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| Pinocchio - 1940 |
Coming up next we have Disney's 1940 animated classic "Pinocchio", a story about a puppet who longs to become a real boy. And, as Jiminy Cricket reminds us, anything can happen "When You Wish Upon A Star".
The film's voice cast includes Dickie Jones, Cliff Edwards, Christian Rub, Evelyn Venable, Walter Catlett, Charles Judels, and Frankie Darro.
Our story begins with some narration by everyone's favorite conscience, Jiminy Cricket.
He tells us of a puppet made by a toymaker named Gepetto. Gepetto longs for a real boy. He's named his puppet Pinocchio.
In fact, Gepetto loves the little puppet as if he were alive. Figaro the cat and Cleo the goldfish watch as Gepetto puts the finishing touches on Pinocchio.
Before bed that night, Gepetto makes a wish on the Wishing Star. His wish: that Pinocchio would be a real boy.
And with that, everyone settles in for a night of sleep. (Don't you just love Figaro's bed?)
Once everyone is fast asleep, the Blue Fairy arrives and with a simple statement ("Little puppet made of pine, awake. The gift of life is thine.") life enters Pinocchio's body. Though still a puppet, he has the chance of becoming a real boy if he proves himself brave, truthful, and unselfish.
She appoints Jiminy Cricket as Pinocchio's conscience, hoping that he will be able to keep Pinocchio on the straight and narrow path.
Gepetto is thrilled when he wakes and finds Pinocchio to be alive. The next day, he sends him off to school. Pinocchio never makes it there. He gets sidetracked in a big way.
He ends up enslaved to a horrible man named Stromboli who owns a traveling puppet act. Forced to sing songs like "I've Got No Strings" and then locked in a cage at night, Pinocchio quickly regrets the choice he made in not going to school.
At night, the Blue Fairy arrives and wants an explanation as to why he didn't go to school. Pinocchio doesn't tell the truth, which causes his nose to grow. "A lie keeps growing and growing until it's as plain as the nose on your face," she tells him.
"A little boy who won't be good might just as well be made of wood," she admonishes him. After teaching him the lesson about lying, she causes his nose to return to normal and sets him free.
Well, our friend Pinocchio gets sidetracked once again. This time a horrible place called Pleasure Island causes him to lose his way. Smoking, gambling, drinking, and other diversions cause Pinocchio and the other boys who partake to turn into donkeys, which are then sold into slave labor in the salt mines and circuses.
Pinocchio escapes being sold and hurries home. Once he get there, he finds out that Gepetto has gone to look for him and has been swallowed up by a giant whale. So, with Jiminy Cricket in tow, Pinocchio sets out to find his father at the bottom of the sea.
Monstro, a whale with a bad attitude, proves his name by smashing everything in his way. Pinocchio is successful in saving his father, Figaro, and Cleo, but he loses his life in the process.
However, because he proved himself brave, truthful, and unselfish, the Blue Fairy turns Pinocchio into a real boy (insert cries of "I'm a real boy!" here). Gepetto has his heart's desire and he and Pinocchio dance around the toyshop.
And Jiminy Cricket is made an official conscience with a gold badge to prove it.
Cast rundown:
Dickie Jones............................Pinocchio
Cliff Edwards...........................Jiminy Cricket
Christian Rub..........................Gepetto
Evelyn Venable........................The Blue Fairy
Walter Catlett..........................Honest John
Charles Judels.........................Stromboli
Frankie Darro..........................Lampwick
And that's it for Pinocchio. Initially, Walt Disney was unhappy with the production. He halted it halfway through to rethink the story and redesign the characters. Figaro became his favorite character. After the filming, he replaced Minnie Mouse's pet cocker spaniel with Figaro. "When You Wish Upon A Star", sung by Jiminy Cricket throughout the film, eventually went on to become the official Disney song.
Gepetto's workshop is an interesting place, as is his huge collection of clocks. Some of these are quite odd: a mother spanking her child, a turkey not wanting its head chopped off, a man shooting a bird, and a drunk coming out of a bar and hiccupping in time with the clock are just some of the clocks on display.
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