Plot
Episode 1 An old carpenter named Giuseppe, nicknamed "Blue Nose" as the neighborhood drunk, finds a log he intends to use for a table leg. To his surprise, the log speaks in a human voice, crying out after two blows from an axe. Frightened, Giuseppe, after a brief quarrel and quick reconciliation, decides to give the talking log to his neighbor and friend, Carlo, a street organist whose instrument has broken down. Carlo decides to carve a puppet from the log to entertain people. That night, he carves it out, and by dawn, the puppet comes to life, moving and talking on its own. The puppet is named Buratino (although the film does not specify Carlo's naming choice). Carlo plans to send Buratino to school, so he sells his only coat to buy a primer, leaving Buratino alone in his small room. Left unsupervised, Buratino behaves irresponsibly, insulting the Talking Cricket who tries to advise him and clashing with Shushara, a rat who lives in the room, nearly resulting in Shushara dragging him off. Carlo intervenes in time to rescue Buratino, who, after receiving the primer, promises to improve his behavior and attend school. The next morning, Buratino sets out but is distracted by a puppet theater show in town. Selling his primer for four coins to a chubby boy, he buys a ticket to the show. During the performance, he interrupts a staged fight between Harlequin and Pierrot, stating that a theater that beats its performers is evil. His innocence wins the hearts of the theater puppets, leading to a joyful dance. The theater director, Karabas-Barabas, wakes up furious, drags Buratino off stage, and hangs him up on a nail. Meanwhile, a leech-seller named Duremar quarrels with a turtle named Tortila, who vows never to give away the Golden Key, which brings happiness. Giuseppe and Carlo search for Buratino in the rain but return home empty-handed. During dinner, Karabas orders the puppets to take Buratino down and throw him into the fire, intending to use him as fuel. However, he unexpectedly sneezes, softening his temper. Buratino shares a bit of his story, and Karabas, intrigued, learns of the painted hearth in Carlo's room and gives Buratino five gold coins, with strict instructions to bring them to Carlo in the morning and keep him from moving houses. The puppets suspect this directive hides a secret. On his way home, Buratino meets two con artists—a fox named Alice and a cat named Basilio. They persuade him to venture to the Land of Fools to grow his wealth, and he agrees. Soon, they arrive at the "Three Minnows" tavern, where Buratino orders three crusts of bread, while Alice and Basilio consume the rest of the food. After their meal, the two slip away before Buratino. Trickily, he leaves without paying but soon gets lost and calls out for Alice and Basilio. Meanwhile, Carlo and Giuseppe prepare to set off in search of Buratino. The Cricket hints that boys like Buratino often end up in the Land of Fools. Episode 2 At night, Alice and Basilio, disguised as bandits, ambush Buratino. After a chase, Buratino hides the coins in his mouth, prompting the duo to hang him upside down from a tree, hoping he will drop the coins. When unsuccessful, they leave to fetch a saw. Buratino is rescued by Malvina, a girl with blue hair who escaped from Karabas-Barabas and lives in the forest with her poodle servant, Artemon. She has Buratino cut down from the tree. Marionette characters, including Doctor Owl, Nurse Frog, and Healer Praying Mantis, debate his condition, ultimately prescribing castor oil. Buratino gives up on playing dead to resist taking the medicine. Dressed in fresh clothes, he tries to study math and penmanship with Malvina, but she locks him in a dark closet for misbehavior. Elsewhere, Pierrot overhears Karabas-Barabas and Duremar discussing Tortila's hidden Golden Key. Karabas catches him eavesdropping, sparking a chase. Malvina, feeling pity, urges Buratino to behave, but he retorts defiantly. Buratino eventually escapes the closet, guided by a bat, and reunites with Alice and Basilio at the Field of Wonders—a garbage dump in town—where he buries the gold coins, waiting for a "money tree" to sprout. Alice then tips off the police about Buratino, who toss him into a pond. There, he meets Tortila, who, impressed by his kindness, gives him the Golden Key, though forgetting what it unlocks. On his way home, Buratino encounters Pierrot, who reveals that Karabas-Barabas has dispatched bulldog police after them. Buratino leads Pierrot to Malvina, Pierrot's beloved, and they hide in the forest. Duremar, who saw Tortila give Buratino the Key, informs Karabas-Barabas, who sets out in pursuit. At the "Three Minnows" tavern, Buratino tricks Karabas-Barabas by tying his beard to a table, hiding in a jug, and discovering that the Golden Key opens a secret door behind the painted hearth in Carlo's room. After watching everything, Alice and Basilio strike a deal to capture Buratino for ten gold coins. Karabas tries to trap Buratino, but he escapes, with Karabas, Duremar, and their cohorts in pursuit. In the forest, Buratino and friends face their pursuers, narrowly escaping thanks to the timely arrival of Carlo and Giuseppe. They defeat Karabas-Barabas, who falls in exhaustion and offers Carlo money to abandon his friends. Carlo refuses, and they all leave together. At Carlo's room, Buratino reveals the door behind the painted hearth and opens it with the Golden Key. They step through, finding themselves in a crystal cave that leads to a theater stage, where they sing a final song and head to a magical land, as the curtain closes. ==Production==