Pinocchio Gets Spruced Up For His 70th Anniversary

Pinocchio is about to hit our stores again to celebrate his 70th anniversary; making it truly a Disney classic which has stood the test of time. Fans of the wooden puppet who dreams of being a real boy will want to pick up the Platinum Blu-ray or DVD edition before it heads back to the vault.

Animators at Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment have been hard at work digitally remastering this classic tale, and they’ve even come up with a new idea to get rid of those black bars that appear on either side of the movie when watched on a widescreen TV. Animator Toby Bluth was charged with creating ‘decorative’ bars that will exclusively frame the Blu-ray Disc version of Pinocchio. Bluth created 16 sets of decorative bars that are displayed during the movie.

“It supports the film and is at most an accompaniment,” said Bluth. “There aren’t any panels that distract from the film. They are like theatrical set pieces framing the action.”

If you have plans to visit Walt Disney World in the coming weeks then you will be able to celebrate Pinocchio’s anniversary at “Pinocchio’s Marionette Garden Party,” which has been set up just inside the front gate of the Magic Kingdom. Guests will get a chance to meet the wooden toy who became a living boy. Pinocchio will pose for photos and sign autographs, but guests will also receive sheets of temporary tattoos that include images of Pinocchio, Jiminy Crickett, the Blue Fairy, Figaro the cat and Cleo the fish.

Of course, those tattoos — along with signs around the garden party — make sure to include the helpful reminder that the 70th anniversary edition of the animated film will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on Tuesday! A Disney spokeswoman has said that the Pinocchio meet-and-greet will be in place until April 3.

Pick up a copy of Pinocchio (2-Disc 70th Anniversary Platinum Edition + Standard DVD) [Blu-ray]