Stromboli (Pinocchio)
Encyclopedia
Mangiafuoco is the fictional wealthy director of the Great Marionette Theatre (Gran Teatro dei Burattini) who appears in Carlo Collodi
's book The Adventures of Pinocchio (Le avventure di Pinocchio). He is described as "...a large man so ugly, he evoked fear
by simply being looked at. He had a beard as black as a smudge of ink and so long that it fell from his chin down to the ground: enough said that when he walked, he stepped on it. His mouth was as wide as an oven, his eyes were like two red tinted lanterns with the light turned on at the back, and with his hands, he sported a large whip made of snakes and fox tails knotted together." Though imposing, Mangiafuoco is portrayed as easily moved to compassion, which he expresses through sneezing.
ruins one of his puppet shows by distracting the other puppets with his presence. In his rage, he demands that Pinocchio be burned as firewood for his roasting mutton. Pinocchio pleads for his life
, causing Mangiafuoco to sneeze. Moved by Pinocchio's lamentations, Mangiafuoco decides instead to burn one of his own puppets, Harlequin
(Arlecchino) instead. Pinocchio throws himself on his knees and begs for Harlequin's life, appealing to Mangiafuoco by calling him "sir", "knight", "commander" and finally "excellence", to which Mangiafuoco listens. Pinocchio offers to sacrifice himself in Harlequins stead, but is refused by Mangiafuoco, who decides to eat his mutton half raw. He asks Pinocchio on his creator, Mister Geppetto
's financial position, and upon hearing that he is poor, gives Pinocchio five gold coins.
Mangiafuoco's generosity though is not rewarded, as Pinocchio, rather than go home to his father, encounters The Fox and the Cat (Il Gatto e la Volpe), who lead him astray by making him pay for a banquet with one of the coins and bury the rest to make a money tree.
, Mangiafuoco, who is voiced by Charles Judels
, who also voiced The Coachman, and animated by Bill Tytla
, is renamed Stromboli. Unlike Mangiafuoco, who met Pinocchio by chance, Stromboli buys Pinocchio from Honest John and earns a great deal of money by showing Pinocchio on stage. Stromboli is at first portrayed as the gruff but kind hearted man from the original book but suddenly evolves into an exploitative and ruthless man who locks Pinocchio in a cage, stating that once he is too old to work, he will be used as firewood. Pinocchio escapes with the help of the Blue Fairy
. Like all the villains in the film, the final fate of Stromboli is never revealed.
Despite his limited screen time, Stromboli is one of Disney's most infamous and acclaimed villains. The character has been praised by critics for possessing the ability to instill both laughter (when he shakes his rear-end at the words "Con-stan-tino-polee
") and fear (threatening to turn Pinocchio into firewood) in audiences. Art critic Pierre Lambert
has stated that "Tytla's innate sense of force is revealed in all its magnitude in the creation of the character of Stromboli," and animation historian Charles Solomon refers to the puppet master as "the grandest of all Disney heavies", while John Canemaker
describes Stromboli as "an overweight monster of mercurial moods, capable of wine-soaked, garlic-breathed Old World charm one second, and knife-wielding, chop-you-up-for-firewood threats the next." William Paul drew some parallelism between Stromboli and studio bosses stating "It is not too difficult to regard Stromboli as burlesque of a Hollywood studio boss, complete with foreign accent. Disney's own relationship to the Hollywood power structure was always a difficult one, and his distrust of the moguls was well justified by his earliest experiences in the industry.
During the premiere of Pinocchio, Frank Thomas
sat in front of W. C. Fields
, who, upon Stromboli's entrance, muttered to whoever was with him that the puppet master "moves too much". Thomas felt the reason for this was that Stromboli was too big and powerful. Michael Barrier
agrees with Fields' criticism, considering Stromboli a "poorly conceived character" whose "passion has no roots... there is nothing in Stromboli of what could have made him truly terrifying." Leonard Maltin
disagrees, considering Pinocchio's encounter with the showman to be the wooden boy's "first taste of the seamy side of life... (Stromboli) tosses his hatchet into the remnants of another ragged marionette, now a pile of splinters and sawdust, a meekly smiling face the only reminder of its former 'life'." Though the character's traits are mostly Italian, characteristics such as Stromboli's facial expressions, obsession with wealth and long black 'goat's beard' have led to associations with Jewish stereotypes (particularly Hollywood moguls) and accusations of anti-Semitism.
Carlo Collodi
Carlo Lorenzini , better known by the pen name Carlo Collodi, was an Italian children's writer known for the world-renowned fairy tale novel, The Adventures of Pinocchio.-Biography:...
's book The Adventures of Pinocchio (Le avventure di Pinocchio). He is described as "...a large man so ugly, he evoked fear
Fear
Fear is a distressing negative sensation induced by a perceived threat. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger...
by simply being looked at. He had a beard as black as a smudge of ink and so long that it fell from his chin down to the ground: enough said that when he walked, he stepped on it. His mouth was as wide as an oven, his eyes were like two red tinted lanterns with the light turned on at the back, and with his hands, he sported a large whip made of snakes and fox tails knotted together." Though imposing, Mangiafuoco is portrayed as easily moved to compassion, which he expresses through sneezing.
Role in the book
Mangiafuoco is first encountered in chapter X, after PinocchioPinocchio
The Adventures of Pinocchio is a novel for children by Italian author Carlo Collodi, written in Florence. The first half was originally a serial between 1881 and 1883, and then later completed as a book for children in February 1883. It is about the mischievous adventures of Pinocchio , an...
ruins one of his puppet shows by distracting the other puppets with his presence. In his rage, he demands that Pinocchio be burned as firewood for his roasting mutton. Pinocchio pleads for his life
Life
Life is a characteristic that distinguishes objects that have signaling and self-sustaining processes from those that do not, either because such functions have ceased , or else because they lack such functions and are classified as inanimate...
, causing Mangiafuoco to sneeze. Moved by Pinocchio's lamentations, Mangiafuoco decides instead to burn one of his own puppets, Harlequin
Harlequin
Harlequin or Arlecchino in Italian, Arlequin in French, and Arlequín in Spanish is the most popularly known of the zanni or comic servant characters from the Italian Commedia dell'arte and its descendant, the Harlequinade.-Origins:...
(Arlecchino) instead. Pinocchio throws himself on his knees and begs for Harlequin's life, appealing to Mangiafuoco by calling him "sir", "knight", "commander" and finally "excellence", to which Mangiafuoco listens. Pinocchio offers to sacrifice himself in Harlequins stead, but is refused by Mangiafuoco, who decides to eat his mutton half raw. He asks Pinocchio on his creator, Mister Geppetto
Mister Geppetto
Mister Geppetto is a fictional character in the novel The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. Geppetto is an elderly, impoverished woodcarver and the creator of Pinocchio...
's financial position, and upon hearing that he is poor, gives Pinocchio five gold coins.
Mangiafuoco's generosity though is not rewarded, as Pinocchio, rather than go home to his father, encounters The Fox and the Cat (Il Gatto e la Volpe), who lead him astray by making him pay for a banquet with one of the coins and bury the rest to make a money tree.
Disney version
In the 1940 Disney film PinocchioPinocchio (1940 film)
Pinocchio is a 1940 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and based on the story The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. It is the second film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics, and it was made after the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and was released to theaters by...
, Mangiafuoco, who is voiced by Charles Judels
Charles Judels
Charles Judels was a Dutch-born American film actor. He appeared in 137 films between 1915 and 1949. He also did extensive work as a voice-over actor in animated films, notably as the voice of Stromboli in Walt Disney's Pinocchio, and in the Warner Brothers Looney Tunes short Porky's Garden.He was...
, who also voiced The Coachman, and animated by Bill Tytla
Bill Tytla
Vladimir Peter "Bill" Tytla was one of the original Disney animators and is considered by many to be the best character animator to work during The Golden Age of Hollywood animation...
, is renamed Stromboli. Unlike Mangiafuoco, who met Pinocchio by chance, Stromboli buys Pinocchio from Honest John and earns a great deal of money by showing Pinocchio on stage. Stromboli is at first portrayed as the gruff but kind hearted man from the original book but suddenly evolves into an exploitative and ruthless man who locks Pinocchio in a cage, stating that once he is too old to work, he will be used as firewood. Pinocchio escapes with the help of the Blue Fairy
Blue Fairy
The Fairy With Turquoise Hair is a fictional character in Carlo Collodi's book The Adventures of Pinocchio. She repeatedly appears at critical moments in Pinocchio's wanderings to admonish the little wooden puppet to avoid bad or risky behavior...
. Like all the villains in the film, the final fate of Stromboli is never revealed.
Despite his limited screen time, Stromboli is one of Disney's most infamous and acclaimed villains. The character has been praised by critics for possessing the ability to instill both laughter (when he shakes his rear-end at the words "Con-stan-tino-polee
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
") and fear (threatening to turn Pinocchio into firewood) in audiences. Art critic Pierre Lambert
Pierre Lambert
Pierre Lambert was a French Trotskyist leader, who, for many years acted as the central leader of the French Courant Communiste Internationaliste which founded the Parti des Travailleurs.He was born in Paris to a family of Russian Jewish immigrants...
has stated that "Tytla's innate sense of force is revealed in all its magnitude in the creation of the character of Stromboli," and animation historian Charles Solomon refers to the puppet master as "the grandest of all Disney heavies", while John Canemaker
John Canemaker
John Cannizzaro Jr. , better known as John Canemaker, is an independent animator, animation historian, author, teacher and lecturer. In 1980, he began teaching and developing the animation program at New York University, Tisch School of the Arts', Kanbar Institute of Film and Television Department...
describes Stromboli as "an overweight monster of mercurial moods, capable of wine-soaked, garlic-breathed Old World charm one second, and knife-wielding, chop-you-up-for-firewood threats the next." William Paul drew some parallelism between Stromboli and studio bosses stating "It is not too difficult to regard Stromboli as burlesque of a Hollywood studio boss, complete with foreign accent. Disney's own relationship to the Hollywood power structure was always a difficult one, and his distrust of the moguls was well justified by his earliest experiences in the industry.
During the premiere of Pinocchio, Frank Thomas
Frank Thomas (animator)
Franklin M. "Frank" Thomas was an American animator. He was one of Walt Disney's team of animators known as the Nine Old Men....
sat in front of W. C. Fields
W. C. Fields
William Claude Dukenfield , better known as W. C. Fields, was an American comedian, actor, juggler and writer...
, who, upon Stromboli's entrance, muttered to whoever was with him that the puppet master "moves too much". Thomas felt the reason for this was that Stromboli was too big and powerful. Michael Barrier
Michael Barrier (historian)
Michael Barrier is an American animation historian. Barrier was the founder and editor of Funnyworld, the first magazine exclusively devoted to comics and animation. It began as a contribution to the CAPA-Alpha amateur press association...
agrees with Fields' criticism, considering Stromboli a "poorly conceived character" whose "passion has no roots... there is nothing in Stromboli of what could have made him truly terrifying." Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin is an American film and animated film critic and historian, author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives.-Personal life:...
disagrees, considering Pinocchio's encounter with the showman to be the wooden boy's "first taste of the seamy side of life... (Stromboli) tosses his hatchet into the remnants of another ragged marionette, now a pile of splinters and sawdust, a meekly smiling face the only reminder of its former 'life'." Though the character's traits are mostly Italian, characteristics such as Stromboli's facial expressions, obsession with wealth and long black 'goat's beard' have led to associations with Jewish stereotypes (particularly Hollywood moguls) and accusations of anti-Semitism.
In other media
- In Giuliano Cencis 1972 adaptation Un burattino di nome PinocchioUn burattino di nome PinocchioPinocchio is a 1972 Italian animated film adaptation of Carlo Collodi's The Adventures of Pinocchio.-Production:...
, Mangiafuoco's portrayal is completely true to the book in both design and personality. He is voiced by Michele Gammino.
- In the 1987 animated film Pinocchio and the Emperor of the NightPinocchio and the Emperor of the NightPinocchio and the Emperor of The Night is a 1987 animated film that was released on December 25, 1987 by New World Pictures. and is a unofficial sequel to Pinocchio . Created by the now defunct Filmation Studios, the movie underperformed at the box office, having a cost of $10 million but making...
, a similar character named Puppetino is a henchman to the Emperor, who is given the power to turn children into puppets, which he does to Pinocchio and a girl named Twinkle. He is later betrayed by the Emperor and is turned into a puppet himself and ends up getting burned.
- In the 1993 direct to video adaptation entitled Pinocchio from GoodTimes EntertainmentGoodTimes EntertainmentGoodTimes Entertainment, Ltd. was a home video company that originated in 1984 under the name of GoodTimes Home Video. Though it produced its own titles, the company was well-known due to its distribution of media from third parties and classics...
, Mangiafuoco, though left unnamed, is portrayed fairly accurately from the book, and generously gives Pinocchio gold coins.
- In Steve BarronSteve BarronSteven "Steve" Barron is a director and producer, best known for directing the films Coneheads , Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the innovative music videos for a-ha's "Take on Me" and Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean"....
s 1996 live action film The Adventures of Pinocchio, Mangiafuoco, who is played by Udo KierUdo KierUdo Kier is a German actor, known primarily for his work in horror and exploitation movies.-Early life:...
, is renamed Lorenzini, and is portrayed as the main antagonist of the film, who initially adopts Pinocchio into his puppet troupe. Lorenzini is addicted to chilli peppers, which is the cause of his "fiery" breath. After Pinocchio accidentally sets Lorenzini's theatre on fire, Lorenzini changes career and begins luring unruly children to Pleasure Island, taking on the role originally filled by The CoachmanThe CoachmanThe Coachman , also known as The Little Man , is a fictional character who appears in Carlo Collodi's book The Adventures of Pinocchio .-Role:...
. There, the children inevitably drink cursed water which turns them into donkeys. Lorenzini, during a struggle with Pinocchio, falls into the water and turns into a leviathan known as The Terrible DogfishThe Terrible DogfishThe Terrible Dogfish is a fictional sea monster which appears in Carlo Collodi's book The Adventures of Pinocchio . It is described as being larger than a five story building, a kilometre long and sporting a mouth with three rows of teeth that can easily accommodate a whole train...
.
- In the film GeppettoGeppetto (TV musical)Geppetto is a 2000 made-for-television remake of the popular children’s book The Adventures of Pinocchio starring Drew Carey and Julia Louis-Dreyfus...
(2000), a television film broadcast on The Wonderful World of Disney, Mangiafuoco (again named Stromboli) is played by Brent SpinerBrent SpinerBrent Jay Spiner is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of the android Lieutenant Commander Data in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and four subsequent films. His portrayal of Data in Star Trek: First Contact and of Dr...
. He is portrayed as a comic relief character and is not as evil as in the previous 1940s film, though he is, nonetheless, portrayed very differently to the original book character. He is shown to be a terrible puppeteer, who constantly argues with one of his hand puppets. Throughout the film, he attempts to capture PinocchioPinocchioThe Adventures of Pinocchio is a novel for children by Italian author Carlo Collodi, written in Florence. The first half was originally a serial between 1881 and 1883, and then later completed as a book for children in February 1883. It is about the mischievous adventures of Pinocchio , an...
in order to use him as a last resort to save his failing puppet show.
- In the film Shrek the ThirdShrek the ThirdShrek the Third is a 2007 American animated film, and the third film in the Shrek series. It was produced by Jeffrey Katzenberg for DreamWorks Animation, and is distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was released in U.S. theaters on May 18, 2007...
, a character similar to Mangiafuoco appears who refers to Pinocchio as his "star puppet" and is, like Disney's Stromboli, a villainous character. According to Prince Charming, "Stromboli's star puppet abandoned him to go look for his father". He only says one line- "I hate that little wooden puppet". Though he is not seen, his name is used in the title of the Shrek the Third (video game)Shrek the Third (video game)Shrek The Third is an action video game based on the 2007 DreamWorks Animation animated film of the same name, developed by 7 Studios, Gameloft, Amaze Entertainment and Vicarious Visions. The game was published by Activision on May 14, 2007 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, Wii, PC, Nintendo DS, and...
level "Stromboli's Workshop".
External links
- Stromboli in the Disney Archives - Villains