A few others from other studio series drop in too, but for the most part, it's the Universal gang: Boris Karloff's Victor Von Frankenstein, his creation, the monster's bride (Phyllis Diller), Count Dracula, the Invisible Man, the Mummy, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Also popping in from other horror or gothic films from other studios are Dr. Jekyll, his handy cane which turns him into Mr. Hyde, the Hunchback of Notre Dame and a cameo appearance towards the end by a giant ape. The basic premise has Dr. Frankenstein inviting his cohorts to a gathering to announce who he is leaving all his secrets to, and this creates a plot between various monsters to get rid of the heir: Frankenstein's Mr. Magoo like nephew who can't see a thing without his glasses. The film opens with some thrilling credits sung over the titles with a James Bond like opening theme, but then sinks into often dated juvenile humor that wouldn't make many kids laugh today.
Gale Garnett provides the voice of the redheaded assistant to Dr. Frankenstein who is in cahoots with Dracula to get rid of the wimpy heir so Dracula can get his hands on the doctor's secrets. While obviously written as a bit of a vixen, she has the same puppet head as Santa's wife in the Rankin/Bass TV classic, "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". The songs are rather mediocre, although there are some campy moments in "Do the Mummy". Diller is forced to repeat her trademark laugh over and over, and often at the most inappropriate times. A forced romance between Garnett's character and the heir (voiced by Allen Swift in a bad Jimmy Stewart impression) just seems absurd. The funniest moments come from Bass's Peter Lorre impression, with the character (Frankenstein's valet) losing his head literally over and over, while Swift's attempt to do a Bela Lugosi impression falls flat as well. This is amusing in spots, but it just doesn't hold up well, especially when compared to the Christmas classics that the same team did for TV.
Gale Garnett provides the voice of the redheaded assistant to Dr. Frankenstein who is in cahoots with Dracula to get rid of the wimpy heir so Dracula can get his hands on the doctor's secrets. While obviously written as a bit of a vixen, she has the same puppet head as Santa's wife in the Rankin/Bass TV classic, "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". The songs are rather mediocre, although there are some campy moments in "Do the Mummy". Diller is forced to repeat her trademark laugh over and over, and often at the most inappropriate times. A forced romance between Garnett's character and the heir (voiced by Allen Swift in a bad Jimmy Stewart impression) just seems absurd. The funniest moments come from Bass's Peter Lorre impression, with the character (Frankenstein's valet) losing his head literally over and over, while Swift's attempt to do a Bela Lugosi impression falls flat as well. This is amusing in spots, but it just doesn't hold up well, especially when compared to the Christmas classics that the same team did for TV.