The film was directed by Giuliano Cenci with assistance from his brother Renzo. During production, Carlo Collodi's grandchildren Mario and Antonio Lorenzini were consulted. The subtle movements made by fidgeting children whilst speaking or under scrutiny were incorporated into Pinocchio's movements, particularly when he lies to the Fairy with the Turquoise Hair over the fate of his gold coins. For the design of the Fairy, Italian portrayals of the Blessed Virgin Mary in art were used as starting points.[1]
Design
For the design of Pinocchio, the animators took inspiration to illustrations made by Attilio Mussino. The backgrounds were painted by Sicillian artist Alberto D'Angelo and Abramo Scortecci who both used tone styles evocative of early 20th-century Italian art with little focus on surrealism as in the Disney adaptation.
Renato Rascel was chosen to serve as both the singer of the introductory song and as the narrator. He was permitted to occasionally ad lib in order to get the film's message across, and to give it a truly Italian feel.
In 1978, an English-dubbed version was released in the US by G.G. Communications directed by Jesse Vogel. It used British and Canadian actors, including Les Lye.[2]
^Cenci, Giuliano, Un burattino di nome Pinocchio (Animation, Family, Fantasy), Lauro Gazzolo, Victor Jory, Roberta Paladini, Cartoons Cinematografica Italiana, retrieved 2023-08-08
