Main Cast: Arnold Stang, Conrad Jameson, Peter Lazer, Mavis Mims
Release Year: 1964
Country: US/BE
Run Time: 71 minutes
Plot
Pinocchio meets Nurtle the Twurtle after Gepetto changes the boy back into a puppet for insubordinate behavior in this animated sci-fi children's story. Nurtle and Pinocchio embark on a trip to Mars and battle the alien white whale Astro in hopes of saving the Earth from attack by the menacing space-mammal. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
Review
Pinocchio in Outer Space is actually a better little film than its title would indicate. In fact, it would be an even better film were Pinocchio taken out of the film altogether and simply replaced with a normal little boy with some sort of quest and fondness for space. There's really no point in having the main character be the famous puppet (other than to provide a name that has commercial appeal), and the details that relate to Pinocchio could easily have been altered. (This would also have avoided the rather troubling gimmick of stating that Pinocchio has been such a bad boy that he reverted back to a puppet from the human self he had become at the end of the original story.) Those who know Pinocchio from the famous 1940 classic will have trouble recognizing him, as he (understandably) bears no resemblance to the Disney version, but the character design, if bland, is still acceptable. Indeed, that applies to most of the character designs -- nothing to write home about and somewhat dull, but not bad. The animation is also pretty good -- not Disney level, but far above what was found on TV at the time. And the backgrounds are quite good, occasionally exceptional. It's the story and screenplay that are lacking (which will not bother the kids too much) but the same may not be true for the adults. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Kevin Kennedy; Minerva Pious; Norman Rose; Cliff Owen
Credit
Ray Goossens - Director, F. Leonard - Composer (Music Score), H. Dobelaere - Composer (Music Score), E. Schurmann - Composer (Music Score), Arthur Korb - Songwriter, Robert Sharp - Songwriter, Fred Ladd - Producer, Norm Prescott - Producer, Fred Landerman - Screenwriter, Carlo Collodi - Short Story Author
The talking cricket character was not present in this production. Instead, Pinocchio's sidekick was Nurtle, an alien turtle, voiced by Arnold Stang. Together they do battle against Astro, a marauding intergalactic whale.
