The Music Box is a minor character in Disney's 1991 animated feature film, Beauty and the Beast. Instead of a voice, he speaks through chiming musical notes. He makes a cameo in the film before the fight between the enchanted objects and the villagers, as well as briefly during Belle's Magical World. Originally, the character had a larger role, standing in place of Chip who only had one line, but due to the impressive performance given by Bradley Michael Pierce, Chip's role was expanded. Some parts of his role included informing Belle about Maurice's situation where he was sick in the woods, and later being repaired by Maurice after being injured from trying to break Maurice and Belle free from the cellar via Maurice's Machine, also being restored back to his original form around the time the Beast's human form was restored.
Trivia[]
- In a short-lived comic book series set before the events of Beauty and the Beast (not to be confused with the Marvel comic book series set during Belle's stay at the castle), the Music Box was given a very important part in one issue (specifically Issue 1). In that issue, it is explained to Chip by Mrs. Potts that unlike the other enchanted objects, the Music Box was never human, and he has been in fact the Beast/Prince's favorite toy. Although Chip along with the Beast likes his music, Cogsworth tends to look down on the Music Box as a "primitive creature". In an amusing scene where Lumiere tries to coach the Beast in the art of courting by using Fifi (here called Marie) as an example, the Music Box is called on to supply the dance music. The Beast has grown to depend on the Music Box to lull him to sleep with his music, so that when he accidentally smashes him during one of his tantrums, he is devastated. Lumiere and even Cogsworth are grieved as well, commenting that although he was different than the rest of them, he had a "heart" just the same, and are left wondering if they can put him back together again. The fact that he is seen in the movie at the Battle scene as well as during the Marvel Comic would seem to indicate the positive.
- In the original 1989 screenplay, a music box also was planned for a large role in the story. Specifically, it belonged to Belle's deceased mother, and her father Maurice (at that time a merchant) was forced to sell it in order to get enough money to pay the taxes and left to find a buyer. This plot point was removed, alongside the original story reel, due to then-Disney Chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg considering it too dark and dramatic.
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