Pinocchio (1940)
Based on the 1883 Italian children’s novel The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi.
Intro song (“When You Wish Upon a Star”). Jiminy Cricket retells a story of when he came to a village, arriving at the shop of a woodworker and toymaker named Geppetto who lives with his cat Figaro and goldfish Cleo. Geppetto finishes creating a marionette whom he names Pinocchio (“Little Wooden Head”). Falling asleep, Geppetto wishes upon a star for Pinocchio to be a real boy. Late that night, a Blue Fairy visits the workshop and brings Pinocchio to life, although he remains a puppet. She informs him that if he proves himself “brave, truthful, and unselfish”, he will become a real boy. When Jiminy reveals himself, the Blue Fairy assigns him to be Pinocchio's conscience (“Give A Little Whistle”). Geppetto wakes up upon hearing a commotion from Pinocchio falling, and is overjoyed to discover that his puppet is alive and will become a real boy.
The next morning, on his way to school, Pinocchio is led astray by con artist fox Honest John and his sidekick Gideon the Cat (“Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee”). Honest John convinces him to join Stromboli's puppet show, despite Jiminy's objections. Pinocchio becomes Stromboli's star attraction (“I’ve Got No Strings”), but when he tries to go home, Stromboli locks him in a bird cage and leaves to tour the world with Pinocchio. After Jiminy unsuccessfully tries to free Pinocchio, the Blue Fairy appears, and an anxious Pinocchio lies about what happened, causing his nose to grow. The Blue Fairy restores his nose and frees him when Pinocchio promises to make amends, but she warns him that she can offer no further help.
Meanwhile, Honest John is hired by a mysterious coachman to find disobedient boys for him to take to Pleasure Island. Though Honest John and Gideon are frightened by the Coachman's implication of what happens to the boys, the former reluctantly accepts the job and finds Pinocchio, convincing him to take a vacation on Pleasure Island. On the way, Pinocchio befriends Lampwick, a delinquent boy. At Pleasure Island, without rules or authority to enforce their activity, Pinocchio, Lampwick, and countless other boys soon engage in vices such as smoking and drinking. Jiminy eventually discovers that the island hides a horrible curse, turning boys into donkeys, which the Coachman plans to sell as slave labor to salt mines and circuses. Pinocchio witnesses Lampwick transform into a donkey, and with Jiminy's help, Pinocchio escapes, partially transformed with a donkey's ears and tail.
Returning home, Pinocchio and Jiminy find Geppetto’s workshop deserted. They get a letter from the Blue Fairy in the form of a dove, stating that Geppetto had gone out looking for Pinocchio and sailed to Pleasure Island. After learning that Pinocchio had left, he was then swallowed by Monstro, a terrible sperm whale, and is now living in the belly of the beast. Determined to rescue his father, Pinocchio ties himself to a rock and jumps into the ocean, accompanied by Jiminy. Pinocchio is soon swallowed by Monstro, where he reunites with Geppetto. Pinocchio devises a scheme to make Monstro sneeze, giving them a chance to escape. The scheme works, but the enraged whale chases them and smashes their raft with his tail. Pinocchio selflessly pulls Geppetto to safety in a cove just as Monstro crashes into it and Pinocchio is seemingly killed.
Back home, Geppetto, Jiminy, Figaro, and Cleo mourn the loss of Pinocchio. However, having proven himself brave, truthful, and unselfish, Pinocchio is revived and turned into a real human boy by the Blue Fairy, getting rid of the Pleasure Island curse in the process, much to everyone's joy. As the group celebrates, Jiminy steps outside to thank the Fairy and is rewarded with a solid gold badge that certifies him as an official conscience (“When You Wish Upon a Star”).
TRIVIA
Visual Style
The setting of Pinocchio is based on different European cities.
Technology
The multiplane camera was also used in Pinocchio.
Story artist Joe Grant formed a character model department, which would build 3D clay models of the characters in the films, known as maquette. These models were then given to the staff to observe how a character should be drawn from any given angle. Working models of Gepetto’s cuckoo clocks, Stromboli’s gypsy wagon and wooden cage, as well as the coachman’s carriage were also built and filmed using stop motion animation; each frame was then transferred onto animation cels using an early version of a Xerox.
Pinocchio also features ground-breaking effects animation especially the animation of the water effects such as splashes, ripples, bubbles, waves, and the illusion of being underwater. To help give depth to the ocean, the animators put more detail into the waves on the water surface in the foreground, and put in less detail as the surface moved further back. After the animation was traced onto cels, the assistant animators would trace it once more with blue and black pencil leads to give the waves a sculptured look. To save time and money, the splashes were kept impressionistic.
Easter Egg(s)
In the opening scene while Jiminy is talking, a book of Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan can be seen in the background foreshadowing later Disney Animation films.
Deleted Scene(s)
In a deleted scene Geppetto reveals that Pinocchio was made from a great pine tree, the monarch of the forest.
Notable Scene(s)
Multiplane camera intro scene of the city
Monstro water effects