The Gruesome Game of the Gator Ghoul

The Gruesome Game of the Gator Ghoul is the third episode The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour, later repackaged as the third episode in the first season of The Scooby-Doo Show.
== Premise ==
The gang is on their way to see Scooby-Dum, Scooby-Doo's cousin. They learn that his owners Ma and Pa Skillett used to be in the business of making a special drink called Fenokee Fizz, but business has been terrible because of a strange alligator creature haunting the swamps where they live.
== Synopsis ==
Scooby, Shaggy, Fred, Velma and Daphne are driving through the swampy south to visit Ma and Pa Skillett and their dog, Scooby-Dum. When Daphne questions if the two dogs even know each other, Shaggy and Velma explain that they're actually cousins but haven't seen each other since they were puppies. Ma and Pa Skillett own a showboat restaurant featuring a special drink called Fenokee Fizz. On the way, they are stalked by a strange, bipedal alligator creature that flashes yellow beams from its eyes. Scooby and the gang arrive at the showboat and meet Scooby's cousin, Scooby Dum. They also meet Ma and Pa Skillett, who tell the gang about the gator ghoul and how it has been scaring their customers and ruining their business. The old couple shows the gang to the machinery room where the gang starts looking for clues. In the process, they run into the gator ghoul who chases them briefly. Scooby Dum accidentally turns on the soda machine and the machine overflows with soda, fending off the alligator monster.
Shortly afterwards, the gang meets the Skillet's dishwasher and handyman, Simon, who is not very considerate. Mystery Inc. also meets the maid, Alice Dovely, who is a sweet and caring lady. The gang goes to search for clues, and suspicious of Simon's behavior, decide to search his empty cabin. All they find is a magazine titled Legend of the Swamp with a similar looking Ghost of Gator Ghoul on the front cover. The gang splits up and searches the showboat, and Shaggy, Scooby Doo and Scooby Dum get into an altercation with the Ghost of Gator Ghoul and they are chased out onto the water wheel. Scooby Dum unintentionally saves them and in the process finds a clue. It is an alligator suit with a motor inside. A label on the outside of the costume reveals that the costume is property of the Beauregarde Film Company and the gang deduces the costume was made for a movie in this location a while ago.
Velma remembers they shot most of the movie inside an old shack in the swamp and the gang checks it out. Inside they find a piece of stationery from a rival soda company, Kookie Cola. They also find shredded pieces of paper, and the gang manages to piece together some of the paper, but it is still not understandable. In the kitchen Shaggy has made a batter for a snack called Funky Fritters, but then he accidentally steps in the batter and his shoes get stuck, resulting in having to slip out of them. The incident gives the gang an idea for a trap. Fred spreads the batter along the floor and covers Scooby Dum, Shaggy and Scooby Doo in flour so they won't stick to the batter like Shaggy's shoes did, then they will lead the alligator to the batter and get it stuck. Shaggy, Scooby and Scooby Dum step outside and make faces distracting Gator Ghoul. Shaggy, Scooby and Scooby Dum are chased into the kitchen, where the plan works sticking the Gator Ghoul right in its tracks.
Before unmasking the ghoul, Velma has put the shredded note completely together and now it reads: "Notice of termination from Kookie Cola Company to Alice Dovely." The gator is unmasked as Alice Dovely. Velma and Daphne explain that Alice used to work at Kookie Kola but she got fired, hence the notice of termination the gang found. Alice had confidential information that the owner of Kookie Kola was going to buy Fenokee Fizz. To get even with Kookie Cola for terminating her employment, Alice decided to use tha legend to ruin Ma and Pa Skillet's business, take over Fenokee Fizz and sell it to Kookie Kola for a fortune. The beaming yellow eyes were powered with flashlight batteries, and Alice used the head from the alligator costume the film company left behind as part of her get-up.
Later, Shaggy, Scooby-Doo, and Scooby-Dum eat more of the fritter batter and Scooby-Doo accidentally eats Shaggy's sneakers, to everyone's (including Shaggy) amusement.
== Characters ==
Main characters:
* Mystery Inc.
** Scooby-Doo
** Shaggy Rogers
** Fred Jones
** Daphne Blake
** Velma Dinkley
* Scooby-Dum (first appearance)
Supporting characters:
* Pa Skillett (only appearance)
* Ma Skillett (only appearance)
* Simon Stingy (only appearance)
Villains:
* Ghost of Gator Ghoul (only appearance) (no lines) (Alice Dovely's disguise)
* Alice Dovely (only appearance)
Other characters:
* B.B. (mentioned)
* Sheriff (mentioned)
== Locations ==
* Georgia
** Hokeyfenokee Swamp
*** Skillett Showboat
*** Simon Stingy's cabin
*** Swamp shack
== Objects ==
* Bucket
* Raft
* Scooby-Dum's magnifying glass
* Headless alligator costume
* Kookie Cola stationery
* Torn pieces of pink slip
* Fenokee Fizz
* Fenokee Fizz machine
* Chili peppers
* Funky Fritters
* Fritter batter
* Lantern
* Legend of the Swamp
* Shaggy's sneakers
* Flour
== Vehicles ==
* The Mystery Machine
* Skillett Showboat
== Suspects ==
Suspect 	Motive/reason
Simon Stingy	Surly attitude. The gang found a suspicious magazine in his cabin.
=== Culprits ===
Culprit 	Motive/reason
Alice Dovely as the Ghost of Gator Ghoul	To get revenge on Kookie Cola for firing her, she would ruin Fenokee Fizz by scaring people away with the Gator Ghoul and would own Fenokee Fizz and sell it to Kookie Kola for a huge fortune.
== Cast ==
Don Messick 	Scooby-Doo
Pa Skillett
Casey Kasem 	Shaggy Rogers
Simon Stingy
Frank Welker 	Fred Jones
Ghost of Gator Ghoul
Heather North 	Daphne Blake
Pat Stevens 	Velma Dinkley
Daws Butler 	Scooby-Dum
Virginia Gregg	Ma Skillett
Alice Dovely
== Full credits ==
The following credits reflect closely as possible to how they are seen on-screen.
Show
== Notes/trivia ==
* A cyber version of the Gator Ghoul appears in the DTV Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase.
*The gang told their friend, Eric Staufer, about this case, and he used the Gator Ghoul in his computer game, as seen in the direct-to-video film Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase.
=== Cultural references ===
* "Hokeyfenokee" is a parody of "Okefenokee", a real wetland located on the Georgia-Florida border.
* Ma and Pa Skillet are named for Ma and Pa Kettle, hillbilly characters from Betty MacDonald's 1945 novel The Egg and I, which inspired a series of comedy films.
* "Kookie Kola" is a parody of "Coca-Cola".
* The pepper and tabasco pots say "H and B", named after Hanna-Barbera.
=== Animation mistakes/technical glitches ===
* When Velma discovered the torn up pieces of paper, they were pretty small. But when they were put together, some of the pieces were much bigger.
* When Shaggy, Scooby, and Scooby-Dum make the second batch of funky fritters, Shaggy has his shoes on, even though he lost them in the fritter batter, but after Scooby ends up accidentally eating the shoes, Shaggy doesn't have his shoes on again.
== Home media ==
* The Scooby-Doo!/Dynomutt Hour: The Complete Series DVD set released by Warner Home Video on March 7, 2006.
* Straight Outta Nowhere: Scooby-Doo! Meets Courage the Cowardly Dog (DVD) DVD released by Warner Home Video on September 14, 2021.
* Straight Outta Nowhere: Scooby-Doo! Meets Courage the Cowardly Dog (DVD) DVD released by Warner Home Video on September 15, 2021.
== Gallery ==
== Quotes ==
Shaggy: Suddenly, this black mysterious night has become a yellow mysterious night.
Shaggy: Why does it always have to be a secret? If you know who the Gator Ghoul is, then why all the hush-hush?
Category:The Scooby-Doo Show episodes