Scooby-Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf is a 1988 telefilm produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, directed by Ray Patterson, written by Jim Ryan and distributed by Taft Broadcasting. It stars the voices of Casey Kasem, Don Messick, and Hamilton Camp. This is the third full-length film to feature the Scooby-Doo characters, and was the last to be released as part of the Hanna-Barbera Superstars 10 series of telefilms, which included and two other Scooby-Doo films, Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers and Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School.
All three Scooby entries in the Superstars 10 series feature Shaggy Rogers, Scooby and Scrappy-Doo alone involved with stories that feature real ghosts and monsters. Scooby-Doo and the Reluctant Werewolf also features the only appearance of Googie, Shaggy's blonde girlfriend.
The film also marks the last proper appearance of Scrappy-Doo in an animated Scooby-Doo series, special, or film.
Plot
Every year, all of the classic Hollywood monsters such as Frankenstein's monster, The Mummy, and Dr. Jekyl/Mr. Hyde, gather at Count Dracula's castle in Transylvania for the "Monster Road Rally", an ultimate road race similar to Wacky Races, awarding the winner with the "Monster of the Year" award as well as many other prizes only monsters would enjoy (and one prize--a trip to Hawaii--that none of the monsters want). This year however, Dracula receives a postcard from the Wolfman stating that he has retired to Florida and will not be participating. Lacking one of the most well known monsters, Dracula fears they will have to cancel the race. Luckily, Dracula's minion Wolfgang notifies him there is an another option, namely, to create a new werewolf. After searching an old book for information on whom is next in line to become the next werewolf, it is revealed that it is none other than Shaggy Rogers (or Shah-Gee, as Dracula pronounces it). Dracula sends his horrible henchmen (the mushmouthed, incomprehensible Crunch and the English accented, well articulated Brunch, together known as "The Hunch Bunch", since both of them are hunchbacked) to America to transform Shaggy into a werewolf and bring him back to his castle.
After a few thwarted attempts, the Hunch Bunch manage to transform Shaggy by exposing him to moonlight while he is at a drive in movie with Scooby, Scrappy, and Googie in his customized race car. The Hunch Bunch then picks up the car using their batcopter and flies the group back to Transylvania. Here, Shaggy is informed that he was chosen to be the next werewolf and that he must participate in the monster race. Shaggy, wanting to return to his normal life, is displeased with his current situation. Ultimately, however, Shaggy chooses to make a deal with Dracula, and states that he'll only race under the condition that if he wins, Dracula must return him back to his human state, and allow him and his friends to leave. Dracula agrees but secretly begins planning ways to keep Shaggy from winning. After being kept up most of the night, driving the severely detuned "wolf-wagon" in the race, being sent on misleading detours, rescuing Scrappy and Googie from traps, and dodging dangerous monsters and magic spells, Shaggy manages to win.
Dracula refuses Or else they will suffer and then dies, claiming he had his fangs crossed when they made the agreement. Infuriated, the heroes steal Dracula's book on transformation and make their getaway. Dracula chases them in his bat-like car and airplane, where the four narrowly escape Dracula's powerful "Drac-Vac" and his "Munchie-Missiles." In the end, Googie uses the book to change Shaggy back to normal and the group lives happily ever after. That night, the gang all sit down to watch another horror movie, but nobody sees Dracula, Brunch and Crunch creep up to the window, leaving the film with an open ending.
Cast
- Casey Kasem as Shaggy/Shaggy Werewolf
- Don Messick as Scooby and Scrappy Doo
- Hamilton Camp as Dracula
- B.J. Ward as Googie / Repulsa
- Rob Paulsen as Brunch / Spider Monster
- Frank Welker as Crunch
- Pat Musick as Vanna Pira
- Jim Cummings as Frankenstein / Skull Head / Genghis Kong
- Joan Gerber as Dreadonia / Woman at Store / Short Witch Sister
- Ed Gilbert as Dr. Jackyll / Mr. Snyde
- Brian Stokes Mitchell as Bonejangles
- Alan Oppenheimer as The Mummy
Trivia
- The music playing at the party once Shaggy, Scooby, Scrappy, and Googie arrive is the beat to "Gleep Glorp" from the superstar 10 movie Rockin' with Judy Jetson.
- This is also the final appearance to date of Scrappy Doo in animated form in the Scooby Doo series.
- In March 2002 it was released on video and DVD.
- This is the last Scooby-Doo project of the 80's where Shaggy is wearing a red shirt and blue jeans. In Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase, Cyber Shaggy wears this outfit.
- Googie is shown waring a green top, and a brown mini-skirt. Which is an echo of Shaggy's style in the original Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!.