You Might Want to Take the Stairs

Confession time! I am very uncomfortable in elevators. Whenever possible, I take the stairs. If I do have to take an elevator, I’m nervous and just waiting for the doors to open. But one of my favorite rides in Disney World is the Tower of Terror. Where you get on the elevator and it drops you thirteen stories. I know, it’s weird.

When the Tower of Terror arrived, Disney decided to give it its own film. It’s not like the ride needed more publicity—it was the second big ride in MGM. But Disney needed something to air on the Wonderful World of Disney for Halloween. And the success of this movie encouraged Disney to turn other rides into movies.

So, strap in and prepare for SPOILERS!

The Movie

The movie starts in 1939, Halloween. At the Hollywood Tower Hotel, we see a mysterious figure in the basement utter a curse that brings on a thunderstorm. As this happens, swing music plays in the TipTop Club—a post nightclub on top of the hotel. Upstairs, we see the arrival of a well-dressed woman escorted by a well-dressed man. They board an elevator with a short, nervous looking bellhop. Meanwhile, the press is going crazy. Sally Sunshine, a big child star a la Shirley Temple, has entered the hotel with her governess. As they board the elevator, a young girl watches. While riding the elevator, the shaft gets hit by lightning. The five people in the elevator disappear mysteriously.
Over time, the hotel falls into disrepair and is just all around creepy.

Next time, we’re in a laboratory. Some guy takes pictures as a doctor begins to do an alien autopsy. As the knife is poised to make the first incision, the alien freaks out. It’s really Kirsten Dunst in a costume. She admonishes her uncle Buzzy, played by Steve Guttenburg. He apologizes to Anna (Dunst) and the actor playing the doctor. Buzzy takes pictures for those tabloids you read at the supermarket checkout line for a good laugh. But he used to be a good photographer, according to Jill (Nia Peeples). And he used to be a good boyfriend too, it seems.

Anyway, Buzzy and Anna learn about the legend of the Hollywood Tower Hotel. They meet an elderly woman named Abigail Gregory (Amzie Strickland) who tells them that she used to live at the hotel. She explains that on the day of the incident, she was playing down in the bowels of the hotel. She saw Emeline Patridge (Wendy Worthington), Sally’s governess, performing a spell. Emeline was jealous of her young charge, Abby explains, and wanted to send her to hell. But the spell went wrong and trapped Emeline as well as a few others. Now, they haunt the old hotel.

So, naturally, Buzzy wants to get a picture of the “ghosts.” He hires an actress to play Emeline and recruits Anna to play Sally Sunshine. Claire Poulet (Melora Hardin) shows up from the agency, catching Buzzy’s eye. He bemoans that she isn’t as frumpy as Emeline, but believes they can make it work. Along the way, Buzzy and Anna befriend Chris “Q” Todd (Michael McShane) the hotel’s caretaker and grandson of the bellhop.

Eventually, they discover that Claire is really Carolyn Crosson, one of the people who got zapped in the elevator. Yep, Buzzy has stumbled on real ghosts. Carolyn’s reveal then causes the other ghosts to slowly appear—starting with her male companion, Gilbert London (Alaistar Duncan). Q gets to meet his grandfather, Dewey Todd (John Franklin). Finally, Sally Sunshine (Lindsay Ridgeway) and Emeline appear. Emeline asserts her innocence. She assures Buzzy and Anna that she adores Sally and would never harm her. Carolyn reveals that she was supposed to sing at the party in the Tip Top Club. She had hoped it would be her big break in the town.

Abigail reveals she took Emeline’s book of spells. She says she can reverse the curse. The ghosts are excited, hoping that they can finally be free. Buzzy and Anna promise to help their new friends, genuinely caring for them. Q also vows to help, both for his grandfather’s sake as well as his own. Q has inherited the hotel and if he wants to reopen it, make money again. Even Jill is excited about Buzzy’s story and goes to visit Abigail. She discovers mutilated pictures and dolls of Sally Sunshine. When she shows the evidence to the asylum’s director, he reveals that Abigail was Sally’s sister and had been there since the accident.

It is at this point Jill and the audience realize Abigail was the one who cast the spell. She races to the hotel to stop them and in the ensuing commotion, Anna gets switched for Sally. Jill finally realizes the ghosts are real as she and Buzzy try to save Anna and the other ghosts in the elevator. It is Sally who saves the day, by talking to Abigail. She reveals that she adored her older sister and that the party on Halloween was a surprise birthday party thrown by their parents for Abigail. Touched, Abigail helps Sally save everyone.

In the end, the ghosts finally make it to their party. Sally and Abigail are reunited with their parents, allowing Emeline to cross over. Carolyn finally gets to sing her song and Gilbert finally asks her the question he’s waited several decades to ask. They too cross over as does Dewey, now reunited with his father. With the reunion of Sally and Abigail, they cross over and take the other ghosts with them. With the ghosts gone and the elevator working again, Q is free to reopen the hotel.

And the movie ends with the grand re-opening, attended by Buzzy, Anna and Jill.

The Ride

At the end of Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood Studios sits the dilapidated Hollywood Tower Hotel. You pass through an iron gate and walk through the Spanish influenced queue to the main lobby.  Twilight Zone fans would be advised to keep their eyes open as they queue through this area. You will be then be herded into a study where you will watch the beginning of a Twilight Zone episode. It details how five people stepped aboard an elevator and ended up in the twilight zone. You are then invited to step aboard the still operational freight elevator and face the twilight zone.

Afterwards, you are then sent into the boiler room to board your elevator. Before you leave the study, take some time to study the artifacts in the room. Twilight Zone fans might find some more surprises!

Once in the elevator, you rise a few floors where you are greeted by the ghosts of those who disappeared. As they disappear, a distant window morphs into the well-known window from the opening sequence which breaks. The elevator rises to another floor, where several images from the Twilight Zone opening greet you. The elevator begins to move, entering another shaft. This is the shaft where you will be dropped thirteen stories. There are about eight different ways to be dropped and it is chosen at random.

Comparison

In all honesty, I consider this movie to be the closest to the source material. It fleshes out the five ghosts far greater than the ride could ever hope to do. While it isn’t as scary as the Pirates of the Caribbean, it still has it’s moments. There is one memorable scene when Buzzy and Anna are inside the hotel. The setting grows dark and the ghosts are trying to scare the two out. This includes flames, evil laughter and the creepiest rendition of “It’s Raining, It’s Pouring.” Carolyn eventually puts a stop to it, assuring her fellow ghosts that Buzzy and Anna mean no harm. And then the hijinks ensue.

The writers as well as the creative force behind it should’ve watched this movie to get an idea of how to balance spooky and silly. This movie is more endearing than the Haunted Mansion and I almost considered not including it as it would be a great Halloween review.

The characters are well written. Buzzy has the possibility to be a snake, but the writing and Guttenberg add a bit of charm that saves him, makes him good. Dunst is memorable as Anna and the cast of ghosts make them feel real. Carolyn is the most developed of the ghosts, probably because she meets Buzzy and Anna first. She’s a stereotype of the aspiring actress, but she is so good-hearted the audience can’t help but root for her. Emeline is so devoted to little Sally that the audience knows Abigail must be lying about who cursed the elevator. Dewey is the underdog we all love to root for and his relationship with Q is wonderful. Sally Sunshine is just…there to be a pastiche of Shirley Temple. And Gilbert…well, he comes off as a jerk at first, but the viewer soon realizes that it is jealousy and he is a pretty decent guy. Jill and Buzzy’s previously failed relationship defines her character, which is a shame. She probably could’ve been a great female character to rival Carolyn with a little more development.

The plot moves along and doesn’t drag, though of course it was filmed to fit the two hours given to the Wonderful World of Disney.

Final Analysis

Should you watch this movie? Yes! While it isn’t as scary as dropping 13 stories in a freefall, it is still a good thrill. So, definitely give it a watch.