Following up on the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Disney released their second animated feature film in the form of Pinocchio, a heartwarming tale that celebrates its 80th anniversary this month.
Releasing on February 7, 1940, the film was based on the Italian children’s book, The Adventures of Pinocchio, by Carlo Collodi. As production of Snow White was finishing up, animator Normal Ferguson brought in a translated version of the book and showed it to Walt Disney, who was immediately enthusiastic about adapting the book for an animated feature. The initial plan was for Pinocchio to be the third film released by the studio, following Bambi, but due to animation difficulties with Bambi, the project ended up being pushed up.
The writers on the film had a more difficult time adapting the story than before. With Snow White, the movie was based on a short and simple story that gave them plenty of room for expansion and exposition. But The Adventures of Pinocchio was more of a novel, with more of a definitive story, and accordingly the script went through extensive drafts that changed many details from the book. For instance, the book’s version of the titular character is cold and rude in his demeanor, only learning lessons through the harshest means. Disney’s writing team instead made him coy and naïve – however, this led to him seeming too helpless and innocent. It was because of this that they then invented the character of Jiminy Cricket, who had the goal of guiding Pinocchio and helping him to make good decisions.
The actual design of the character was also a sticking point early in production. The animators and artists working on the project initially drew Pinocchio as a real wooden puppet, with exposed wood hands and a long pointed nose. Walt Disney didn’t care much for the design and instead had them then try and reverse-engineer the puppet version of the character by starting off with designing a cute little boy, and adding in puppet-like features (such as his hinged elbow and knee joints) after the fact.
Thanks to how Snow White was a huge success, Disney moved to hire more famous voices for Pinocchio – making this the first time that known celebrities were used as voice actors for a film. Cliff Edwards, a popular singer, was cast as Jiminy Cricket, with actor Dickie Jones – then just 11 years old – cast as Pinocchio. Actors Frankie Darro, Walter Catlett, Evelyn Venable, and Charles Judels were cast as Lampwick, Foulfellow, the Blue Fairy, and Stromboli/The Coachman, respectively. Actor Christian Rub was cast as Geppetto, and was also used as the design inspiration for the look of the character.
Pinocchio made great strides in terms of animation of the time, specifically regards to special effects. The effects animators worked on new effects for things such as water splashes and the Blue Fairy’s wand, creating techniques that would be used for years to come.
Pinocchio’s story begins with Jiminy addressing the viewers directly, breaking the fourth wall as he explains how the story will follow a wish coming true. The audience is then introduced to the woodworker, Geppetto, who is lonely and wishes for a son. After finishing up a wooden puppet he names Pinocchio, he makes a wish on a star that the puppet will become a real boy. That night, the Blue Fairy brings Pinocchio to life – however, he is still a wooden puppet, and will remain that way unless he can learn to be brave, truthful, and unselfish. Jiminy is assigned to Pinocchio to be his conscience by the Blue Fairy as well.
Geppetto is overjoyed to have a son, and sends Pinocchio off to school. However, Pinocchio is quickly tricked by Honest John, a fox, and his partner Gideon, a cat. Honest John convinces Pinocchio to become the star in Stromboli’s traveling puppet show, and the lad quickly becomes the main attraction, given that he can sing and dance with no strings. However, Pinocchio is soon shocked to learn that Stromboli won’t let him leave; he’s visited by the Blue Fairy, who then watches as Pinocchio’s nose grows longer as he lies to her. After the Blue Fairy sets him free, she warns him that it will be the last time she helps him.
Pinocchio is tricked again on his way home by Honest John, who convinces him that he should take a vacation to Pleasure Island; unbeknownst to Pinocchio and Jiminy, he’s been paid off by a man who wants naughty little boys to take to the island. Pinocchio meets another boy named Lampwick, and the two engage in gambling and drinking. They are both soon shocked to find out that Pleasure Island is cursed, and that they’ll be turned into donkeys. Pinocchio escapes a terrible fate once again, but when he returns home, he finds that Geppetto is missing, having left home to try and save Pinocchio from Pleasure Island only to be swallowed by the giant whale known as Monstro. Pinocchio goes off to rescue his father, and successfully saves Geppetto, only to appear lifeless after they wash up on a beach. The Blue Fairy appears once again, determining that his act of sacrifice to save his father has proven him worthy enough to become a real boy, and turns Pinocchio human.
Pinocchio was initially a bit of a box office bomb when it released, due primarily in part to how World War II was cutting off the Asian and European markets. The reissue of the film in 1945 helped the studio turn a profit on it. Pinocchio was a critical darling at release, and even contemporary retrospective reviews of it consider it one of the studio’s greatest technical achievements in terms of animation. It ranks among one of the best animated films ever made – and, in some critics’ eyes, one of the best films of all time.
The film continues to be popular today, and the characters are a consistent presence in Disney theme parks around the world in parades and in attractions such as Pinocchio’s Daring Journey. Pinocchio, Geppetto and Jiminy are also prominent characters in the Kingdom Hearts video game franchise. A live-action adaptation of Pinocchio was announced in 2015, with Robert Zemeckis set to direct and co-write as of January 2020.