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The Jack-in-the-Box is the main antagonist in the Piano Concerto No. 2 segment of Fantasia 2000.

Background[]

Development[]

The Jack-in-the-Box went through several different designs during the production of the segment, including those of a king, clown, melodrama villain, French soldier, and pirate.

Personality[]

As the villain of the piece, the Jack-in-the-Box was deliberately made physically unappealing. He is a lecherous person who desires the Ballerina for himself. At first, he tries a gentle approach, making himself look amicable, but when the Ballerina rebuffs him, he acts more aggressively like a ruffian, attempting to force himself on her. When the Tin Soldier comes along and develops feelings for the Ballerina as well (this time fully returned), the Jack-in-the-Box acts viciously, resulting in a scuffle that ends with the Tin Soldier being knocked out the open window. With his rival out of the picture (albeit temporarily), he proceeds to romance the Ballerina, or tries to, as she remains faithful to the good-hearted soldier. In the end, his pride and lust for the Ballerina prove to be his downfall as he meets a fiery end falling into the fireplace.

Physical appearance[]

The Jack-in-the-Box is a large toy encased in a brown music box with pink diamond-shaped markings on the sides and spots of gold paint on the corners. When out of it, he resembles a jester with a long pointy nose, a brown beard, a bald head, red lips, and rosy cheeks. He is dressed in a blue harlequin outfit, complete with a gold-lined collar and a purple and blue hat with two points, each with a gold bell at the end. His head takes up the majority of his coiled body, while his arms are smaller in comparison. Due to the box acting as the lower portion of his body, he can only hop around as mobility.

Role in the film[]

At night, when all of the toys in a boy's room come to life, the Jack-in-the-Box is the second to do so. The first toy to come to life, the Ballerina, catches his interest, and he decides that he must have her for himself. However, his attempts to woo her fail miserably as she rejects him.

Things get more complicated for him when the Tin Soldier arrives and wins the Ballerina over with his kind personality. Angered, the Jack-in-the-Box confronts the couple, traps the Ballerina under a glass, and attempts to do away with the Tin Soldier. He first tries throwing some blocks at the Tin Soldier in order to knock him out of the window, only to have the hero knock one back at him with his bayonet, dislodging the Jack-in-the Box's hat and revealing his bald spot (much to the Ballerina's amusement). However, when the Jack-in-the-Box tosses a wooden boat at his opponent, the Tin Soldier is successfully eliminated from and the Ballerina is left at his mercy.

While the Tin Soldier is away, the Jack-in-the-Box tries once again to win over his would-be girlfriend, this time by offering her some plastic roses. Remembering what he did to her friend, the Ballerina rejects him again. Infuriated, he leaps forward and tries to grab her, only for him to hit his head on the door of the toy castle.

On the night that the Tin Soldier returns home, the Jack-in-the-Box becomes more determined than ever to have the Ballerina and grabs her, roughly forcing her to dance with him. Angered, the Tin Soldier rushes to her side to protect her, at which point the Jack-in-the-Box pulls out a sword, and continuously tries to strike his rival, chasing him to the edge of the table. Thinking he has the Tin Soldier cornered, the Jack-in-the-Box leaps toward him to finish him off. However, the Tin Soldier blocks his sword with his bayonet and pushes him over the edge of the table, where he falls into the fireplace below and immediately burns to death.

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • In the original story, the Jack-in-the-Box was a black goblin who lived in a snuffbox. It is implied that he may have been the one who caused the Tin Soldier to fall out the window, but it is also said that it may have been the wind.
  • In the original story, it is not the Jack-in-the-Box who perishes in the fire but rather the Tin Soldier and Ballerina.
  • In a 1938 set of storyboards for a short-film version of the segment by Bianca Majolie, the Jack-in-the-Box appears as a green demon-like creature with horns and pointy ears. The ending shows him pushing the Tin Soldier into the fireplace, but, much to his dismay, the Ballerina jumps in right after.


v - e - d
Fantasia logo
Media
Films: Fantasia (video/soundtrack) • Fantasia 2000 (video/soundtrack) • The Sorcerer's Apprentice (video/soundtrack)

Video Games: FantasiaKingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop DistanceDisney InfinityFantasia: Music EvolvedDisney Emoji BlitzDisney Sorcerer's ArenaSorcerer's Apprentice

Disney Parks
Cinderella Castle Mystery TourDisney Animation BuildingFantasia CarouselFantasia Gardens Miniature GolfFantasy GardensPrimeval WorldLe Pays des Contes de FéesMickey's PhilharMagicSorcerers of the Magic KingdomThe Sorcerer's HatVoyage to the Crystal Grotto

Entertainment: Disney Classics: The Music & The MagicFantasmic! • Mickey's Magical Book • Mickey's Gift of DreamsMickey's Magical CelebrationMickey and the Magical MapRivers of Light: We Are OneOnce Upon a MouseVillains Tonight!
Restaurants: Fantasia Gelati
Parades: Disney's FantillusionDisney's Party ExpressDreaming Up!Festival of Fantasy ParadeJubilation!Magic HappensParade of the StarsSpectroMagic
Fireworks: Celebrate the MagicCelebrate! Tokyo DisneylandDisney EnchantmentIlluminate! A Nighttime CelebrationMomentousWe Love Mickey!Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney DreamsWonderful World of AnimationWorld of ColorWondrous Journeys
Summer: Club Mouse Beat
Halloween: Happy Hallowishes

Characters
Fantasia: Sorcerer MickeySugar Plum FairiesNutcracker Suite DancersYen SidMagic BroomsTyrannosaurus RexStegosaurusTriceratopsPteranodonCorythosaurusApatosaurusDiplodocusOrnithomimusBrachiosaurusCeratosaurusKannemeyeriaEdmontosaurusParasaurolophusDimetrodonTylosaurusPlateosaurusAnkylosaurusCompsognathusArchaeopteryxTroodonOviraptorBacchusJacchusCentaursCentaurettesMelindaBrudusIrisMorpheusDianaZeusApolloVulcanBoreasMother PegasusFather PegasusPegasi SiblingsPeter PegasusCherubsSatyrsUnicornsMadame UpanovaOstrichesHyacinth HippoHipposElephanchineBen Ali GatorAlligatorsChernabogChernabog's Minions

Fantasia 2000: Donald DuckDaisy DuckColorful TrianglesBlack TrianglesHumpback WhalesDukeFlying JohnKilljoy MargaretFoo-FooJoeRachelNasty NannyTin SoldierBallerinaJack-in-the-BoxToy SoldiersYo Yo FlamingoSnooty FlamingosNoahSpring SpriteThe ElkThe Firebird
The Sorcerer's Apprentice: Balthazar BlakeDavid "Dave" StutlerMaxim HorvathRebecca "Becky" BarnesDrake StoneVeronica GorloisenMorgana le FayMerlinAbigail WilliamsSun Lok
Deleted/Unused: OtikaSunflowerNutcracker SentriesDahliaChronosLorenzoMolly

Segments
Fantasia: Toccata and Fugue in D MinorNutcracker SuiteThe Sorcerer's ApprenticeThe Rite of SpringThe Pastoral SymphonyDance of the HoursNight on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria

Fantasia 2000: Symphony No. 5Pines of RomeRhapsody in BluePiano Concerto No. 2The Carnival of the AnimalsPomp and CircumstanceThe Firebird Suite

Locations
Yen Sid's TowerMount OlympusBald MountainNew York CityPrehistory
Deleted and unused concepts
Unused Fantasia SegmentsClair de LuneSunflowerOtikaEgret CoupleNaiadsDestinoThe Little MatchgirlOne by OneLorenzo
Objects
Sorcerer HatGrimholdMerlin's RingEncantus


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Disney Villains Logo
Members
The Evil QueenChernabogQueen of HeartsCaptain HookMaleficentCruella De VilUrsulaJafarScarHadesDr. Facilier

Other Disney Animation Villains: PeteBig Bad WolfWillie the GiantLonesome GhostsMortimer MouseMagic MirrorHonest JohnGideonStromboliMonstroPink ElephantsRingmasterThe Headless HorsemanLady TremaineAnastasia TremaineDrizella TremaineLuciferCheshire CatCard SoldiersMr. SmeeSi and AmAunt SarahDiabloJasper and HoraceMadam MimKaaShere KhanEdgarPrince JohnSir HissSheriff of NottinghamHeffalumpsWoozlesMadame MedusaBrutus and NeroAmos SladeHorned KingProfessor RatiganFeliciaSykesFlotsam and JetsamPercival C. McLeachGastonIagoShenzi, Banzai, and EdGovernor RatcliffeClaude FrolloPain and PanicFatesShan YuClaytonSaborYzmaLyle Tiberius RourkeCaptain GantuDr. Jumba JookibaJohn SilverScroopBowler Hat GuyDorisLawrenceDr. Facilier's ShadowMother GothelStabbington BrothersKing CandySour BillHansDuke of WeseltonYokaiBellwetherTamatoaKing Magnifico
Pixar Villains: Sid PhillipsScudHopperMoltEmperor ZurgStinky PeteRandall BoggsHenry J. Waternoose IIISyndromeChick HicksChef SkinnerAUTOCharles F. MuntzLotsoMiles AxlerodProfessor ZMor'duThunderclapErnesto de la CruzEvelyn DeavorDragon the Cat
Other Villains: Br'er FoxBr'er BearOogie BoogieWinifred SandersonMary SandersonSarah SandersonDr. HämstervielQueen NarissaWicked Witch of the WestRipslingerHitchhiking Ghosts

Disney Parks
Celebrate A Dreams Come True ParadeCelebrate the MagicCinderella Castle Mystery TourClub VillainDisney's FantillusionDisney's Maleficious Halloween PartyDisney's Not-So-Scary Halloween ShowDisney's Once Upon a Dream ParadeDisney Dreams!Disney's Stars 'n' Cars... As Never Seen BeforeFantasmic!Feel the MagicFrightfully Fun ParadeGlow in the Park Halloween ParadeHappy HallowishesHocus Pocus Villain SpelltacularInferno Dance PartyIt's Good To Be Bad With The Disney VillainsIt's Good to Be Bad Villainous CelebrationIt's Party Time... with Mickey and Friends... and the Disney VillainsMickey's Boo-to-You Halloween ParadeMickey and his Magic Halloween NightMomentousRe-Villains! Halloween ParadeSorcerers of the Magic KingdomThe Disney Villains Halloween ShowtimeThe Nightmare ExperimentThe Villains WorldUnleash the VillainsVillains GardensVillainy in the SkyVillains Mix and MingleVillains Night Out!Villains Tonight!WishesWorld of Color
Media
Mickey's House of VillainsOnce Upon a HalloweenDisney Villains: Simply Sinister SongsDisney Villains Songbook

Video Games: Disney Villains ChallengeDisney's Villains' Revenge

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