"The Return of the Curse of the Secret of the Mummy's Tomb Meets Frankenduckula's Monster and the Wolfman and the Intergalactic Cabbage......"

Hey Jimmy, we've ran out of room, just keep talking.

Season 2 episode 17 (episode 43 overall)

Original broadcast date: 9 January 1990

Writer: Jimmy Hibbert
Additional voices: Announcer/Hesekiah/Wolfman/Ernest/Dr. Von Goosewing: 
                               Jimmy Hibbert

                               Monster: Jack May

                               Mummy/Alien control: David Jason

                               Various peasants: All voices.

Joke credit: Key Grip – The Snowdrop that Strangled America

Travel location: Black Lagoon

Castle transport visual used.

This could probably go down as being the longest title of a cartoon, film or indeed anything ever! As far as I’m aware anyway. The only thing that could’ve made it any longer would be if it were set in a certain town in Wales (which given this is Cosgrove-Hall, I would not have put past them).

It also serves as what seems to be a typical series finale, though it’s actually the 3^rd last episode in series 2 (something that would be echoed in the final few episodes ever, next season) which sees Duckula and his servants trying their best against overwhelming odds and a massive array of antagonists.

The studio had a wealth of stock shots of the castle which could be altered for mood. Here we get a sombre grey-blue tone with a flickering white and grey storm cloud effect toward the top of the shot.

 The episode opens in the village inn where the peasants are carousing. It seems one of them however has slightly more backbone than the rest and decides to take the fight up to the castle to do away with Duckula once and for all. He is initially met with dissent but soon convinces everyone in the pub to grab their pitchforks and head up to the castle. 

"Hush awhile and cease your carousing!"
Great lightening effect here. Note the cross above the door.

 


I love any scenes set in the inn. We don’t see it in every episode, but it is a regular staple of the series, in keeping with the Universal/Hammer Horror type Überwald vibe the show was going for. I love the old world pub feel of it and the sometimes jolly, sometimes sinister atmosphere it gives off. It’s interesting to note that half the time the peasants come across as more openly hostile than the Count. This opening in particular seems like something straight out of a classic horror movie.

In fact this is precisely the task writer Jimmy Hibbert is setting out on in this episode. The peasant uprising is just the beginning of Duckula’s troubles for it only gets worse for him as the episode progresses.

In the castle, Duckula is, as usual, somewhat bored. Despite this, he seems in a rather chipper mood. Neither Igor nor Nanny provide much source of entertainment – they are too busy stock-taking - so the Count decides to make a snack and practice his harmonica, (or mouth organ according to Nanny) which Igor locked it in the lumber room the day before. A brilliant bit of offscreen character continuation there as it’s perfectly believable Igor would do such a thing. He never appreciates his master’s musical talent. Mind you, not many people on the show do. Its little subtle bits like this that make the characters more likeable to me.

Unfortunately while Duckula is looking for said instrument he brings a mummy to life by foolishly reading aloud the invocation on its sarcophagus. At about the same time, Igor also arises a monster he discovers in the dungeon by tinkering with the electrics! The contrast between these two similar scenes is striking. The disbelieving Duckula just reads out the invocation for a laugh, calling it something ‘straight out of a second rate horror movie!’ which of course, is what Hibbert’s script is aiming for. 

Stepped in something? Wear some shoes next time!

Blink and miss it shot when the harmonica is found.

Igor’s scene in the dungeon however is deliberately devoid of any humour as scenes involving Igor alone often are. He really does move along the serious and/or creepy side of show. Although it is oddly endearing how he seems to be enjoying performing the experiment. Another attack of nostalgia evidently. On a side note, I wonder if Dr. Frankenduckula is the one whose portrait we see in the intro titles?

Nanny is also instrumental in loosing a monster in the castle, though in a different way. A man at the door (or where the door was) seeking refuge begs her to lock him in the dungeons before he turns into a werewolf. In true horror movie fashion though, he avoids stating his condition outright. Not that it would make much difference, Nanny only wants to invite him in for a cuppa tea and a chat anyway!

The humour of this encounter is particularly good as unlike Igor’s encounter (where he realises he’s made a mistake) and Duckula’s (where he remains unaware of his), Nanny doesn’t even react overmuch to the werewolf’s inevitable transformation. She just puts it down to him making a fuss over not liking tea!
 
In the skies above, an alien ship and Von Goosewing’s airship are hovering about. The airship should be familiar by now so here is the egg-like space-craft.

The egg-head alien disguises himself as an Earth life form (a cabbage!) and infiltrates the castle, while Goosewing’s does likewise as his usual vendetta has been long established by this point in the series.

The peasants meanwhile, are halfway up the mountain to the castle and although they have seconds thought, Hibbert’s lead peasant again gives them the courage they need to carry on.

By this stage pandemonium has already erupted in the castle, with all the monsters and Goosewing chasing Duckula everywhere (with the Frankenduckula monster emitting his only line of a very creepy call for ‘Daddy?’). Regrouping with his servants he makes a dash for the front door, but is confronted with the proverbial angry mob of villagers. Nanny initially hesitates leaving the castle mainly because she's worried who'll do the dusting while they're gone.

With this chaos going on inside and the peasants just outside the door, the Count and his servants seem trapped. Despite ostensibly being a comedic show, this series does play up to the horror and drama aspect equally effectively and we genuinely feel sorry for Duckula in his almost hopeless predicament. Nanny actually comes to the rescue by showing a brilliant bit of thinking, suggesting that if they could get the ‘monsters and what have you’ (Goosewing evidently falling into that latter category!) outside of the castle, it could be flown away somewhere. Naturally, Duckula pulls a classic ‘glad I thought of it’ moment and claims the idea for his own (not the last time he would do this) though Igor spots it right away.

Duckula may not have had the idea, but he puts his all into implementing it. He runs madly about the castle lobby (in some cycled but energetic animation) sticking random signs all over the place for his pursuers to follow.

Luring them outside (and scaring off the peasants who were clearly not expecting so many opponents!) Duckula hastily zips the castle away to a peaceful quiet lagoon. The castle itself, like so much in Duckula’s life, either doesn’t work properly or doesn’t respect him because guess where it lands up? The Black Lagoon, where a big hungry creature makes it’s home! The poor guy just can’t catch a break. But it makes for a morbidly entertaining ending to a headstrong episode.

The music choices throughout are great. Slow and eerie to brash and horrific (and a cheery tune on Nanny's radio to balance it out!). All of these cues would not sound out of place in a vintage horror movie and indeed that’s what many of the cues originally were used for. At some stage I would like to include them here on this blog for your enjoyment, but they immediately get copyright blocked. Nanny's radio plays 'Folli the Foal' by Andrew Kenner and the alien's entrance is underscored with 'Smouldering Fury' by Trevor Duncan which is also used in 'The Vampire Strikes Back' for a space theme. 'Horse Feathers' by Philip Green plays during the washing machine bit. The cue under the title card crops up during a chase segment. It's also heard in the Avenger Penguins episode 'The Jewel In The Crown.' It is 'Dancing Skeletons' by Chris Payne. Episode ends with 'Earthworks' by Tim Souster.

Trivia

 -    Jimmy Hibbert himself announces the title of the episode in full over the title card.

- Jimmy also plays Hesekiah, although it’s very clearly a different Hesekiah than the one he plays in ‘Town Hall Terrors.’ THAT Hesekiah’s design IS used, but is voiced by Jack May.

     - Obediah from ‘Town Hall Terrors’ also appears as well as the Innkeeper.

-         Brian Trueman does not provide any additional voices in this episode, despite the vast cast, although he can be heard among the peasant crowd shouting ‘cursed be the vampire!’.

- Another appearance of Von Goosewing's airship.
 

-         The lumber room (from ‘The Vampire Strikes Back’) reappears and back in its proper place! 

- Duckula plays his harmonica in this episode.

-        The invocation on the mummy’s sarcophagus is written true to the script. 

-        Jack May’s character (Igor) resurrects Jack May’s character (the monster). David Jason’s character (Duckula) resurrects David Jason’s character (the mummy).

-         It’s always Tuesday in Transylvania. My dad’s (unconnected) theory was that Tuesday was the most boring day of the week, so that may well be why a lot of episodes are set then. Although it's more likely to be because that was the day the show was broadcast on ITV. 

-      The alien is called Ernest. Someone at C-H must have loved that name as it was used for a character in ‘Whodunnit?’ (ep 37) and a character in ‘Wind in the Willows’. Most famous to C-H fans as Penfold’s first name.

-        The monsters do not seem to wish to attack Goosewing. To be fair, the doctor is very ditzy and doesn’t even seem to be aware that they are monsters, contrary to how he views Duckula. So single-minded is he in his pursuit of the Count, that he joins in their attack anyway so they maybe view him as a fellow monster.

- 2nd time in as many episodes Jack May tells David Jason to run(row) "like blazes!"

- Some stock animation of Igor and Nanny is used. 

-          The verse to make the castle move:
“We’re in deep water castle, so get us out and soon.

 To a safe deserted island or some distant quiet lagoon!”

- Episode ends on Duckula screaming, but doesn't open with a scream.

- This episode was released on VHS in 1990 along with 'Mysteries of the Wax Museum' and 'The Lost Valley.'  

- One of many episodes to have the word 'duck' somewhere in the title. 

      

-  The magic coffin makes an appearance.

Goofs and nitpicks

-          Although Nanny as usual breaks the front door, it appears to be intact towards the end. Maybe Nanny replaced the front door in the interim.
 

-     No possessive apostrophe on the title card.

 

Here are some panning shots and backgrounds used. Lots of castle interiors.

This has a similar appearance to a later shot, but they are actually different backgrounds.

Igor discovering the laboratory....

...and uncovering it's gruesomely gorgeous interior.

Had to cheat a little in the middle to get the full pan of the inside of the lumber room. Look at all that junk!

Vertical downward pan as Duckula leaves the lumber room followed by the mummy.

"Mad certainly! But evil with it." But then, Igor's the one addressing a crowd of invisible people.

Some interesting portraits behind Duckula's one-way system. The 2-face and 2-headed ones are noticable.

Typically, the creature in this lagoon is massive!