Mad Monster Party? (1967)

Director:

Jules Bass

Writers:

Len Korobkin (writer)
Harvey Kurtzman (writer)

Genre:

Animation | Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Horror | Musical

Tagline:

It's the Silliest Party of the Year... and you're all invited!

Plot:

When Dr Frankenstein decides to retire from the monster-making business, he calls an international roster...

Plot Keywords:

Werewolf | Dracula | Monster | Sneezing | Killer Plant

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Boris Karloff	...	Baron Boris von Frankenstein (voice)
Allen Swift	...	Felix Flankin / Yetch / Dracula / Invisible Man / Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde / Additional Voices (voice)
Gale Garnett	...	Francesca (voice)
Phyllis Diller	...	The Monster's Mate (voice)
Ethel Ennis	...	Title Song Singer (voice)

Also Known As:

Mad Monster Party (USA) (alternative spelling)
Mad Monsters Party?

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:G | Singapore:PG | UK:U | USA:Unrated

Company:

Embassy Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

The gypsy costume of the werewolf is a reference to "The Wolf Man", in which the werewolf who bit Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) was a gypsy (played by Bela Lugosi).

Quotes:

[first lines]
Baron von Frankenstein: Ah... a lifetime of experimentation capped in one small vial. Now to the final step: The infusion of energy.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Cleavagefield (2009) (TV)

Soundtrack:

You're Different

Rankin/Bass's Halloween (Trick-or-) Treat

Another super retro puppet-animated feature from Rankin/Bass. This full-length feature film is one of only two specials done by R/B with a Halloween theme - the other being "Mad Mad Mad Monsters" (which is a shorter version of this same story done in inferior cel animation).

When Dr. Baron Von Frankenstein decides to retire from his long career as the head of the monster society, he invites all of his creations - Frankenstein, The Mummy, Count Dracula, The Invisible Man, The Wolf Man and many others - for one final bash before handing down his position to his successor which each of the monsters assume will be themselves. When the true successor is revealed as the Baron's long-lost nephew, a nerdy boy named Felix Flankin, all hell breaks loose and poor Felix is in big trouble!!

The characters are really top-notch thanks to a winning combination of exquisitely designed stop-motion puppets and and excellent voices provided by some big-name stars. Boris Karlof adds his eerie sound as the Baron, Phyllis Diller is an ingenious choice as the Monster's Mate, and Gale Garnett takes the cake as the most memorable character, Francesca, a curvy, buxom, husky-voiced sexy red-head with a mind just as sinister as the ghastliest of the monsters.

Featuring a fantastic jazzy, spy-groovy soundtrack and creepy set designs, this campy film creates a genuine 60's Halloween feeling. The jokes that adults will find humorous will fly right over children's heads, which will be too mesmerized by all the cool monsters to notice much else.