A few weeks back when we covered Ray Harryhausen’s contributions to the art of stop-motion animation, I lamented how the old master’s work in the field had been overshadowed by the sheer preponderance of cheesy holiday specials. I don’t want you, dear reader, to take that to mean I don’t love me a cheesy holiday special. Personally, I’m a fan of the bizarre secular mythology surrounding the American version of Christmas, especially the Animagic adventures of Rudolph and his ilk from Rankin/Bass, even if I’m more of a Halloween guy at heart. Imagine my delight, then, when I learned that Rankin/Bass did indeed create a monsterriffic Halloween special of sorts in Mad Monster Party? (1967). It’s not exactly a Halloween special; it was a theatrical film released in July. But the distinctive look of Rankin/Bass’ Animagic technique combined with its monstrous theme makes it feel like an autumn companion to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964). It’s become something of a makeshift holiday special over the years, as well as a cult classic.
Even Baron Boris Von Frankenstein is pleasantly surprised at the sheer scale of his mad science. Credit: Lionsgate.The cast is headed up by the apparently ubiquitous Boris Karloff, whom we’ve previously met in The Mummy (1932), Bedlam(1946), The Haunted Strangler (1958). Here, the horror legend gently spoofs his legacy by lending his voice and likeness to the character of Baron Boris Von Frankenstein, chairman of the Worldwide Organization of Monsters. Phyllis Diller is on hand as the Monster’s Mate, somewhere between Elsa Lanchester and Ethel Merman, and Gale Garnett plays the uncomfortably sexy gynoid Francesca. Allen Swift rounds out the cast by playing literally every other character as a tired celebrity impression. Like, if they remade this today, he’d be trying to work in the Ozzy Osbourne and Austin Powers that killed at the office party, you know? Anyway, he’s the voice of our nebbishy protagonist, Felix Flanken, the Baron’s nephew that miraculously sounds like a middling Jimmy Stewart impersonator.
The Monster Party, just before things go mad. Credit: Lionsgate.The film also boasts a cavalcade of supporting monsters, all of whom travel to the Isle of Evil to try to snag the Baron’s cushy chairman gig upon his imminent retirement. To announce his intended successor, the Baron invites them to the sinister soirée of the title. Among the guests: an amorous, nearly Pepe LePewian Dracula; a purple and orange Gill-Man; a werewolf in pirate costume that makes Scooby-Doo noises; and an Invisible Man who sounds just like that hip new sensation of 1967, Sidney Greenstreet. Stealing the show, however, is Yetch, an undead butler modeled on Peter Lorre who commands an armada of zombie biplane pilots. Sure!
The charmingly lecherous Yetch puts the moves on Francesca. Credit: Lionsgate.The Baron, years after discovering the secret of life, has discovered the secret of death. While it would be hilarious if it had taken him decades to work out that getting struck by lightning is harmful to living bodies, that’s not quite it. He develops a luminescent blue liquid, a few droplets of which can cause disproportionately catastrophic explosions. Naturally, this substance is of great interest to werewolves and mummies, so he calls a meeting of the W.O.M. to announce that this recipe will be willed to his successor, his mild-mannered nephew, Felix Flanken. What follows is a madcap comedy of errors, wherein peerless milquetoast Felix accidentally battles his way up the monster hierarchy and warms the cold, artificial heart of Francesca.
Our hero Felix Flanken accidentally fends off a vampire bite with bug spray. Credit: Lionsgate.As you might expect from Rankin/Bass’ output, the film boasts a number of memorable musical numbers. Nothing quite as catchy as the Cold Miser/Heat Miser jam from The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974), but nothing to sneeze at, either. Boris Karloff has a Shatnerian spoken-word number called “One Step Ahead,” a quartet of skeletons known as “Little Tibia and the Fibias” perform a fuzzy surf rock number, and Francesca sings a dramatic torch song. Nothing beats the opening theme, however, a Goldfinger soundalike performed by the inimitably brassy Ethel Ennis.
It’s somewhat surprising that Mad Monster Party? isn’t better-known, because it has a pretty amazing pedigree. Aside from the animation wizardry of Rankin/Bass and the strong musical elements, the film’s writing and art direction are on point. The screenplay is by Harvey Kurtzman, best known as the creator of Mad Magazine, and the character designs are by legendary thr Jack Davis. The recently-departed Davis was a master of darkly funny cartooning, and his work has appeared everywhere from Mad to EC Comics horrors like Tales From the Crypt. This Halloween, pour yourself a heaping bowl of 1:1 Boo Berry/Frankenberry mix, pop Mad Monster Party? in your DVD player, and rock out with Little Tibia and the Fibias. Perhaps you’ll join the growing legions that have adopted Mad Monster Party? as their end-of-October tradition.
