A Clue for Scooby Doo

A Clue for Scooby Doo is the second episode of the first season of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!.

Premise
At Rocky Point Beach, the gang encounter the ghost of an old sea diver. A sailor claims it to be the ghost of Captain Cutler, who, according to legend, died at sea many years ago when his boat got wrecked and he is getting his revenge.

Synopsis
At Rocky Point Beach, the gang are all ready to have fun. But they are frightened off when the ghostly figure of a man in a diving suit materializes out of the surf. It soon vanishes, and the gang don't know what to make of it until later when they read of expensive yachts disappearing from the local marina. The newspaper quotes beach hermit Ebenezer Shark as blaming the disappearances on the ghost of Captain Cutler, who died when his boat was rammed and sunk by just such a yacht. The gang interviews Shark, whose story leaves them incredulous, especially after Scooby tangles with Shark's own diving suit, which closely resembles the one that they saw on the beach.

Fred and Daphne stay to watch Shark's movements while Velma, Shaggy and Scooby visit Cutler's widow. She is a practicing witch and claims responsibility for summoning up her husband's ghost, though she also says that she regrets that he is taking his revenge. After taking their leave, the three spot a mysterious glowing patch moving across the beach; they catch up to it and discover it is a wad of phosphorescent glowing seaweed native to the "Graveyard of Ships," the patch of sea where Cutler went down.

Changing into their diving gear, the gang heads out to the Graveyard of Ships to investigate. On their way out, they spot a yacht (empty of occupants) gliding into a cove. They follow it, but it has vanished. Returning to the Graveyard of Ships, they dive to investigate and split up.

Fred, Daphne and Velma think that they've found Cutler's corpse inside a wreck and go to investigate, but they are locked inside by Cutler's ghost, which then spots and chases Scooby and Shaggy. Scooby escapes and crashes into another wreck where glowing oxygen tanks are being stored. Shaggy and Scooby then stumble onto and free Freddy, Daphne, and Velma and the gang follows Cutler's glowing tracks to an undersea cliff, which they recognize as the spot where the yacht had vanished. Shaggy sits on a rock which works the lever that opens a secret entrance in the cliff. Inside they find a gigantic cavern containing all the stolen yachts, which are in the process of being repainted. They trap the ghost and pull his helmet off. They don't recognize the villain until Shaggy adds a patch of seaweed as a beard: It's Captain Cutler himself. While stealing yachts one evening, he became encumbered in the glowing seaweed, and he and his wife decided to use the legend of a ghost in order to cover up their scheme to steal, repaint, and resell expensive yachts.

Characters
Main characters:
 * Mystery Inc.
 * Daphne Blake
 * Fred Jones
 * Scooby-Doo
 * Shaggy Rogers
 * Velma Dinkley

Supporting characters:
 * Ebenezer Shark

Monsters and other villains:
 * Ghost of Captain Cutler /
 * Captain Cutler
 * Mrs. Cutler

Other characters:
 * Mouse

Locations

 * Rocky Point Beach
 * Malt Shop
 * Ebenezer Shark's boat home
 * Lighthouse
 * Graveyard of Ships
 * Marina
 * Underground cave

Objects
Clues:
 * Phosphorum Pyifora
 * Witchcraft Made Easy

Food and drinks:
 * Hotdogs
 * Jumbo pink lemonade
 * Mustard
 * Scooby Snacks

Other objects:
 * TBA

Vehicles

 * Mystery Machine

Full credits
The following credits are how they are seen on-screen.

Produced and Directed by Joseph Barbera and William Hanna

Associate Producer Lew Marshall

Story Ken Spears Joe Ruby Bill Lutz Story Direction Howard Swift

Voices Nicole Jaffe Hal Smith Casey Kasem John Stephenson Don Messick Jean Vander Pyl Vic Perrin Frank Welker Stefanianna Christopherson

Animation Director Charles A. Nichols Production Design Iwao Takamoto Production Supervisor Victor O. Schipek

Layout Bob Singer Alvaro Arce Paul Gruwell Mike Arens Alex Ignatiev Ric Gonzales Bill Lignante

Animation Bill Keil George Rowley Oliver E. Callahan Ed Love Rudy Cataldi Bill Nunes Zdenko Gasparovic Joan Orbison Bob Goe Jay Sarbry Hicks Lokey Ken Southworth Lloyd Vaughan

Background Styling Walt Peregoy Backgrounds Ron Dias Gary Niblett Daniela Bielecka Rolly Oliva Title Design Bill Perez Titles Robert Schaefer

Musical Director Ted Nichols Technical Supervisor Frank Paiker Ink and Paint Supervisor Roberta Greutert Xerography Robert "Tiger" West

Sound Direction Richard Olson Film Editing Gregory V. Watson, Jr. Ted Baker Chip Yaras Camera Dick Blundell Bill Kotler George Epperson Cliff Shirpser Charles Flekal Roy Wade

A Hanna-Barbera Production © 1969 Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc.

a hanna-barbera production A Taft Broadcasting Company

Notes/trivia

 * The opening and closing titles for this and the previous episode, boasted different theme music composed by Hoyt Curtin, with a spooky feisty tune which is an extension of the sub-main title theme, complete with intro, bridge and close. From the third episode on, the theme song, composed by the late David Mook and Ben Raleigh, was used as the theme. The original theme was unheard for many years until the show's resurrection on USA's Cartoon Express in 1990 and was heard during its run on Cartoon Network, until Turner decided to remaster all the episodes in 1998.
 * The title card for this episode and the previous one are different than the ones in the rest of the series; both show the monster while the rest show the gang running with the title floating above them.
 * Although aired as the second episode, this was produced as the third. Any time Warner Home Video releases the series in order from the first episode, they always have A Clue For Scooby Doo and Hassle in the Castle in production order instead of air date order. Of course, nothing is lost because there's no continuity, but the fact that the usually have a play all option and are aired in the opposite order might be a problem for some. This does not apply to the UK, however.
 * The first season's opening and closing sequences features a snippet of a scene similar to how the Ghost of Captain Cutler is first shown rising from the water from the front, but with shipwreckage surrounding him.
 * The scene of Shaggy roasting the hot dogs is essentially re-used in Decoy for a Dognapper, only with the addition of Velma.
 * The model sheet of the Ghost of Captain Cutler refers to him as just "Ghost Diver".
 * The Ghost of Captain Cutler was unique as it was the person disguised as his own ghost. He is also unique as the only villain that Shaggy figures out before Velma, as it was he who realized who it was.
 * Present-day incarnations refer to the Ghost of Captain Cutler as Captain Cutler's Ghost.
 * The Ghost of Captain Cutler seems to have inspired other non-related ghostly deepsea divers such as the Ghost of Monsoon Max from the Scooby-Doo Mysteries novel, Scooby-Doo! and the Deep-Sea Diver.
 * The sea diver ghost's roar came from the "Abominable Snowman" sketch of Stan Freberg's 1957 CBS radio show.
 * Shaggy's first toy was a garbage disposal, although this was likely a joke.
 * Mrs. Cutler is much more frightening in the storyboards (mostly due to the fact that she's more ugly and creepy, than just old and creepy).
 * This episode was one of four Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! episodes, (the other three being Hassle in the Castle, Jeepers, It's The Creeper, and The Backstage Rage), that were selected for the 1998 VHS Scooby-Doo's Greatest Mysteries by being voted "Most Popular" by the fans.
 * The Ghost of Captain Cutler is a common villain in the Smuggler's Cove areas of the video game, Scooby-Doo! Night of 100 Frights. It is called the Ghost Diver in this.
 * As an homage, the scuba diving suits in Scooby-Doo! and the Legend of the Vampire are identical to the ones in this episode.
 * A profile on the Ghost of Captain Cutler is featured in DC Comics' Scooby-Doo! #74 in the story, Who's Who In Scooby-Doo. It is referred to as Cutler's Ghost.
 * The Ghost of Captain Cutler makes a cameo in the DC story, It's A Wonderful Fright, from Scooby-Doo #115, and is featured on the front cover based on that story, along with most of the other monsters from Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!.
 * In Scooby-Doo! Pirates Ahoy!, the gang are invited on a mystery cruise by Fred's parents for his birthday. One of the would-be monsters resembles Ghost of Captain Cutler.
 * In a crossover in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode, Bat-Mite Presents: Batman's Strangest Cases!, the costume is seen along with those of other classic Scooby-Doo villains.

Miscellaneous

 * Disguises: While not exactly disguises, Shaggy and Scooby pretend to be ship figureheads
 * Scooby Snacks bribe: 1
 * Zoinks count: 5

Cultural references

 * Velma's line, "veeeeery interesting!", was a catchphrase of the 60s.

Adaptations

 * This episode (along with Spooky Space Kook) was adapted in Gold Key Comics' Scooby Doo... Where Are You! #4. It was renamed to The Ghostly Sea Diver.
 * The first story in DC Comics' Scooby-Doo #135 is a retelling of this episode from Captain Cutler/Ghost of Captain Cutler's point of view.
 * In the live-action film, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, the gang are now adults and have achieved celebrity stardom in their hometown, where they have donated the costume to the Coolsonian Criminology Museum. It's later brought to life by Professor Jonathan Jacobo who's out for revenge against the gang. In this incarnation, it's called Captain Cutler's Ghost and now carries a harpoon spear.
 * In another live-action continuity, this time Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins, which sees them coming together to save their school from the Specter. After this mystery is solved, they really don't have any need to stay together (because they didn't really have anything in common to begin with), but Velma has heard some strange going-ons at the Coolsville Museum (solidifying their friendship), which into turn leads to other mysteries such as the Ghost of Captain Cutler.
 * In the continuity of Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, the gang now live in Crystal Cove where the monsters they have revealed to be just costumes have been put on display (including Captain Cutler's Ghost) at Velma's parents' tourist attraction, Crystal Cove Spook Museum. It features many of the early monsters the standard continuity gang had faced, only in this series it was localized to one place.

Animation mistakes and/or technical glitches

 * When the gang (minus Fred) talk about unloading the Mystery Machine, there is no lip movements or any for that matter.
 * When Velma has the Witchcraft Made Easy book under her left arm, the title disappears.
 * The door of the locker disappears when the diving suit falls on Scooby.
 * When Shaggy says to Velma it's up to her to enter the lighthouse because he and Scooby are too afraid, the inside of his collar is skin-colored instead of green.
 * When Scooby and Shaggy fall from the boat, the bosun's chair and rope are missing by the time they hit the water.
 * When Shaggy grabs a bottle, his arm is bare, but before that he was wearing his long-sleeved diving suit.
 * After Shaggy says he thouht the underwater rock looked suspicious when lowered it by sitting on it, his hair is blond.
 * A plant in the foreground moves along with the gang as they swim.

Inconsistencies/continuity errors and/or goofs/oddities

 * Interestingly, the mustard jar with its orange label looks exactly like Shaggy's cough syrup jar from the previous episode.
 * When Daphne says that the ghost has gone, while hiding behind the rocks, her scarf is much bigger than usual.
 * Shaggy read the name of Mrs. Cutler's witchcraft book from the inside after Velma had already opened it, it's possible though that name was at the top of the page.
 * The Scooby Snack looks more like a cookie in this episode.
 * Velma says that only Scooby can squeeze through the drainpipe when, in fact, if Scooby can fit inside, then Velma or Shaggy could also fit just fine. It is possible she said this just to get Scooby to go.
 * It would have been difficult (if not impossible) for the gang, and the ghost to stand, walk or run underwater.
 * There seems to be a lot of historically valuable salvage in the Graveyard of Ships, including a hundred-year-old corpse. Does anyone ever come back for it?
 * Fred tries desperately to open the door of the sunken ship, but to no avail. He might have had better success if he braced his foot on the wall instead of the door he was trying to pull open. (Unbeknown to Fred the door opened by pushing).
 * Shaggy punctures Scooby's diving suit but Scooby shoots off in the direction of the puncture instead of away from it. The hole in Scooby's diving suit is never seen again.
 * Shaggy says the cannon is loaded, but how can he tell?
 * Why does Shaggy carry matches in his diving suit?
 * When the gang springs the trap on the diver, the bottle with soap attached to the hose vanishes.
 * Velma points out the ramp to the others as if they had no idea how the trap was supposed to work.
 * The cargo net in which they planned to trap the diver disappears.
 * Daphne cries out that Scooby can't see where he's going in the runaway boat; the soap suds aren't covering his eyes; and he's not trying to steer it
 * When the diver is unmasked, Shaggy puts seaweed on the man's face and asks if it reminds anyone of the picture on Widow Cutler's wall. Fred, Daphne, and Velma all shout, "Captain Cutler", even though Fred and Daphne never even saw the picture.
 * At the end of the episode, Scooby drank most of Shaggy's drink but when he somehow drank up the rest of the gang's drinks, Shaggy's was filled up again.

Home media

 * 🇺🇸 Scooby-Doo's Greatest Mysteries VHS released by Warner Home Video on April 13, 1998.
 * 🇺🇸 Scooby-Doo's Original Mysteries DVD released by Warner Home Video on March 14, 2000.
 * 🇺🇸 Scooby-Doo's Original Mysteries VHS released by Warner Home Video on June 4, 2002.
 * 🇺🇸 Scooby-Doo's Greatest Mysteries DVD released by Warner Home Video on May 6, 2003.
 * 🇺🇸 Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!: The Complete 1st and 2nd Seasons DVD set released by Warner Home Video on March 16, 2004.
 * 🇺🇸 Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!: Volume 1 - A Monster Catch DVD released by Warner Home Video on January 27, 2009.
 * 🇺🇸 Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!: The Complete Series (limited edition) DVD set released by Warner Home Video on November 9, 2010.
 * 🇺🇸 Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!: The Complete Series DVD set released by Warner Home Video on November 12, 2012.
 * Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!: The Complete 1st and 2nd Seasons DVD set released by Warner Home Video on June 20, 2005.
 * Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!: The Complete Series DVD set released by Warner Home Video on November 11, 2011.