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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
Media
Films: Fantasia (video/soundtrack) • Fantasia 2000 (video/soundtrack) • The Sorcerer's Apprentice (video/soundtrack)

Video Games: Fantasia • Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance • Disney Infinity • Fantasia: Music Evolved • Disney Emoji Blitz • Disney Sorcerer's Arena • Sorcerer's Apprentice

Disney Parks
Cinderella Castle Mystery Tour • Disney Animation Building • Fantasia Carousel • Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf • Fantasy Gardens • Primeval World • Le Pays des Contes de FĆ©es • Mickey's PhilharMagic • Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom • The Sorcerer's Hat • Voyage to the Crystal Grotto

Entertainment: Disney Classics: The Music & The Magic • Fantasmic! • Mickey's Magical Book • Mickey's Gift of Dreams • Mickey's Magical Celebration • Mickey and the Magical Map • Rivers of Light: We Are One • Once Upon a Mouse • Villains Tonight!
Restaurants: Fantasia Gelati
Parades: Disney's Fantillusion • Disney's Party Express • Dreaming Up! • Festival of Fantasy Parade • Jubilation! • Magic Happens • Parade of the Stars • SpectroMagic
Fireworks: Celebrate the Magic • Celebrate! Tokyo Disneyland • Disney Enchantment • Illuminate! A Nighttime Celebration • Momentous • We Love Mickey! • Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams • Wonderful World of Animation • World of Color • Wondrous Journeys
Summer: Club Mouse Beat
Halloween: Happy Hallowishes

Characters
Fantasia: Sorcerer Mickey • Sugar Plum Fairies • Nutcracker Suite Dancers • Yen Sid • Magic Brooms • Tyrannosaurus Rex • Stegosaurus • Triceratops • Pteranodon • Corythosaurus • Apatosaurus • Diplodocus • Ornithomimus • Brachiosaurus • Ceratosaurus • Kannemeyeria • Edmontosaurus • Parasaurolophus • Dimetrodon • Tylosaurus • Plateosaurus • Ankylosaurus • Compsognathus • Archaeopteryx • Troodon • Oviraptor • Bacchus • Jacchus • Centaurs • Centaurettes • Melinda • Brudus • Iris • Morpheus • Diana • Zeus • Apollo • Vulcan • Boreas • Mother Pegasus • Father Pegasus • Pegasi Siblings • Peter Pegasus • Cherubs • Satyrs • Unicorns • Madame Upanova • Ostriches • Hyacinth Hippo • Hippos • Elephanchine • Ben Ali Gator • Alligators • Chernabog • Chernabog's Minions

Fantasia 2000: Donald Duck • Daisy Duck • Colorful Triangles • Black Triangles • Humpback Whales • Duke • Flying John • Killjoy Margaret • Foo-Foo • Joe • Rachel • Nasty Nanny • Tin Soldier • Ballerina • Jack-in-the-Box • Toy Soldiers • Yo Yo Flamingo • Snooty Flamingos • Noah • Spring Sprite • The Elk • The Firebird
The Sorcerer's Apprentice: Balthazar Blake • David "Dave" Stutler • Maxim Horvath • Rebecca "Becky" Barnes • Drake Stone • Veronica Gorloisen • Morgana le Fay • Merlin • Abigail Williams • Sun Lok
Deleted/Unused: Otika • Sunflower • Nutcracker Sentries • Dahlia • Chronos • Lorenzo • Molly

Segments
Fantasia: Toccata and Fugue in D Minor • Nutcracker Suite • The Sorcerer's Apprentice • The Rite of Spring • The Pastoral Symphony • Dance of the Hours • Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria

Fantasia 2000: Symphony No. 5 • Pines of Rome • Rhapsody in Blue • Piano Concerto No. 2 • The Carnival of the Animals • Pomp and Circumstance • The Firebird Suite

Locations
Yen Sid's Tower • Mount Olympus • Bald Mountain • New York City • Prehistory
Deleted and unused concepts
Unused Fantasia Segments • Clair de Lune • Sunflower • Otika • Egret Couple • Naiads • Destino • The Little Matchgirl • One by One • Lorenzo
Objects
Sorcerer Hat • Grimhold • Merlin's Ring • Encantus


v - e - d
Members
The Evil Queen • Chernabog • Queen of Hearts • Captain Hook • Maleficent • Cruella De Vil • Ursula • Jafar • Scar • Hades • Dr. Facilier

Other Disney Animation Villains: Pete • Big Bad Wolf • Willie the Giant • Lonesome Ghosts • Mortimer Mouse • Magic Mirror • Honest John • Gideon • Stromboli • Monstro • Pink Elephants • Ringmaster • The Headless Horseman • Lady Tremaine • Anastasia Tremaine • Drizella Tremaine • Lucifer • Cheshire Cat • Card Soldiers • Mr. Smee • Si and Am • Aunt Sarah • Diablo • Jasper and Horace • Madam Mim • Kaa • Shere Khan • Edgar • Prince John • Sir Hiss • Sheriff of Nottingham • Heffalumps • Woozles • Madame Medusa • Brutus and Nero • Amos Slade • Horned King • Professor Ratigan • Felicia • Sykes • Flotsam and Jetsam • Percival C. McLeach • Gaston • Iago • Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed • Governor Ratcliffe • Claude Frollo • Pain and Panic • Fates • Shan Yu • Clayton • Sabor • Yzma • Lyle Tiberius Rourke • Captain Gantu • Dr. Jumba Jookiba • John Silver • Scroop • Bowler Hat Guy • Doris • Lawrence • Dr. Facilier's Shadow • Mother Gothel • Stabbington Brothers • King Candy • Sour Bill • Hans • Duke of Weselton • Yokai • Bellwether • Tamatoa • King Magnifico
Pixar Villains: Sid Phillips • Scud • Hopper • Molt • Zurg • Stinky Pete • Randall Boggs • Henry J. Waternoose III • Syndrome • Chick Hicks • Chef Skinner • AUTO • Charles F. Muntz • Lotso • Miles Axlerod • Professor Z • Mor'du • Thunderclap • Ernesto de la Cruz • Evelyn Deavor • Dragon the Cat
Other Villains: Br'er Fox • Br'er Bear • Oogie Boogie • Winifred Sanderson • Mary Sanderson • Sarah Sanderson • Dr. HƤmsterviel • Queen Narissa • Wicked Witch of the West • Ripslinger • Hitchhiking Ghosts

Disney Parks
Celebrate A Dreams Come True Parade • Celebrate the Magic • Cinderella Castle Mystery Tour • Club Villain • Disney's Fantillusion • Disney's Maleficious Halloween Party • Disney's Not-So-Scary Halloween Show • Disney's Once Upon a Dream Parade • Disney Dreams! • Disney's Stars 'n' Cars... As Never Seen Before • Fantasmic! • Feel the Magic • Frightfully Fun Parade • Glow in the Park Halloween Parade • Happy Hallowishes • Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular • Inferno Dance Party • It's Good To Be Bad With The Disney Villains • It's Good to Be Bad Villainous Celebration • It's Party Time... with Mickey and Friends... and the Disney Villains • Mickey's Boo-to-You Halloween Parade • Mickey and his Magic Halloween Night • Momentous • Re-Villains! Halloween Parade • Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom • The Disney Villains Halloween Showtime • The Nightmare Experiment • The Villains World • Unleash the Villains • Villains Gardens • Villainy in the Sky • Villains Mix and Mingle • Villains Night Out! • Villains Tonight! • Wishes • World of Color
Media
Mickey's House of Villains • Once Upon a Halloween • Disney Villains: Simply Sinister Songs • Disney Villains Songbook

Video Games: Disney Villains Challenge • Disney's Villains' Revenge