Jiminy Cricket Wasn’t Originally Meant To Be Narrator

It may be hard to imagine the story of Pinocchio without Jiminy Cricket, but in the original source material, the beloved talking insect had a significantly smaller role. In Carlo Collodi’s 1883 book Pinocchio, from which the movie was adapted, Jiminy was smashed to death early on by an angry Pinocchio, who himself was also a much different and more mischievous character.

Disney felt that Collodi’s original interpretation wasn’t suitable for the silver screen, and decided to reimagine Jiminy as the narrator and voice of Pinocchio’s conscience. Disney tasked animator Ward Kimball with conceiving of a new design for the creature, which ultimately featured a tiny top hat and cane, and actor Cliff Edwards was brought aboard to voice Jiminy. Edwards was known for his rendition of “Singin’ in the Rain,” and as Jiminy Cricket, he sang “When You Wish Upon a Star,” which earned the film an Oscar (more on that below). Jiminy Cricket, of course, was a hit and continued to play a valuable role in future Disney anthology series; he has even been referenced in modern Disney Pixar films, such as A Bug’s Life and Up.

Mel Blanc Voiced a Character Without Any Lines

You’ve probably heard the voice of Mel Blanc, the man behind beloved cartoon characters Bugs Bunny, Barney Rubble, and more. But toward the beginning of his career, Blanc was still trying to make a name for himself, and repeatedly pushed Disney for an audition. His efforts finally paid off when he was cast as Gideon the cat in Pinocchio. He was paid $50 per day for 16 days of recording, during which he was asked to record several takes of his “drunk” impression, which features multiple hiccups. Upon the film’s release, Blanc was dismayed to find that all of his dialogue had been cut — except for a single hiccup. While Blanc would go on to have a prolific voice acting career working for Warner Bros., Pinocchio would be the only Disney-produced film he lent his talents to.

Blanc wasn’t the only famous voice actor to appear as an animal in Pinocchio, however. Thurl Ravenscroft was the voice behind the villainous Monstro the whale — and would eventually go on to serve as the voice of the cereal mascot Tony the Tiger.

“Pinocchio” Was Initially a Box-Office Bust Because of World War II

Made with an estimated budget of $2.6 million, Pinocchio initially struggled to earn its money back upon its debut in February 1940. The ongoing global conflict of World War II prevented the film from being released in European and Asian markets, and the result was dismal box-office numbers that especially paled in comparison to the film’s predecessor, Snow White. Initially, the film only grossed around $1.4 million. Thankfully, things improved from there: Beginning with its first re-release in 1945, after the war ended, Pinocchio went on to net $164 million at the box office, making a large profit in the end.

Walt Disney’s Favorite Character was Figaro the Cat

Of the many cats that appeared in Pinocchio, one stood out above the rest as Walt Disney’s favorite character. That was the black-and-white kitten Figaro, who went on to star in several short films of his own, including 1943’s Figaro and Cleo (which also featured Cleo the goldfish from Pinocchio). Figaro even appeared alongside other major characters such as Pluto and Minnie Mouse in various Disney titles that were unrelated to the Pinocchio universe.

In fact, Disney decided to make Figaro Minnie Mouse's official pet, first replacing Minnie’s dog Fifi in the 1944 cartoon First Aiders. All told, Figaro’s minor role in Pinocchio was the beginning of eight total appearances in the Disney universe.

“Pinocchio” Was the First Animated Feature to Win a Competitive Academy Award

Walt Disney took home his first set of Oscars in 1933, seven years before Pinocchio’s release. In that ceremony, his short cartoon called Flowers and Trees was awarded an Oscar in the Best Short Subject (Cartoons) category, and Disney himself received a special award for the creation of Mickey Mouse. Disney also earned a unique honor in 1939 for his work on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, for which he was awarded a custom Oscar statuette placed alongside seven miniature ones.

At the 1941 Oscar ceremony, the success of Pinocchio earned Disney yet more accolades — the film became the first animated feature to win an Academy Award. Two, actually: The movie won both Best Original Score and Best Original Song, the latter for “When You Wish Upon a Star.” It was a rare feat for many decades, as no other animated film took home a Best Original Song Oscar until 1989’s The Little Mermaid finally won for “Under the Sea.”

Multiple Songs Were Cut From the Film

Known for its award-winning music, the final release of Pinocchio also left several songs on the cutting-room floor. The two most complete were “Three Cheers for Anything” and “Straight Ahead.” The former was meant to be sung by the wayward boys on their journey to Pleasure Island, and described all the “rotten things they’re going to do, like swiping a pie or telling a lie.” It was cut for pacing, however, as the tune dragged on for too long.

“Straight Ahead,” meanwhile, was sung by the Blue Fairy (the being who brings Pinocchio to life), and offered words of wisdom to Pinocchio. That song was cut as Jiminy Cricket’s role in the film grew, thus rendering its message less important. There are also several snippets initially meant for larger songs that are instead used for a handful of measures at various points throughout the soundtrack. And while some songs copyrighted by Disney in 1939 were left off the final release, one of those, “Figaro and Cleo,” was later performed in the 1943 cartoon of the same name.