This is no lie: Pinocchio is one of the most popular characters in children’s literature.
It’s true, the little wooden puppet with a penchant for lying has become an Italian icon and now the subject of a local exhibition. The Italian American Museum of Los Angeles recently opened “A Real Boy: The Many Lives of Pinocchio,” which uses hundreds of items such as vintage toys, puppets, sketches and a very rare book to explore the cultural origins, adaptations and enduring appeal of Pinocchio.
“The exhibition asks the question of why is this book, that was written in the 1880s as a morality tale for Italian children, why has it remained so popular today,” said Marianna Gatto, director and co-founder of the downtown Los Angeles museum during a preview of the exhibition, which opened to the public earlier this month and runs through Oct. 16, 2023.
Written in 1883 by Italian author Carlo Collodi, “The Adventures of Pinocchio,” tells the story of Pinocchio, a puppet constructed by a woodcarver named Geppetto. Pinocchio magically comes to life and has a nose that grows every time he tells a lie. Though he can walk and talk, he’s still made out of wood, and dreams of becoming a real boy.
The story has been translated into more than 260 languages, “more languages than any other book besides the Bible,” Gatto noted.
One of the rarest items in the exhibition is a first edition Italian-language version of “Le avventure di Pinocchio,” one of only six copies of the book that remain.
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A glass case hanging on the wall shows the worldwide appeal with a display of various translations of Collodi’s story. It includes about 20 books written in languages ranging from Indonesian to Arabic to Swahili to Vietnamese and English and Spanish.
“What I think is fascinating is that each of these places makes Pinocchio theirs,” Gatto said. “He’s adapted to suit their audience.”
Pinocchio was also featured in animated films, most notably Walt Disney Productions’ 1940 movie “Pinocchio,” which was only the second film made by Disney. More recently, Tom Hanks stars as Geppetto in the live action and CGI remake of the film, which is currently streaming on Disney+.
“Disney really popularized the tale among American audiences,” Gatto said.
At the exhibition, which occupies two rooms of the 6,000 square-foot museum, guests will see a studio sketch for Pinocchio from the original Disney film that includes notes from the artists and instructions for the film’s production, as well as an animation cell from the same film depicting Jiminy Cricket.
There are puppets on display as well, including handmade Pinocchio marionettes created by several artists, including one made by the late Los Angeles-based puppeteer Bob Baker for his Bob Baker Marionette Theater.
The exhibition continues to cover the scope of the character’s cultural popularity by exhibiting items like a Pinocchio-themed board game, a paper towel holder, which uses the puppets long nose to hold the roll of paper towels, a faucet, salt shaker and lunch box from the ’60s.
“I think the story resonates with all of us and everybody has their own interpretation of it, but mine is that Pinocchio really submitted to the fire of transformation,” Gatto said. “He goes through what is so scary to all of us, kind of facing our demons and hopefully becoming a better person.”
“A Real Boy: The Many Lives of Pinocchio”
When: 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday Nov. 5-Oct. 16 2023
Where: Italian American Museum of Los Angeles, 644 North Main St., Los Angeles
Cost: Admission is free
Information: 213- 485-8432 or iamla.org