Pinocchio (1940)

Pinocchio is a 1940 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and based on the Italian children's novel The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. It was the second animated feature film produced by Disney, made after the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).

The plot of the film involves an old wood-carver named Geppetto who carves a wooden puppet named Pinocchio. The puppet is brought to life by a Blue Fairy, who informs him that he can become a real boy if he proves himself to be "brave, truthful, and unselfish". Pinocchio's efforts to become a real boy involve encounters with a host of unsavory characters. The film was adapted by Aurelius Battaglia, William Cottrell, Otto Englander, Erdman Penner, Joseph Sabo, Ted Sears, and Webb Smith from Collodi's book. The production was supervised by Ben Sharpsteen and Hamilton Luske, and the film's sequences were directed by Norman Ferguson, T. Hee, Wilfred Jackson, Jack Kinney, and Bill Roberts. Pinocchio was a groundbreaking achievement in the area of effects animation, giving realistic movement to vehicles, machinery and natural elements such as rain, lightning, snow, smoke, shadows and water. The film was released to theaters by RKO Radio Pictures on February 23, 1940.

Critical analysis of Pinocchio identifies it as a simple morality tale that teaches children of the benefits of hard work and middle-class values. Although it became the first animated feature to win a competitive Academy Award – winning two for Best Music, Original Score and for Best Music, Original Song for "When You Wish Upon A Star" – it was initially a box office disaster. It eventually made a profit in its 1945 reissue, and today it is considered among the finest Disney features ever made, and one of the greatest animated films of all time, with a rare 100% rating on the website Rotten Tomatoes. The film and characters are still prevalent in popular culture, featuring at various Disney parks and in other forms of entertainment. In 1994, Pinocchio was added to the United States National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

Plot[]

After singing the film's signature song "When You Wish Upon A Star", Jiminy Cricket explains that he is going to tell a story of a wish coming true. His story begins in the Tuscany workshop of a woodworker named Geppetto. Jiminy watches as Geppetto finishes work on a wooden marionette whom he names Pinocchio. Before falling asleep, Geppetto makes a wish on a star that Pinocchio could be a real boy. During the night, the star, in the form of a Blue Fairy, visits the workshop to grant Geppetto's wish. She gives Pinocchio the breath of life, although he still remains a puppet. The fairy informs Pinocchio that if he desires to become a real boy of blood and flesh he must prove himself to be brave, truthful and unselfish and able to tell right from wrong by listening to his conscience. Pinocchio does not understand what a conscience is, so Jiminy appears to explain it to him. The Blue Fairy asks if Jiminy would serve as Pinocchio's conscience, a task he accepts.

Geppetto discovers that his wish has come true, and is filled with joy. However, on his way to school, Pinocchio is led astray by Honest John the Fox and his companion, Gideon the Cat, who convince him to join Stromboli's puppet show, despite Jiminy's objections. Pinocchio becomes Stromboli's star attraction as a marionette who can sing and dance with no strings while performing with marionettes of Dutch girls, French can-can girls, and Russian Cossacks. However, when Pinocchio wants to go home for the night, Stromboli becomes angry and locks him in a birdcage and threatens him to perform around the world and warns him that when he grows too old, he will chop him into firewood. Jiminy arrives to see Pinocchio and is unable to free him. When the Blue Fairy then appears and asks Pinocchio why he disobeyed Geppetto, despite Jiminy's urgings, Pinocchio invents a story in order to hide his shame, and with each lie his nose grows ever longer. The Blue Fairy explains that a lie will keep growing and growing until it's as plain as the nose on his face. Pinocchio vows to be good from now on and the Blue Fairy restores his nose back to its original form and sets him free, warning that this will be the last time she helps him as Pinocchio and Jiminy escape. Meanwhile, across town, Honest John and Gideon meet a coachman who promises to pay them big money if they can find him stupid little boys to take to Pleasure Island. They convince Pinocchio that he is sick, and the only cure is to go there as a vacation. There, he befriends Lampwick, a misbehaved disillusioned boy. With no rules or authority to stop them, Pinocchio and the other boys soon enjoy gambling, smoking, getting drunk and vandalizing, much to Jiminy's dismay. Jiminy becomes angry when he discovers that Pinocchio is friends with Lampwick and storms off. Later, Jiminy discovers the island harbours a terrible curse which the Coachman used to manipulate the boys into making jackasses of themselves by becoming real live donkeys, selling them to work in the salt mines and circuses. Jiminy runs back to warn Pinocchio, only to find Lampwick transformed into a terrified donkey, but Pinocchio manages to escape with only a donkey's ears and tail.

Upon returning home, Pinocchio and Jiminy find the workshop empty and learn (from a letter by the Blue Fairy in the guise of a dove) that Geppetto, while venturing out to sea to look for Pinocchio, had been swallowed, along with his cat Figaro, and goldfish Cleo, by a giant whale named Monstro, and are now living in his belly. Determined to rescue his father, Pinocchio jumps into the bottom of the ocean, with Jiminy accompanying him. Pinocchio is soon swallowed by Monstro, where he is reunited with Geppetto. Pinocchio devises an escape plan by burning wood in order to make Monstro sneeze. The plan works, but the enraged whale gives chase and smashes their raft. Pinocchio refuses to abandon Geppetto and pulls him to safety in a cave under a cliff before Monstro rams into it. They are all washed up on a beach, but Pinocchio is dead. Back home, the group mourn for him. The Blue Fairy, however, decides that Pinocchio has proven himself brave, truthful, and unselfish, and he is reborn as a real human boy, much to Geppetto's joy and they dance around the workshop to celebrate while Jiminy, proud of Pinocchio as well, steps outside to thank the Fairy, and is rewarded a solid gold badge that certifies him as an official conscience.

Voice Cast[]

Dickie Jones as Pinocchio, a wooden puppet carved by Geppetto and turned into a living puppet by the Blue Fairy. Jones also provided the voice of Alexander, a donkey.

Cliff Edwards as Jiminy Cricket, a cheerful and wise cricket who acts as Pinocchio's "conscience" and the partial narrator of the story.

Christian Rub as Geppetto a kind and elderly woodcarver who creates Pinocchio and wishes for him to become a real boy. He speaks with an Italian accent.

Walter Catlett as Honest John, a sly anthropomorphic red fox and the film's main antagonist who tricks Pinocchio twice in the film Gideon the Cat, Honest John's mute and crafty anthropomorphic feline sidekick. He was originally intended to be voiced by Mel Blanc of Looney Tunes fame (in his second work for Disney until his final work in Who Framed Roger Rabbit), but the filmmakers removed his dialogue from the script in favor of a mute performance (e.g. Harpo Marx) just like Dopey of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. However, Gideon's hiccups were provided by Blanc.

Charles Judels as Stromboli, a large, sinister, bearded Italian puppet-maker who forces Pinocchio to perform onstage in order to make money. He speaks in an Italian accent and curses in Italian when he gets angry, though he is identified as a gypsy. He is the only antagonist of the film to be part of the official Disney Villains line-up. Judels also voices the devious and sadistic Coachman, owner and operator of Pleasure Island, who enjoys turning unruly boys into donkeys.

Evelyn Venable as The Blue Fairy, who brings Pinocchio to life and turns him into a real boy at the end of the film.

Frankie Darro as Lampwick, a naughty boy that Pinocchio befriends on his way to Pleasure Island; he is turned into a donkey on Pleasure Island.

Thurl Ravenscroft as Monstro, the sperm whale that swallows Geppetto, Figaro, and Cleo during their search for Pinocchio. Pinocchio is later swallowed when Monstro is eating, and he and Geppetto reunite.