Pinocchio, (pin-oke-io), the story of the mischievous marionette who became a boy, has been a folklore classic of Italian literature for hundreds of years. In the 1890 's Carlo Lorenzini, under the pen name of C. Collodi, wrote the story in a version illustrated by Attilio Massino, who gave the wooden boy the physical form we have come to associate with Pinocchio. Many translations have been available in English, all varying, but all keeping fairly faithful to the Collodi-Massino version.
When Walt Disney and his staff began to plan their treatment of the legend, two chief problems faced them. One was the physical form of Pinocchio himself, and the other was how they would adapt the story. The answers to these problems had to be not in terms of readers, but of "see-ers," for the animated cartoon is primarily visual.
There were two schools of thought in the studio, one favoring the grotesque type of character and the other leaning toward roundness and cuteness. Many artists went to work, and their characterizations were criticized by the whole group. Pinocchio started out with a long nose, a peaked cap, ungloved hands, and dwarf shoes. Then he acquired regular shoes; lines became bolder, and details simpler. The shoestring necktie became a big round one, and the hat evolved to one like a child's. Finally the new round Pinocchio appeared with button nose, bulgy cheeks, big eyes, large ears, four-fingered, gloved hands, Tyrolean hat (very jaunty) — a lovable marionette ready to become a real boy.
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