When the sun sets this evening, June 23, you had better be prepared to deal with Chernobog! That’s right, it’s St. John’s Eve – the eve of the Feast Day of St. John the Baptist.
“Dracula” fans might be interested to know that none other than Bela Lugosi struck demonic poses for Disney animators for several days as a model for the climactic sequence of “Fantasia.” He would ultimately be replaced by Wilfred Jackson. Still, how cool is that?
Of course, Leopold Stokowski conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra on the film’s soundtrack. The master of ceremonies, Deems Taylor, sets the scene incorrectly, stating that it occurs on Walpurgis Night (April 30). Chernobog could care less about Walpurgis Night. He’s kickin’ it up for St. John!
Watch the clip here, and relive your childhood anxiety:
