The Incredible Shrinking 31 Days of Toy Terror: Vampire Organist/ Dracula from Haunted Haven by Caldor/ Four Star

 

   This isn't the oldest toy or collectible I'm reviewing for this year's 31 Days of Toy Terror but it might be one of the most unusual and uncommon. It's certainly not a rare or valuable collectible by any means, but it's not something commonly seen in reviews and collections. In fact, I don't even know the official name of the release, so Vampire Organist or Dracula is just my best guess. So what exactly is this guy? He's actually a polyresin collectible figure from a Halloween village collection sold exclusively by the now defunct retailer Caldor (the manufacturer is listed as Four Star) in the early to mid-1990s. Are you familiar with those little ceramic or porcelain Christmas villages (or Dickens Villages) that people set up and decorate with miniature figures, fences, trees, lamp posts and such? Well, Haunted Haven was like that but for Halloween. I was enamored with Dickens Villages as a kid and when I discovered they had Halloween villages as well I was even more thrilled. I've always liked dioramas and little village and town setups, so when I was younger my parents would by these for me around Halloween to make little scenes. I don't recall having any of the houses or buildings but I did have quite a few of the figures and little pieces and such. The best I can find is that this guy was sold in 1994, so I would have been 10 or 11 when I got him. I still have quite a few of my original ones from childhood and they're mixed in with my various horror collections and shelves. Should we take a look at this vampire organist who very well may be Count Dracula? Then join me after the break...

The Facts:

Height: 2 1/8ths inches, seated

Articulation: None

Accessories: None

Material: Polyresin

Year of Release: 1994

Original Retail Price: $3 dollars

The Positives:

* Miniature figures like this are usually pre-posed, as if you've caught them in a moment of action, and Dracula is often depicted playing the organ, or at least associated with it, likely due to the use of Johann Sebastian Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor in horror movies, possibly even from silent films when theaters had an in-house musician who used the music for its spooky, gothic sound. Dracula's hands are in mid-air, evoking some motion as if he's just getting ready to play or changing positions.

* Let's talk about the face. From the side, it looks pretty good and definitely captures a very pop culture influenced Dracula: White face, red eyes, pointy chin, and black hair cut neat and possibly slicked back (spooky old castles, red satin lined capes, lives for All Hallow's Eve). The left eye is larger than the right eye, but looking at other images I've found of this figurine, this appears to be uniform. I honestly think it's done that way so that when you look at the figurine from the side you can still see both of Drac's eyes. Check the picture above. I think the effect works, don't you?

* Dracula's playing an organ here and it's a pretty nicely designed little sculpt. I'm impressed by the amount of paint on this item, too. I'm sure it's not accurate to any real organ (it doesn't look like any organ I've ever seen) but it looks great and should fit well into any spooky town. The pipes are very bent and wild looking while the keys are painted to each stand out.

* The wood grain texture on the back and sides of the organ is also really well done. The way the paint looks unevenly really does give it the look of wood that has been stained previously but that has faded over time. 

   I love reviewing older things that usually wouldn't ever get reviewed on 31 Days of Toy Terror, and I think this one definitely comes from out of left field. It's a neat little trinket and the fact that I've had it for a little over 30 years now makes it extra special for me. It's not the most elaborate piece or anything, but it's definitely a little bit of spooky fun. You can still find figures and villages like this, now more elaborate than ever, and I'm kind of surprised I've never gotten into amassing a larger village of haunted houses and such. Still, this guy works with my Dracula/ classic monsters collection and he's a Good and a 1/2 little decoration.


   Looking for more of Count Dracula? For more reviews check out the NECA Universal Monsters Dracula (Transylvania) and Dracula from the Crypt Club 4-Pack, the Hammer Count Dracula (Horror of Dracula), the Bitty POP! Towns Dracula and Castle, the TMNT x Universal Monsters Shredder as Dracula, the Funko ReAction Dracula, Super7's ReAction Bela Lugosi as Dracula, Count Dracula from Operation: Monster Force, the McFarlane's Monsters Dracula Playset, Jada Toys' Bela Lugosi as Dracula, the Playmobil Take Along Haunted House 9312, the Big Bucket of Monsters Dracula, the Marvel Legends Series Dracula, Mezco's Tower of Fear, the Wendy's Frosty Bite, and Dracula from the original Playmates Monster Force line.