Delightful Rankin/Bass animated short incorporates wooden "boy", Pinocchio, made from wood in the "haunted" enchanted forest, and his "father"/maker, Papa Geppeto (voiced by George S Irving) into a splendid Christmas setting, with other memorable characters including the sly, conniving Fox (expertly voiced by Allen Swift who made a living doing voices for a variety of characters in the 70s) and his put-upon partner in crime, Feline (Patricia Bright), as well as, grumpy puppeteer Maestro Fire-Eater (hilariously essayed to us through the crackling roughly-hewn voice of Alan King) and Cricket (Bob McFadden; another master voice-over specialist). Fox and Feline trick Pinocchio into burying his little bit of change for a supposed huge payday (stealing it from him in the process when he's away), and Maestro Fire-Eater convinces Pinocchio to be the star marionette in his comic showcase for villagers for money he could use to help his poor father. But when Pinocchio is told by Maestro that girl puppet, Juliette, will be turned into an animal, he snatches her away and heads for the enchanted forest. Meanwhile Maestro tosses away a puppet he crafted in the form of Pinocchio, and Geppeto believes his son is no more once he finds him abandoned on a cold street sidewalk. Pinocchio is then manipulated by Fox and Feline to join a cohort of theirs (believing it is a trip to the North Pole), learning he is to be a "toy" for a wealthy man's children. Being a living toy is a novelty, but Pinocchio tries to talk sense into the father who seems perfectly fine with taking him from his home and leaving his children on a business trip. This Christmas special even has Pinocchio getting a ride with Santa in his sleigh, led by his reindeer, back home, and we are introduced to the fairy that gave him life in the Enchanted Forest and could very well bring to life, Juliette, the girl puppet he rescued from being turned into another character by Maestro. With some excellent animation, and a clever means for including a storybook classic literary and Disney character into the Christmas season, "Pinocchio's Christmas" is a real treat that I think will surprise fans of Rankin/Bass. This is a real find if you come across it in a Christmas Classics set. Prepare to be surprised. Some really good voice-over work only adds to the value of this fun gem. This is framed as a series of adventures and lessons for Pinocchio (who misbehaves, a lot instigated by Fox and Feline who are always up to something to benefit themselves)during Christmastime and that framework keeps it from ever getting boring. Kids (and adults who grew up during this time) should really love it.
Review of Pinocchio's Christmas
