The Phantom, known in life as Henry Ravenswood (1795-1860) is the main-antagonist of Phantom Manor and a major character from Big Thunder Mountain Railroad of the Disneyland Paris attraction Phantom Manor, which is that park's version of the Haunted Mansion. He is an evil and sadistic spirit bent on tormenting the living. He was voiced by Bernard Alane (Gérard Chevalier prior to the 2019 refurbishment) in French and by the late Vincent Price in English who also voiced Professor Ratigan in the Disney film The Great Mouse Detective.
History[]
Biography[]
Born in 1795, Henry Ravenswood was initially a simple prospector in the old West, but his discovery of gold in Big Thunder Mountain in 1849 would make him a fortune. The town of Thunder Mesa sprang up soon after, and Ravenswood would establish financial dominance of the mining operations in the area. Ravenswood would build a stately manor on a hill overlooking the river and the boomtown he'd helped create with other founding fathers. Local natives warned that the mountain was the resting place of the legendary Thunderbird, and that if the settlers kept mining, the spirits of the mountain would grow angry and cause misfortune. Ravenswood, ignoring the warnings of the legend, continued to work in the mines. As the years passed, Henry would become increasingly possessive of his daughter, now a young woman. He deeply resented the string of suitors that came looking for Melanie's hand, as none of them were good enough for her in his eyes. As a result, Henry arranged for the deaths of four of her suitors: Barry Claude, an oil-field salesman who was mauled by a bear; Captain Rowan D. Falls, the captain of the Mark Twain Riverboat who was sent over a waterfall in a rowboat; saw-mill owner Sawyer Bottom, who was bifurcated with an industrial buzz-saw; and explosives manufacturer Ignatius "Iggy" Knight, who blew up with a large amount of dynamite. At some other unknown point of time, Henry cheated during a duel with another gentleman by turning around before the draw and firing at the man's back, killing him. It is also rumored that he had an affair with the manor's chamber-maid Anna Jones. Melanie's fifth and final suitor was a train engineer working in Thunder Mesa, and it was not long before they were making plans to wed. Ravenswood, for once, consented the union, but when he learned that Melanie's beau intended to take her away from Thunder Mesa, he became furious and vowed he would do everything he could to prevent it. However, before he could take action to stop the wedding, the great earthquake of 1860 devastated Thunder Mesa, and Ravenswood and his wife were killed. Some claimed it was the wrath of the Thunderbird that caused the tragedy while others said it was the result of a massive dynamite blast from the Mountain. Henry and Martha were then buried side-by-side in Boot-Hill Cemetery. Some time later, Mélanie and her lover arranged to marry within the Great Hall of Ravenswood Manor. However, the groom never appeared. Mélanie refused to believe that her beloved would ever leave her, and waited for him as the guests filed away. The forlorn bride would never be seen beyond the house's walls again. Legend has it that Mélanie's groom was murdered by a spectre known as the Phantom, who had lured him into a discreet and secluded part of the Manor and hanged him from the rafters. The Phantom became an infamous figure of the town's folklore and, along with Madame Leota, summoned many spirits to Ravenswood Manor. Many would also go missing within and around the grounds, their fates blamed on the Phantom. Throughout the mansion's closure, several spirits left Phantom Manor and encountered citizens. When the manor was reopened, Henry attended the ceremony in the human form of an elderly man. At the ceremony, Henry opened the gates of the mansion and introduced himself as an affiliate of the Big Thunder Mining Company. Henry went on to invite several of the guests into Ravenswood Manor as his new prey.
Personality[]
The Phantom is a dark sadist who revels in pain and sorrow. He kills without thinking twice, and flaunts his kills like they are sport. He loves tormenting the innocent and destroying their lives, and is completely unstoppable in his evil. However, considering how much Ravenswood loved his daughter in life, it is unclear why he would ceaselessly torment her after his death, other than for the sole purpose of keeping her in the Manor forever.
Trivia[]
- The Phantom was originally voiced completely by the late Vincent Price. However, prior to the 2019 refurbishment, due to a deal with French officials, the attraction's audio had to be primarily in French; thus the narration was re-recorded by Gérard Chevalier who dubbed for Price in several films that we translated in French. However, Price's evil laughter was kept.
- Prior to the 2019 refurbishment, the Phantom's identity was kept a mystery with Henry Ravenswood only speculated to be the Phantom. However, after the 2019 refurbishment, it was confirmed that Henry Ravenswood is indeed the Phantom.
- The Phantom was used as the main antagonist of Channel Awesome's rewrite of the Haunted Mansion movie.