The Haunted Mansion is the home of 999 happy haunts, but it is also the home of 999 rumors and conspiracy theories. One theory that I have seen repeatedly over the years is that one of the famous singing busts in the Haunted Mansion is our very own Walt Disney. This theory was created largely because of the mustache that the broken bust has. It is not true though, as the mustached-bust is Thurl Ravenscroft, voice acting legend.

The singing busts in the Haunted Mansion. Image from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG5UU_ytYKc

Near the end of the Haunted Mansion attraction at Disneyland, there are 5 singing busts, designed by Yale Gracey. These characters (left to right) are Rollo Rumkin, Uncle Theodore, Cousin Algernon, Ned Nub, and Phineas P. Pock. 5 experienced and talented singers were chosen to record Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion theme song, “Grim-Grinning Ghosts” written by Xavier Atencio and composed by Buddy Baker. Initially, these men were chosen simply to record the song in Burbank on February 14th, 1969, and 5 other actors were meant to be hired to portray the “singing busts” heads. But according to the HauntedMansion.com, the vocal director Allan Davies decided it would be best to have the men who sang the song, also be the faces on the busts. The 5 men shot photos and videos of their faces a week later on February 21st, 1969. The “Phantom Five” are Thurl Ravenscroft, Verne Rowe, Chuck Schroeder, Jay Meyer and Bob Ebright.

The Phantom Five Singing Busts

Thurl Ravenscroft (Uncle Theodore)

Even if you’ve never heard of his name, you will for sure have heard his voice before. Thurl Ravenscroft was born in 1914, first pursuing a career as an interior designer, but then soon after becoming a popular vocalist. His church choir suggested he take on singing and voice acting, and he did just that in the 1930s. He began in radio, eventually forming a singing group called the Sportsmen Quartet. He wasn’t a part of it for long though as he eventually left to serve in the war. When he returned, former Sportsmen group member Max Smith joined him to form a new singing group, The Mellomen. On his own, Ravenscroft also was a backup singer for other artists such as Frank Sinatra and Doris Day.

The Mellomen. Image from: https://d23.com/walt-disney-legend/thurl-ravenscroft/

The singing group took on multiple different projects other than just singing for radio and television. They also began singing for the Walt Disney Company. They sang the theme songs to The Mickey Mouse Club, Davy Crockett, Zorro, and more. Thurl was also hired to provide his voice to some background characters in Disney films, such as a singing caterpillar in Springtime for Pluto (1944), Robert Bruce in So Dear to My Heart (1948), a mouse in Cinderella (1950), and a card painter in Alice in Wonderland (1951).

In 1952, he took on the role as Tony the Tiger, the iconic Frosted Flakes mascot. He is credited for being the voice behind the tag line “They’re grrrrreat!”. Thurl is also the singer behind “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch”.

Thurl Ravenscroft and a portrait with Tony the Tiger. Image from: https://newstalk941.com/daughter-of-voice-actor-reflects-on-legacy/

He continued working for Disney and other studios all the way through until 1999. He appeared as the Captain in 101 Dalmatians (1961), the Russian Cat in The Aristocats (1970), and provided vocals for the it’s a small world, Splash Mountain, and the Pirates of the Caribbean Disneyland attractions. It was only natural for Disney to ask Ravenscroft to be the lead singer for their new Haunted Mansion attraction. His bust is the only broken one though, as it has been rumored that the base of it was off-centered, so it ended up looking better for him to be broken in half.

Thurl Ravenscroft singing bust. Image from: https://www.wdw-magazine.com/5-haunted-mansion-facts/

Verne Rowe (Rollo Rumkin)

Verne Rowe was an actor born in 1921. He appeared in shorts, television series, and a few movies in his lifetime. He appeared on the Doris Day Show in the 1970s, playing parts such as the messenger, the waiter, and the hawker. In 1972 he played Mr. Harris in the film Bonnie’s Kids. Rowe was also a trumpet player, and was able to show off his skills in The Odd Couple and The Bob Newhart Show in the 1970s. In the 1980s, he recorded for the soundtrack of Pennies From Heaven starring Steve Martin. Disney approached him to provide his vocals for the track in 1969.

Verne Rowe singing bust. Image from: https://www.wdw-magazine.com/5-haunted-mansion-facts/

Jay Meyer (Ned Nub)

Jay Meyer began his career similarly to Thurl Ravenscroft, joining the Sportsmen Quartet and performing on shows like The Jack Benny Program in 1955. Jay continued his illustrious career as a singer, singing backup vocals for films such as Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, Annie get your Gun, It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Jay also worked in radio, commercials, and television shows as he grew older too.

Jay worked at Disneyland for a while beginning in 1972, as a substitute for Fulton Burley at the Golden Horseshoe Revue. After a few weeks of substituting, Disney extended his contract, and he ended up being a performer at the Golden Horseshoe for 14 years. This was around the time when he was approached to record for “Grim Grinning Ghosts”.

Jay Meyer singing bust. Image from: https://www.wdw-magazine.com/5-haunted-mansion-facts/

Bob Ebright (Phineas P. Pock) and Chuck Schroeder (Cousin Algernon)

Bob Ebright was a singer and an actor. He starred in Cinderella Jones as Sgt. McNulty in 1946, and was a singer in Disney’s So Dear to My Heart in 1948. Ebright also featured in The Great Caruso in 1951.

Chuck Schroeder was also a singer chosen to be one of the busts in the Haunted Mansion. He is distinguished by his bowler hat in the middle. Chuck is the only original member who is not featured in Disneyland Paris’ Phantom Manor.

Bob Ebright singing bust. Image from: https://www.wdw-magazine.com/5-haunted-mansion-facts/

Chuck Schroeder singing bust. Image from: https://www.wdw-magazine.com/5-haunted-mansion-facts/

Grim Grinning Ghosts Theme Song

Disney Imagineer Xavier Atencio was approached to write the lyrics to accompany the music by Buddy Baker for the famed “Grim Grinning Ghosts” song. He was approached after his successful writing on the Pirates of the Caribbean theme '“Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life For Me)”.

“Writing songs for rides like this, you can’t have a beginning and an end. Each stanza has to have its own meaning.”

— Xavier Atencio

The title for the song took inspiration from one of Shakespeare’s older poems titled Venus and Adonis.

“Hard-favour’d tyrant, ugly, meagre, lean,
Hateful divorce of love,’–thus chides she Death,–
‘Grim-grinning ghost, earth’s worm, what dost thou mean...”

— Shakespeare

Next time you visit the Haunted Mansion, take a good look at those faces that stare and sing back at you - as you’ll now know more about them than you did before.

Reference list:

https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/The_Singing_Busts

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2014/10/10-things-to-know-about-the-haunted-mansion-theme-grim-grinning-ghosts/

https://hauntedmansion.fandom.com/wiki/Singing_Busts

https://d23.com/ask-dave/ethan-jamaica-new-york/

https://www.parkeology.com/2010/04/shakespeares-ghost.html

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0712391/

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/thurl-ravenscroft-mn0000595980/biography?1631135318138

https://d23.com/walt-disney-legend/thurl-ravenscroft/

http://www.hauntedmansion.com/secrets_graveyard2.php

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0746619/

https://d23.com/this-day/golden-horseshoe-revue-closes-at-disneyland/