Pinocchio [Danny Kaye]

Pinocchio (1976), starring Danny Kaye and Sandy Duncan

A feature-length musical motion picture of the classic tale about the puppet who becomes a real boy. Danny Kaye plays “Gepetto,” the woodcarver; and Sandy Duncan plays “Pinocchio,” the irrepressible puppet.

Editorial review of Pinocchio, starring Danny Kaye and Sandy Duncan, courtesy of Amazon.com

Pinocchio, starring Danny Keye and Sandy Dduncan

This musical adaptation of Pinocchio from 1976 features the incomparable talents of Danny Kaye, Sandy Duncan, Flip Wilson, and Clive Revill. Framed by the story of a young theater girl’s desire to study and work apart from her father, the story of Pinocchio is presented as a subplay with the young girl as Pinocchio (Sandy Duncan) and her father as Geppetto (Danny Kaye). The famous Carlo Collodi story of a lonely woodcutter whose marionette comes to life is presented faithfully and engagingly. The costumes are bright and fun, and the sets are suitably simple. The music, which features many Billy Barnes songs, showcases everything from big Broadway sounds to some truly beautiful ballads. Add to that lots of energetic dancing choreographed by Ron Field, and the result is a compelling performance by Kaye, Duncan, and the rest of the cast. —Tami Horiuchi

Funny movie quotes from Pinocchio

Pinocchio: How much did that book cost?
Geppetto: That’s none of you business.
Pinocchio: Papa how did you pay for that book?
Geppetto: I no answer those questions.
Pinocchio: Papa, did you sell something?
Geppetto: I no sell anything!
Pinocchio: Where’s your coat?
Geppetto: I sold something.

Swindled

Boris Stroganoff: You’re going to be a sensation! With you as my star singing and dancing, cavorting…
Pinocchio: How can I cavort with a broken heart?
Boris Stroganoff: You’d like better a broken arm?
Pinocchio: No.

Pinocchio: If you don’t mind Mr. Stroganoff, for my performance today, I’ll just take half of these gold coins to bring home to Papa. What’s half of twenty-eight?
Boris Stroganoff: Five!

Fox (Flip Wilson), Pinocchio (Sandy Duncan), Cat (Liz Torres)

Fox: How would you like to bring home to your papa, not five, not fifty, but a thousand shiny gold coins?
Pinocchio: Is that more than five? I haven’t learned arithmetic yet.
Fox: It’s more than five. It’s even more than two!

Pinocchio: Rich is good?
Fox: Rich is always good.
Cat: Poor is always bad.
Pinocchio: Isn’t there anything in between?
Fox: Yes, aggravation.

Searching for Pinocchio

Fox: Come to think of it we, uh, we did see a little fella about so high.
Cat: Oh I think a little higher.
Geppetto: Where you see him?
Fox: Who’s giving the reward?
Geppetto: You tell me where, I’ll tell you who.
Fox: You tell us who, we’ll tell you where.
Geppetto: I don’t tell you who till you tell me where, and I tell you why. If I tell you who before you tell me where, you no tell me where. You’ll go to who and tell him where.
Cat: If we tell you where before you tell us who, you’ll go to who and tell him where.
Geppetto: I tell you what…
Fox: Just tell us who.
Geppetto: I’ll tell you when I tell you who! I tell you who when you tell me where!
Cat: We tell you where when you tell us who!

Fox: We’ll pay you to tell us!
Geppetto: Alright how much?
Fox: Five gold coins. [gives coins to Geppetto] Now who’s giving the reward?
Geppetto: Me.
Cat, Fox: You?
Fox: You’re just a poor wood carver!
Geppetto: [smiles and drops coins in his pocket] Not anymore.

Geppetto: What’s happening to you Pinocchio is you told a lie. And when you lie, it’s-a plain like the nose on you face.

Cast of characters

Sandy Duncan (The Cat from Outer Space; Million Dollar Duck) … Pinocchio
Danny Kaye (The Kid from Brooklyn; White Christmas) … Geppetto / Boris Stroganoff
Clive Revill (The Emperor’s New Clothes; Avanti) … Coachman
Flip Wilson (Flip) … Fox
Liz Torres (Gilmore Girls) … Cat
Gary Morgan (Logan’s Run) … Candlewick