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StromboliCharacter"The old fat gypsy faker" and "Master Showman", Stromboli is one of the antagonist characters presented in the Pinocchio (1940) Disney film. He is a known puppeteer whose main concern is to earn a lot of money. So, when Honest John and Gideon shows Pinocchio to him, he is pleased to buy the wooden boy, thinking that it's a profitable business. Proud of his new acquisition, Stromboli opens the show with it, announcing out loud in front of the people crowded together: "the only marionette who can sing and dance absolutely without the aids of the strings." Stromboli organizes and leads the band as a true foreman, proving that he is doing great in his business, as long as he knows that good money will come out of it. At first he seems to be fun and pleasant, but instead he is short-tempered, dishonest and selfish. While Pinocchio performs "I've got no strings" but starts badly by stumbling and falling on stage, Stromboli gets angry initially, loses his temper, starts to swear in Italian language and even admonishes and threatens the boy in the middle of the show. However, after he figures out that the public is enjoying the spectacle he gets a grip on himself and impels Pinocchio to continue the representation. At the end of the act, Stromboli walks happy and fulfilled onto the stage receiving money and standing ovations from the public. The same evening when he gets home he starts to count the considerable amount of money he gained during the day and, being very satisfied with the result tends to overpraise Pinocchio: "You are sensational! You are colossal!" On the other hand, Stromboli character is sneaky and deceitful. He gives to the boy a metal ring without any value, pretending it's a kind of reward and a sign of appreciation for his efforts: "For you, my little Pinocchio." Yet when Pinocchio wants to go back home at Geppetto, Stromboli traps him in a cage and keeps him locked in there to make sure that his new attraction of the show doesn't run away: "There, this will be your home, where I can find you always." Being so greedy, his dream is to exploit and take advantage of the "wooden gold mine", promote his show in all the world's big capitals and earn lots and lots of money. He also proves to be brutal and heartless when, without any scruples says that the only thing Pinocchio would be good at when he grows too old to perform will be "firewood!" After the Blue Fairy saves the boy, Stromboli is not shown anymore in the film but we can presume that his reaction to Pinocchio's disappearance had been some kind of nervous breakdown.Stromboli pictures with quotes |
