"The Ghost of McCastle McDuckula"

Season 1 episode 11 (episode 11 overall)

Original broadcast date: 15 November 1988

Writer: Brian Trueman
Additional voices: Rory McDuckula:
                               Brian Trueman

                                Ghost: Jack May

                                Dr. Von Goosewing/
                                Blue Nessie: Jimmy Hibbert

                                Green Nessie: David Jason

Travel location: Highlands, Scotland (not via castle)

Note: 1^st episode where the castle does not appear.

This is the Scottish episode. I have to either immediately cite it as my favourite episode or hate it completely for inaccuracies and stereotyping. As it happens I love it. It is one of my favourites. It gets funnier and more well-constructed on each viewing and I can even overlook the fact that the only time cartoon characters ever come to my home country is to look for the Loch Ness Monster. Honestly, as if there ever could be such a thing. Says the grown man who enjoys a cartoon about vampire ducks.

 

Speaking of vampire ducks, this marks the 3rd occasion in the series where such a character, other than the eponymous Count himself, appears. Duckula’s Scottish uncle Rory McDuckula is the laird of said castle and almost manages to keep his relationship to the Count a secret throughout. He may or may not have been a conscious reference to Scrooge McDuck, since Disney’s “Duck Tales” would have been in production about the same time (the 80s was all about ducks!) though being pre-internet days, it would not have reached UK shores at the time this episode was made. Either way he’s a fun character and certainly one of the more scheming of the Duckulas, although he does have a cheery side too.

Part of the opening shot is used again at the end of the episode.

The episode begins with Igor changing a flat tyre. The gang are travelling to the highlands via trailer instead of castle for a change (it's due for a service) and Duckula is determined to prove the existence of the Nessie. Igor scorns this of course with the ironic line: ‘How a vampire duck of your breeding can believe in that Loch Ness Monster story.’ 

Having the castle out of play eliminates the need for the crew to get back for its always badly-timed return, so we can enter this episode without any worries on that score and concentrate solely on the characters and a new setting. Said setting is supposed to be the Glensparrows Hotel so that Duckula can practise a bit of golf, but Igor has other ideas. He intends to take him instead to the castle of Duckula’s ‘father’s father’s uncle’s uncle’ in the hope that some vampiric evilness might rub off on the Count. This would not be the only time the ordinarily faithful butler deliberately disobeys his master’s wishes, but he still comes off as contrite near the end when he’s found out. One is led to wonder what would happen if Igor stopped being sneaky and went outright rebellious, something unlikely to happen as he doesn’t really have it in him to treat his master with outright disrespect and harshness, which is one of the positive qualities of his character. Igor genuinely believes he is doing the ‘right’ thing in his own twisted logic. It’s worth noting that Von Goosewing (who also appears in this episode) has the exact opposite view the Count – he believes Duckula already IS a monster who needs to be dealt with most severely.

Back to the plot. Upon arrival at McCastle McDuckula (that Scottish enough for you folks at home?) Duckula and Igor are immediately asked ‘Where are ye frae?’ by Rory. ‘I knew you’d made a wrong turning Igor! We’re in Siberia!’ – I admit that we Scots sometimes do come across as a bit hard to understand to Englishers, though to Transylvanians I imagine it might be even trickier! The double joke here is also at the expense of Duckula's ignorance. Fortunately Igor is that bit more educated and takes Rory aside to divulge his plan. I like how Jack May reads his lines here. He delivers them literally, actually saying them as written so instead of an indecipherable muttering, he actually says ‘mutter mutter mutter’ with a few choice words filtering through to imply that Rory has to pretend to be a hotel manager. Not that this bothers Rory much, in fact he warms to the idea pretty quickly and his accent notably softens. It’s a shame they never brought him back for a sequel, I imagine he’d have made a better hotelier than the owner of ‘Hardluck Hotel.’ This is not the last time Jack May would do the ‘read as written’ joke either. More on that when we get to ‘Jungle Duck.’

In the ‘hotel’ Rory tries his best to impress Duckula with the ‘four-poster bedroom’ (a poster on each wall) and the ‘whirlpool bath’ (a washbasin with a stainless steel egg-whisk). There’s even a putting green, ie. a hole in the floor, down which Duckula promptly loses his ball (hey at least he got a hole in one!) and has to pay ‘saxpence’ for each time he wants it back. The joke is that the Scots are mean. Though lets be honest a lot of characters on this show are mean. I do get a kick out of the money-centric jokes, always gives the show a more adult flavour. My favourite gag in this part is Rory mistaking the word Jacuzzi for something more taboo.

Pictured: A McDuckula putting green.

There follows a waiting for Godot type scene at the dinner table, where dinner never arrives. Dr Von Goosewing closely followed by a headless ghost do though. Seems that Rory is used to the ‘old fool’ and asks that someone show him out, though not before Goosewing can take a photo of him. Naturally the ghost doesn’t show up on film – mainly because the dizzy Doctor has left the lens cap on. Rory wants a photo of himself too, though again he doesn’t show up. That’s all the proof Goosewing needs – the place is full of vampires, so off he goes to get the necessary weaponry. Luckily for Duckula, he doesn’t photograph or even seem to recognise him. This is hardly surprising given that this is one of the earlier episodes and also how scatter-brained Goosewing is. The only odd thing about this scene is Duckula’s servants are silent throughout, but even this makes sense as they’d be the serving staff. So serve some food up!

There follows Duckula’s attempts to play a decent game of golf. He seems to know a bit about the game too, so he does have some genuine talent! He’s by no means an expert though, as in the Victor & Hugo crossover episode ‘Treasure Haunt, he seems to have no idea that croquet isn’t the same thing as golf. Nanny knows even less about the game and stops his hole in one, confuses a golfing iron for a domestic iron and points out the ‘danger flag’. She also has trouble grasping basic communication and thumps Igor with a golf bag, the ball and with the club, assuming that’s what he wants. The last of these (which sounds really painful) happens offscreen just as Duckula turns and covers his eyes, the camera tactfully panning away, so that we experience the scene the way the Count does. Makes it that much funnier to me. That's on top of all the 'dad jokes' this scene has.

Igor’s recovery is disturbed several times throughout the last third of the episode. Once by a caber tossed by Nanny straight onto his head and again by Goosewing as he threatens McDuckula with his ad-hoc vampire blaster made out of a garlic-filled set of bagpipes and a pair of antlers. I'll give Goosewing credit, he may be a rubbish vampire hunter but he is inventive. Naturally it explodes in his face while he tests it. The ghost also puts in another appearance as Nanny retrieves her ‘bit of a stick.’ True to his ghostly nature he seems to be haunting the same area repeatedly – going round in ‘aristocratic’ circles.

We get this probably unintentional double joke (from the character's perspective) from Nanny about Igor's condition:

"First he wants me to hit him with a golf club and now he's nodding the caber. He must be going soft in the 'ead!"

After more confusion brought about by Goosewing, Duckula finally figures out that this may not be the hotel he was looking for (it wasn't the one Goosewing was looking for either as it happens) and demands Igor drive them away. Rory, despite being a relative, demands his money (the Scots are mean remember?) and pursues the Count with Von Goosewing’s balloon. Goosewing is only too eager to join in the hunt for his primary target and forgets all attempts to kill Rory – at least he has some sense of priority, he already knows for certain Duckula really is a vampire – though ironically, the harmless variety. The headless ghost also comes along for the ride, in the vain hopes of getting to the Tower of London. He even asks Igor and Duckula if they are headed that way first.

Naturally the trailer’s brakes fail, landing the vehicle in Loch Ness (‘You were anxious to visit it I believe.’ – ‘Yes but not DROWN in it! Igor do something!) while the hot air balloon gets pierced  by a spiky overhang causing, in effect,  its brakes to fail. Rory doesn’t seem to mind though, in fact he enjoys it, even if it does also end up in the Loch.

The episode wraps up with the lot of them bickering in the water about bills (hotel, balloon hire and monster-detection equipment ruining) while two nessies look on with binoculars.

‘Oh look! I’ve seen one!* A vampire duck!’

‘Don’t be silly. It’s a figment of your imagination!’

*Just one? There’s two. But the joke scans better this way.  Among nessies, vampire ducks are a fanciful legend.

Fun episode, definitely one of my favourites. Now that’ll be £4-8-6d for this review. No cheques please.

Goodnight out there, fitever ye are!

 

The music is appropriately Scottish-themed, but mostly gentle and not ear-bleeding bagpipe noises as one would expect - apart from, appropriately, Goosewing's invention of course. 'Castle of Kelvingove' (track 25 - David Snell) plays just as the three arrive at Rory's castle. A snippet of 'Ghouls and Ghosts' from the 'Story-Tellers' (Paddy Kingsland) album is heard as Igor explains his plan to the viewers. I have a clean copy of the ascending tension music that plays at the end just when Duckula figures things out if anyone’s interested. It's called 'Sinister Street 2' by Peter Francklyn and was played a few times in the series and also on the Danger Mouse episode ‘The Statue of Liberty Caper.’ The Ghost’s music is ‘Saw Theme’ by William Trytel and is easily found online though I have a copy of that as well. It plays over the title card and was also used for Hoomite and Yoobee’s meeting with Arch Duck Maganza in the first episode. 'Turkey Trot' by John Longmire plays on the golf green which I'm sure most Ren & Stimpy fans will be familiar with, closely followed by 'Lumbering Giant' by Paddy Kingsland. 'Hide and Seek' by Richard Allen Harvey (track 37) is the tune that plays as Goosewing's photo develops. It's used numerous times throughout the series. Goosewing's familiar Germanic-sounding theme is used too. 'Loch Lomond' (sounds like 'I'll Take the High Road') opens/closes the episode and plays when Rory finds his manners.
'Scream and Scream Again' (Tom Souster) is heard as Igor regains consciousness.

Here are some backgrounds and pans. Someone in the layout department clearly studied some Scottish castles. McCastle McDuckula is very reminiscent of the castles around rural Aberdeenshire where I grew up, a lot of which I have visited.

Great long pan on the way to the castle. As serpentine as a Loch Ness sea serpent!

 

Pictured: A McDuckula Jacuzzi bath.

Goosewing's improvised 'wampire blaster'. I do hope those bagpipes weren't especially important to Rory.

"Close the wall behind you when you go out!"

Damn this show and it's use of organic panning! How dare it be inventive and thwart my screen-capturing!

Had to cheat a little here too, but not a lot. The get-away route along the mountains. Someone ought to add in a guard-rail there!

Same background, once with characters once without - and slightly different lighting.

Some shots of the trailer. I wish it had appeared in a few more episodes.

Trvia

• The title card appears to feature a very human-looking skull. 
• Another of many episodes to have the word 'duck' somewhere in the title. Also the second to have the word castle in it. The prior was the previous episode which also had the word Duckula in it! The next episode to (sort of) feature the word 'ghost' is 'Ghostly Gold.'
• This is the first episode where Castle Duckula does not appear. 
• First appearance of the trailer.
• Glen Sparrows Hotel is a pun version of Gleneagles Hotel, a luxury Scottish Hotel in Auchterarder famous for it's golfing ground. The hotel in Torquay that inspired 'Fawlty Towers' had the same name.
  
  
• McDuckula is spelt Mc but it’s pronounced Mac. It’s a common misconception that Mc=Irish whereas Mac=Scottish, but it’s worth observing. 
• Duckula seems to be aware of the fact that they own a werewolf. There may have been some miscommunication between Trueman and Hibbert as Duckula seems to be more a’were’ (hoho) of the beast in Trueman’s scripts whereas Igor tries to keep it a secret in Hibbert’s scripts. Although it’s worth noting that Duckula never mentions the werewolf by name, so Towser may even be a different creature altogether. 
• 3^rd time a vampire duck other than Duckula appears, the first being in ‘Vampire Vacation’ and the 2^nd in ‘Transylvanian Homesick Blues.’  Brian uses a similar voice for Rory as he did for Mac the Fork in ‘All Fall Down’ (Danger Mouse) only pitched a lot lower. Trueman often voiced the Scottish characters for Cosgrove-Hall and he manages to vary them up impressively. Rory alternates his voice between rough and aggressive and refined and polite depending on the situation. He starts rough, becomes polite to go along with Igor’s plan, then lapses into rough again near the end when he realises he’s not getting paid and when Goosewing barges in. An impressive variation of tones within one character and he also voices Nanny alongside.
• The headless ghost claims he used to be able to pass through walls. Nanny, of course, does this all the time -although in a messier way! 
• Like Nanny, Rory addresses Igor as 'Mister Igor.'
• Jimmy Hibbert is credited as script editor on this one.

Pictured: A McDuckula 4-poster bedroom.

• Although McDuckula says ‘there’s a poster on each wall’, they all seem to be on the same wall. But there could be others. We also don’t see Duckula give McDuckula the 6 pence, but it’s staged offscreen anyway. 
• Duckula says ‘we’ll unpack and dress for dinner’ but they don’t change their clothes, or do they? Standard visual cartoon joke.
• Goosewing is looking for the Ruritania Guest House. This fictional place shows up in "Alps-A-Daisy." 
• The Ghost seems to either have been shot on a double exposure or had his cels painted with semi-transparent paint. A slight glitch on Duckula’s hand in a shot he shares with him makes me lean towards the former. 
• The headless ghost also makes reference to Shakespeare and Cromwell, both of whom would have lived in the Elizabethan era. This fits with the ghost’s attire. 
  
• Von Goosewing’s camera is a ‘Paranoid’, a pun on Polaroid – and appropriate for a mistrustful vampire hunter.
• Goosewing does indeed leave his lens cap on his camera when photographing the ghost but it’s not on when he turns round from photographing Rory. Doesn’t make a lot of difference, neither character would show up on film anyway. 
• Duckula claims the Tower of London is 400 miles away from where they are. Since it’s never made clear where in Scotland they are (partly due to Igor’s unsolicited detour), this is about accurate, though it’s worth noting that Inverness is closer to 600 miles away. Inverness would be Duckula’s intended final destination were he to study Loch Ness. 
• Another instance of Goosewing calling for Heinrich.
• Goosewing's curse as he shouts for Heinrich is "Das betreten dang verboten!" which roughly translates as 'To enter is forbidden'. Makes sense, since Heinrich is not entering.
• Likewise, Rory gets apparently nonsensical Scottish-sounding curses. The first of which mash references Sauchiehall Street, one of the main shopping streets in Glasgow and the well-wishing phrase 'long may your lum reek'. 
• Nanny removes her arm from her sling when lifting up the trailer.
• Another appearance of Von Goosewing’s balloon. Rory and  the ghost are the only characters in the series to share a ride in it with Goosewing, along with Mr. Smogg and the bunch of animals.
• 2nd time Jimmy Hibbert's character uses binoculars.
• Rory seems OK with going outside in the daylight. Mind you this IS Scotland – not exactly the sunniest of places. Contrary to popular belief this is not at odds with the opening title narration, which states that ‘legend has it they can be destroyed by/exposure to sunlight'. Not all legends are true.

• This episode was released alone on a VHS along with a colouring book as part of the Thames ‘Watch and Play’ range. I had this as a child, but although the tape survived the book has long since disappeared. It was also released as part of 'Cult Kids' VHS range. I rememeber seeing it playing on the TVs in Virgin Megastore. The episode was also adapted by Maureen Spurgeon and released as a small hardback book (I remember Waterstones used to sell them for 99p!)  though the cover misspells the title, omitting the 1^st Mc. Rory McDuckula also makes a couple of appearances in the Count Duckula Joke Book and the first annual, along with the ghost. 
• A scene from the chase segment is used on this jigsaw puzzle. 

  

  Photo courtesy of James Price.
  
  
  

Rory appearing in 'The Count Duckula Joke Book'.

Goofs and Nitpicks

• Rory’s neck flickers white for a couple of frames and he forehead flickers pink for a shot in the bedroom. His waist button turns red once. 
• Igor's hair when hidden behind the flag looks odd. Mainly noticable on the book cover.
• Igor’s waistcoat looks more like Goosewing’s colour initially when on the golf green.
• Not so much a goof, but Nanny's sling knot is drawn unusually far back in some of the golfing scene.
• Cel level error on Rory when Nanny says Igor’s been nodding the caber.