Monster Mash-Up - Retro Animated Madness | Mad Monster Party (1967)(Rankin/Bass)
Retiring from the monster business, Dr. Frankenstein plans to pass the reins to his hapless nephew, Felix, at an upcoming convention attended by an assortment of famous creatures - Frankenstein's monster, Dracula, the Werewolf, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, among others. But when the incompetent and overly kindhearted Felix proves unfit for the role, the monsters hatch a plot to eliminate him and seize control of Frankenstein's latest, and most dangerous, discovery - the secret to total destruction.
The film utilized Rankin/Bass' "Animagic" stop motion animation technique, which involved photographing figurines in successive still frames, repositioning them slightly between each shot - a process akin to that used for Art Clokey's Davey and Goliath and the original King Kong. Notably, a creature strongly resembling Kong himself makes a cameo appearance in the film, though due to licensing restrictions, he is referred to only as "It" (sporting some rather flamboyant fingernails and toenails).
In the late 1960s, classic monster movies experienced a surge in popularity, while humorous monster portrayals in shows like The Addams Family and The Munsters also gained immense popularity. This campy film spoofs classic horror tropes, incorporating musical numbers and insider references.
Mad Magazine creator Harvey Kurtzman penned the script, while Mad artist Jack Davis designed many of the characters. Davis was well-suited for the job, being renowned for both his humor work and monster stories in EC Comics.Rumors have long swirled that Forrest J. Ackerman had a hand in the script. While the script is rife with Famous Monsters of Filmland-esque puns, Ackerman's involvement remains unconfirmed.
Though primarily intended as a children's film, the movie does feature Kurtzman's signature dark humor and a few mildly risqué jokes. For instance, when Francesca falls over and Felix struggles to lift her, she quips, "I wanted you to know I'm no easy pick-up." In another scene, a character briefly has his head replaced with a cooked pig's head - surely making this the only "kid's picture" to end with a mushroom cloud.
With their distinctive blend of cute and ghastly features, the creatures in this film heavily influenced the monster designs in Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas and other works. Notably, the small monsters featured in the "Stay One Step Ahead" musical number bear a strong resemblance to Burton's iconic creature creations.
The classic film Mad Monster Party? not only features famous movie monsters but also includes several celebrity likenesses. The characters of Boris Karloff and Phyllis Diller are designed to physically resemble the actors who portrayed them. Additionally, the hunchbacked servant Yetch is a vocal and physical caricature of actor Peter Lorre. In contrast, the character of Felix strongly resembles the voice of Jimmy Stewart, though not his physical appearance.
In 1972, Rankin/Bass produced a sequel of sorts, with the TV special Mad, Mad, Mad Monsters. This special featured many of the same monster characters, including an imitation of Karloff as the doctor (he died in 1969). However, it presumably was not intended as a direct sequel since many of these characters perished at the end of Mad Monster Party?. Mad, Mad, Mad Monsters was created using cel animation, rather than stop-motion. While Mad Monster Party? still enjoys an ardent cult following, Mad, Mad, Mad Monsters has fallen into comparative obscurity.
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