HAPPY HAUNTS MATERIALIZE By Frankie Franken

Hello, everybody! Gosh, can you believe it's time for Halloween again? Welcome to The MonsterGrrls' 31 Days Of Halloween, and today I'm reporting on something special from one of our favorite places--the Walt Disney Haunted Mansion, which has turned 40 years old this year!

When Disneyland opened the Haunted Mansion in 1969, the event was commemorated by the release of a special album from Disneyland Records, The Story And Song From The Haunted Mansion. Featuring Thurl Ravenscroft as the Narrator, the album told the story of two teenagers, Mike (Ron Howard*) and Karen (Robie Lester) who become trapped in the Mansion and are conducted by the Ghost Host (Pete Renoudet) on a spooky tour of the house and grounds, meeting Madame Leota (Eleanor Audley, who also voices Leota in the Mansion itself) and viewing the wild graveyard party where all the happy haunts sing a rousing chorus of the Mansion's theme song, "Grim Grinning Ghosts." This album was intended as a promotion for the Mansion, but it became a cherished childhood memory for many attendees to Disneyland, and was eventually reissued in 1998 on cassette as A Spooky Night In Disney's Haunted Mansion.

Now the original Haunted Mansion album from 1969 has just been reissued in CD form! That's right, Disney has put out a brand-spanking new CD release of The Story And Song From The Haunted Mansion, and just in time for Halloween, too! This cool CD not only has the story booklet painted by Disney artist Colin Campbell (which was included with the original 1969 album), but a special enhanced feature of the CD showcases Campbell's original paintings, and even allows you to print the images from your computer to create your own ghostly gallery! And as a bonus track, the official Disneyland Park version of "Grim Grinning Ghosts" is included too! Wow, what a groovy Halloween treat for all Haunted Mansion fans both past and present!

To celebrate the Haunted Mansion's 40th Anniversary, The MonsterGrrls' 31 Days Of Halloween will showcase the Mansion in Haunted Mansion Mondays! Each Monday we'll do a special feature on this cool attraction, which is a must-see if you go to any Disney theme park. So be here each Monday for Haunted Mansion Mondays, and don't forget to grab yourself a copy of the new Haunted Mansion CD for Halloween!

We'll be back tomorrow with more of The MonsterGrrls' 31 Days Of Halloween, so see you then!

Sincerely,
Francesca "Frankie" Franken

POST-MORTEM: The Story And Song From The Haunted Mansion can be found at Amazon.com, purveyor of all fine things in this world or the Netherworld. To get your copy, click our title link above.

*Yes, that Ron Howard. --F.F.