Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Bedlam in the Big Top - Toonstalgia

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! - Bedlam in the Big Top

Premiered November 15, 1969

Season 1, Episode 10

Quickly

The gang is hypnotized by a Ghost Clown.

Too Much Detail Recap

I love this clown. This is the first villain so far that I just love.

The gang is driving when they see Sampson and Max crash their bike. They stop to see if they can help. Scooby-Doo catches Max when he falls out of a tree. Sam and Max (Okay, I can only think Sam and Max, Freelance Police now) explain that they just quit their jobs as circus performers because of a jinx on the circus.

Mr. Barnstorm, the ring master, tells them of a ghost clown haunting the circus. He plans to shutdown his circus. The gang leaves when he tells them to, which is just the weirdest thing they've ever done. Fred, Daphne and Velma would normally decide to search the fairgrounds even if he told them to leave. Instead, they just leave. Even weirder they don't notice Scooby isn't with them until they're driving away. 

They return to search for Scooby. By the time they return the clown has hypnotized Scooby into performing the high wire act. This is another bad guy who might have been fine if he had just ignored Mystery Inc until they left but he didn't. Also this is another bad guy that does his cardio because he covers some distance. 

The Ghost Clown tries to kill Scooby by taking him out of the trance while on the high wire. Fred and Daphne search a tent filled with costumes. He shoves Fred into a steamer trunk. Then the clown hypnotizes Daphne into performing a circus act. The trance isn't just like Scooby's because he also hypnotized her into changing into a costume and that is a distressing idea.

They follow Daphne into the animal tent where we see a very depressing image of three elephants with their ankles chained. Scooby enlists the help of one of the chained elephants to spray water onto Daphne to wake her from the trance.

Scooby-Doo and the Ghost Clown - By my Mom

Fred decides to trap the ghost clown in an animal cage. Scooby-Doo and Shaggy are convinced by a giant sandwich Daphne makes appear as if from nowhere to lure the ghost clown. Shaggy's goatee is really off in this episode. It's just weird how the flesh color extends below his chin line. The clown hypnotizes Shaggy into performing the lion tamer act. Then he tries to get him killed by the lions. Scooby is able to bring Shaggy out of the trance before he's mauled.

Shaggy has a brainwave about the gold coin. Shaggy declares to Scooby they are going to search for the clown again. Shaggy solves the case and captures the clown by holding up a mirror and tricking the clown into hypnotizing himself to be a monkey. Shaggy solved the case and I appreciate that.

The ghost clown is unmasked as Harry the Hypnotist. A character they have not referenced throughout the episode. 

At the circus, Fred, Velma and Daphne get to see Scooby and Shaggy perform as Sampson's weights. There's also a boy with a Scooby-Doo balloon.

Rogue's Gallery

The Ghost Clown