Cymbal-banging monkey toy

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A Cymbal-banging monkey toy is a mechanical depiction of a monkey holding a cymbal in each hand. When activated it repeatedly bangs its cymbals together and, in some cases, bobs its head, chatters, grins, does flips, and more. There are both traditional wind-up versions as well as updated battery-operated cymbal-banging monkeys.

[edit] Look

With many companies manufacturing various versions (including the US, Hong Kong, and Japan), the looks vary. Often, the monkey can be wearing red and white striped pants and a yellow vest with red buttons, but they are also found wearing red overalls and a stocking cap. They are often created with red rings painted around their wide-open eyes, creating an appearance many find creepy and disturbing, perhaps explaining their many appearances in horror/sci-fi media.

[edit] Appearances

• "The Monkey", a Stephen King short story

• The comic adaptation of this by Glenn Chadbourne from The Secretary of Dreams (Volume Two) also features a cymbal-banging monkey

• The Devil’s Gift, a film
• Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders, a film that uses pieces of The Devil's Gift
• The the 1986 musical The Phantom of the Opera features a cymbal-banging monkey as the topper of a music box.
• One of the gravestones outside Disney's Haunted Mansion is a 'stone' monkey with cymbals.
• It can be seen in Roxette's video Joyride
• Sliver Music video by Nirvana

[edit] Brand names

• "Musical Jolly Chimp"
• "Magic Monkey"
• "Wind-up Monkey Playing Cymbals" - Russ
• "Clockwork Musical Monkey with Clashing Cymbals"
• "Pepi Tumbling Monkey with Cymbal" - Yano Man Toys