Scooby-Doo! Where Are You: A Clue for Scooby Doo (1969)

 

The second episode of the first Scooby-Doo! show, already shows the franchise at its best. 

When the gang goes for a trip to the beach, they come across a spooky sea diving ghost. They find out that this is supposedly the ghost of Captain Cutler, a sailor who got at sea and has come back to get revenge. Before you can say Jinkies the gang has another mystery on their hands. 

This episode is a top-notch Scooby-Doo! mystery in every way. Due to great background art and expert lighting this a very atmospheric episode. The scene involving the lighthouse has a wonderfully creepy feel to it. I especially love the green look in much of this episode which makes the artwork here truly stand out among the many Scooby mysteries. It also perfectly fits the villain perfectly. The design of the ghost is simple but very effective and this villain leads to some delightfully creepy moments. The mystery element is also wonderful here. The twist of who the villain really is, is very clever and probably one of the cleverest reveals of the original series. I also really enjoyed seeing Shaggy be the one to figure out who the villain really was. It is nice to see Shaggy be this clever and I wish we could have seen him figure out more mysteries like this in the future. While this is not as funny as some of the later Scooby mysteries, there is some pretty good comedic moments in here. I especially liked Scooby's run in with the little mouse. 

This still proves to be one of the most popular episodes of the original series. The very next year (1970) this episode would receive a comic book adaption in Gold Key Comic's Scooby Doo... Where Are You! #4. There is would be called The Ghostly Sea Diver. Much later in 2008 the episode would receive another comic book adaption in DC Comics' Scooby-Doo #135. The villain would be one of the ghosts, whose costume comes to life in the theatrical live-action movie, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004), which is just one of his many appearances in later Scooby-Doo media. 

It is hard to believe that this is only the second Scooby mystery as it can hold its own with the best of them.  

Silent Film of the Month: The Magician (1926)

 

Run Time: 88 minutes. Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Director: Rex Ingram. Writer: Rex Ingram. Based on a book by W. Somerset Maugham. Main Cast: Alice Terry, Paul Wegener, Iván Petrovich. Cinematographer: John F. Seitz. Editor: John F. Seitz.

Though the term "horror film" had not been invented yet there were some movies from the silent era that fully fit into this genre. One of the best examples is Rex Ingram's The Magician.  

This film's story is exactly what classic horror movies are made of. A magician/alchemist (Paul Wegener) needs "the blood of a maiden" for his experiments on creating human life. To compete his experiments, he sets his sight on beautiful young Margret (Alice Terry). She soon finds herself in great danger, as does her boyfriend when he attempts to save her. 

Like many older horror films, this movie isn't exactly scary to a modern-day audience. However, that is not to say, it isn't still a very engaging watch. Though it may not be scary, there is a delightfully spooky and atmospheric feel that is still incredibly effective today. This film is also a pure visual delight. The sets, the use of cinematography and the pure visual creativity are all truly wonderful and stand up perfectly today. In fact, in this CGI focused world of today. this film feels even more effective today because it stands out even more. The storyline is quite simple but effective. There is little here that hasn't been done since, However the unpretentious simplicity and a real sense of suspense make it very compelling and especially entertaining. 

This film was directed by Rex Ingram, one of the most individualistic Hollywood directors of his time. His films did not aim to have realistic look to them but rather to have almost the feeling of a painting. Similar to some German Expressionist directors, the look of his films gave a certain insight into the mental state of the characters and the emotion of the scenes. Because of this his films are full of images that stay in our mind long after they are finished. As a director Ingram first came into prominence by directing The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921), the movie that made Rudloph Valentino a major star. Due to the artistic, critical and box office success of his movies, MGM allowed him to make films in his own studio near Nice, France, that would be released by MGM. This is where The Magician was made and why it has a feel so different from most Hollywood movies of the period. 

The star of this movie is a familiar face to fans of silent horror as Paul Wegener had also been in the silent horror classic, The Golem (1920). The leading lady was Ingram's wife and often the leading lady of his films, Alice Terry. Her appearance in this and other Ingram films comes from not just from her relationship with the director but because she is perfect for the roles. In this movie she perfectly fits the role of the innocent young woman who falls into sister hands. She brings a real charm and likability to this typical horror movie role.

Resources Used

https://www.jbkaufman.com/movie-of-the-month/magician-1926 

https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/3617/the-magician#articles-reviews?articleId=290545