The Coachman
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The Coachman (), also known as The Little Man (, or more precisely ), is a fictional character and a major
antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist and is often depicted as a villain.Carlo Collodi Carlo Lorenzini (; 24 November 1826 – 26 October 1890), better known by the pen name Carlo Collodi ( ; ), was an Italian author, humourist, and journalist, widely known for his fairy tale novel '' The Adventures of Pinocchio''. Early lif ...
's 1883 book ''
The Adventures of Pinocchio ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' ( ; , i.e. "The Adventures of Pinocchio. Story of a Puppet"), commonly shortened to ''Pinocchio'', is an 1883 Children's literature, children's fantasy novel by Italian author Carlo Collodi. It is about the mischi ...
'' (), in which he appears in chapters XXXI and XXXIII.


Description

The Coachman, thanks to his mellifluous manners and his convincing and reassuring voice, lures lazy boys onto his coach. The coach is pulled by a team of twenty-four
donkey The donkey or ass is a domesticated equine. It derives from the African wild ass, ''Equus africanus'', and may be classified either as a subspecies thereof, ''Equus africanus asinus'', or as a separate species, ''Equus asinus''. It was domes ...
s, to take the boys to the Land of Toys. It is a place where every child can have fun, without having to listen to adults. The coach has wrapped wheels so as not to make noise (and therefore not to be discovered) and the donkeys, instead of being shod, have white boots on their feet. He is described by Collodi as: "a little man, broader than he is tall, tender and greasy like a ball of butter, with a rosy face, a small, constantly laughing mouth and a thin, adorable voice of a cat wishing all the best to its master". He is a diabolical, perverse and sometimes even sadistic character: to punish his donkeys he bites off their ears. While the coach speeds towards the Land of Toys the coachman sings: "All night they sleep / and I never sleep...". After five months of plentiful toys and entertainment, the boys (including
Pinocchio Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel, ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a poor man named Geppetto in a Tuscan vil ...
and Candlewick) are transformed into donkeys. Subsequently Collodi explains that the Coachman's job is to take children to the Land of Toys, await their transformation into donkeys and sell them at fairs and markets, a job that has made him a millionaire in just a few years.


In other media

*The Coachman appears in the 1940 film adaptation by
Walt Disney Productions The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...
, in which he is voiced by Charles Judels with a
Cockney Cockney is a dialect of the English language, mainly spoken in London and its environs, particularly by Londoners with working-class and lower middle class roots. The term ''Cockney'' is also used as a demonym for a person from the East End, ...
accent. He is an evil man or humanoid creature who first appears in the Red Lobster Inn with Honest John and Gideon, to whom he proposes, by offering them a large salary, to bring him some listless children to take to Pleasure Island, a place that arouses fear in the two scoundrels. The Coachman is also served by silhouetted minions with
ape Apes (collectively Hominoidea ) are a superfamily of Old World simians native to sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia (though they were more widespread in Africa, most of Asia, and Europe in prehistory, and counting humans are found global ...
-like arms. In the film the Coachman's fate is unknown, but in a deleted scene, the Coachman notices Pinocchio's escape and hires Honest John and Gideon to apprehend him dead or alive, but the two are stopped and arrested by the ''
carabinieri The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign poli ...
''. In the video game adaptation, he hinders Pinocchio's escape as a boss and is kicked off a cliff. * The Coachman appears in
Giuliano Cenci Giuliano Cenci (Florence, 10 August 1931 - Florence, 12 April 2018) was an Italian animated film director. Biography In 1949 he obtained the Diploma of Artistic Maturity at the Art School of Florence. Still a student, he began working in the g ...
's 1972 animated film ''
The Adventures of Pinocchio ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' ( ; , i.e. "The Adventures of Pinocchio. Story of a Puppet"), commonly shortened to ''Pinocchio'', is an 1883 Children's literature, children's fantasy novel by Italian author Carlo Collodi. It is about the mischi ...
'', voiced by Gianni Bonagura in the original Italian version (the English voice dubber is uncredited). He is portrayed more closely to the book than his Disney counterpart. The Coachman works alone and is portrayed as an effeminate and alluring character with a high-pitched voice, who easily tricks Pinocchio and Candlewick into coming to the Land of Toys. However, his punishment for disobedient donkeys is omitted. * In
Luigi Comencini Luigi Comencini (; 8 June 1916 – 6 April 2007) was an Italian film director. Together with Dino Risi, Ettore Scola, and Mario Monicelli, he was considered among the masters of the "commedia all'italiana" genre. His daughters Cristina Comencin ...
's 1972 miniseries, the Coachman is portrayed by Riccardo Billi and has a melancholy appearance. This is the only adaptation that retains the Coachman's punishment for donkeys. * In the 1972 anime series episode "Pleasureland", Clarissa, the poppy witch and sworn enemy of the Oak Fairy, takes on the Coachman's role. She takes the form of a little girl to lure rascals into Pleasureland where she led them into her malevolent dimension of torture and horror. * In
Steve Barron Steven Barron (born 4 May 1956) is an Irish-British filmmaker and music video director. Among the music videos he has directed are "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson, " Burning Up (Madonna song), Burnin Up" by Madonna, "Summer of '69" and "Run t ...
's 1996 film, the character's role is merged with that of Mangiafuoco and
The Terrible Dogfish The Terrible Dogfish () is a Squalidae, dogfish-like Sea monster, sea-monster, which appears in Carlo Collodi's 1883 book ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (''Le avventure di Pinocchio'') as the final antagonist. It is described as being larger tha ...
into Lorenzini, portrayed by Udo Kier. Pinocchio accidentally sets Lorenzini's theater on fire, causing Lorenzini to change career and begin luring unruly children to Terra Magica where the children inevitably drink cursed water, turning them into donkeys. During a struggle with Pinocchio, Lorenzini falls into the water and turns into a sea monster, which swims out to the ocean. **In ''
Geppetto Geppetto ( ; ) is a fictional character in the 1883 Italian novel ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' by Carlo Collodi. Geppetto is an elderly, impoverished woodcarver and the creator (and thus 'father') of Pinocchio. He wears a yellow wig resemblin ...
'', the Coachman is replaced by a Pleasure Island ringmaster (portrayed by Usher). He manages to escape retribution despite Geppetto discovering his plan. **The Coachman cameos in the ''
House of Mouse ''Disney's House of Mouse'' (or simply ''House of Mouse'') is an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation that originally aired on American Broadcasting Company, ABC and Toon Disney from January 13, 2001 ...
'' episode " Mickey vs. Shelby", as an audience member sitting with Honest John and Gideon. * In Roberto Benigni's 2002 film, the Coachman, portrayed by Luis Molteni (voiced by Erik Bergmann in the English dub), is depicted in a similar manner to Cenci's adaptation. In this version, his clients are made aware of how he provides the donkeys, themselves witnessing the transformation of the boys when they are asleep. * In the Compagnia della Rancia's 2003 musical, the Coachman is reimagined as a school bus driver, just as the Land of Toys is reimagined as a school (called "Dunce High School"). In this version he is also the director of the circus where Pinocchio and the other children, transformed into donkeys, are made to perform. * In the 2004 animated film '' Pinocchio 3000'', the Coachman and Mangiafuoco are merged to form the film's main antagonist Mayor Scamboli. A rich robotics tycoon who hates noisy children and the nature they so protect, he has a playground built at the suggestion of his beloved daughter to keep them out of his way. Then inspired by a remark by Pinocchio, he modifies one of the attractions to transform children into robots, into which he also introduces Geppetto, his rival and adversary. * In the 2007 animated film ''Bentornato Pinocchio'', the Coachman (voiced by Vittorio Amandola) is the main antagonist and, after avoiding his punishment, hires the Cat and the Fox to take revenge on Pinocchio and kidnap
Santa Claus Santa Claus (also known as Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or Santa) is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Chris ...
. At the end of the film, the man is punished by the Blue Fairy: he ends up transformed into a stick of butter and eaten by the villagers. * In the 2013 French miniseries, the Coachman, portrayed by Axel Neumann, is represented faithfully to the novel, except for his more tramp-like appearance and the magic whip that allows him to transform children into donkeys. When Pinocchio and his friends escape the circus director to whom the man is indebted, he sets out to look for them, finding Pinocchio's two friends (who have returned to normal with him) on the beach and tries to kidnap them, but Geppetto's neighbors arrive to save them, breaking his whip and consequently his curse. * In Matteo Garrone's 2019 film, the Coachman is portrayed by in a manner faithful to his book counterpart, while his English dub voice is provided by
Giancarlo Magalli Giancarlo Magalli (born 5 July 1947) is an Italian television writer, presenter and actor. Life and career Born in Rome, Magalli studied at the Massimiliano Massimo Institute, Istituto Massimiliano Massimo, having Mario Draghi and Luca Corde ...
. ** Luke Evans portrays the Coachman in the 2022 live-action remake of the 1940 animated film. He appears younger and shabbier than the original film, has his own song, and, similarly to the video game, pursues Pinocchio when he tries to escape, then believing him dead when he dives from a cliff. * In
Guillermo del Toro Guillermo del Toro Gómez (; born 9 October 1964) is a Mexican filmmaker, author, and artist. His work has been characterized by a strong connection to fairy tales, Gothic fiction, gothicism and horror fiction, horror often blending the genres ...
's 2022 stop-motion animated film, the Coachman's role is taken by the
Podestà (), also potestate or podesta in English, was the name given to the holder of the highest civil office in the government of the cities of central and northern Italy during the Late Middle Ages. Sometimes, it meant the chief magistrate of a c ...
(voiced by
Ron Perlman Ronald N. Perlman (born April 13, 1950) is an American actor. His credits include the roles of Amoukar in ''Quest for Fire (film), Quest for Fire'' (1981), Salvatore in ''The Name of the Rose (film), The Name of the Rose'' (1986), Vincent in th ...
),
Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...
's officer in Geppetto's village and Candlewick's stern father. Parallel to how the Coachman wanted to profit from the children he transformed into donkeys, the Podestà wants to turn children, especially his son and the immortal Pinocchio, into soldiers at an elite youth training camp. He is later killed when an Allied airplane bombs the camp.


Bibliography

* Collodi, ''Le Avventure di Pinocchio'' 1883, Biblioteca Universale Rizzoli


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coachman, The Pinocchio characters Fictional businesspeople Fictional child abusers Fictional kidnappers Fictional Italian people in literature Fictional slave owners Literary characters introduced in 1883 Male characters in literature Male literary villains