Jiminy Cricket is the Disney version of the Talking Cricket, a fictional character created by Italian writer Carlo Collodi for his 1883 children's book The Adventures of Pinocchio, which Walt Disney adapted into the animated film Pinocchio in 1940.[6] Originally an unnamed, minor character in Collodi's novel who is killed by Pinocchio before returning as a ghost, he was transformed for the Disney adaptation into a comical and wisecracking partner who accompanies Pinocchio on his adventures, having been appointed by the Blue Fairy (known in the book as the "Fairy with Turquoise Hair") to serve as Pinocchio's official conscience. In the film, he sings "When You Wish Upon a Star", the Walt Disney Company's signature song, and "Give a Little Whistle".
Jiminy Cricket's appearance bears little resemblance to that of actual crickets, which range from black to light brown and have long antennae and six legs; Jiminy Cricket has short antennae, a brownish-olive hue, and four limbs. Like most Disney characterizations, he is bipedal. He dresses in the manner of a 19th or early 20th-century gentleman, characteristically wearing a blue top hat and a white dress shirt with an orange vest over a black jacket along with a yellow tie and khaki slacks with blue and yellow spats and carrying a burgundy umbrella and wears gloves similar to what Mickey Mouse wears. Since his debut in Pinocchio, he has become an iconic Disney character, making numerous other appearances, including in Fun and Fancy Free (1947) as the host and in Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983) as the Ghost of Christmas Past.
Background
Origin of name
"Jiminy", along with variants "Jiminy Christmas" and "Jiminy cricket", have been used as minced oaths for "Jesus Christ" since at least 1803.[7] "Jiminy Cricket!" was uttered in Pinocchio's immediate Disney predecessor, 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by the seven dwarfs. It also occurs in the 1938 Mickey Mouse cartoon "Brave Little Tailor".
Creation
Jiminy Cricket was designed by Ward Kimball, who was disappointed and about to leave the Disney studio when much of the work he did for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was cut from the final version of that film. Walt Disney persuaded Kimball to stay by assigning him to supervise the animation of Jiminy Cricket.[8][9]
Role in Pinocchio
Jiminy Cricket begins by narrating the story, commenting that seeking refuge he came to Geppetto's house. There, he witnessed how the Blue Fairy gave life to Pinocchio, a wooden puppet. The Blue Fairy gives Jiminy the task of becoming Pinocchio's conscience, and teaching him to distinguish between good and evil so that one day he will become a real boy.
But the next day, Pinocchio is convinced by two con men Honest John and Gideon not to go to school and become an artist, without listening to Jiminy's warnings. They sell Pinocchio to Stromboli, a puppeteer who, after putting on a great show with the wooden boy, ends up locking him in a cage. Jiminy tries to unlock the cage without success, but at that moment the Blue Fairy arrives and frees Pinocchio.
Pinocchio and Jiminy return home, but on the way, Pinocchio is tricked again by Honest John and Gideon, who convince him to go to Pleasure Island, a place where kids do whatever they want no matter how bad it is. Jiminy tries to get Pinocchio to leave that place with him, but Pinocchio ignores it, wanting to stay with Lampwick, a boy who convinces Pinocchio to do things he shouldn't and who constantly makes fun of Jiminy, who angrily leaves the place alone. However, Jiminy discovers that all the children on the island have been turned into donkeys by an evil Coachman, and when he runs to tell Pinocchio, he sees that the same thing is happening to the puppet, already having two ears and a tail. They both run out of the place before the transformation is complete.
They both finally return to Geppetto's house, but find it empty and deserted. They discover that Geppetto left to look for Pinocchio on Pleasure Island,[11]
In other media
Records
Cliff Edwards (as Jiminy) performed the narration for several 78 RPM children's records. Two of them were Bongo (originally part of the animated feature Fun and Fancy Free) and The Littlest Outlaw. He also produced some children's records simply as Cliff Edwards, including "Old MacDonald Had a Farm".
On the album Walt Disney's Christmas Favorites, Jiminy Cricket sang the yuletide song "Kris, Kris Kringle (With A Tingle-Ingle-Ingle)" in a vaudevillian Tin Pan Alley style, first singing the song straight, and the second time speaking half of the song in rhythm. He ended the song by wishing everyone a "Merry Christmas".[12]
Radio
The character was a regular guest on The Orson Welles Show in 1941–42, frequently bantering with its host. Jiminy himself hosted a one-hour segment ABC Radio special in 1947, improbably concerning the year 1960.[13]
Disney park appearances
Jiminy Cricket appears at the Disney Parks as a meetable character, most prominently at Disney's Animal Kingdom at Rafiki's Planet Watch. His signature features the 'J' as an umbrella.[26]
He also appears in Pinocchio's Daring Journey, a dark ride themed to the film from which he originated.
A minuscule version of him can also be spotted on the It's a Small World ride in Disneyland.
He and the Blue Fairy were the hosts of the Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams fireworks display at the Magic Kingdom theme park.[27]
Jiminy also hosts the Nighttime parade, SpectroMagic in the Magic Kingdom (replaced in early 2010 for an updated version of the Main Street Electrical Parade).[28]
International performers
- Roger Carel (French)
- Georg Thomalla (German, film)
- Carlo Romano (Italian, film)
- Masashi Ebara (Japanese, Pony Canyon edition of the film)
- Kaneta Kimotsuki (Japanese, all other appearances until his death in 2016)
- Yōhei Tadano (Japanese, Kingdom Hearts III)
- John Price (Danish, 1940 version of the film)
- Olaf Wijnants (Dutch, 1995 version of the singing role of the film)
- Ove Sprogøe (Danish, 1978 version of the film as well as "From all of us to all of you")
- Pablo Palitos (Spanish in Latin America Version)
References
- Sandra Brennan. Clarence Nash – Biography The New York Times, 2016^
- Bruce Folkart. 50-Year Career: Clarence Nash, Donald Duck's Voice, Dies Los Angeles Times, February 21, 1985^
- Pinocchio read along w cassette, Disney. Paperback Swap, retrieved August 14, 2020