Candlewick (character)

Candlewick
The Adventures of Pinocchio character
Lucignolo, as illustrated by Enrico Mazzanti
First appearance	The Adventures of Pinocchio
Created by	Carlo Collodi
In-universe information
Alias	Romeo
Gender	Male
Nationality	Italian

Candlewick (Italian: Lucignolo, which can also translate to "Lampwick") is a fictional character who appears in Carlo Collodi's book The Adventures of Pinocchio (Le avventure di Pinocchio).

Role

Candlewick is introduced in chapter XXX. His real name is Romeo, though he is given his nickname on account of his slender, polished build. He is described as the most unruly of Pinocchio’s class, though he is the puppet’s best friend. He refuses Pinocchio’s invitation to a party celebrating his upcoming transformation into a real boy, and persuades the puppet to instead come with him to the Land of Toys (Paese dei Balocchi), where education and study are nonexistent. The two are transported to the Land of Toys by The Coachman, and spend their days indulging in play and idleness. After five months, both of them awake with donkey ears, which they conceal with tall caps. The two are reluctant to admit their condition to each other, but after some coaxing, they simultaneously remove their caps and laugh at each other. Their laughter soon turns to animal brayings and the two transform into a pair of donkeys. While Pinocchio is sold to a circus ringleader, Candlewick is sold to a farmer who makes him work at a water mill. In a later chapter, Pinocchio is sold to a drummer who attempts to drown the donkey in order to skin his hide and use it to make his drum. The man is then surprised that instead of finding a dead donkey, he sees Pinocchio who says the fish ate away at all his donkey skin.

Pinocchio and Candlewick meet again in chapter XXXVI, where it is revealed that Candlewick is dying from exhaustion. Pinocchio, now returned to normal, temporarily takes on Candlewick's job of doing farm work, and is laughed at when he reveals to Candlewick's owner that he went to school with the animal. Candlewick dies from exhaustion not long after.

Adaptations

He also appeared in Walt Disney's 1940 adaptation of Pinocchio, where Candlewick is given the alternate translation of his name, Lampwick, and is voiced by Frankie Darro as a human and Clarence Nash in his donkey form. Like his literary version, he is tall and slender, and sports red hair and buckteeth. It is believed that one of the chief animators of the character, Fred Moore, had added the red hair and overbite to Lampwick as a caricature of himself. Lampwick also made a cameo in House of Mouse, and also makes a cameo in Who Framed Roger Rabbit appearing on a poster advertising for "exploding cigars" in Toontown, with his donkey ears from the original film. In the original film, Lampwick befriends Pinocchio during the journey to Pleasure Island and leads Pinocchio astray such as fighting others, smoking, drinking beer and other bad deeds good children wouldn't do. Jiminy Cricket finds Pinocchio playing pool with Lampwick and the latter bullies him calling Jiminy a "grasshopper" and "beetle," laughing at him after Jiminy threatens to fight him. Shortly after this altercation, Jiminy notices that the boys on Pleasure Island are literally turning into jackasses and being rounded up for slave labor. Lampwick's transformation is swift: within a minute, he loses all humanity and is last seen wrecking the pool hall in panic. Strangely enough Lampwick and to a lesser exent Pinocchio are the last victims to become donkeys; this may simply be a matter of perspective, as Lampwick was one of the worst-behaved boys on the island. In the live action Lampwick has often starred in Disneyland's Electrical Parade along with an unnamed boy from Pleasure Island. Lampwick and the other boys have tails and donkey ears and wave to guests at Disneyland.

Lampwick appears in Un burattino di nome Pinocchio a 1972 Italian animated adaptation of Pinocchio. He is portrayed like the original story: a lazy boy who dislikes school and convinces Pinocchio to come to the Land of Toys with him. They play many games and eat junk food and go on amusement rides. Eventually he and Pinocchio transform into donkeys and are sold to a farmer and a circus. Near the end of the film, Pinocchio finds Lampwick heavily wounded and exhausted from overwork at the farm and he volunteers to do his work until he feels better, but it is too late and Lampwick dies from his wounds.

In the 1993 direct-to-video adaptation by GoodTimes Entertainment voiced by Cam Clarke (who voiced Flounder from "The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning", Candlewick is portrayed like his Disney counterpart, Lampwick with red hair, though he does not have buckteeth, who tries to have fun in Dunceland with Pinocchio. Like his Disney counterpart, he is transformed into a donkey and his fate is unknown.

Lampwick appears in the 1996 film The Adventures of Pinocchio, portrayed by Corey Carrier as a boy whom Pinocchio meets at school and later convinces him to come with him to Terra Magica, where they are allowed to do whatever they please. Eventually, they and a few other boys ride a roller coaster. During the ride, they are splashed with enchanted water which turns them into animals based on their nature. Lampwick and the bad boys turn into donkeys, while Pinocchio only grows donkey ears. They are later corralled by Lorenzini, who fulfills the roles of both the Puppeteer and the Coachman. Pinocchio escapes and sets the other boys free. During their escape, the donkey Lampwick kicks Lorenzini into the sea, turning him into a whale. Close to the end of the movie, the donkey Lampwick is seen pulling Geppetto, Pinocchio and Leona on a carriage. Lampwick, along with the other donkeys, returns to human form by doing good deeds. He can be seen playing with the human Pinocchio before the end credits. He calls Pinocchio "Woody" throughout the entire film.

Lampwick appeared again in the 1999 sequel The New Adventures of Pinocchio in which he is played by British actor Ben Ridgeway replacing Corey Carrier. In the film, he and Pinocchio are given a potion by Madame Flambeau (who is secretly Lorenzini in the form of a woman). After they drink the potion, Pinocchio and Geppetto are turned into puppets, while Lampwick is turned into a sea donkey fish and is put in a barrel of water after Lorenzini captures them. Later, they jump into the magical enchanted water and turn back into humans while Lorenzini is turned into a sea monster. Lampwick and Pinocchio later meet a girl who they invite to come and watch Geppetto performing on the theatre stage at the end of the film.

Lampwick appears in the 2002 feature film Pinocchio portrayed by Kim Rossi Stuart while his English dub voice was provided by Topher Grace. In the English version, he is named Leonardo. He first meets Pinocchio in prison after Pinocchio was cheated by the Fox and the Cat, teaching him what lollipop he licks, which is tangerine, and then they meet again after Pinocchio is kidnapped by a farmer in order to replace a dog that died. During that time, Lampwick attempts to steal chickens. Later, he entices Pinocchio to join him at the Land of Toys, where bad boys turn into donkeys. He turns into a donkey and is sold to a farmer. When Pinocchio goes to work for the same farmer after he and Geppetto escape from the Giant Shark, he finds Lampwick's donkey form dying from exhaustion.

Lampwick appears in the 2008 Pinocchio miniseries, played by Thomas Sangster. The miniseries is more faithful to the book; Lampwick has a much bigger role than in the Disney film, and he dies toward the end. This also develops him somewhat more, as it implies (though fans of the book or various film versions may have analyzed him this way anyway) that his lawlessness and cynicism comes from having a horrible father, as he tells Pinocchio before he dies that if he had had a father like Geppetto, he may have turned out more like Pinocchio, and his loyalty to Pinocchio is very apparent too, although most versions do imply their bond is quite strong.

In the 2013, American animated web series RWBY one of the main Antagonists and Villains of the series Roman Torchwick, is based on Candlewick. The character's appearance is also based on the Disney version of the character, Lampwick.

Bibliography

• Collodi, Le Avventure di Pinocchio 1883, Biblioteca Universale Rizzoli