Boris Karloff & Phyllis Diller in Mad Monster Party (1967)

Rankin Bass were tops in stop motion, making many classic holiday specials including Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is Coming to Town. They also produced other projects that are just as fun, but not as well known. This is one of those projects. Released in theaters, this film tells the story of Baron Von Frankenstein (Karloff), who wants to retire from his career of mayhem and pass the mantle on to his nephew Felix. When Felix proves unsuitable due to his sweet disposition, the annual monster convention  the Baron has chosen to break the news becomes a power-grab free-for-all. Who will prevail and win control over the secret of total destruction?

MoviePosterShop.com

Look for caricatures of Peter Lorre and Tina Louise and listen for a caricature of Jimmy Stewart. This film is full of musical numbers, including a wacky number by Phyllis Diller called "You're Different." Though intended mainly for children, the story line does make some darker, more adult statements on society.

This film is available on DVD and scenes can be found on YouTube. Above is the trailer, uploaded by srsnoid.

Obscurity factor: 4 (has cult following but is otherwise fairly unknown, on DVD & in part on YouTube)

Lucille Ball & George Sanders in Lured (1947)

Obscurity factor: 5

This film has a strange quality. Primarily because of the strange pairing of stars and director (Douglas Sirk). Sandra Carpenter (Ball) is an American stranded in London after the show she was in folded. She's supporting herself as a dance hall girl. When a friend from the dance hall disappears, she is drafted by the police to help solve the crime. They've been getting strange poems that precede the disappearance of girls who have answered ads in the personal columns for some time now, and want to use Sandra as a lure to flush out the killer. Concurrently she meets Robert Flemming, a night club owner who becomes fascinated with her. They fall in love, but he is also a prime suspect. Will they find the killer before he finds Sandra?

There is lots to enjoy in Lured - Lucy is restrained, but delightful as the damsel in distress - though she's not as distressed as you might think. She can, and does take care of herself. In the process of hunting for the killer, she goes through many ordeals as a result of answering ads in the personals. Look for a particularly stylish segment with Boris Karloff. It's interesting to see her in an early Sirk film because their careers went off in two completely different directions after this.

This film is available on DVD and can be viewed in its entirety on YouTube, thanks to an upload by IveGotSplainin2Do. The poster above is available at MoviePosterShop.com.

Obscurity factor: 5 (Known to Ball and Sirk fans, available on DVD, largely unknown to the general public)