The Coat Rack is a supporting character in Disney's 1991 animated feature film Beauty and the Beast.
Background[]
Personality[]
Despite being silent, he's most loyal to not only the Beast, but anyone who comes to the castle such as Belle and her father Maurice. However, it would be optional when it comes to invaders attacking the castle.
Physical appearance[]
As implied by his name, his cursed state was a black coat rack with 4 arms who occasionally wears a green top hat.
Appearances[]
Beauty and the Beast[]
The Coat Rack appears with the rest of the staff when Maurice enters the castle. He gives Maurice a blanket while Mrs. Potts gives him tea to help him warm up, tipping his hat as he does so. He is later seen helping the Beast get ready for his date with Belle and gives him a haircut, which at first comes out looking ridiculous, prompting Lumiere to request him to redo it. During the date, he provides ambient violin music to Belle and Beast as the two dine.
The Coat Rack is later rallied with the rest of the enchanted objects to defend the castle from the lynch mob led by Gaston. He participates in the battle by boxing one of the villagers with his arms. After the spell is broken, the Coat Rack is presumably returned to a human, though he was not seen in his human form.
In the Special Edition-exclusive song "Human Again", he is seen helping clean up the Beast's bedroom with Mrs. Potts. Unfortunately, Sultan pulls on the curtain the Coat Rack was pulling aside, tearing it down, much to the Coat Rack's displeasure.
Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas[]
To be added
Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Magical World[]
To be added
Beauty and the Beast (2017)[]
The Coat Rack, under the name Chapeau, appears in the live-action remake with a slightly larger role, played by Thomas Padden. As a human, he was the Prince's aide in his court (though the junior novelization identifies him as a valet). When Maurice enters the castle, Chapeau is the first of the staff to be alerted by his presence after Maurice hangs his coat on him. He is seen with the rest of the servants throughout the film, including when they try to stop Belle from leaving after the latter was frightened by the Beast. When the last petal falls, Chapeau succumbs to the curse and becomes an inanimate coat rack with the enchanted objects, but not before catching Chip from falling as Chip becomes an inanimate teacup. However, Chapeau is transformed back into a human but finds Froufrou relieving himself on his shoe shortly after the Enchantress lifts the curse.
Trivia[]
- The Coat Rack's gender isn't revealed in the 1991 film, but it's revealed to be a male in the 2017 remake. Therefore, the Coat Rack was likely also male in the animated film.
- His name is Chapeau in the live-action remake. "Chapeau" is the French word for "hat", which possibly represents the green top hat he wears in the animated film.
- In the 1991 film, the Coat Rack only boxed with his front arms, but in the 2017 remake, he spins his 6 arms to smack his opponent (or in this version's case, LeFou).
- In the 2017 remake, Chapeau didn't have any lines except for in a deleted scene where he yelps, "Hot! Hot! Hot!" after hugging a now human Cuisiner, who is still boiling hot after being a stove.
