Talking Cricket
| Talking Cricket | |
|---|---|
| The Adventures of Pinocchio character | |
 Il Grillo Parlante, as illustrated by Enrico Mazzanti | |
| First appearance | The Adventures of Pinocchio |
| Created by | Carlo Collodi |
| Information | |
| Species | Cricket |
| Gender | Male |
The Talking Cricket (Italian: Il Grillo Parlante) is a fictional character who appears in Carlo Collodi's 1883 book The Adventures of Pinocchio (Le avventure di Pinocchio).
Role
The Cricket, who has lived in Geppetto's house for over a century, makes its first appearance in Chapter IV, after Pinocchio's mischief has landed his creator Geppetto in prison, and insists that Pinocchio must either attend school or work, to function properly in the world. When Pinocchio refuses to listen, the Cricket states that "You are a puppet and what's worse is that you have a head of wood", whereupon Pinocchio throws a mallet at the cricket, killing him.
In Chapter XIII, the Cricket appears as a ghost to Pinocchio, telling him to return home rather than keep an appointment with The Fox and the Cat (Il Gatto e la Volpe). Pinocchio refuses and in chapter XIV he is subsequently injured. The Cricket reappears again in Chapter XVI, where he and his colleagues the Crow and the Owl tends to Pinocchio's injuries.
The Cricket makes his final appearance in Chapter XXXVI, living in a house given him by The Fairy with Turquoise Hair, at which he allows Pinocchio and the ailing Geppetto to stay while Geppetto recovers his health.
Quotations
Trouble awaits boys who rebel against their parents and capriciously abandon their paternal home! They will never experience goodness in this world, and sooner or later, they will have to pay for it sourly.- Chapter IV
My boy, do not trust those who promise to make you rich overnight. They are usually either mad or charlatans! Heed my words, and turn back.- Chapter XIII
Now you call me “your dear little cricket”, true? But do you not recall when, to banish me from your house, you threw a mallet at me?- Chapter XXXVI
Media portrayals
- In the 1940 Disney film Pinocchio, the Talking Cricket is renamed Jiminy Cricket (voiced by Cliff Edwards) and portrayed very differently as he becomes Pinocchio's inseparable companion and advisor, under instructions from the Fairy with the Turquoise Hair (renamed the 'Blue Fairy'). His relationship with Pinocchio is much less adversarial than in the book. Jiminy Cricket also appeared in Fun and Fancy Free as the host of the two story segments and he later appeared as the Ghost of Christmas Past in Mickey's Christmas Carol and Jiminy also appeared as a Disney mascot. Jiminy Cricket later appears in Disney's House of Mouse and Kingdom Hearts voiced by Eddie Carroll. In later projects following Eddie Carroll's death, Phil Snyder voices Jiminy Cricket.
- In Giuliano Cencis's 1972 adaptation Un burattino di nome Pinocchio, the Cricket (voiced by Lauro Gazzolo), though anthropomorphized, differs little from the character of the novel, but gets killed after Pinocchio throws a mallet at the cricket like in the original novel. The only difference in characterization is that he does not reappear in the Fairy's house as a doctor.
- In the 1987 film Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night, he appears initially as a wooden cricket (voiced by Don Knotts) made by Geppetto for Pinocchio to play with and comes to life to act as Pinocchio's companion. He is given the name 'Gee Willickers', as the first thing Pinocchio says to him.
- In the 1992 direct to video adaptation from GoodTimes Entertainment, the Cricket (voiced by Cam Clarke) is much like Jiminy Cricket, and inhabits Pinocchio's pocket.
- In Steve Barron's 1996 live action film The Adventures of Pinocchio, the Cricket is a CGI character named Pépé (voiced by David Doyle) and is much like Jiminy Cricket. He is an optimistic character who advises Pinocchio against Volpe and Felinet.
- In the sequel The New Adventures of Pinocchio, Pepe the Cricket reappears and is voiced by Warwick Davis (replacing David Doyle who has died in 1997). He is first seen in the form of a Dwarfish Showman (also played by Warwick Davis) working for Madame Flambeau's circus. Towards the end of the film, he is seen allowing everybody to see Lorenzini as a Sea Monster.
- In the Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child episode "Pinocchio", the Cricket is actually a termite named Woody (voiced by Chris Rock) and is portrayed very much like Jiminy Cricket.
- In Roberto Benigni's 2002 live action film Pinocchio, the Cricket also made an appearance and is played by Peppe Barra with John Cleese doing his English voice-dub. The Cricket is similar to Jiminy Cricket and (like him) is a companion to Pinocchio.
- The Talking Cricket (under the Jiminy Cricket alias) appears in Once Upon a Time, played by Raphael Sbarge. His human alter-ego is local psychiatric counselor, and part-time legal advisor, 'Dr. Archie Hopper', in which he is much more timid than in his Cricket guise.
References
- Collodi, Le Avventure di Pinocchio 1883, Biblioteca Universale Rizzoli