SPACE ANGEL - "The Ghost And Crystal Mace" (1964)

 

Tonight's Countdown To Halloween Saturday Night Special is Season 3, Episode 6 of the 1962 cartoon series "Space Angel" titled "The Ghost And Crystal Mace."  

 

 So what does an outer space cartoon have to do with Halloween you might ask.

In this particular episode, "Space Angel" and his crew travel to a haunted planet inhabited by ghosts, that's what!

 

"Space Angel" was a product of Cambria studios who also brought us "Clutch Cargo" in 1959, and "Captain Fathom" in 1965.

So, Let's Blast off!

Senior Artist credits go to comic artist extraordinaire Alex Toth!

 The strange real human moving lips on a stationary cartoon image was a technique called "Syncho-Vox" that was developed by cameraman Edwin Gillette, and was basically boring as Hell for the most part, and still looks odd to this day!

There are some pretty cool rocket stills like this!

Wow! You sure as Hell can't get much more high tech than this gauge!

They lower the spaceship down through the muck and onto this strange planet!

Here's a couple of shots from the ghostly planet! Pretty weird concept I must admit!

"Space Angel" was directed by Alex Toth and Dick Darley, aka Dik Darley. Dick was also the Director of "Space Patrol," and was the original Director for "The Mickey Mouse Club" and he directed six episodes of "The Spike Jones Show," and that's good enough for me!

The diminutive Margaret Kerry is the voice of Crystal Mace and Humphrey the ghost, so in these scenes, she's having a dialogue with herself! Margaret was also the voice of Spinner, Paddlefoot, and Gretchen on "Clutch Cargo."
Tinkerbell, the Disney cartoon character from the movie "Peter Pan" was modeled after Margaret and her dancing and acting skills. She was also the voice of the red haired mermaid in the same movie! She's now 90 years old.

That ghost sitting in the chair with Crystal is kind of a juvenile delinquent named Humphrey! The rest of the adult ghosts are very pissed off about Humphrey's disappearance, and want him back. They have no clue that Humphrey is responsible for his own disappearance, and is out having a blast!

Hal Smith does the narration, and is the voices of Taurus, The Chief, The Ghost Judge and all of the other Ghosts! Hal Smith was also in a ton of cowboy and other TV shows, then he did some voices for "Clutch Cargo," and from there on, he had to be one of the busiest cartoon voice guys there ever was.
Hal has lots and lots of credits for 'additional' voices, and all the extra characters, some you've heard of and some almost nameless like Guy #2 or Headless Specter, & others better known like Winnie The Pooh, Owl and Goofy. Hal was also Otis Campbell on "The Andy Griffith Show."
Hal had a total of 304 credits! What an amazingly gifted and busy man!

Here's another great rocket shot!

Ned Lefebver does the voices of Scott McCloud, aka 'Space Angel' and the Space Control Operator. "Space Angel" was his only credit ever!

The ghostly court is just about ready to drop the hammer on Space Angel and the gang!

Humphrey finally shows up with Crystal and tells the elders that he got to fly a spaceship! I don't know how ghosts do it, but he's about to get one Helluva whupping!

"And now my friends and I better get back and spread the good news about you,"
because Halloween is creeping nearer!

SPOOKS / An MGM 'Flip The Frog' Cartoon - 1932

Welcome to another Halloween Countdown treat for us... It's a toon from 1932 and stars good old Flip The Frog. This time he has a ghastly encounter with some skeletons in a haunted house! You gotta love those vintage cartoons, they really are something special, and that's why we're doing this one again!

Welp, it all starts when Flip and his trusty steed are out one dark and stormy night. After a while, Flip sees a creepy old house, it seems like the only available sanctuary.

Once inside the place, he's greeted by a skeleton butler, like, what the?!

Then, a skeleton with a top hat asks Flip to join him for supper. He obliges the host, but, what the heck kind of meal is this anyway?!

All of a sudden, the Skeleton Three break into some swinging tunes, and a female skeleton has her eye on Flip! They dance to the beat and make some crazy moves... It's kinda weird what they do to indicate a woman skeleton, a see through boob area and a dress!

Anyway, Flip leaps into her arms and she breaks into a bunch of pieces!

Meanwhile, the top hat cat has some plans for Flip's bones, he needs his skeleton to fill an empty trophy case in his creepy man cave!! Dude's into bones!

And wouldn't you know it, it's... "Time for go to bed!" *Quote from Lobo ~

So, Flip gets changed and goes into a special bedroom for him, only to get socked around!

Then he finds himself in dire straights... I mean, check it out, the mad skull's going to slice the flesh offa Flip, while he just lays there! Boy, it's a relief that people know the difference between fact and comedy! Anyway, Flip flips his table while the skeleton's back is turned and tries to escape...

Flip rides the table all the way out the front door and onto his waiting horse. He thumbs his nose to the old house as he rides away.

But when he turns back around, his horsie is a skeleton too! Flip hightails it off into the sunrise, to get as far away as possible!

We're back tomorrow with even more Halloween Countdown, see you then!..

FELIX THE CAT - "Skulls And Sculls" (1930)

 SOoooooo.......Let's get this Countdown To Halloween 2019 off to a very scary start!

 There's probably not a bigger scaredy cat in history than Mr. Felix The Cat.

"Skulls And Sculls" was made in 1930, so don't expect any fancy stuff, just lots of thrills and chills!

 They don't really tell you what's going on at first, they just start of with the menacing stuff!

 Felix is frightened and wants out!

 He's blindfolded and sent down these stairs. Now that's a good way to break your neck if you ask me! Kids! Don't try this at home!!

 Next thing is he's confronted by this large and ominous creature!

 This scary monster looks like a cross between a cat and a catfish!

 Then the ghosts start chasing him!

 Then he ends up here! Where? There!

 Next he's stuck in a scene straight out of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulum!"

 Aw, it wasn't a pendulum at all, it was just a hanging lamp!

 What a maroon! Now he's a laughing stock!

The cover of this 1999 comic looks just about perfect for this Countdown!

 Then I really don't know what happens, I guess the whole point of the cartoon was just the title and it's play on words "Skulls And Sculls."

 Because Felix is then rushed off to be in this big boat race!

 And he's the cat calling out the cadence! Hell, I don't know, it's a cartoon made in 1930! Is it really supposed to make sense?

This 1946 "Four Color" comic featured Felix in the Haunted Castle!

"Skulls And Sculls" can be found on YouTube for your viewing scariness along with this other hair-raisng Felix The Cat cartoon from 1927 called "Switches Witches!!"

Try and not get too scared, we have got a whole month of this still left to go!