Long Lost Scooby/Batman sequence found

I’ve long mentioned, including on my Scooby page, an edited out scene from the episode “The Dynamic Scooby Doo Affair” (my favorite in the whole franchise; and the first with Batman) containing a very intellectual sounding discussion between Velma and Batman on the dangers of counterfeiting. I last saw this either in 80’s syndication, or perhaps USA in the 90’s (didn’t watch that channel’s run of Scooby much). In the middle of the decade, when the entire Scooby franchise finally moved to new owner Turner’s Cartoon Network, I noticed this sequence was removed (as well as parts of, it seems every other Scooby Doo Comedy Movie episode). CN was by then airing their new “Cartoon Cartoon” shorts, and seemed to have reserved the last 10 minutes of the hourlong Scooby Movies show, for these new one-off shorts. So I assumed the scenes were cut for that reason. Only thing, when the DVD’s began coming out, The cut scenes were not restored.

The syndicated version had cut some scenes as well. They originally aired in two parts, and a lot of things were being cut in the 80’s, in that age of greed where they wanted more commercial time. CN put these scenes back, but cut others. In my second favorite episode, “Loch Ness Mess” (the second with the Globetrotters), I had remembered Fred later on in the story making a comparison, or essentially telling [Shaggy and Scooby] to choose between “the ghost with the lantern” and the other haunt in the story (which was a sea serpent), but now it was missing. In CN/WB’s copies, that dialogue is back (not sure what else from that episode they cut. Probably something earlier on, as the story now progresses a bit faster than I remember). In “Guess Who’s Knott Coming to Dinner”, the gang now sends Scooby up the fireplace (as a means to escape the trap they were in) right away. I remembered them trying several things looking for a “secret passage” for a long time, before considering the fireplace (as “the last resort”. It turned out to activate an inside secret passage after all). The “Spooky Fog” (the other one with Don Knotts) had the highly unusual splitup where Fred takes Velma to check out a cave they saw, and leaves Daphne with the others, instead of taking Daphne, or both girls. They then return to the sherriff’s office for the others, to go inside the cave. In the current view, it looks like they all go out together the first time. Fred and Velma say they’re going to check it out, but in the next scene, the whole gang is there; but several lines of dialogue among both groups had been cut. In the Cass Elliot episode, you don’t see how Scooby got into the purple goop (taffy) with the others. Though there’s some evidence that scene might have been a blooper all along.
It’s been close to 30 years since the USA run, and these older prints of the show aired, so it’s hard to remember everything!

But I figured someone’s old VHS copy of the show might apparently be our only hope of seeing it again. You can also find the end of part 1 [i.e. “Be sure to tune in tomorrow for the conclusion of…”] audio and titles in other videos as well!)

So in Dynamic Scooby Doo Affair, I don’t remember what was missing from the syndicated version that was put back by Turner. People have been mentioning another cut scene, taking place in the funhouse, and I do remember there being more to that sequence (around the time the gang enters and first splits up, IIRC). Perhaps, that was what syndication removed, and Turner didn’t restore it? This one hasn’t turned up, or been posted yet.

So in this scene, the cut was made so cleanly, it was hard to tell where exacly it was made. After everyone has gone through the rotating house into the underground cavern where they follow the hooded man, they find a trap door leading to a toy warehouse. Batman climbs up first, then pulls up the others, and they then begin searching the warehouse. It looks like they simply cut from Bat logo to Bat logo (which is used for scene changes, just like it was in the original Batman show). So he pulls them up first, then begins the cut scene, and it picks up where he tells them to follow him, “…and above all, be quiet”. (Before, I wasn’t sure whether the cut scene was before him pulling them up, or after).

Robin: “Holy jumping jacks!”

Velma: “Look it’s a warehouse full of toys”

Batman: “And it’s my guess the criminal intends to toy with us! Well two can play at these games!

Shaggy: “Hey, like where’s Scooby?

[Scooby is growling off screen]

Shaggy: “Wow I think Scooby cornered the bad guy !”

[He’s actually getting ready to fight some more punch clowns, not learning his lesson from the one in the beginning, in the farmhouse]

Shaggy: “Come on Scoob like quit fooling around!”

Batman: “Obviously the phony money is shipped from this warehouse inside those clowns”!

Velma: “If we don’t stop him from flooding the money market with crooked cash, it’ll undermine our national economy!”

Batman: “Yes kids for the sake of our country’s financial system we must catch this criminal here and now!”

Shaggy: “I just love that kind of talk!”

(Bold is what I clearly remembered. I wasn’t sure of what Batman said it was “for the sake of”, and for some reason thought it was something “global”, which if you think of it sounds silly. Also, ironic how Shaggy says he loves that kind of talk! Didn’t remember that, or the earlier exchange, which shows how they came to realize that this was where the phony money was coming from).

The video has been up for almost a year. I was at that point still too enthralled with the sudden turnup of FRSC [see last entry]; in addition to COVID, of course, to be looking for this!)

Hope more of these turn up; AND that they are added to WB’s masters and released on future media!