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    History and Headlines
    You are at:Home»Arts & Entertainment»Cinema & TV»History vs. Hollywood: Annabelle the Haunted Doll!
    Cinema & TV

    History vs. Hollywood: Annabelle the Haunted Doll!

    JCU Paranormal Research GroupBy JCU Paranormal Research GroupOctober 3, 2014Updated:June 2, 202056 Comments4 Mins Read
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    A Brief History

    On October 3, 2014, Warner Bros. Pictures releases Annabelle, a film about a haunted doll, to theaters.  The movie is a prequel to 2013’s award-winning The Conjuring.  Both films concern alleged, real-life hauntings associated with the famed paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren.  Yet, to what extent are they actually based on real events?  Please read this spoiler-filled article to find out!

    Digging Deeper

    A new article on the website History vs Hollywood provides quite a bit of information on the film’s purported inspiration from a historical event.  Key points for those interested in a briefer read will be summarized here.  Readers who would like more details are encouraged to click on the link.

    Overall, one gets the impression that the divergence from reality for the cinematic depiction of the Annabelle doll is not as bad as it was for The Quiet Ones (please click on this film’s title to find out how much Hollywood can stretch a claim that something was based on real-life events).  Nevertheless, Annabelle is still a significant departure from what (actually) may have happened!

    Perhaps most notably, the actual Annabelle doll that inspired the movie looks nothing like the doll that appears in the film.  Somehow a Raggedy Ann doll was deemed not sufficiently creepy enough and has instead been replaced by a porcelain doll.  If the titular doll does not even remotely resemble its real-world counterpart, you can imagine that from there things will only continue to veer off from what might have occurred historically.

    Indeed, the story also takes many liberties.  The doll was not actually given to a man’s pregnant wife as a gift as the film depicts, nor were the doll’s former owners the victims of wicked occultists.  The real doll did not start a kitchen fire either.  Instead, the doll was given by a mother to her daughter whose experiences, while frightening, never approached the horrifying levels shown in the movie.

    So, what was real, or rather allegedly real?  Well, just as is dramatized in the film, the real-life Annabelle doll did change positions on its own as reported by its owners and also left cryptic and unsettling messages.  The film similarly accurately recreates the claims about blood appearing on the doll and the revelation that the spirit of a deceased child named Annabelle (of course…) possessed the infamous doll.

    Elsewhere, the film blurs the line between reality and fiction.  For example, while the doll’s “victims” do claim to have been physically harmed by it, these assaults did not go quite as far as what audiences will see exaggerated in the cinematic take on the incident.  The Warrens do believe that the doll managed to cause at least one death, but whether the doll was in fact responsible is debatable and cannot be proven.

    Therefore, as far as history goes, this film is no documentary, but as with The Conjuring, it is a fun and thrilling fictional take on the paranormal.

    As for one final note, Annabelle is actually NOT the only infamous real-life haunted doll that has inspired disturbing films.  Arguably even more famous is Robert the Doll, the inspiration for Chucky in the Child’s Play series.  Robert ranks number one on the following video:

    Question for students (and subscribers): Do you believe dolls can be haunted?  Please let us know in the comments section below this article.

    If you liked this article and would like to receive notification of new articles, please feel welcome to subscribe to History and Headlines by liking us on Facebook and becoming one of our patrons!

    For another event that happened on October 3, please also read the History and Headlines article: “1+9 Foods You Cannot Believe Other People Eat.”

    Your readership is much appreciated!

    Historical Evidence

    For more information, please read…

    Brittle, Gerald.  The Demonologist: The Extraordinary Career of Ed and Lorraine Warren (The Paranormal Investigators Featured in the Film “The Conjuring”).  Graymalkin Media, 2013.

    We also encourage you to see the film, just as John Carroll University’s Paranormal Research Group has already done as seen below as we wear our masks that we acquired for attending a special preview screening: 20140922_19094320140922_19095820140922_191025

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    JCU Paranormal Research Group
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    The John Carroll Paranormal Research Group is a student organization that seeks to find out more about the paranormal while being academically intent and focusing on establishing credibility. Founded in the Fall of 2013 by Eugene Claridge and Raymond Camma, the BooStreaks have held many informative meetings that have included guest speakers, such as Dr. Judith Cetina and Bill Kreji, who appeared on Ghost Hunters in 2009. The group has worked with the Ohio P.I.R.A.T.E.S., a paranormal team out of Akron, Ohio, to learn some of their methods and to hear about their work. The Paranormal Research Group has conducted investigations in the following locations: the Cleveland Agora Theatre, the Ohio State Reformatory, the Russell Rhodes Mansion (a.k.a. the Cuyahoga County Archives), and the Sandy Chanty Seafood Restaurant. John Carroll University has recognized the group both in the Carroll News and most importantly, as the "Outstanding Organization of the Year." Not only has the group been able to explore the paranormal subject and investigated historically important locations in Ohio, but members had the fortunate opportunity to see advance screenings of major motion pictures that feature the paranormal, particularly The Quiet Ones (2013). After one academic year, group membership had risen to about eighty members, who seek further journeys this upcoming year. Please check out our Facebook and Twitter pages!

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    <span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="5351 http://www.crackedhistory.com/?p=5351">56 Comments

    1. Pat Vecellio on October 3, 2014 12:07 pm

      Shout out to the Boostreaks! This article explains the basic change when events get portrayed by Hollywood. Rarely is the real story the one that we see in the film. I’d like to know what movie most accurately portrays an event because it seems like most stray from the facts.

      Reply
    2. Josh Greinerh on October 3, 2014 12:52 pm

      It’s interesting to see how many historical facts are altered in movies.

      Reply
    3. Cody Perotti on October 3, 2014 1:27 pm

      Such a disappointment. I loved the conjuring. Now I don’t think I’ll view it in the same way.

      Reply
    4. Cat Tripp on October 3, 2014 2:57 pm

      I am not a horror movie person. However, it does not surprise me much that there are inaccuracies. To have something very horrific happen and be real, i feel would make people very, very afraid. The filmmakers may have heightened the events to make it more thrilling for people when they see it? I do not watch these movies, they would scare me too much. In any depiction, horror movies or historical movies, etc. the historical events seem to be stretched a little bit.

      Reply
    5. Jon h on October 3, 2014 9:48 pm

      I suppose we all have a tendency to embellish. I don’t find it surprising that Hollywood’s is exaggerated.

      Reply
    6. M Pribula on October 4, 2014 2:06 pm

      Horror movies based on real life events rarely, if ever, even make an attempt to be accurate. However, I actually had heard about the doll named Robert before and, honestly, I find his story to be much more interesting and creepy than the doll the movie Annabelle is based on.

      Reply
    7. T. Haubert on October 4, 2014 3:28 pm

      Hollywood definitely likes to over exaggerate their movies

      Reply
    8. DAVID WARDLE on October 4, 2014 5:05 pm

      It is Hollywood… is anyone truly surprised? — DAVID WARDLE

      Reply
    9. E.S. on October 5, 2014 3:52 am

      It is crazy to think that a story that IS truely creepy can be exaggerated in a way that this is. The truth would be scarier ….

      Reply
    10. Lexi DeRoia on October 5, 2014 10:37 am

      Horror movies are not my favorite; I’m more of a comedy lover. However, I’m really not surprised the film makers changed what actually happened in this film. If they portrayed what the doll actually did, they would have not gotten enough ratings.

      Reply
    11. RJ on October 5, 2014 2:03 pm

      I agree Josh, it is interesting. I wonder if it is necessary, however.

      Reply
    12. GB on October 5, 2014 3:18 pm

      The Conjuring was a great movie and seemed to be fairly accurate. Does not surprise me that Hollywood twists the story.

      Reply
    13. Jake Schaefer on October 5, 2014 5:39 pm

      I found it interesting to see how movie producers will distort factual information with the intent of enhancing their film. The problem with doing this in my opinion, is that it presents a false reality of information that many will believe to be true.

      Reply
    14. Marisa M. on October 5, 2014 5:50 pm

      I am not a horror/thriller type of person, so I will not be seeing this movie, but it was interesting to see that these “alleged” events get so skewed in a movie that is supposedly “based on real events.” Saying this however, it is just like every other Hollywood adaptation. The events that take place in any film will for the most part be different than the source they came from.

      Reply
    15. Matthew Oswald on October 5, 2014 7:29 pm

      It doesn’t surprise me that such a difference would occur with Hollywood’s track record

      Reply
    16. Ariel on October 5, 2014 8:27 pm

      It is not surprising that media would alter and twist the story to make it all that they could. I feel as if all horror movies try their best to make a simple scare into an extremely horrific story. -AD

      Reply
    17. E. Ejsmont on October 5, 2014 9:02 pm

      I am not surprised that the movie is different compared to
      what happened in real life. I feel like a lot of movies are changed to make
      them more interesting. Personally I’m not a fan of these types of movies and don’t
      entirely believe the story.

      Reply
    18. Jake B. on October 5, 2014 9:24 pm

      A lot of these horror movies that say they are based on true stories, change what really happened so much so that they are completely different from the original story.

      Reply
    19. Hannah O. on October 5, 2014 9:25 pm

      Hollywood definitely can exaggerate realistic events.

      Reply
    20. imengri17 on October 5, 2014 11:02 pm

      I’ve always known how much Hollywood can alter a story, but I’m not worried about that. I just love a good scary movie!

      Reply
    21. Angelina Huber on October 6, 2014 2:45 am

      Hollywood is just using the fact that the movie is loosely based on real-life events in order to draw in bigger crowds. I definitely would like to see how exaggerated the movie actually is.

      Reply
    22. Ryan Mains on October 6, 2014 8:08 am

      To see just how much Hollywood changes even the type of doll that is used is a bit unsettling. To hear that the owners actually experienced some of the creepy antics of the doll however is spooky, but I wish Hollywood would have kept it a little more realistic in the sense of what really happened.

      Reply
    23. Drew K on October 6, 2014 9:02 am

      I think Hollywood has to take at least some creative liberties in order to make films entertaining. I mean a doll that flips from back to front isn’t particularly terrifying but one that sets a fire…different story. I also recently watched the movie and am happy that I can rest easier about the potency of the haunted doll

      Reply
    24. Alex Colucy on October 6, 2014 10:51 am

      Hollywood has alter things to grab the public’s attention. It’s nice to see what they are changing though.

      Reply
    25. rpugliese16 on October 6, 2014 12:11 pm

      Honestly I think the real Annabelle doll is a lot scarier looking than the one in the movie.

      Reply
    26. Reese on October 6, 2014 1:18 pm

      As expected, Hollywood seems to spice up every story that is deemed to be true in order to create a stronger interest. The movie usually reads, “based on a true story”, but the audience can never be too sure how much of the information in the movie is actually true.

      Reply
    27. Nikki Buzalka on October 6, 2014 2:20 pm

      My favorite part of this article is when is says things about the type of doll Annabelle really was. I guess Hollywood did not think that a Raggedy Ann doll was scary enough (although I find them pretty creepy).

      Reply
    28. Vince Ziccardi on October 6, 2014 7:47 pm

      After reading this article, it seems extremely unrealistic for a doll to come to life and cause death to people. However, I do believe in spirits and maybe they were able to enter into the doll and perform a paranormal activity. Obviously, we will never know the truth, but it gets you to think outside the box.

      Reply
    29. Lucy Lin on October 6, 2014 10:07 pm

      Interesting article. I actually kind of jumped when I clicked on this and the picture had appeared, but other wise it’s not really a surprise when it comes to Hollywood basing their movies off of real life experiences because you know Hollywood loves to stretch the truth.

      Reply
    30. Daryl Walsh on October 7, 2014 11:23 am

      You will never be able to surprise me when it comes to Hollywood movies stretching the truth. The best that I’ve seen is when someone can get shot five times in a movie only to still remain conscious enough to give one last heroic speech before dying. This pretty much sums of everywhere war movie ever made.

      Reply
    31. Braden McDonnell on October 7, 2014 12:26 pm

      I haven’t seen the movie but from what I understand, ‘Annabelle’ even contradicts the cannon established in ‘the Conjuring’. I wonder if the events shown in the Conjuring are more accurate. Oh well, I guess historical inaccuracies are the least that can be expected from spin-off pushed by the studio and in no way related to the original.

      Reply
    32. Cody on October 7, 2014 12:45 pm

      Hollywood always tries to stretch the truth with movies & are rarely accurate. It’s interesting though to see what changes they make in the article.

      Reply
    33. Aaron C. on October 7, 2014 2:41 pm

      I knew about the Annabelle doll being just a normal raggedy Anne doll. I have not seen the movie, but I think it would be pretty funny if they used a raggedy Anne doll instead.

      Reply
    34. Alexa B on October 7, 2014 2:49 pm

      When it comes to Hollywood they are never going to be accurate because they are always going to make changes to make the story invigorating. I find it interesting that a raggedy Anne doll was not creepy enough for Hollywood because think it already terrifying.

      Reply
    35. Michelle tuck on October 11, 2014 7:07 pm

      I guess I did not realize that any of these movies were based off anything from real events. I think clown dolls are creepy, and the infamous “Chucky doll” is surely creepy.

      Reply
    36. Ellen U on October 12, 2014 5:19 pm

      As frightening as these things portrayed in the film and these accounts may be, I still have a hard time believing they are anything more than coincidence.

      Reply
    37. Rachael Harrington on October 12, 2014 11:09 pm

      I feel like in order for a film to be successful they have to veer away from the facts unfortunately, because if they portrayed it as it really was it probably wouldn’t sell. I feel like the same happens when they take a book and make it into a movie.

      Reply
    38. IG on October 14, 2014 10:16 pm

      I actually really like paranormal stories. Even though I do not believe in ghosts or supernatural ideas myself, I still find it pretty cool to fantasize about what could possibly be in the unknown if I believed in those kinds of ideas. I think that wondering if there is something more to a potentially monotonous existence makes for a pretty cool hobby and I think that this club is pretty cool. I’m also a huge fan of horror films and I think it’s really interesting to see how history is interpreted (for better or for worse) in these movies.

      Reply
    39. BM on October 17, 2014 4:03 pm

      I have always though porcelain dolls are creepy along with certain dolls so this article just proves I’m not a freak and gives me more reasoning to be more freaked out than i was before haha. The fact that they are based off historical events…..

      Reply
    40. S Eilerman on October 27, 2014 7:02 pm

      No surprise that the facts are altered in Annabelle. Seems like this happens in a lot of movies just for a more entertaining movie which makes sense and not something I really have a huge problem with. It is definitely interesting to know the true story though.

      Reply
    41. Armand Hoxhallari on December 22, 2014 8:42 am

      what are u saying about the real story of the doll is after that movie…the anabelle movie is about the family that had the doll before the students that you are talking about…in the end of movie u can see that an woman goes to buy it for her daughter…just like you say…

      Reply
    42. HistoryFan on January 27, 2015 9:25 pm

      Horrible that director changed the appearance of the original doll, Annabelle (a Raggedy Ann Doll). Growing up in the 50’s and 60’s, I am way more terrified by a Raggedy Ann Doll gone evil than by this fake portrayal of the Annabelle doll. In the first place, who would ever let this disgusting looking doll into their house? And it’s looks are not at all historical (which it claims to be) to a Victorian era doll. What were they thinking about? Probably sensationalism for money at the cost of the Warren’s hard earned life’s work and reputation.

      Reply
    43. Alex Guthrie on December 5, 2015 12:52 pm

      I enjoyed the story of Annabelle and would one day want to see it in person. The Robert the Doll story seems interesting as well. Will it only be a matter of time before we see a movie about him?

      Reply
    44. Olivia K on December 7, 2015 2:13 pm

      I saw this moving with the paranormal group. Although the movie was scary, I think it was a bit overboard. I would have to experience to believe a doll could produce harm.

      Reply
    45. Lauren Mangan on December 7, 2015 7:44 pm

      I have seen the movie and was not a big fan but I was very surprised to see how different the real doll was from the movie doll.

      Reply
    46. Sammi DiGeronimo on December 7, 2015 10:53 pm

      I have not seen Annabelle and i don’t plan on seeing it because dolls creep me out! I actually didn’t know that the Annabelle doll was originally a raggedy Anne Doll.

      Reply
    47. Connor Lynch on December 8, 2015 9:26 pm

      History will always be twisted in order to make a more exciting movie. In Hollywood, something need only be “based on a true story” in order to be considered factual by a majority of the population.

      Reply
    48. KR on December 10, 2015 12:02 am

      I would find this movie much more scary if I could actually believe someone would want that doll. The design that was chosen for it is so blatantly creepy that I can’t see someone actually willingly owning that thing. (Some dolls are pretty creepy. My Grandmother collects them too. Even the clowns are not as creepy as “Annabell” ) I’m a little sad they chose not to go with the Raggedy Ann doll. I can see why, in a way, but still …that doll?

      Reply
    49. Dan Hennessey on December 11, 2015 11:02 am

      I for one would never buy a doll like seen in Annabelle. I find it very creepy but I do not believe the story.

      Reply
    50. Thomas Robinson on December 16, 2015 9:03 pm

      I have always found dolls creepy, whether they are haunted are not. So I find horror movies with haunted dolls especially creepy.

      Reply
    51. Salih Saritoprak on December 17, 2015 1:03 pm

      They stretched it so far it went from a horror to a comedy

      Reply
    52. Alexa V on December 17, 2015 6:36 pm

      I absolutely refuse to watch this movie. When I was younger, I had a Mrs. Beasley doll and I swear to god I would have to hide the thing because I was terrified it was watching me in my sleep. The Robert the Doll story is even creepier because of what happens in the museum at night

      Reply
    53. SK on December 18, 2015 1:12 am

      This doll gives me the chills. I hate looking at the image. The fact that it has these special powers to move makes me feel scared of any dolls I use to own. I wonder if they ever moved and I just didn’t notice!

      Reply
    54. Andrew Coleman on October 4, 2016 9:19 am

      I am not surprised that Hollywood stretched the truth for this movie, as they do it for almost every horror movie that is “based on a true story”.

      Reply
    55. Jamie Mitchell on September 27, 2017 2:56 pm

      theres no such thing as a haunted doll bs things that were ment to happen in the occult museum and the young guy with the bike theres not any prove that really happen your only getting told what edd and lorraine wants you to hear

      Reply
    56. Jamie Mitchell on September 27, 2017 2:58 pm

      the warrens are frauds but people are just dumb enough to believe their bs

      Reply

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