Ah, foolish ones. Welcome back as we continue our Month of The Mansion here and today, we are taking a trip through history as we look at perhaps one of the most important frights to inhabit Gracey Manor that for quite some time was gone from Gracey Manor and was not returned until late last year. Join me as we look at The Hatbox Ghost.
Personality
Seeing as The Hatbox Ghost was gone for so long from the ride, very little little is known about the character but he is described by both tomes known as the Disney Wiki and The Haunted Mansion Wiki describes him as an evil and grinning cloaked figure. Which one could take to mean that like many of the other great characters from the Mansion that he is shrouded in mystery. But for The Hatbox Ghost, the personality is perhaps secondary to the legacy of the character and what he represents as a part of Mansion's history.
Fans have loved this character and as we will discuss in the Scares Outside The Mansion, he has appeared in merchandise even before his return to The Haunted Mansion, To say that The Hatbox Ghost is one of the most beloved characters from the ride would be an understatement.
Scare Inside The Mansion
I shall let The Disney Wiki describe what the scares of The Hatbox Ghost were.
The Hatbox Ghost was designed as the primary gimmick of the Attic scene, appearing just to the right of the exit, across from the Bride. A trick lighting effect would make it appear that his head would disappear off his shoulders and reappear in a hatbox he held in his hand, timed to the beat of the Bride's heart. However, the effect did not work as planned and the character was removed very early in the attraction's run.
Due to the effect not working properly, The Hatbox Ghost had to be removed from the ride and fans missed him and for long, it seemed as though, he would never return but suddenly in May of 2015, he reappeared in the Mansion much to the delight of Mansion fans all over. With a few enhancements to boost.
The new Hatbox Ghost figure has more movement than the 1969 version: the original figure's only moving part was his trembling hand holding his cane. The 2015 figure moves all parts of his body due to improvements in technology over the 46 years since the original figure disappeared. His signature gimmick is now achieved by a new means that has proven successful: a face is projected onto a blank head. With a chuckle the face vanishes and the head drops into the body, leaving no traces of the head. At the same time, the head is projected into the hatbox. After a few seconds, this projection vanishes and his head reappears on top of his shoulders.
Now alas I cannot speak to the effect that is pulled off by The Hatbox Ghost but from seeing videos of it, is quite impressive and quite something to behead. I mean behold. Pay no attention to that typo.
Scares Outside The Mansion
For being a character that was not a part of the Mansion for so long, he has made quite a number of appearances outside of the Mansion such as in an episode of House of Mouse with the other Ghosts from The Haunted Mansion. He has made appearances in both the Slave Labor Graphic Comics and the Marvel comics adaptations of The Haunted Mansion. Though in two very different roles because as in the former, he appears as a gunrunner that was decapitated by Gracey and help serve in the death of The Bride. The main villain and after her murder, he departed from the ride as a nod to his removal.
In the Marvel adaptation, he appears as a friendly guide to our young hero that is trying to face his fears and find the spirit of his grandfather.
But perhaps, most interestingly, if the The Haunted Mansion movie from Guillermo del Toro were to ever get made, he would be the pivotal character that would bring the story altogether. He would be the character that would serve as the centerpiece of the film.
For one last scare, when the Mansion opened, guests could buy The Story and Songs of The Haunted Mansion and until his return last year, that was the only way for the living to experience The Hatbox Ghost.
What Does The Hatbox Ghost Bring To The Haunted Mansion?
The Hatbox Ghost brings a grand history to the Mansion's legacy as perhaps the most beloved character from the Mansion to garner a cult following. Consider this, he was gone from the Mansion for 45 years before his return but his fans never forgot him and their love for the spectre never went away. And the higher ups at Disney never forgot about him because the fans never forgot about him. Letting his spirit live on outside the Mansion for years before he eventual return, last year. The Hatbox Ghost in many ways can be looked at as why fans love the Mansion. He is perhaps one of the most important characters from the Mansion in regards to the fan community and it is easy to see why he is so cherished because when something is gone for so long, the heart (even for things that may no longer have that organ) grows fonder. Well, my ghoulies, we have one last Meet & Greet here before we are done with the characters of the Mansion and it's a twofer as we look at The Bride and her replacement, Constance Hatchaway.
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