, Boobula, Claude, Ghoul, the Monster, his Bride and their newborn child all join Mr. Hyde in chasing Harvey. Norman runs after them in order to get Hyde’s autograph, which will complete his collection of the monsters’ autographs.
Voice cast[]
- Bob McFadden as Baron Henry von Frankenstein
- Allen Swift as The Monster, Harold, Harvey, The Creature, Claude (The Invisible Man), Count Dracula, Igor, The Wolfman, Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, Rosebud, additional voices
- Bradley Bolke as Norman, additional voices
- Rhoda Mann as The Monstress, Nagatha (The Invisible Woman), Boobula (Dracula’s son), additional voices