Scooby Doo meets the Boo Brothers (1987)

Scooby Doo meets the Boo Brothers (1987) 3/5 stars. 

 The trio of Scooby, Shaggy, and Scrappy headline their first entry in the Superstar 10 series and the second movie overall in the series. It's also notable for being the first feature length movie in the Scooby Doo in the franchise

My viewing copy is the recently released blu-ray edition included in the Warner Archive Superstars 10 box set. Each movie is available separately, however you would end up paying anywhere from 2x-4x more than if you purchased the set. 

One last note: The images contained in this and all other reviews are sourced from various Wikis and are not meant to be representative of the Blu-Rays. The sites used for this review are Scoobypedia (one of my favorite resources) and the Animated Character Database. 

Okay... now on to the review

 Foundationally built upon the tried and true "One of the gang inherits a spooky mansion" plot, it gets more insane the longer it goes on. 

The spooky mansion is just one component of the plot in which subplots about hidden treasure, escaped circus animals, a Hatfield and Mccoy style blood feud that somehow manages to slide in an Elly May Clampett style love interest for Shaggy, and a ghostbusting subplot featuring the ghosts of the Three Stooges/Ritz Brothers (Or at least loose amalgamations thereof). 

It's a hellzapoppin style of comedy that melds elements from  The Ritz Brothers classic The Gorilla (1939) and Bob Hope's The Cat and the Canary (1939) and somehow creates an enjoyable, though not perfect, Scooby adventure. 

Basically, Logic goes out the window as 3-4 seemingly disparate casts of characters are dropped into one 90 minute movie.

Obviously, Scooby, Shaggy, and Scrappy are the glue that makes all of this work 

Supporting them are

"Sheriff" Buzby (Sorrell Booke), very much looking like, and acting like Clifton James' redneck Sheriff from the 007 movies

Farquard (Arte Johnson), the hunchbacked manservant/Elton John Impersonator with a touch of Peter Lorre

Sadie Mae Scroggins (Victoria Carroll), Elly May Clampett stand in with designs on Shaggy.

 

Billy Bob Scroggins (William Callaway), the head of the Scroggins clan who are locked in an eternal Hatfield & McCoy blood feud with the Beauregards and anyone related to them. Arguably the most terrifying character in the movie. He is the only visible Scroggins member aside from Sadie Mae, and he seemingly leads a clan of disembodied voices. Undead Hillbillies are always more frightening than whatever else may be around. Fairly certain he using sorcery as well... muzzle loaded rifles do not work that way. 

An escaped circus Gorilla is around to add to the mix,

Left to Right: Meako, Freako, and Shreako

 

Finally we have the Ghostbusting trio of Three Stooges/Ritz Brothers inspired apparitions. Freako, the leader of the group voiced by Ronnie Schell, Meako, voiced by Jerry Houser, and Shreako voiced by Rob Paulsen.  

A few more things before I start the cast breakdown,

the only problem I have with the entirety of the Superstars 10 series is that with the exception of perhaps a few cues, all 10 movies utilize the same score. It's kinda jarring honestly. Especially when my first encounter with it was in Yogi's Great Escape. I associate it with that movie, so hearing the cues pop up in otherwise unrelated sequences in the other 9 movies tends to yank me out of the movie.

Lastly, unlike the seemingly popular consensus, I actually enjoy Scrappy's character. He provides a fantastic contrast to the larger and more cowardly Scooby. It's also a great way to see the more protective side of Scooby as he is forced to make sure he grabs the little dude before he [Scooby] flees in terror. 

Scooby & Shaggy are voiced by their OG voices of Don Messick and Casey Kasem, respectively

Don Messick also voices Scrappy, replacing Lennie Weinrib, for the remainder of the 80's. The character of Scrappy would be scrapped after the 3rd and final Scooby entry in the Superstars 10 series, The Reluctant Werewolf. 

Sorrell Booke as Sheriff Rufus Buzby, T.J. Buzby. Best known as Boss Hogg from Dukes of Hazzard is a familiar presence to generations of TV audiences from the 50's -80's.

William Callaway as Billy Bob Scroggins, Beauregard's Ghost, The Ape, The Ghost in Attic, and Headless Horseman. A consistent voice on many well loved cartoons, perhaps most fondly remembered as Aquaman on the Super Friends franchise, and Clumsy Smurf from The Smurfs. With credits spanning from the 60's to the 90's, animation fans of all ages have enjoyed his work. A steady presence in various Hanna-Barbera productions.


Victoria Carroll as Sadie Mae Scroggins. Providing voices for characters in projects ranging from The 1980's animated Hulk (She-Hulk) to Darkwing Duck (Doctor Beatrice Brute), she is another familiar voice among animation fans. Also a steady presence on various sitcoms of the 60's & 70, she was one of the earliest members of the Groundlings comedy troupe.

Jerry Houser as Meako. Forever known as Wally Logan from the various iterations of The Brady Bunch TV series, he switched career tracks in the 80's and focused primarily on voice work until his retirement in 2007. Voiced Hank Pym in the first Marvel Ultimate Alliance game.


Arte Johnson as Farquard and The Skull Ghost. Best known for his work on Laugh-In, he also appeared in dozens of tv shows, both animated and live action. Confined mostly to TV he nonetheless appeared in such cult classics as "Evil Toons", "Evil Spirits" and "Munchie". Probably best known among animation fans as the voice of DePatie-Freleng Enterprises Misterjaw.


Rob Paulsen as Shreako and Dispatcher. A legendary voice actor who is probably the definitive voice of the millennial generation. If you do not who this guy is, are you even an animation fan? Raphael, Steelbeak, Fowl Mouth, Carl Wheezer, Stanley Ipkiss, Antoine Depardieu, and more. His career alone is worthy of a multi volume encyclopedia.


Michael Rye as Mayor. With a career spanning Old-Time Radio, animation, and video games he is another voice actor you would know by voice, if not name. The voice of the Lone Ranger in the 1960's cartoon, Apache Chief and Aquaman in various incarnations of Superfriends, he provided voices for numerous Hanna-Barbera cartoons.


Ronnie Schell as Freako and Demonstrator Ghost. Familiar to multiple generations of fans, he is best known for his work on Gomer Pyle, USMC. Had steady work with both Disney and Hanna-Barbara from the 70's onward.

Hamilton Camp as Ghostly Laugh (uncredited). Gizmoduck from Ducktales and Darkwing Duck, he did extensive work for Hanna-Barbera in the 80's, including the kid version of Barney Rubble in The Flintstone Kids. as well as Greedy & Harmony Smurf in The Smurfs. Outside of his voice work he made several memorable live-action appearances in various TV shows during his career. My personal favorites are as Bart Furley, the brother of Don Knotts' Ralph in Three's Company, and HG Wells in the 90's Lois & Clark,


June Foray as Witch (uncredited). With a career spanning over 6 decades in animation alone, everyone who was born between 1948 and 1994 grew up with. Whether as Granny, Witch Hazel or countless other roles in the Looney Tunes franchise, or as Rocky The Flying Squirrel from Rocky and BullWinkle, or Magica De Spell in Ducktales (1987), or perhaps Jokey Smurf in The Smurfs, she was a constant and comforting presence to fans of all ages.