Month of The Mansion: Meet & Greet: The Bride & Constance Hatchaway

Ah, dear readers, we have now reached the final Meet & Greet of this event as we look at The Bride and Constance Hatchaway.  Per usual, this'll include Personalities, Scares Inside The Mansion, Scares Outside The Mansion, & What They Bring To The Mansion.  With this out of the way, let's get ready to walk down the aisle. 

Actresses

While the original Bride, did not have an actress, that is not true of Constance.  

Projection/Photos -Julia Lee

Lee truly brings Hatchaway to life and gives her that frightening look.

Kat Cressida - Voice Actress

Cressida gives a voice to Constance that is very eerie and just by hearing it from video, can make one uneasy.

Personalities

The Bride 

Very little is known of The Bride.  It is believed that she was The Hatbox Ghost's bride and was perhaps the one that killed him or the cause of his murder.  She remained there until 2006 and she with her beating heart and candlestick, she gave the living that came to the mansion, once last fright. 

Constance Hatchaway 

Constance is quite more vicious than the last bride that had the wedding bells ringing for her. Constance is much more of a serial killer and if we are to go by the Marvel comics,  she never cared for her grooms or their money, she only married because she loved weddings.  The Haunted Mansion Wiki provides us with a list of the dearly departed that she had killed with her ax.  That being her weapon of choice.  Constance was much more willing to kill than The Bride. 

Scares Inside The Mansion

The Bride 

In the attic scene's climax, guests would come across The Bride as she was there to give guests one last fright with her beating heart.  Being an ominous figure that looms. 

Constance Hatchaway 

Constance had a quite few more appearances and originally, she only appeared as one of the Stretching Portraits. 

However, in 2006, Constance was put into the attic surrounded by the gifts that she had received as wedding presents and being that she is dead, she doesn't fear the law and recites twisted wedding vows.  

"We'll live happily ever after...
Till death do us part...
Here comes the bride...
As long as we both...shall live...
For better or for...worse...
I do...I did...
In sickness and in...wealth...You may now kiss the bride..."

Those vows are rather eerie, no?  I imagine that Constance must have been one frightening bride. 

Scares Outside The Mansion

The Bride 

The Bride had a few ghostly appearances outside the Mansion including House of Mouse and the Slave Labor Graphic Comics and was of course, the inspiration for the character of Elizabeth in the movie.

 




Constance Hatchaway


Constance has had a few appearances since her debut in the Mansion perhaps most notably Epic Mickey, a video game that used unused concepts and that does make sense as Constance was an idea that the Imagineers had wanted to put in the ride for a while. And she also appeared in the recent Disney Kingdoms Haunted Mansion miniseries as the  secondary antagonist as perhaps the scariest aspect of the story as she has no care what happens and who gets in her way.  Do not hope that she ask you to say wedding vows with her as you will end up dead.




What They Bring To The Mansion


The Bride


I can't say that The Bride brought much to the Mansion, dear readers other than just another fright.


Constance Hatchaway


On the other hand,  Constance is perhaps the most frightening figure that we've looked at during this month as unlike many other ghostly figures that we have looked at, she is perhaps the most evil and vicious.  And of any Disney character, theme park or otherwise has the highest (if only) body count.  I must admit dear readers that the thought of Constance sends shivers down this fool's bones.   I fear that I may need a break from the Mansion. So join me as we go to the world of My Little Pony for something less chilling.

Join me for Flutterween but Month of The Mansion will resume soon enough.  For now, I must lower this coffin.  

Month of The Mansion: Meet & Greet: The Hatbox Ghost

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.

 

Month of The Mansion: Meet & Greet: Ghost Host (With Les)

Moviefan12: Ah, I see that you've returned once more foolish mortals.  As we continue our journey through Gracey Manor, we shall be making contact with perhaps the most iconic ghost of the Mansion as we greet the Ghost Host.  The one that serves as the narrator for our happy haunt through Gracey Manor. He is the one that always welcomes you foolish mortals. And once again here to join me is Les.

LES: Yes, that magnificent host with the most awesome voice and an even better evil laugh. Seriously, he really gives Vincent Price a run for his money during the tour.

Moviefan12:  Now per the visitations of the other haunted spirits, we shall look at Voice Actors, Personality, Scare In The Mansion, Scares Outside The Mansion, & What He Brings To The Mansion.  We mustn't keep our Ghost Host waiting.  He is dying to meet us.

Voice Actors

Moviefan12: Now, my fellow seekers of the abnormal, we have three actors to look at.   First, we have the man that almost voiced our Ghost Host on the ride but still voiced him the Haunted Mansion records that were released before the ride ever came out,  Pete Renaday and you can hear him here as the Ghost Host.

But of course, dear readers, the most well-known Ghost Host is Paul Frees, the voice of Professor Ludwig Von Drake

And to this day, this is what the visitors that dare enter Gracey Manor remember as Frees was eerily inducing as the Ghost Host. And you here you can hear him as he record his lines for the Ghost Host. Quite a treat for the ears. 




At the sound of disappointing other Ghost Hosts, Frees is the best.  And to this day,I still hear his voice unless but he is not the only Host to voice the Ghost as Corey Burton is now the voice and he perhaps has a unique take on the voice of Ghost Host.  

In an interview with Corey Burton, he stated, "the Ghost Host, to me, is the voice of the structure itself. It comes from the walls."

He even had the distinct honor of recording the Ghost Host's most famous  line for the 2003 movie.

Welcome, foolish mortals

LES: Yeah, no question in my mind that Paul Frees is the best. His voice is just wonderfully velvety and mirthful; kind of like a combination of Orson Welles and Peter Lorre. He sounds creepy and a bit insane like his spirit has been haunting for so long he has no humanity left in him. He’s just bubbling with delight as he spins his directions and veiled threats and innuendos. He’s magnificent!

Personality

Moviefan12:  The Ghost Host has one of the most eerie performances in the entirety of the ride.  He is eerie and quite demented.  He takes glee in having the guest enter the mansion He always lets us know that there is room for One More and he always seems like he is hoping that he'll find that 1,000th ghost to fill Gracey Manor. Perhaps more than any other spectre in the Mansion, he seems the most unhinged and that may be attributed to the fact that he committed suicide by hanging himself and as Les said he has been spending so many years in the Mansion that all traces of humanity are gone. 

LES: He really does add to the creepiness of the experience as he comments or gives directions to each feature of the Mansion. Is something unpleasant here?…well the Ghost Host will go out of his way to gleefully point it out to you, and it is the signature feature of the Haunted Mansion.

Scares In The Mansion

Moviefan12:  The Ghost Host serving as the narrator is the spook that the guests spend the most time with.  as he first greets in The Stretching Room with his most infamous lines.  

Welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion. I am your host, your... ghost host. Kindly step all the way in please and make room for everyone. There's no turning back now.
Our tour begins here in this gallery where you see paintings of some of our guests as they appeared in their corruptible, mortal state.
Your cadaverous pallor betrays an aura of foreboding, almost as though you sense a disquieting metamorphosis. Is this haunted room actually stretching? Or is it your imagination, hmm? And consider this dismaying observation: This chamber has no windows and no doors, which offers you this chilling challenge: to find a way out!
Of course, there's always my way. (Crashing thunder, scream)

Easily, setting the tone for what is in store and just by the way that he greets us, you know that he is a little sinister.  (Why they gave one of his most famous lines to Wallace Shawn in the movie still befuddles this spirit).  He is with you throughout most of the ride and as we have witnessed, we see how he died.  But once, we come to Madame Leota's seance, he leaves and tells us that the Happy Haunts are readying for a party and he is expected there. The Doom Buggies are left on their own and he doesn't reappear until the Graveyard Jamboree.

However, according to Imagineer, Jason Surrell,  The Invisible Pianist seen during the Music Room portion of the ride in the Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland is none other than the Ghost Host himself.

LES: Really? I wasn’t aware of that….that’s really cool.



Scares Outside The Mansion


Moviefan12: Now, something that must be made clear is that the Ghost Host is not Master Gracey, even though many  adaptations have given the Master some of his attributes. In the movie,  most of the Ghost Host's personality is given to Ramsley. With his hanging going to Master Gracey. 

 









However,  the Ghost Host does have a cameo in the film portrayed by special effects makeup effects creator, Rick Baker. Who designed the Ghost Host's makeup for the movie.

He also appears as the narrator in Tales From The Haunted Mansion as the Mansion's librarian and his name is given as Amicus  Arcane. 

What He Brings To The Mansion


Moviefan12: The Ghost Host is perhaps the most eerie character within the Mansion and he brings the most unsettling frights to Gracey Manor as he takes a delights in scaring the foolish mortals that dare enter Gracey Manor. He brings a sense of dread and fear with a hinge of fun and frights. 





LES: Yeah, I think splitting his attributes between Master Gracey and Ramsley was a big mistake in the film….but then again…there’s a MULTITUDE of mistakes they made making that film…but we can go into that later. I would definitely concur that the Ghost Host is the ”Spirit” of the eeriness that abounds in the Mansion(pun intended).

Month of The Mansion: Music Fridays # 179: Grim Grinning Ghosts

Welcome back foolish mortals, we've have taken a look at many of the residents and the history throughout this first week of our stay here at Gracey Manor and rest assured (for those of you that can still find peace), that we will be looking at many more of the residents in the coming week but for today, we shall be taking a listen to one of the most well known aspects of the Mansion, it's song. A song that haunts any Disney fan's Halloween playlist as it is as timeless as the ghosts that inhabit the Mansion itself.  Now, let's begin.

Grim Grinning Ghosts

We of course start with the classic and there is indeed a reason that this song has remained a staple of the Disney Parks discography as it perfectly encompasses the spooky yet fun nature of the Mansion so well.  It perfectly paints a picture of what to expect from the Mansion in your head as you hear the song bring the ghosts alive once more.  There is no better song befitting for the Mansion, then that of this song.  

Grim Grinning Ghosts - Happy Haunting Party at Disneyland 

Ah, this version was popular in my youth as it was played on the Disney Channel quite a bit during this time of year and I have heard from many other associates of my age that this was the first listen that they ever had of this song and for some, the imagery was rather scary.  Perhaps the mixture of Disney villains and The Haunted Mansion may have been too much for some of the younger viewers or perhaps it was the dancing trees that looked as though as they stepped right out of an Oz fueled nightmare.  

Though, while this version is quite a bit of fun, it does seem to pull back  a bit for the younger audience with the inclusion of a certain duckbilled character dressed as a ghost. Still,  this version is quite a bit of fun, if only for the nostalgia factor that it brings.  But those dancing trees are a bit unnerving and there is something rather unsettling about that Captain Hook costume.  

It's as if those eyes are staring into your very soul trying to break you down.  Perhaps, we should move onto the next version and perhaps one of my favorites for all the imagery included in it.  

Grim Grinning Ghosts - House of Mouse

Consider this one a preview of a review to come in 13 days. Ooh 13, how befitting.  This version comes from the excellent Disney series, House of Mouse and what makes this version work so well are all the visual nods that they throw in there from the Hitchhiking Ghosts appearing onstage and singing the song to that of the Beating Heart Bride. And even the Mansion's famous wallpaper gets a nod but beyond that, we also see some nods to great Disney spooks such as The Skeleton Dance and even, The Lonesome Ghosts.  This version gives you everything a Disney fan could want from their classic scares all in one place.  

Grim Grinning Ghosts - Barenaked Ladies






For our next version, we look at the cover done by The Barenaked Ladies that was done for the 2003 film adaptation and well, it's okay but I fear that it sounds a bit too upbeat for my liking.  This is a song that is fun but not cheerful, it should still have a spooky edge to it and well, I don't hear that here.  Now yes, the Disney Villains version also pulled back on it's punches but as was stated, that was meant for a younger audience whereas this was for a big budget movie. It could have afforded to keep the spooky tone to the song but it is nowhere to be found in this version.




Grim Grinning Ghosts - Dapper Dans






We end with a performance with a performance from the world famous Disneyland Barbershop Quartet, the Dapper Dans.  And like the Barenaked Ladies cover, this version is fun but you can still hear a bit of the frights that are meant to go with this song in their voices but I don't hold them not having the whole spooky edge against them as this was an acapella on the street performance and for that, it's very good whereas the Barenaked Ladies version was a studio produced cover that just got the style of the song wrong.  This is easily, the better cover and it is quite a joy to listen to and one that I will most likely be returning to, time and again.



Well,  it is now time to lower the coffin to a two day rest but do not fear as I will return as I am joined by Les as we look at the...


Ghost Host

Month of The Mansion: Meet & Greet: Master Gracey (with Les) (31 Days of Halloween)

Moviefan12: Ah, welcome back foolish ones and today,  we look at perhaps one of the most important characters from the Mansion and one that has many influence from the fans in adaptations that feature this character.  Join us as we look at the Master of the Mansion, as we look at Master Gracey.  






LES: Hmmm he almost looks like an old time U.S. President the way that portrait was painted. Very regal and gentlemanly, he is.

Moviefan12: Considering that he was alive in the late 1800's.  So many gentlemen dressed that way.  Now, we shall look at his personality.



Personality


Moviefan12:  Master Gracey is an interesting sort as while he is important to the Mansion, it is named after him after all.  (Not canonically until 2012 and only at Disney World however), you never see Master Gracey in the Mansion.  All you see is his Tombstone in Liberty Square.

And it reads ... 

No Mourning Please at his request

We can only be left to speculate on what sir Gracey was like in the living but to have an epitaph that asks for no mourning, one must wonder if he lived  a good life and was content in death. Perhaps unlike the other 998 inhabitants, he found peace in the afterlife.  Of course,  there is also the belief that Master Gracey losing his beloved bride put him in a state of depression. And he may have had too much grieving when he was alive and wanted to put the pain behind him in the afterlife.  It is interesting to note that in Disney World before the interactive queue was installed in 2011, a maid or butler would place a rose on Master Gracey's tombstone every morning.  

  












A small gesture perhaps but  could this show that the staff that worked for Gracey had a great deal of respect for Master Gracey.  Oh, and those who dare to take the rose,  could  have beeen haunted by one of the spirits from The Haunted Mansion.  One other interesting thing to note is that is through the fan's that Sir Gracey has become as the Master of the Mansion as that was not the original intent of the Imagineer who wrote his epitaph. 

According to Imagineer X. Atencio (who penned the epitaph), the title of "master" on the tombstone was meant to imply a male too young to be called "mister," and not the master of the house

However, Walt Disney World picked up on this notion and decided to use this assumption and especially with The Aging Man portrait, which you saw him in his youngest form up above.  

Now as my colleague and I will discuss with our Ghost Host Meet & Greet, Master Gracey is sometimes mistaken for the Ghost Host and even in official WDW merchandise, the two characters are listed as being one and the same.  






LES: WOW!….the older one looks like James Buchanan…the 15 President…how ’bout that?….I can see why he’s sometimes mistaken for the Ghost host…he looks official and looks to match that magnificent voice of Paul Frees.

Scares Inside The Mansion

Moviefan12: Perhaps, scares isn't the right word to use to describe the dearly departed Master Gracey's place in the Mansion.  As we observed up top, there is the Aging Man painting and his gravestone along with one other item for Gracey.  

In the Servants Quarters, there is a bell for Master Gracey's bedchambers.  For a man that has very little presence in the Mansion, he stills contributes quite an impact to it.




LES: He does…and it’s pretty subtle unless you’re looking for it. In fact, before ”The Haunted Mansion” film, I didn’t even know his name WAS Master Gracey.

Moviefan12: That seems to be as good a place as any to move onto his...

Scares Outside The Mansion

Moviefan12: Most adaptations that feature the Mansion follow the fan theory that Master Gracey is the Master of the Mansion but seeing as we know so little about Master Gracey, his personality is left up to interpretation.  In the Slave Labor Graphics Comics,  he was known as William Gracey, who went by the alias, Captain Blood and hanged himself after his bride-to-be, Emily died.

In the film adaption, he was Edward Gracey, and he lived in Gracey Manor, which was built by his grandfather and he too hanged himself after his love, Elizabeth killed himself.

And while there aren't many good things to say about the 2003 movie, I do think Nathaniel Parker as Gracey was one of the few bright spots in the film as he is a truly good person that is deeply heartbroken by losing his love and you even feel more of the anguish, when he finds out that his trusted servant, Ramsley was the one behind  the death of his beloved.  Something to note here of both of these adaptations is that Master Gracey is given the death of the Ghost Host.  As it is the Ghost Host who hanged himself.

This is yet another example of how these two characters are combined because when it comes to Master Gracey in the Mansion in the parks, we do not know how he died.  But it is established that the Ghost Host died by hanging.  Minor but a bit interesting to see how these two characters are so often combined even by the company that they come from.  

Star

LES: Well, if you’re romantic, let’s say that Master Gracey died of a broken heart…kind of like Christopher Reeve did in ”Somewhere in Time”(Random plug for a great cult classic film….). It kind of makes you wonder just what the relationship was between Master Gracey and the Ghost host, you know?

Moviefan12: Indeed, that is one relationship that I would like to seen explored in media adaptations with how these two are so often combined.  Why not explore the bond that Master Gracey and the Ghost Host had.

What Does Master Gracey Bring To The Mansion

Moviefan12:  As Les & I have observed, there is very little that we know about Master Gracey but going by the little we do know, I feel that that Gracey brings a sense of tragedy and lost love to the Mansion.  As Les pointed out, it is possible that Master Gracey died of a broken heart. And in many ways, that makes him the saddest figure in the Mansion.  





LES: The fact that there’s so little known about him gives the rider the opportunity to create the backstory in their imagination-which I think is all for the better. The mystery of it all is quite compelling and leaves it up to us to fill in the blanks as we like.

Month Of The Mansion: Meet & Greet: Madame Leota (With Les)

Moviefan12: You are very brave mortals that are willing to stay. Now tell me, have you ever attempted a seance to reach someone from the great beyond.  The mistress of today's reading might have the possessions to aid you in seeing someone that has been buried below.  Ah, and I see our captor  friend, Les is still here in the Mansion. Perhaps he could give us the fortune of this most infamous reader.  






LES: Hands down, the coolest use of a hologram EVER!…since it is 3 dimensional, as you travel around the crystal ball, you see her face rotate as you go…it’s quite remarkable and eerie as all getup! Like I said before, even knowing how the effects are done doesn’t make them any less amazing when you see them.

Moviefan12: Now as we attempt and make contact as we look at Voice Actress,  Personality, Scare Inside The Mansion, Scares Outside The Mansion, & finally What She Brings To The Mansion.  Les, are you ready to make contact?

LES: OH YES!!! I’M READY! BRING IT!

Voice Actresses/On Ride Face

Moviefan12:  Now in order to bring the mistress that wishes to raise the dead, it takes the craft of some bewitching figures.  The infamous face that you see in the crystal ball that wishes to lift the spirits was portrayed by an Imagineer of the same name, Leota Toombs.  

What an eerily appropriate name for this seance reader.  Toombs was asked by fellow Imagineer, Yale Gracey  to pose for the disembodied head and the face for Madam Leota had been unearthed.  But her voice had proven to be too high-pitched for the Madam.  The voice of all evil, Eleanor Audley was brought in to voice Leota and for many years, this was one of her most iconic roles.

As you dear mortals  can see,  Audley had the right tone to enhance the spookiness needed for this seance.  (And she's scarier than Maleficent).  However, these two wouldn't be the only two to  resurrect the good Madame to life because every Christmas as the inhabitants of Halloweentown invade the Mansion,  Kim Irvine possess the crystal ball following in her mother's beheading psychic traditions as she is the daughter of Toombs.  

   

  

And alas Audley has been replaced with a new voice actress for Leota is now voiced by Susanne Blakeslee, who you can hear in this Haunting Holiday version of the ride.

This witching woman has taken over many villainous roles including Lady Tremaine and Maleficent.  Indeed, she is the legacy voice for Audley.  But the most terrifying character she voices is Wanda from The Fairly Oddparents.  Unwrap your dead body around that one.   

LES: WOW! Two very creepy performances and voices to match. I commend them for finding faces and also voices, for one without the other would be ordinary.

Personality

Moviefan12: We take to the script known as the Disney Wiki to get a feel on Leota's personality and digging through some the dust, we discover that she is shrouded in mystery.  Leaving others to interpret to their whim.  In the Slave Labor Graphics comic, the Madame is a spirit that is unaware that she has died.  She had first come to the Mansion in this continuity after falling for William Gracey, the namesake of Gracey Manor, she is a woman scorned and caused her to place a curse on the Manor that would bring about spirits and when the Mansion was filled with 1,000 spirits. A terrible thing would happen.  She was killed by Gracey by snapping her neck  and she was left to her crystal ball to perform the seance that would bring ghosts from around the globe to Gracey Manor.    

Now as we shall discuss, this will not be Leota's only appearance in comics and  there have been other takes on the famous Madame in other media that we shall cover as we creep along.  And while I like the story given to Leota in the Slave Labor Graphics, I prefer how Madam Leota is presented in the Mansion because as you pass her by, you wonder how she ended up how she is.  Her being shrouded in mystery makes her a more enticing character.  

LES: Absolutely. She is very mysterious…and that’s what makes her so effective on the ride. You go on the Haunted Mansion ride to see the spooks and experience the macabric atmosphere. It’s more effective not to know the background of all the characters. The murderous bride?…don’t need to know anything more about her…Gracey?…nice house he has?..had?…yeah, don’t need to know anything more about him….Madame Leota?…didn’t even need to know her name! I just like to be creeped out on the ride, you know?

Moviefan12: The mysterious Madame has one of the most mystifying moments in the Mansion.  Now, we shall give our reading on her Scare In The Mansion.

Scare In The Mansion

Moviefan12: Now Les, seeing as you were so ecstatic about our beheaded Madame. Why don't you go over her Scare In The Mansion. 

LES: It’s really something. You’re rolling through the room in your doom-mobile and you hear her voice before you see her. She’s chanting like a witch going over a recipe for contacting the departed from beyond the grave, and then the carriage swings around and you see the crystal ball with the floating head in the middle of it and you can then see she’s the one speaking the awesome seance script. As you roll around the ball, her head, that’s white with various rainbow colors running through her smoky visage, keeps it’s orientation so you can see it’s 3 dimensional(Before I knew it was done with a hologram((And this ride came out years before the general public was shown holograms, which made it even cooler)) this blew my mind with it’s awesomeness). As she comes to the part about music, on cue, these floating instruments in glowing neon float by to play a bizarre tune…and before you know it, you’re rolling into the next room. I don’t know about you…but I WANT TO STAY IN THAT ROOM TO HEAR THE REST OF IT! Madame Leota is one of the 3 best things in the Haunted Mansion.

Moviefan12: There isn't much more that I can add to this visit from the great beyond.  Now, we shall move on to her Scares Outside The Mansion.

Scares Outside The Mansion


Moviefan12:  Now just as our Hitchhiking ghoulies,  Madame Leota also has quite a few scares outside the Mansion.  Let's start with the most terrifying appearance that the poor Madame was drug through.

That not so happy haunt will face its execution soon.  Now before we head off the property, there is one place we must look at located within Magic Kingdom at Disney World.  Madame Leota's old abode, Memento Mori was discovered in 2014.

It houses many of her belongings from when she was still a part of the living.  And there, you can even find a portrait of the lovely Madame.  

And here you can see the Madame as she was as a part of the living.  However, it is said that from time to time that the spirit of Leota visits her old haunt to check on her belongings.  Now, there are other appearances that the good Madame has made of late such as in Marvel's Disney Kingdom comic and in Epic Mickey's Wasteland in Lonesome Manor renamed Madame Leona.  Keep an eye peeled out as The Creature and I will be travelling to the Wasteland to visit Lonesome Manor in the future. 

 




Now finally, we will move onto What She Brings To The Mansion


What She Brings To The Mansion


Moviefan12: Madame Leota brings one of the greatest moments to the Mansion and remains a woman that is shrouded in mystery.  Very little is known of her past nor do we need to know it as she is more effective  by not knowing anything about her.



LES: Agreed. Until that horrendous Eddie Murphy film….SHUDDER!…I didn’t even know her name as Madame Leota….to me, she was the mysterious witch inside the crystal ball who contacted the dead….what more do you need for a haunted mansion ride?