Having just re-watched Pinocchio after many years, it's evident that this remarkable feat of animation is the great triumph of Disney's "Nine Old Men". These artists were the core of Disney's animation studio for many years, turning out what are now revered as the classics from Disney.
What sets Pinocchio apart from every other Disney feature is the sheer depth of care those nine old men (and their assistants) put on the screen. No other Disney feature looks this tremendous, only Snow White comes close. Every, and I mean every, background painting is superb. The medium used for the backgrounds was a water-based paint called gouache. No other animated film looks like this. To think that the entire film was done by hand is amazing, the spectacle of Pleasure Island and the last underwater segment are brilliant compositions by illustrative geniuses. As the darkest fable Disney would bring to the screen, each of the nine old men brought their A game to their characters. Bill Tytla, the studio's "villain master" (he was responsible for the unforgettable Chernobog in Fantasia's "Night on Bald Mountain" sequence) brings Stromboli to energetic life here. Watch carefully for the table sequence in which Stromboli is eating. He has swallowed part of an onion before berating Pinocchio and shaking the puppet. His breath brings tears to Pinocchio's eyes...this goes by very quickly, but shows the attention to detail crafted in every frame of this terrific film.
Many reviews here seem to dwell on the voice acting and the use of "nobodies" to speak the lines. One review casually suggests that the actors were simply picked off the street. Nothing could be further from the truth. Even though the actors are uncredited here, the roster of talent was very top-notch for 1940. Comedian Walter Catlett voices the Fox, Catlett was extremely popular at the time and known for his signature round spectacles. The Fox wears these same specs for a brief moment, a nod given to Catlett by the artists. Frankie Darrow was a well known juvenile actor, most famous for his leading role in 1933's "Wild Boys of the Road". He voices Lampwick, which is a thinly veiled caricature of the real actor. Dickie Jones, the voice of Pinocchio was another child star who kept a remarkable career alive for many decades. Mel Blanc, the "man of 1000 voices" lends his talent to the hiccups of Giddy the Cat, Evelyn Venable is the warm and lovely voice of the Blue Fairy, Clarence Nash, the voice of Donald Duck for years, supplies both Figaro and the donkey brays by the doomed boys of Pleasure Island. Last but not least is Cliff "Ukelele Ike" Edwards, the voice of Jiminy Cricket. Edwards will always be known as the man who sang "When You Wish Upon a Star" so brilliantly. He owns that song as surely as Judy Garland owns "Over the Rainbow". No real voice talent in Pinocchio? Not true. These actors were as famous in their day as the current crop of voices used for animated features. Their work brings the heart to the skill of the animator's art.
Still a thrilling experience for fans of the nine old men. In this day of computer technology, it's worth remembering that a computer can't bring the same humanity and love delivered by these great artists.
What sets Pinocchio apart from every other Disney feature is the sheer depth of care those nine old men (and their assistants) put on the screen. No other Disney feature looks this tremendous, only Snow White comes close. Every, and I mean every, background painting is superb. The medium used for the backgrounds was a water-based paint called gouache. No other animated film looks like this. To think that the entire film was done by hand is amazing, the spectacle of Pleasure Island and the last underwater segment are brilliant compositions by illustrative geniuses. As the darkest fable Disney would bring to the screen, each of the nine old men brought their A game to their characters. Bill Tytla, the studio's "villain master" (he was responsible for the unforgettable Chernobog in Fantasia's "Night on Bald Mountain" sequence) brings Stromboli to energetic life here. Watch carefully for the table sequence in which Stromboli is eating. He has swallowed part of an onion before berating Pinocchio and shaking the puppet. His breath brings tears to Pinocchio's eyes...this goes by very quickly, but shows the attention to detail crafted in every frame of this terrific film.
Many reviews here seem to dwell on the voice acting and the use of "nobodies" to speak the lines. One review casually suggests that the actors were simply picked off the street. Nothing could be further from the truth. Even though the actors are uncredited here, the roster of talent was very top-notch for 1940. Comedian Walter Catlett voices the Fox, Catlett was extremely popular at the time and known for his signature round spectacles. The Fox wears these same specs for a brief moment, a nod given to Catlett by the artists. Frankie Darrow was a well known juvenile actor, most famous for his leading role in 1933's "Wild Boys of the Road". He voices Lampwick, which is a thinly veiled caricature of the real actor. Dickie Jones, the voice of Pinocchio was another child star who kept a remarkable career alive for many decades. Mel Blanc, the "man of 1000 voices" lends his talent to the hiccups of Giddy the Cat, Evelyn Venable is the warm and lovely voice of the Blue Fairy, Clarence Nash, the voice of Donald Duck for years, supplies both Figaro and the donkey brays by the doomed boys of Pleasure Island. Last but not least is Cliff "Ukelele Ike" Edwards, the voice of Jiminy Cricket. Edwards will always be known as the man who sang "When You Wish Upon a Star" so brilliantly. He owns that song as surely as Judy Garland owns "Over the Rainbow". No real voice talent in Pinocchio? Not true. These actors were as famous in their day as the current crop of voices used for animated features. Their work brings the heart to the skill of the animator's art.
Still a thrilling experience for fans of the nine old men. In this day of computer technology, it's worth remembering that a computer can't bring the same humanity and love delivered by these great artists.