Stromboli (Pinocchio)

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Stromboli is a fictional character and a villain from the Disney film Pinocchio. He is a very large gypsy showman with a black beard. He talks with an Italian accent. Stromboli was voiced by Charles Judels (who also voiced The Coachman in the film), and animated by Bill Tytla.

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[edit] Pinocchio (the Disney film)

He buys Pinocchio from Honest John, for a living puppet is a great attraction. Stromboli earns a great deal of money by showing Pinocchio on stage, but all Pinocchio earns is a fake coin Stromboli finds. When Pinocchio attempts to go home to his father to show him the coin he's earned (which he doesn't know is fake), Stromboli stops him and shows him his new home: a bird cage. Stromboli tells him that he will be working for him until he becomes too old. Then he will become firewood. Pinocchio escapes eventually, with the help of the Blue Fairy. Stromboli isn't seen again in the movie, save from one comment by Pinocchio that "Stromboli was terrible", and another comment from Honest John, while telling the Coachman the story of how he sold Pinocchio he states "And did Stromboli pay, plenty!"

[edit] Geppetto

In this film, Stromboli is played by Brent Spiner. He is a comic relief and is not as evil as in the previous 1940s film. He often argues with one of his hand puppets.

He is a terrible puppetier and not one child likes his show. When he comes across Pinocchio (played by Seth Adkins) in the street, Stromboli knows that he would be the perfect fix to his problem. After Geppetto (played by Drew Carey) yells at Pinocchio and goes to find the Blue Fairy (played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) in order to explain what a disappointment Pinocchio is, Stromboli comes to the rescue and offers the puppet a home and a father which Pinocchio feels he doesn't have. He also offers Pinocchio fame and fortune.

While the show was a huge success with Pinocchio as the new star, Stromboli was anything but kind to the young puppet. Stromboli locks Pinocchio in a cage, while he counts his money. Just after he finishes, Geppetto comes to give Pinocchio some toys that he left behind. In order to prevent the toy maker from taking Pinochhio back, he hides the cage and tells Geppetto that he had a one night contract with Pinochhio and he left right after the show. He then leads a worried Geppetto in the opposite direction of Pinocchio. After he leaves, Stromboli discovers that Pinocchio has escaped and jumped on the carriage to Pleasure Island.

Stromboli goes to Pleasure Island and comes across more problems than he thought. The ring leader, played by the famous singer Usher, protects Pinocchio from him. He gets his followers to lead Pinocchio away from Stromboli and on to a ride which turns little boys into donkeys. Stromboli once again tries to capture the puppet before he goes on the ride, but he is captured by more followers of the ring leader.

After Pinocchio and Geppetto return home, Stromboli is found waiting for them and demands to have Pinocchio back. He points out that his contract lasts for 100 years or until he dies, which ever comes first. Geppetto makes a desperate plea to the man and offers him everything he has in order to keep his son, however Stromboli grabs Pinocchio and runs into the street. Geppetto then begs for the Blue Fairy help him. She then turns Pinocchio into a real boy which makes Pinocchio no use to Stromboli. The Blue Fairy then shoots magic at the man and he runs off.

[edit] Comparisons to Book

  • Walt Disney's Stromboli is a much more sinister character than the original character written by Italian author Carlo Collodi. In the book, though described as hideous, "Fire Eater" (Mangiafuoco in Italian), as he is called, actually takes pity on Pinocchio and kindly sets him free, even granting him five gold pieces to bring home to Geppetto.
  • He has no connection with the Fox and the Cat.
  • In the original story, a live marionette is apparently nothing special, as Fire Eater already seems to have at least three in his employ and is even prepared to feed one to the fire that is cooking his dinner before being persuaded to spare the puppet. Also, no one expresses any surprise at the existence of a live puppet.

[edit] Other portrayals of "the showman"

  • In the film Shrek the Third, a character similar to Stromboli appeared. While this version wasn't exactly another portrayal of Stromboli (as he looked nothing like him, nor was he addressed with that name) he clearly owes some characteristics to Disney's Stromboli, as he refers to Pinocchio as his "star puppet" and is, like Stromboli a villainous character. According to Prince Charming, "Stromboli's star puppet abandoned him to go look for his father", which is the exact thing that happened in the Disney film, but not in the original story. He only says one line-"I hate that little, wooden puppet".

[edit] External links