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On October 13th. 1969, Scooby-Doo: Where Are You, released to the children of the world. In celebration of Scooby-Doo's 56th Anniversary, I figured I would make a fun film game called the Double Feature!
For the entirety of ScoobTober, I'll be showcasing and comparing an episode of 1969's Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! (and the Scooby-Doo Show) with another film that contains a very similar plot. Also, secondarily to see if films with more budget can outdo Hanna-Barbara with NO budget.
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You's first episode is also one of its best episodes. Shaggy & Scooby are walking home one night, when they discover... A Knight sitting in the front seat of a truck. Well, actually it's an empty suit of armor, and according to the box in the back, it was supposed to go to the Museum. There's only one problem: Where's the driver? Which is, I gotta say, just a freaking fantastic hook. You start the episode with 3 questions: What, Where, And Why? Though the Scoob mystery isn't exactly riveting, this provides a really good picture as to how to setup one.
After Shag n' Scoob call up the gang, they drive into town in the Mystery Machine to return it to the Museum. They meet the curator who then tells them that the suit of armor, The Black Knight, comes to life at night on a full moon. (Which apparently happens two days in a row.) The Black Knight was discovered by a British Professor "Professor Hyde White" who is now mysteriously missing.
After they drive away, the gang realizes that Scooby-Doo is a thief, because the dog stole a pair of examiner glasses. Instead of acknowledging this folly, the gang is like "Gee, let's hit the library figure out what these fuckers are."
So they're in there, and Velma's looking over the book in the- Hey! It's the shot from the opening!
Anyway, uh... yeah, they realize these glasses come from Europe and could only have been used by the missing archeologist! So, they all get together, and despite Shaggy's request, they unilaterally decide to break into the museum in the middle of the night and...
... break and damage countless artifacts, in a move that would break Indiana Jones into tears.
There's this really cool scene in the episode, where for a moment Daphne wonders if there's blood on the floor, like if there's a dead body on sight. Fred squashes it, and says it's paint. (Cop-out.) But this leads to the realization that actually the Curator kidnapped the Professor, and was selling counterfeit paintings. To hide his dealings he decided the best way to do that was SPOOPY knight shit.
Overall, a really good episode, but it's got some flaws. My biggest issue with 1969's Scooby-Doo: Where Are You, is it's pacing, inconsistent tone, and... honestly? Ted Nichols' Soundtrack is WAY too loud and obnoxious. I really wish it let some scenes breathe.
That said; that's what makes this compelling, is if a movie can outdo Hanna-Barbara with more budget, and without the benefit of Meddling Kids.
If you haven't seen Kolchak: The Night Stalker, it follows Carl Kolchak, a Chicago reporter for the INS (Independent News Service), who typically discovers the string of murders he's investigating turn out to be a Vampire, Werewolf, or some other spooky thing. Like if Columbo was Scooby-Doo essentially.
Fun Fact: This show also inspired Chris Carter to make the X-Files!
Now; I know what you might be thinking. Nick, this is a TV show, not a movie. Yeah, technically, but they're more like TV movies with a clear-cut formula. Plus, I'm sure you'll agree The Knightly Murders has a lot in common with What A Night For A Knight.
Kolchak shows up to a murder scene and begins asking a verbose, tangential, and dense police captain a few questions about the homicide and about a potential culprit. The murder weapon was a bolt from an ancient bow.
Upon chasing a few leads, Carl Kolchak discovers that each of the murders are linked to a Hydecker Museum, which is being reimagined as a disco. This doesn't make the Curator too happy, but he isn't in a position to fight demands. He is more than happy to tell our impromptu detective nothing about the murder.
It isn't till he speaks to the new owner that he gets new information. The identity of the killer.
Unfortunately, this haunted suit of armor watched The Shining last night and is looking to kill anyone and anybody associated with the museum, and the tarnishing of his legacy.
Of course, Kolchak, a man of reason, tries to tell the police, and his boss, that clearly the curator dressed in the suit of armor, and is killing each and everyone involved with the owning of the museum. Except... the curator literally can't fit into the suit of armor. At all.
So, following in the gang's footsteps, Carl decides he's gonna B&E into the museum, because obviously the suit of armor is haunted. So, he breaks in through the window; goes up to the armor and knocks on it and-
Can you believe that luck? It's the same shot! Like, who knew?
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I think I might like The Knightly Murders more, if only for the journey is better than A Night for a Knight, but unfortunately Kolchak does not have the better destination.
The ending of The Night Stalker kind of just... happens. Usually in Kolchak, we see them fight the Knight, and there's a gruff confrontation with the police, or Carl's boss Vicenzo busts him out, but it's really, really weak.
Scooby-Doo on the other hand, gets a chance to resolve all of its plot threads at the last bit, so there's a lot more closure. Kolchak also has a lot of pacing issues this episode that really drags it down. We only see the creature 3 times.
That said, the investigation itself, the mystery, it all builds up to a satisfying conclusion that says to me, maybe Kolchak couldn't get away with it, without those meddling kids' help in the pacing department.
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