Original production animation drawing in graphite and blue pencils of the Blue Fairy from "Pinocchio," 1940, Walt Disney Studios; Numbered 45 and production numbers stamp lower right; Size - Blue Fairy: 7 1/4 x 5", Sheet: 12 1/2 x 15 1/2"; Unframed.
“As I live and breathe... A fairy!”
―Jiminy Cricket upon witnessing the Blue Fairy for the first time
"Pinocchio,"
1940 was the second animated feature film produced by Disney, and
followed on the success of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." 1937. It
was released to theaters by RKO Radio Pictures on February 23, 1940 and
was based on the Italian children's novel "The Adventures of Pinocchio"
by Carlo Collodi. The general plot of the film involves an old
wood-carver named Geppetto, who carves a wooden puppet that he names
Pinocchio. One night the puppet is brought to life by the Blue Fairy,
who informs him that he can become a real boy if he proves himself to be
"brave, truthful, and unselfish". Pinocchio's journey to become a real
boy is challenged by his encounters with an array of scrupulous
characters.
"Pinocchio"
became the first animated feature to win an Academy Award; it won for
both Best Music - Original Score and for Best Music - Original Song for
"When You Wish Upon A Star." Most critics and audiences agree that
"Pinocchio" is among the finest Disney features ever made, and one of
the greatest animated films of all time. In 1994, it was added to the
United States National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically,
or aesthetically significant."
Due
to the huge success of "Snow White," Walt Disney wanted more famous
voice actors for "Pinocchio." He cast popular singer Cliff Edwards (who
had made the first record selling over a million copies) as Jiminy
Cricket. Disney also wanted the character of Pinocchio to be voiced by a
real child. The role ended up going to twelve year old actor Dickie
Jones, who had previously been in Frank Capra's enormous Hollywood hit,
"Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."
Animation
began in September 1938 and just as in "Snow White," live-action
footage was shot for "Pinocchio" with the actors playing the scenes;
which was supervised by Hamilton Luske. The animators then used the
footage as a guide for their animation drawings by studying the human
movement and then incorporating many of those poses and scenes. The
title character was animated by Milt Kahl (initial design), Frank
Thomas, and Ollie Johnston. "When I was doing Pinocchio," Johnston said,
"I thought of the character being real, a living person, not a
drawing."
In
a story meeting for the upcoming film "Pinocchio" on January 12, 1939,
Walt Disney stated that the Blue Fairy was to "give the appearance of
loveliness... (but not look like) a glamour girl." The early model
sheets and preliminary sketches reflect this idea, depicting the
character as an ethereal beauty with swirling, billowing clothes and
loose, unkempt hair (to reflect the fact that the fairy has literally
flown into the scene). At some point in development, the design was
changed to a less ethereal figure with human proportions. This final
version of the character, with her glittery dress, solid hair, and more
human proportions, suggested the inspiration of Jean Harlow (the
American actress and sex symbol of the 1930's who was dubbed the "Blond
Bombshell") and thus ultimately resembling the 'glamour girl' Walt
Disney had initially tried to avoid. However, Disney seemed pleased with
this version of the character, whose newly-found sexual allure worked
on both Jiminy Cricket and the male animators working on the film, who
reportedly whistled on first seeing a color test of the Blue Fairy.
Close up of the Blue Fairy drawing.
Jack
Campbell's animation of the Blue Fairy closely followed live-action
footage of Marge Champion (who was also the performance model for Snow
White) under the direction of Hamilton Luske. The Blue Fairy, was the
only female character (besides Cleo the fish) in the film "Pinocchio"
and was voiced by Evelyn Venable, an American actress. Evelyn was also
the model for the first ever Columbia Pictures Torch Lady.
Oskar
Fischinger, a famous abstract filmmaker from Germany, who had been
hired by Disney primarily to help with "Fantasia's" opening sequence of
Toccata and Fugue in D Minor composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. The
segment consisted of live-action of the orchestra playing the piece,
illuminated by abstract light patterns set in time to the music and
backed by stylized and superimposed shadows. Fischinger went on to be
responsible for animation of the Blue Fairy's magic, including the
effects surrounding her when she first enters Geppetto's workshop and
the beams of light emanating from the Blue Fairy's wand.
This
drawing is an absolute perfect image of the Blue Fairy. Her mouth and eyes are open, her pair of wings are visible as is her wand (with a
little bit of shading for the magic around the star). In addition, her
flowing gown is drawn beautifully and this would be a great addition to any vintage animation art collection!
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