The Adventures of Pinocchio (1972 miniseries)

The Adventures of Pinocchio (Italian: Le avventure di Pinocchio) is a 1972 Italian five-part miniseries directed by Luigi Comencini, which originally aired weekly on Rai 1 between April 8 and May 6, 1972. Based on Carlo Collodi's 1883 novel with the same name, the miniseries got a large critical success, and had an average of twenty-one and a half million viewers during its first airing.[1] All the episodes together make up 280 minutes of runtime.

For the Italian animated film which was also released in 1972, see The Adventures of Pinocchio (1972 film).
The Adventures of Pinocchio
Based onThe Adventures of Pinocchio
by Carlo Collodi
Written byLuigi Comencini
Suso Cecchi D'Amico
(from Carlo Collodi)
Directed byLuigi Comencini
StarringNino Manfredi
Andrea Balestri
Gina Lollobrigida
Vittorio De Sica
Theme music composerFiorenzo Carpi
Country of originItaly
Original languageItalian
No. of episodes5
Production
ProducerFranco Cristaldi
CinematographyArmando Nannuzzi
EditorNino Baragli
Running time280 min (original TV edition)
360 min (extended TV edition)
135 min (theatrical edition)
Release
Original networkRai 1
Picture formatColor
Original release8 April (1972-04-08) –
6 May 1972 (1972-05-06)

An extended cut of the series, totaling 360 minutes of runtime divided into six episodes, first aired in France on Première chaîne de l'ORTF between December 19 and December 31, 1972. Also, a 135-minute edit of the miniseries was released as a theatrical film in Italy on December 21, 1972, and later released in other countries.[2]

Plot

Mastro Geppetto is a poor carpenter with no wife and no children. The man is very lonely, and when trading a piece of wood with his colleague Mastro Cherry, he decides to build himself a puppet to make him company. The puppet is Pinocchio.

At night, the Fairy with Turquoise Hair visits the carpenter's shop to see Pinocchio. The woman makes a deal with the puppet: if he behaves, honoring his father in the process, he will become a human being, otherwise he will remain a piece of wood. Pinocchio promises, and magically becomes a real child.

One day he runs away. He steals food from a fisherman and a policeman catches him. Deciding Geppetto is at fault, he takes him to jail. Pinocchio tries to find food but gets water dumped on him. He goes home and finds the Talking Cricket, who tells him to be good. But Pinocchio just throws a hammer at him, smashing a picture of the Fairy with Turquoise Hair. Pinocchio puts his feet in the fire and turns back into a puppet.

Geppetto comes back, gives him food and new feet. He sends him to school but Pinocchio goes to the puppet show instead. There the puppets see him and tell him to come on stage. The stage master takes Pinocchio and wants to burn him, but Pinocchio cries and Mangiafuoco lets him go, giving him seven gold coins as well.

Pinocchio runs into two people (who work for the puppet master as a fox and a cat) who want to take Pinocchio's gold. Pinocchio runs away but two robbers (the Fox and Cat) hang him. But the Fairy turns him into a puppet and he runs to the Fairy's house. Two doctors come to decide if he should be a puppet or a boy. Pinocchio lies to Fairy and his nose grows. The Fairy summons birds who trim his nose back to its original size.

Pinocchio runs off and again meets the Fox and Cat, who tell him about the field of wonders. Pinocchio buries his gold and it gets stolen. He tells a judge but ends up in jail.

After five months he goes off and gets his foot in a bear trap and is used as a dog. He finds that two people are stealing the gold and he barks. He is let free and goes to the Fairy's house and finds her grave. The farmer tells him that Geppetto has gone to find him.

At sea, Pinocchio finds Geppetto, who falls off his boat; Pinocchio jumps in to save him. On land he finds Lucignolo running from his mother. Pinocchio finds the Fairy (alive) and goes to school. Lucignolo is found and comes too. Pinocchio tells him about a big party he is having, but Lucignolo is going to the Land of Toys.

Pinocchio goes back to the Fairy's house but his food is made out of clay. He runs to the Land of Toys but he turns into a donkey. He is sold to a circus but breaks a leg and is sold to make a drum. He jumps in the sea as a puppet and is eaten by a monster shark. In the throat of the shark he finds a tuna fish and passes into the belly where Geppetto is still alive. Pinocchio turns into a real boy. Geppetto wants to stay inside the shark but Pinocchio wants to leave. Seeing the tuna has gone free he and Geppetto ride on it until they reach land, where they hope to find food.

Cast
Nino Manfredi as Geppetto
Gina Lollobrigida as The Fairy with Turquoise Hair
Ciccio Ingrassia as the Fox and Franco Franchi as the Cat

References
  1. Peppino Ortoleva, Maria Teresa Di Marco. Luci del teleschermo: televisione e cultura in Italia. Mondadori Electa, 2004. ISBN 8837032412.
  2. Paolo Mereghetti. Il Mereghetti. B.C. Dalai Editore, 2010. ISBN 8860736269.
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