What's the ATtic Bride's Story?

[AliceinDisney]

I was wondering what her story is in the new version of the Constance the bride thing, at Disneyland thats coming over to the new refurb of WDW? Anyone know the backstory? I see the pics of her hubbies...

[LibertyTreeGal]

I was wondering too, just saw the new improved version of HM at DL and the murderous bride stuff was really neat. I think she did it to get more presents. I mean, there was a load of wedding gifts under each of the 5 (I think) pictures -- including a nice covered vegetable dish that my mother particularly liked. ;)

[AliceinDisney]

Pretty gory stuff for Disney.

[celebrationasheley]

:mickey: Going into a house. A woman was hung. I forgot the back story of her :( The house is haunted, you just experience weird things happening. Than there is a seance. Than you see the ghosts. You go into the attic and the bride is actually in front of a chest where the dead woman is being kept. She is mad that you saw her so she throws you backwards out of the attic window. You die. The old man and dog are scared of seeing you, not the cemetery. Than at the end the woman says to bring your death certificate because they can't keep you without one. Could be just the trainers story, but I like it so I am stcking to it.

[AliceinDisney]

I want to know why Constance killed all her hubbies though... It sort of made me think of "So I married an axe Murderer" cause shes holding the axe...

[kittylove]

I did the Keys to the Kingdom tour, and our guide told us that there were as many storylines for the HM as there were CMs. She told us the version she knew, which involved a "hidden ring" and love and murder and wronged brides in trunks and it was all very long and involved and quite frankly...

I was found the story of the woman who modeled for Madame Leota much more interesting.

[Wolf]

I did the Keys to the Kingdom tour, and our guide told us that there were as many storylines for the HM as there were CMs. She told us the version she knew, which involved a "hidden ring" and love and murder and wronged brides in trunks and it was all very long and involved and quite frankly...

I was found the story of the woman who modeled for Madame Leota much more interesting.


Spill!!!!!! I never heard this story either!

[Figgyluv03]

According to another thread, the "hidden ring" has been covered up.

From what my roommate from the CP told me is that she was going to marry the owner of the house, but he turned around and fell in love with the maid. So he hide her ring and she got all crazy and killed the maid and then he hung himself. Like someone else said, there are a million different stories.

All I know is that all the chess pieces line the top of the mansion except for the "knight" because it's always night inside.

[kittylove]

They sort of make you swear to keep the secrets you are privvy to on the Keys to the Kingdom tour, lol...

Ummm, I guess I could share one or two little bitty facts...

It's not a thrilling or amazing story...I just thought it was interesting. "Madame Leota" was a CM (a costumer, I think...anyone, anyone?). She modeled for sort of the "mock up" of the fortune teller bit, and they liked her looks so well, they decided to use the footage (but the voice is dubbed). There's more to it, but that's all I dare say...don't want to get in trouble with Tour Guide Rae.

[Here we go again...]

According to another thread, the "hidden ring" has been covered up.
I read that before I went in March. Of course I could not wait to go looking to see if it was covered... It was not. The "ring" was right where it has always been.

[Mufasa]

Interestingly enough, Constance (the "black widow" bride) in Disneyland's revised attic scene- the concept for a murderous axe-wielding bride could be traced back to a 1968 concept painting by Marc Davis for a changing portrait that would show a young lady standing by a column, and would slowly change show a ghostly view of her deceased husband with an axe appearing in her hand.

Now in the original version of the attic when the attraction opened you had two major figures- the bride (with her beating heart) and the Hatbox Ghost. The Hatbox Ghost would have been a suitor to the bride and standing near the exit of the attic, with a cane in one hand and holding a hatbox in the other. Every time the bride's heart would beat his head would disappear and reappear inside the hatbox. Because of the close positioning of the attic stage with the hatbox ghost to the doombuggies and the timing, the effect just didn't work quite as intended and was removed shortly after opening.

Basically, the back story of Constance involves her 5 husbands- Ambrose, Frank, Reginald, The Marquis and George and the settings (in terms of wedding gifts seen as props around the portraits) should indicate that each successive suitor was more wealthy than the previous one.

For example, Reginald was a worldly explorer- in his portrait he's seated in an ornate chair (which actually are the same designs featured in the Haunted Mansion movie's ballroom) and funny enough you will now find Jack Sparrow sitting on the exact same style chair in Pirates as he's seated in the Treasure Room (look carefully next time you're at Disneyland).

Now, George- the last husband seen in the Attic is interesting when you look at his portrait. There, Constance is holding a rose and if you think back to the stretching room- one of the stretching portraits (incidentally, I believe it was Walt's favorite of the stretching portraits) is of an older lady holding a rose and as the painting is revealed, it's shown that she's sitting on a tombstone for beloved George (who is pictured with a bust with an axe right in the forehead).

And in another of the many Imagineering cameo in our attractions, George (as he appears in the attic painting) is portrayed by none other than Imagineer Rick Rothschild (one of our Senior VPs & Executive Show Directors at WDI).

[Mufasa]

"Madame Leota" was a CM (a costumer, I think...anyone, anyone?). She modeled for sort of the "mock up" of the fortune teller bit, and they liked her looks so well, they decided to use the footage (but the voice is dubbed)

Madame Leota takes her name from Leota (Toombs) Thomas- an Imagineer that worked in the model shop and it is her likeness that is used for the visual footage in the seance room (where her voice is dubbed by Eleanor Audley better known to Disney Animation fans as the voice of Maleficent, or Lady Tremaine).

Leota Thomas also provided both the performance and voice of Little Leota as well, that appears at the end of the attraction.

Years later, when the Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay was created, the performance for the Seance Room had to be re-shot and filmed (because of new dialog) and we turned to Leota's daughter Kim Irvine (also an Imagineer) who filled in for her resemblance to her mother.

[BrerSchultzy]

Isn't it great having Mufasa around? :thumbsup:

[Mickey91]

:scared: I hope it's not too scary!!

[SpecJoe Magic]

All I know is that all the chess pieces line the top of the mansion except for the "knight" because it's always night inside.

I had heard that the missing knight chess piece on the roof of the mansion was because of the knight's suit of armor that is next to the endless hallway. Seems like a silly explanation either way. On the other hand, I've also heard that what appears to be chess pieces on the roof are just a result of the architecture style used on the mansion, and their resemblance to chess pieces is a coincidence. :shrug:

[kittylove]

Thanks, Mufasa! I heard that there was a plan to replace Leota after the HM movie was released with the actress in the figure ball...Meg Tilly, was it? but that there was public outcry against such dastardly doings. Fact or ****?

Also, the "ring" that was pointed out to me was a rather disappointing looking tiny brass washer-looking thing embedded in the concrete as you are exiting HM...would I be correct in assuming this was nothing planned, just something somebody noticed and rather creatively spun a yarn around?

[SpecJoe Magic]

Also, the "ring" that was pointed out to me was a rather disappointing looking tiny brass washer-looking thing embedded in the concrete as you are exiting HM...would I be correct in assuming this was nothing planned, just something somebody noticed and rather creatively spun a yarn around?

As far as I know, it wasn't planned. I've heard that the embedded "ring" was the result of a pole or something that used to be on that spot. I have no idea how the ring story got started, but I assume that it's an unofficial story. There are so many stories surrounding the Haunted Mansion that it's difficult to know what to believe.

[AliceinDisney]

Interesting. I would love to see that picture of the woman with the axe. I've seen a lot of the original Haunted Mansion stuff on Doombuggies.com I knew a bit about other versions of the story, and there used to be a site, I don't know if it still exists with info on all of the ghosts that inhabit the mansion, it was fascinating. I really could spend hours reading about that and honestly I thought I was a Disney info nut, but Mufasa has definitely topped me on all accounts :)

Thanks!

[AliceinDisney]

I found it :)

http://members.aol.com/HtdMsn/setd.html

[Mufasa]

I had heard that the missing knight chess piece on the roof of the mansion was because of the knight's suit of armor that is next to the endless hallway. Seems like a silly explanation either way. On the other hand, I've also heard that what appears to be chess pieces on the roof are just a result of the architecture style used on the mansion, and their resemblance to chess pieces is a coincidence. :shrug:

It is just a coincidence- from page 40 of fellow Imagineer Jason Surrell's excellent book all about the Haunted Mansion (which I suggest any Imagineering/Haunted Mansion fan pick up for their library if you're interested in learning about the history, story and development of the attraction and separating facts from urban legend)- "The Haunted Mansion: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies"

Game Over

Over the years, many fans have speculated that the Mansion's stone turrets are oversized chess pieces, with every piece represented except for the knight (who can be found inside, the urban legend says). Not so, according to Imagineers. Although some of the turrets and ornamentation do, indeed, look like chess pieces, all are typical of the Mansion's architectural style and period, and the resemblance is purely coincidental.

I can't say enough about Jason's book on the Haunted Mansion (or his book on Pirates of the Caribbean)- I know he approached the project with a lot of passion and curiosity from his own interests in the attractions and are a must read for serious Disney fans.