Pinocchio (1967 film)

Lore & Background

The film closely follows the original 1883 Italian novel, with the exception that the talking cricket does not appear. Pinocchio is portrayed by a marionette with strings, while characters such as the fox, the cat, and the children transformed into donkeys wear costumes and perform on stage-like sets. The American version retains most of the original DEFA film but replaces the songs with new English-language ones.

In the plot, carpenter Geppetto creates a wooden puppet that comes to life. After selling his schoolbook to see a puppet show, Pinocchio receives five gold coins from puppet master Arturo, but the fox and cat trick him and steal the coins. Later, Pinocchio is lured to Playland (the land of toys), where he and his friend Pippifax are turned into donkeys. Pinocchio eventually rescues his father from a giant fish, returns to Playland, and the spell is broken, turning all donkeys back into children. Pinocchio becomes a real boy.

Reader's Guide

Pinocchio (1967) holds significance as the first DEFA film to mix live actors with marionettes, marking a technical milestone in East German cinema. Its puppets were created by the renowned Spejbl and Hurvínek Marionette Theatre from Prague. The film is also notable for introducing a plot element—Pinocchio returning to the land of toys to free the children and rebel—that was not present in earlier adaptations. The American release in 1969, with new English songs, helped introduce the film to a wider audience. Though not as widely known as other Pinocchio adaptations, it remains a distinctive entry for its stage-like aesthetic and its fidelity to Collodi's original story, except for the omitted talking cricket. The cast includes voice work by Manfred Krug and Roswitha Trexler, who also sang the film's songs.

Did You Know?

• This was the first DEFA film to feature a mix of both real actors and marionettes.
• The film's puppets were designed by DEFA's own designers.
• The American version replaced the original songs with new English-language ones.
• The fox character is named Reineke.