The first Scooby mystery of the 1970's is a top-notch episode in every way.
In this episode, the gang heads to a creepy mansion when Scooby is in the will of a rich southern gentleman after saving his life. The will states that there is an inheritance waiting for any one of those listed in the will who are able to spend a night in this haunted mansion. The gang spends the night there, but it becomes dangerous when two green ghosts appear.
This is a fan favorite episode, and it is easy to see why. The premise of a cartoon character having to spend a night in a haunted house to receive an inheritance is a cartoon cliché, but it has possibly never been done better than it has here. The ghosts are some of the best Scooby villains. Much of this is heavily due to their very memorable design. This design is both creepy and a lot of fun. It is also incredibly memorable. These ghosts are probably the first image that comes to my mind when I think about Scooby villains. The moaning is also wonderful and the use of their shadows when they are off screen only adds to the creepy fun. The mansion is also a perfect setting for a Scooby mystery. This whole episode is filled with a great sense of Halloween-y atmosphere thanks to the incredible background art and use of lighting. This episode also benefits from a wonderful sense of humor. Every slapstick gags lands perfectly here.
In 1971 this episode would receive a comic book adaption entitled Night for a Fright. This story would appear in Gold Key Comics' Scooby-Doo Where Are You! #8. Clips from this episode would later be used in the direct to video movie, Scooby-Doo! Frankencreepy (2014). An episode of the TV series Supernatural would be a crossover with Scooby-Doo. That episode, entitled Scoobynatural (2018), features characters from Supernatural being transported into an episode of Scooby-Doo by a haunted TV set. The episode they are transported into is A Night of Fright is No Delight.
This is a true classic.
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