Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School | |
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![]() Release poster | |
Based on | Characters by Hanna-Barbera Productions |
Written by | Glenn Leopold |
Directed by | Charles A. Nichols |
Voices of | |
Opening theme | William Hanna |
Composer | Sven Libaek |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Executive producers | |
Producers |
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Editor | Gil Iverson |
Running time | 92 minutes |
Production companies | |
Original release | |
Network | Syndication |
Release | October 16, 1988[1] |
Related | |
Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School is a 1988 animated comedy horror made-for-television film produced by Hanna-Barbera for syndication as part of the Hanna-Barbera Superstars 10 series.[2]
The film was followed by Scooby-Doo! and the Reluctant Werewolf in 1988, with the five girl ghouls making their return in the OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes episode "Monster Party" in 2018.
Plot
[edit]Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, and Scrappy-Doo are on their way to Miss Grimwood's Finishing School for Girls, where they have been hired as gym teachers. However, once there, they find that it is actually a school for daughters of paranormal beings. The pupils include Sibella, the daughter of Count Dracula; Elsa Frankenteen, the daughter of Frankenteen Sr.; Winnie, the daughter of the Wolfman; Phantasma (usually called Phanty for short) the ghostly daughter of a phantom; and Tanis (named after an Egyptian city), the daughter of the Mummy–all inspired by Universal Monsters of the 1930s-40s. Other residents include a disembodied floating white hand; an octopus butler; a two-headed shark that lives in the school's moat; Legs, a spider that helps with the upcoming volleyball match; Miss Grimwood, the headmistress; and her diminutive pet dragon Matches. Frightened by this, Shaggy and Scooby are initially hesitant, but they ultimately agree to stay as gym teachers as the girls take a liking to them.
At the annual volleyball match against the boys of the neighboring Calloway Military Academy, the boys rig the volleyball with a remote control, but Scooby accidentally swallows the remote and allows the girls to win instead.
The girls' fathers come for an open house party on Halloween night. Though Scooby and Shaggy fear being trapped in a house full of ghosts and monsters, the fathers are friendly and polite, and the party is a success. Before leaving, the fathers warn a fearful Shaggy and Scooby not to let any harm come to their daughters, lest they face severe consequences.
A power-hungry witch named Revolta and her minion the Grim Creeper plan to kidnap the girls and make them her slaves. She starts by hypnotizing Shaggy into taking the girls on a field trip to the Barren Bog. Matches wants to come along, but is told to stay. The Calloway Cadets are also at the bog on a hike and get stuck in quicksand, but are saved by Elsa and Tanis. Meanwhile, Revolta's spider bats slowly capture the girls one by one as Revolta makes a potion that will turn them evil forever at the stroke of midnight. Figuring this out, Scooby, Scrappy, Shaggy and Matches, who catches up with them, head for Revolta's castle. Scrappy tries to convince the Cadets to join them, but they refuse, believing that the girls stole the volleyball match. Arriving at the castle, the gang faces an evil Mirror Monster that can change its shape to look like evil versions of those who look at its mirror, a giant Well Dweller, and Revolta herself. When the clock strikes midnight, Revolta gives the girls the potion through hairdryers, which instantly takes effect. However, Scooby and Shaggy interrupt the process and accidentally reverse the potion's effect. Elsa then throws Revolta's wand into the potion, which causes to explode. The Cadets, having felt remorse for treating the girls poorly and respecting them for saving their lives, arrive in a pedal power helicopter and fly everyone to safety as Revolta swears vengeance.
Soon afterward, the Cadets and the Grimwood Girls throw a party celebrating Revolta's defeat and everyone's heroism. Despite being well liked by all their students, Shaggy and Scooby run away in terror when new monsters – such as an alien, the Gill-man and Godzilla – enroll their daughters at the school for the following year. As they leave, they see the girls and Matches waving goodbye. Shaggy, Scooby and Scrappy then give them a last werewolf howl before driving off into the night.
Voice cast
[edit]- Don Messick as Scooby-Doo, Scrappy-Doo, Toad
- Casey Kasem as Norville "Shaggy" Rogers, Mirror Monster Shaggy
- Susan Blu as Sibella Dracula
- Remy Auberjonois as Baxter
- Hamilton Camp (impersonating Peter Lorre) as Phantom Father
- Jeff B. Cohen as Grunt
- Glynis Johns as Ms. Grimwood
- Zale Kessler as Daddy Dracula, Frankenteen Sr., Vulture #2
- Ruta Lee as Revolta
- Aaron Lohr as Miguel
- Patty Maloney as Tanis
- Scott Menville as Tug
- Pat Musick as Elsa Frankenteen
- Bumper Robinson as Jamal
- Ronnie Schell as Colonel Calloway
- Marilyn Schreffler as Winnie
- Russi Taylor as "Phanty" Phantasma
- Andre Stojka as The Grim Creeper, Mummy Daddy, Vulture #1
- Frank Welker as Matches, Papa Werewolf, Well Dweller, Spider Bats, Legs, Two-Headed Shark
Home media
[edit]Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School was first released on VHS by Hanna-Barbera Home Video on October 5, 1989, and later it was released by Warner Home Video on March 6, 2001.
Warner Home Video released Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School on DVD in Region 1 on June 4, 2002[3] in honor of the theatrical release of the first live-action Scooby-Doo film later that month. The film has also been released on DVD in Region 2.
A manufacture-on-demand Blu-ray was released as an individual title and as part of the Hanna-Barbera Superstars 10 boxset through Warner Archive Collection on February 20, 2024.[4] The film was remastered in HD.
Legacy
[edit]The five girl ghouls made their return in the OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes episode "Monster Party", which was first released online on October 1, 2018, and aired on television October 21, 2018. Though Scooby and Shaggy do not appear, they are briefly referenced. While Russi Taylor (as Phantasma), Susan Blu (as Sibella) and Pat Musick (as Elsa Frankenteen) reprise their roles, Natalie Palamides and Kristen Li (who voiced Buttercup and Bubbles from the 2016 Powerpuff Girls television series) took over for Winnie and Tanis respectively as Marilyn Schreffler had died and Patty Maloney had retired.
Follow-up film
[edit]A follow-up film, Scooby-Doo! and the Reluctant Werewolf, was released on November 13, 1988.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "The Journal News from White Plains, New York on October 16, 1988 · Page 187". October 16, 1988.
- ^ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 321. ISBN 0-8160-3831-7. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
- ^ Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School
- ^ "Hanna-Barbera's Superstars 10: The Complete Film Collection Blu-ray (Yogi's Great Escape / Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers / The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones / Yogi Bear and the Magical Flight of the Spruce Goose / Top Cat and the Beverly Hills Cats / The Good, the Bad, and Huckleberry Hound / Rockin' with Judy Jetson / Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School / Scooby-Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf / Yogi and the Invasion of the Space Bears | Warner Archive Collection)".