Boos in the Nite is one of the Screen Songs by Famous Studios. It came out on September 22, 1950, well in time for its boos to entertain on Halloween. The short was written by Joe Stultz and Larry Riley, directed by Isadore Sparber, scored by Winston Sharples, animated by Myron Waldman and Nick Tafuri, and backgrounds were provided by Anton Loeb. The feature song is "Pack Up Your Troubles", a popular 1915 marching tune.
It's Halloween night, and the broadcasting station at Ghost Town sends out a transmission that a party is to be held at the local mansion. Almost everyone wants to go, so between ghosts making themselves presentable and finding transportation the town is abuzz with activity. The party goes strong with games, dance, and booze, until there's a knock on the door. It opens to let the new guests in, but one glimpse at them sends all the ghosts packing. They are the Monster of Frankenstein and his blue-skinned companion, who, despite already having their party hats on, are more amused than anything at the party's abrupt end.
The Monster and his blue-skinned companion are based on the Monster-like Jonathan and the Igor-esque Dr. Einstein from Arsenic and Old Lace. As such, Boos in the Nite might be the earliest monsterification of Peter Lorre, who played Dr. Einstein in the 1944 film adaptation and whom the blue-skinned creature is specifically modeled after.
Tropes:
- Alcohol Hic: The three ghosts drunk on spirits rhythmically leave the barrel with a red nose and a hiccup.
- Aside Comment: Boos in the Nite being a Screen Song, there's a sing-along part introduced and guided by the ghost host. Also, when the monster and his blue-skinned companion have scared away the ghosts, they turn to the camera: the monster laughs and the blue-skinned creature sarcastically wonders what frightened them so.
- Bedsheet Ghost: The ghosts are inherently invisible, but wear white sheets that they can turn incorporeal and corporeal at will. They also have control over the sheet's form, given that one ghost serves as a hammock for another ghost.
- Black Sheep: A family of five ride to the party on an invisible tandem bicycle seemingly made for six because there's a gap between the second and third child. Unlike the other ghosts, the third child wears a black sheet and giddily explains they're the black sheet of the family.
- Dirty Old Man: Four ghosts play spin the bottle and the one it'll land on will receive a kiss from a very attractive female ghost. It lands on an elderly ghost, who couldn't be happier, giggles, and gestures for the woman to "come to pappa". The kiss makes the tip of his sheet stand up, turns his sheet red, and then he burns up.
- Drunken Glow: The ghosts that get drunk off of spirits are recognizable by their big red nose.
- Flying Broomstick: A witch uses her flying broomstick to run a cab service. She gets hailed by a ghost to fly him to the party.
- Frankenstein's Monster: The ghosts' party is cut short by the arrival of the Monster of Frankenstein and a blue-skinned creature. Despite that the duo is there to join the party, as evidenced by their party hats, the ghosts are terrified by their appearance and abandon the party. It gets a sinister chuckle out of the Monster.
- Gadget Watches: One ghost receives the broadcast announcing the party through his watch.
- Horrifying the Horror: The ghosts' party goes from peak to zero when a knock on the door announces the arrival of another guest. As it turns out, two guests: Frankenstein's Monster and his blue-skinned companion. Ghosts don't keep to themselves seeing as how one took a cab ride from a witch, yet these two solid figures terrify the ghosts into abandoning the haunt en masse. It gets a chuckle out of the monster while with similar satisfaction his companion wonders aloud what could've frightened the ghosts away.
- Invisible Streaker: The band playing at the party is invisible, meaning they're not wearing their sheets which earlier in the short is established as equivalent to being naked. Nobody gives it any mind.
- Lorre Lookalike: The Monster's assistant is blatantly based on Peter Lorre.
- Pink Elephants: After consuming spirits, three ghosts break out in a 30-second dance against a black backdrop. The dance see them change shape regularly, first by stretching then by taking the forms of objects, those being brooms, banners, and pants.
- Rolling Pin of Doom: A ghost named Charlie is urged to go to the party by a friend and is raring to go, but his wife forbids it and knocks him back into his grave with her rolling pin.
- Singing in the Shower: A female ghost sings "It's a Hap-Hap-Happy Day" while taking a bath in preparation for the party.
- Single Malt Vision: There are three ghosts that get drunk on spirits, but they act in near-perfect tandem and eventually fuse into one ghost, so it's possible that for the entire sequence there only was one ghost seen as three.
- Spin the Bottle: Four ghosts play spin the bottle, the result of which being that an attractive female ghost has to kiss an elderly male ghost. She gives him a lengthy peck on the cheek, which is quite fine by him.
- Witch Classic: A bony witch with a big nose and chin wearing the default witch attire of a pointy hat, dress and buckled shoes runs a cab service utilizing her flying broomstick. One ghost hails her to get to the party.
- You Can Leave Your Hat On: A well-curved female ghost prepares for a bath by taking off her sheet, which means that upon undressing she is left invisible.
