15 Pinocchio Facts That Are Sure To Amaze Adults And Children!

There's a reason that Pinocchio has been captivating audiences for generations.

This beloved character is full of surprises, and there are plenty of fascinating Pinocchio facts to be discovered. Whether you're an adult or child, you're sure to be amazed by these tidbits of information about the wooden puppet who turns into a real boy.

After creating the likes of 'Seven Dwarfs' and 'Snow White,' Walt Disney moved on to his next project, 'Pinocchio,' which got him two Academy Awards. Like many others, this Disney film was also based on a children's book.

Released in 1940, the film became a new definition of animation works. Nonetheless, it took the effort of hundreds of artists for more than five years to create this critically acclaimed masterpiece.

The rest of the article will go through various intriguing facts about the film and the characters that every Disney fan should know.

The Storyline Of Pinocchio

Who doesn't know the story of 'Pinocchio'? But there are specific facts that we bet did not catch your attention. Let's find out what these are.

Pleasure Island is well known to every 'Pinocchio' fan, but did you know it once had a different name? Fox Carney says that this dark island was previously known as 'Bogeyland.'

Another favorite character and the narrator in the movie is Jiminy Cricket. But it is said that Jiminy Cricket was not even alive for most of the movie in the original plan.

In the original story by Carlo Collodi, Pinocchio is rude and bad-mannered. In the Disney version, he becomes a sympathetic character who eventually learns to tell the truth after being lied to so many times.

Finally, the film was based on an 1883 children's book titled 'The Adventures Of Pinocchio' penned by Carlo Collodi.

It is well-known that Walt Disney loved the character of Figaro most in the film. But what most people don't know is that the designer Eric Larson based this character on the personality of a spoiled child.

Characteristics Of Pinocchio

One of the most famous Disney movies in cinema history, Pinocchio, was groundbreaking due to its use of several techniques and elements that were unprecedented at the time of its release.

We all love Pinocchio, but did you know who did his voice in the movie? It was Dickie Jones.

Pinocchio had a long nose, and it grew every time Pinocchio lied about anything. But in the whole movie, there is only one sequence where the audience can see his nose growing.

When the crew was struggling with how to portray Pinocchio (whether to draw him with wooden movements or human movements), Milt Kahl suggested that they should create the character in the image of a human boy.

Another interesting fact about the film is that when Walt Disney set out to make the film, his estimated budget was $500,000. But the final film cost around $2.8 million.

Art Direction

Like every other movie, 'Pinocchio' too had a different plan. But in the course of making the film, several changes took place. Let's see some of the facts related to the film's art direction.

'Pinocchio' is also known for being the first animated film to use the rotoscoping technique to create human-like movements in animation.

Many things are absent in the final version of the film. For example, the song 'Honest John' was in the original plan but later removed from the movie.

According to the original plan, Gideon the Cat had many dialogues, and it took Mel Blanc 16 days to record all of them. However, Disney later decided to replace them with a single hiccup.

The voice of Jiminy Cricket was recorded by Cliff Edwards, including a rendition of 'When You Wish Upon A Star.' However, a few years down the line, he left Walt Disney Company.

To create this masterpiece, 700 artists worked for five long years.

Yet, shooting some scenes was extremely challenging. For example, the crew could not shoot the scene overlooking the town using the multiplane crane; instead, they had to develop a new system.

The cuckoo clocks seen in the film were just a work of animation. The artists actually built the prop versions of the clocks to make the design perfect.

Audience Reception

The popularity of 'Pinocchio' is unknown to no one. Now, let's see how the movie was received upon its release.

'Pinocchio' was the first Disney film to win Academy Awards: one for the best score and the other was for the best song ('When You Wish Upon A Star').

However, even though the film was critically acclaimed, Disney's 'Pinocchio; did not have a significant impact on the box office.

FAQs

Q: What was Pinocchio's first lie?

A: Pinocchio first lied when he told the blue fairy that monsters captured him and Jiminy.

Q: How was Pinocchio killed?

A: In the original story, the Fox and the Cat kill Pinocchio by hanging him at the end of the 15th chapter.

Q: What is Pinocchio's favorite food?

A: We are sorry to say this, but no information is available on Pinocchio's favorite food.

Q: How old is Pinocchio?

A: Pinocchio's age is not known. But some say that he is somewhere between 6-12.

Q: Who got swallowed by a whale in Pinocchio?

A: Pinocchio, Cleo, Geppetto, and the cat Figaro got swallowed by the whale.

Q: Why is Pinocchio's nose so long?

A: Because his nose grows every time he lies.

Q: What does Pinocchio mean in English?

A: It is believed that the word came from the Italian language. Even though there is no proper counterpart of this word in English, it means 'one who lies often.'

Q: What promise did Pinocchio make in the end?

A: In the book, he promises to become a good little boy.

Q: Is Pinocchio from Disney?

A: Yes, the movie was made by Disney, but Carlo Collodi wrote the book.

Q: Would Pinocchio's nose grow if he said it would?

A: It is a common paradox, and like any other paradox, it does not have a real answer. If Pinocchio says his nose would grow and then it doesn't, he lied, that means the nose should've grown.

But if he knows his nose will grow, and it does, that means he told the truth, and in that case, his nose should not have grown.

Q: How long did Pinocchio take to animate?

A: It took Walt and his crew five years to create the film.