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February 7: The Disney Film That Flopped and Changed Cinema
How Pinocchio flopped before becoming a masterpiece
On February 7, 1940, Disney's Pinocchio premiered in New York City. It flopped at the box office but became one of the greatest animated films ever made.
Key Facts
Premiere Date
February 7, 1940 at the Center Theatre in New York City
Production Cost
$2.6 million, twice the budget of Snow White
Initial Box Office
Only earned $1.4 to $1.9 million in its first run
Academy Awards
First animated film to win competitive Oscars, taking home two
Signature Song
When You Wish Upon a Star became Disney's official anthem
Production Halt
Walt scrapped five months of work and restarted from scratch
Jiminy Cricket
Originally a realistic bug, redesigned into a little man with no ears
Pinocchio Redesign
Changed from a wooden wise guy to a sympathetic boy puppet
Rotten Tomatoes
Holds a perfect 100% rating decades later
National Film Registry
Added in 1994 as culturally and historically significant
About February 7: The Disney Film That Flopped and Changed Cinema
On February 7, 1940, Disney's Pinocchio premiered at the Center Theatre in New York City. Critics called it a masterpiece. Audiences stayed home. The film that nearly destroyed Walt Disney's studio became one of the most celebrated animated movies ever made.
Walt Threw Away Five Months of Work
After Snow White's success, Walt poured everything into Pinocchio. Five months in, he watched the rough animation and hated it. Pinocchio looked like a wooden wise guy with a long nose and sarcastic attitude. Nobody could sympathize with him. Walt scrapped everything and started over from scratch.
A Realistic Bug Became Disney's Conscience
The original Jiminy Cricket looked like an actual insect with toothed legs and waving antennae. Animator Ward Kimball redesigned him into a little man with no ears. That was the only insect thing about him. Walt wanted someone audiences could love, not squash.
The Voice That Defined Disney Forever
Songwriters Leigh Harline and Ned Washington delivered When You Wish Upon a Star in autumn 1938. Singer Cliff Edwards, known as Ukulele Ike, recorded a test version so perfect it became the final recording. Walt chose his warm jazz voice over an operatic singer, defining Disney's sound for generations.
A Box Office Disaster Turned Masterpiece
Pinocchio cost $2.6 million, twice Snow White's budget. World War II cut off European and Asian markets. The film earned barely $1.4 million initially. Walt was devastated. After its 1945 rerelease, audiences finally discovered what critics always knew. Today it holds a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Premiere Night Nobody Forgot
Walt hired eleven little people to stand on the theater marquee dressed as Pinocchio characters with food and wine for the day. By afternoon the marquee grew unbearably hot. The performers drank all the wine early, creating Disney's most infamous premiere moment and the studio's first public relations disaster.
The Song That Became Disney's Anthem
Pinocchio became the first animated film to win competitive Academy Awards, taking Best Original Score and Best Original Song. When You Wish Upon a Star grew beyond the movie to become Disney's corporate anthem. Every time that melody plays before a Disney film, it traces back to a jazz singer, a tiny cricket, and a movie the world almost never saw.
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Historical Analysis
⚡Historical Significance
- •
Pinocchio proved that feature length animation could achieve technical and artistic excellence beyond what Snow White had established just three years earlier.
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Walt Disney's decision to scrap five months of work and restart production set a standard for creative perfectionism that defined the studio's culture for decades.
- •
The film pioneered effects animation techniques for natural elements like rain, water, lightning, and shadow that influenced animation for generations.
📝Critical Reception
- •
Critics immediately recognized Pinocchio as a masterpiece upon its 1940 premiere, praising its technical innovation and emotional storytelling even as audiences initially stayed away.
- •
The film maintains a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, confirming that critical opinion has only grown stronger over the decades.
- •
Animation historians consider Pinocchio the high point of Disney's golden age, with effects animation that remained unmatched for decades.
🌍Cultural Impact
- •
When You Wish Upon a Star transcended the film to become Disney's corporate anthem, playing before every Disney movie and throughout every theme park worldwide.
- •
Jiminy Cricket evolved from a minor character in the original story into one of Disney's most beloved icons and the face of the studio's educational campaigns.
- •
The film's initial box office failure taught Hollywood that great art sometimes needs time to find its audience, influencing how studios approach rerelease strategies.
Before & After
📅Before
Before Pinocchio's premiere on February 7, 1940, Disney had only released one feature film. Animation was still considered a novelty. No animated feature had ever won a competitive Academy Award, and the idea that a cartoon could achieve artistic greatness equal to live action films was far from established.
🚀After
After Pinocchio, Disney had proven that animated features could win major Academy Awards and achieve artistic recognition alongside the best live action films. When You Wish Upon a Star became one of the most recognized melodies in the world, and the film's eventual success showed that timeless storytelling always finds its audience.
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Did You Know?
•
Walt Disney scrapped five months of Pinocchio animation and restarted from scratch
•
Jiminy Cricket's final design had no insect features except for the absence of ears
•
Cliff Edwards recorded When You Wish Upon a Star in one perfect test take
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The film cost $2.6 million in 1940, equivalent to over $100 million today
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Pinocchio was the first animated film to win competitive Academy Awards
•
The premiere marquee stunt became Disney's very first public relations disaster
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Why It Still Matters Today
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When You Wish Upon a Star remains Disney's signature melody, instantly recognizable to billions of people worldwide
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The film holds a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and sits in the National Film Registry as culturally significant
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Walt's decision to restart production rather than settle for mediocrity became a defining principle of Disney's creative philosophy
•
Pinocchio proved that initial commercial failure does not determine a film's lasting cultural value
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The character of Jiminy Cricket as a moral conscience became a cultural archetype referenced across entertainment and education
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Test Your Knowledge
How much do you know? Take this quick quiz to find out!
1. Why did Walt Disney scrap five months of Pinocchio animation?
2. What made Pinocchio historically significant at the Academy Awards?
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Original Insights
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The original Jiminy Cricket was a realistic insect that Walt Disney found too ugly for audiences to connect with emotionally
•
Cliff Edwards' casual jazz recording was never meant to be the final version of When You Wish Upon a Star but was so charming it replaced the planned operatic performance
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Walt Disney hired eleven little people for a marquee promotion that became the studio's first ever public relations disaster
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Pinocchio's $2.6 million budget in 1940 would equal over $100 million today, making its initial box office failure devastating for the young studio
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The film only became profitable five years after its premiere, proving that masterpieces sometimes need a second chance with audiences
Frequently Asked Questions
Pinocchio premiered on February 7, 1940 at the Center Theatre in New York City. It went into wide release on February 23, 1940. Despite critical acclaim, the film initially flopped at the box office due to World War II cutting off international markets.
This article is reviewed by the Pagefacts team.
Editorial Approach:
This article reveals how Disney's Pinocchio went from a scrapped production and box office disaster to one of cinema's greatest achievements, focusing on the bold creative decisions, the accidental jazz recording that became Disney's anthem, and the infamous premiere night that nobody expected.
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