Pinocchio, American animated film, released on 7 February 1940, is one of Walt Disney’s most beloved classics, known for its brilliant animation and compelling story.
Adapted from a novel by C. Collodi, it chronicles the adventures of a wooden puppet whose lonely maker, Geppetto, wishes were a real boy. A fairy grants his wish by bringing the puppet, Pinocchio, to life, but she tells Pinocchio that he must prove his worth before she will make him into a human boy. Under the guidance of his insect friend, Jiminy Cricket, Pinocchio experiences a series of incredible adventures on his way to becoming a real boy. He is deterred from deceit in his new life by his nose, which grows longer every time he tells a lie.
The outstanding animation techniques employed in the earlier Disney
classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) are even more impressive
in Pinocchio. The movie is also noteworthy in its storytelling,
which is in turn humorous, tragic, and suspenseful. The sequence inside the
whale—in which Pinocchio rescues Geppetto, who was swallowed by the giant
mammal—is one of the seminal Disney screen moments. Another highlight of
the film is the music, notably the song “When You Wish upon a Star,” which
became a Disney classic. Most of the great artists who performed the voice-over
work did not receive screen credit or recognition until many years
later, when their efforts were acknowledged in special-edition documentaries
for the home video market.
