Arthur Ravenswood was an unused character created for the Phantom Manor attraction in Disneyland Paris.
Original Story[]
In the unused script for the backstory of Phantom Manor, Arthur Ravenswood would have been the younger brother of Henry Ravenswood and co-owner of the Thunder Mesa Mining Company in Big Thunder Mountain as well as Ravenswood Manor.
Out of the two, Arthur would have been the more professional and level headed and professional of the Ravenswood brothers, having been the one who managed the business and invested in railroad and steamboat stocks.
Not long after the Great Earthquake of 1860 which killed Henry, Arthur would have become a terminally ill recluse tended to only by his wife Gabrielle, his friend Marie-Thérèse de Bourbon, his niece and his loyal dog Goliath. In 1867 Arthur would have died of his illness, followed by his wife leaving Melanie the last Ravenswood.
Legacy[]
Arthur was cut from the final story in order to simplify the backstory. Parts of his backstory, such as his business ventures and his dog, were given to Henry. According to imagineers, Arthur and Henry were effectively made into a composite-character as a means of simplifying the story. The unbuilt crypt in Boot Hill which was intended to hold Arthur and Gabrielle still has a visible base in the ride's exit.
Trivia[]
- Arthur Ravenswood's name was made to sound similar to Thurl Ravenscroft, a singer and voice-actor who portrayed the Uncle Theodore character of the original Haunted Mansion's singing busts group.
- Originally, the dog seen in the ride would have belonged to Arthur as opposed to the final version where it was shown to belong to the Phantom.