Pinocchio is the second animated feature in the Disney animated features canon. It was produced by Walt Disney Productions and was originally released to theatres by RKO Radio Pictures on February 7, 1940. Based on the book Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, it was made in response to the enormous success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and was the second feature-length animated film to be produced by Walt Disney Productions. Considered a classic today, it was not commercially successful when first released, and Disney only recouped about half of its $2.3 million budget.
It is arguably the best of the classic Disney features. Pinocchio has an overall consistency of vision not seen in Snow White and not necessary in Fantasia because of its episodic structure, while the minor technical problems of Snow White were solved. The high degree of intricate craftsmanship in Pinocchio is absent in Dumbo, which seems flat and unadorned by comparison. It might be claimed that the level of animation craftsmanship at Disney Studios peaked with Pinocchio. It would be downhill for the next 50 years as ways to reduce labor and contain costs became paramount.
The plan for the original film was considerably different from what was released. Walt Disney was displeased with the work that was being done and called a halt to the project midway into production so that the concept could be rethought and the characters redesigned. It was at this stage that the character of the cricket was expanded. Jiminy Cricket (voiced by Cliff "Ukelele Ike" Edwards) became central to the story. His song, "When You Wish Upon a Star ," became a major hit and is still identified with the film, and later as a fanfare for Walt Disney Studios itself. Pinocchio also won the Academy Award for Best Song and the Academy Award for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture.
The film has been deemed "culturally significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
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