Mad Monster Party

1967. Directed By Jules Bass.

Written by Mad Magazine mastermind Harvey Kurtzman, and designed by Jack Davis of Tales From The Crypt fame, Mad Monster Party is a campy classic from the hey day of Rankin/Bass’s children’s productions.  While maybe not as famous as Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer or Frosty The Snow Man, Mad Monster Party is fondly remembered for it’s stop motion  renditions of classic Universal monsters.

All your favorites are accounted for. The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the Wolf Man, Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster and his mate, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Invisible Man and many others have all been invited to Dr. Baron von Frankenstein’s castle on Evil Island for a swinging party where the Baron will announce his retirement and successor to his position as leader of the monsters. When the successor is found to be Frankenstein’s bumbling nephew Felix, all hell breaks lose as the monsters all try and sabotage Felix in hopes of being named successor themselves.

The animation is great fun to watch, musical numbers are all top notch and the film’s humor is not strictly for the kiddies. There’s some great voice work by Boris Karloff as the Baron, Phyllis Diller as the monster’s mate, and Allen Swift doing a very convincing Peter Lorre impression as the baron’s butler Yetch.

Mad Monster Party is right up my alley. I wish I’d been more familiar with it as a kid, because I know it would have been one of my favorites.