Rankin-Bass had previously done Mad Monster Party, with Boris Karloff, Phyllis Diller and Gale Garnett, five years earlier and that one was the old puppet animation of Rudolph and Santa Claus, but Mad Mad Mad Monsters was drawn animation, like Frosty the Snowman.
For some reason, perhaps they could iron out the rough edges, Mad Mad Mad Monsters watches better. The monsters are assembled for the wedding of the Bride of Frankenstein to Frankenstein's monster. Igor decides to steal the bride (whose face we never see until the end) away for himself and loses her to a pterodactyl in a volcano. Later, the monsters must rescue her from Modzoola, who is actually King Kong.
Igor, Wolfman, Mummy, Sea Creature have very limited dialogue, but they never get annoying.
Dracula speaks and has his young son and their cat. A welcome addition is Mr. Invisible and his wife, Nagatha, their son and the family's invisible dog, who wears a shirt and cap.
But definitely the greatest scene stealers for us when we were little were the autograph-seeking bellboy and the neurotic desk clerk. They contrasted each other, the bellboy removing tiresome screaming mob behavior in most monster shows, serious or comedy.
And perhaps because it runs half the time that Mad Monster Party did makes it more bearable.
The jokes at the monsters' expense never slight up, but the whole program maintains its horror feel and appeal.
We terribly enjoyed the marriage joke as well, when they forgot the ring, the monster rips up a bar and bends it round to form a ring, yes, but as he puts it on her finger, it goes around her whole wrist.
It's a solid seventies cartoon, not pulling back on its humor and content.
Not sure why Mad Monster Party got so dull, but it was, but this follow up is a good watch.
For some reason, perhaps they could iron out the rough edges, Mad Mad Mad Monsters watches better. The monsters are assembled for the wedding of the Bride of Frankenstein to Frankenstein's monster. Igor decides to steal the bride (whose face we never see until the end) away for himself and loses her to a pterodactyl in a volcano. Later, the monsters must rescue her from Modzoola, who is actually King Kong.
Igor, Wolfman, Mummy, Sea Creature have very limited dialogue, but they never get annoying.
Dracula speaks and has his young son and their cat. A welcome addition is Mr. Invisible and his wife, Nagatha, their son and the family's invisible dog, who wears a shirt and cap.
But definitely the greatest scene stealers for us when we were little were the autograph-seeking bellboy and the neurotic desk clerk. They contrasted each other, the bellboy removing tiresome screaming mob behavior in most monster shows, serious or comedy.
And perhaps because it runs half the time that Mad Monster Party did makes it more bearable.
The jokes at the monsters' expense never slight up, but the whole program maintains its horror feel and appeal.
We terribly enjoyed the marriage joke as well, when they forgot the ring, the monster rips up a bar and bends it round to form a ring, yes, but as he puts it on her finger, it goes around her whole wrist.
It's a solid seventies cartoon, not pulling back on its humor and content.
Not sure why Mad Monster Party got so dull, but it was, but this follow up is a good watch.
