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“He was a cloaked figure, with an evil, grinning face. A hatbox hung from his hand. With each beat of his bride’s heart, his head disappeared from his body, and appeared in the hatbox.” The Haunted Mansion record, narrated brilliantly by Thurl Ravenscroft, was the first exposure I ever had to the Hatbox Ghost, a sinister character created by the late Disney Legend, Marc Davis.

I was born in 1970, about half a year after The Haunted Mansion opened at Disneyland. My own memories of the attraction wouldn’t begin until later visits in the late ’70s. Those fortunate enough to already be alive for the opening of the attraction may have also been fortunate enough to come face-to-face with the most elusive character in Disney attraction history – the Hatbox Ghost.

Developed by Marc Davis and Yale Gracey at WED in Glendale for the Mansion, the Hatbox Ghost was initially installed in the ride’s attic scene, within close proximity to the Bride, who used to have a loudly-beating heart. As stated in the narration of the record, with each heartbeat of his bride, the male specter’s head would vanish, reappearing below in a large hatbox hanging from his skeletal hand. There are several historical images of Disney’s master illusionist, Yale Gracey, working on the mock-up of the figure at their WED facility (now Walt Disney Imagineering) in Glendale, California.