Hardluck Hotel (episode)

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Hardluck Hotel is the fifteenth episode of Count Duckula and was first broadcast on ITV in the UK on December 13th 1988.

Summary

Count Duckula decides to go on a holiday to a hotel called Hardluck Hotel, though when he arrives, nothing is even close to his liking. The hotel itself is in terrible disrepair, the service is bad, and everything is rank and fetid.

To end this torment, Duckula goes straight to the hotel manager to check out, but as luck would have it, it has only just been revealed in the papers that Transylvanian drachmas (Duckula's currency) are now deemed worthless in the current market. Faced with this dilemma of not having one red cent to pay for his considerably short stay, Duckula is then forced to work as a hotel employee to pay off his debt.

To make matters the worst possible for this unfortunate Count, his servants, Nanny and Igor stop at this hotel for a vacation, and, not knowing that Duckula is serving as the hotel's staff, see fit to order the hapless young duck around and around. Change, however, may be on its way for the Count, who is not at all happy that, ironically, he had been serving his own staff for a whole week.

Background Music Pieces

"Vamp Til Ready" by Wally Asp
"Casbah Nights" by George Fenton and John Leach

Trivia

The hotel manager is based upon the legendary British TV character Basil Fawlty, from the 'Fawlty Towers' TV comedy series. Fawlty, played by John Cleese, was also a hotel manager who was notorious for being rude to his own guests.
Duckula's room number is "1313". According to superstition, the number 13 is considered unlucky and many hotels don't have a room with number 13.
The American accented chambermaid Gloria's voice is possibly based on Rosie the Robot Maid's voice from Hanna-Barbera's TV cartoon series 'The Jetsons'.
The name 'Hardluck Hotel' might have been a spoof of the Elvis Presley hit single 'Heartbreak Hotel'.
Igor orders a "mouldy bread with green slime sandwich" and Nanny orders a "peanut butter sandwich with custard and a cherry on top," which Duckula says is her favourite.

Quotes

Igor: [referring to Hardluck Hotel] The most rundown, despairing, gloomy and sinister hotel that anyone in his right mind could ever wish for.

Count Duckula: Where's the elevator?
Hotel Manager: At the basement. It stopped there at the turn of the century and we hadn't had time to service it yet.

Hotel Manager: [after Duckula says that he is a vegetarian] Really?! I would see a doctor, they do marvellous things these days.

Duckula: I'm checking out! In fact, I'm nearly passing out.

Credits

Voices: David Jason, Jack May, Brian Trueman, Jimmy Hibbert, Ruby Wax
Narrator: Barry Clayton
Written by Brian Trueman
Vocals: Doreen Edwards, Mike Harding
Music: Mike Harding
Design: Chris Randall, Margaret Riley, Paul Salmon, Vincent James, Dan Whitworth, Ed Williams, Andy Roper
Design Assistant: Andrea Hough
Storyboard: John Stevenson
Layout: Ricardo Machuca, Miguel Angel Aisa, Manuel Almela, José María Zumel, Jose Antonio Rojo
Animation: Manuel Garcia, Pedro Mohedano, Ezequiel Martin, Mariano Rueda, Miguel Angel Fuertez, Valentín Doménech, Angel Gallego, Francisco Tena, Edward Sasu, Francisca Moreno, Vincente Rodriguez, Alberto Conejo, Julio Diez, Juan Antonio Rojo, Stefanescu Bujor, Carmen Sanchez, Juan Antonio Serrano, Valentín Caín, Luis Lopez, Roberto Marcano, Pedro Molina, Ventura Rodriguez, Fernando Gallego, Amaro Carretero, Ignacio Armero, Arthur de Cloedt, Julian Tarrago, Emilio Lujan, Javier Gutierrez, Ramon Garcia, María Vincenta Rodriguez, Ignacio Meneu, Luis Amor, Pedro Jorge Gil, Maria Luisa Ruiz, Elisa Nunez, Isabel de Martinez Osaba, Yolanda Velasco
Backgrounds: Milagros Banares, Higashi Taruma, Felix Cascajo, Andres Hernandez
Special Effects: Carlos Alfonso
Camera: Santiago Gomez, Antonio Navarro, Victorio Gonzalez
Painting: Paula Abad, Herminia Burgaleta, Pilar Canalejo, Teresa Diego, María del Mar Fernández, Elena Garcia, Maite Garcia, Julia García, Delia Hernandez, Miguel Angel Perez, Loli Pina, Victoria Ruiz, Angeles Sanz, Asunción Tomás, Francisco Vacas, Ángeles Vacas, Francisco Villanueva, María José Álvarez
Supervised by Carmen Garcia, Maribel Lopez
Xerox: Alejandro Alfonso, Jose Luis Aisa
Line Test: Eva Moreno, Sergio Alfonso
Production Control: Bob Burrows, Julio Diez, Chris Phillips
Film Editor: Patrick Haggerty
Assistant Editor: Jane Hicks
Dubbing Mixer: Ted Spooner
Animation Directors: Carlos Alfonso
Associate Producer: Chris Randall
Executive Producer: John Hambley
Produced by Mark Hall, Brian Cosgrove
Directed by Chris Randall

Gallery

The hotel manager, inspired by the character Basil Fawlty

The hotel manager, inspired by the character Basil Fawlty
Gloria the chambermaid
Mr Grinder, "The Complaints Department"

Mr Grinder, "The Complaints Department"
The Great Duckeruni acting as the hotel's magician

The Great Duckeruni acting as the hotel's magician

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