The Coachman is a primary antagonist in Disney's 1940 movie Pinocchio. He is voiced by Charles Judels, who also voiced Stromboli in the same movie.
The Coachman is an old man and chubby owner of "Pleasure Island", where he takes bad-mannered children and allows them to misbehave worse than before, resulting in them transforming into donkeys. The Coachman and his mysterious, hooded minions then sell the donkeys to salt mines for a profit. Like Stromboli, the Coachman's fate is never revealed.
History
The coachman is first seen at the Red Lobster where he is talking to Honest John and Gideon there he tells them that he is collecting stupid little boys and that if they could round up a few, he will give them lots of money. At midnight the Coachman gets all the boys and brings them to Pleasure Island and lets them do what they want. When the boys all turn into donkeys, he rounds them up. All the donkeys that can't talk are shipped to salt mines and those who can, are possibly kept in a pen. The fate of the coachman is unknown.
The Coachman appears in the SNES version of Pinocchio - as a Boss. He was only seen in a level called Escape from Pleasure Island where Pinocchio battled against him on the top of a Cliff. when the boss battle ends - one of the donkeys saved Pinocchio by kicking the Coachman and send him falling off the edge - until Pinocchio escapes.
Trivia
- He was played by the Dutch actor Charles Judels.
- In the original Italian story of Pinocchio, he was usually referred to as "The Little Donkey Man" ("L'Omino del Burros"), and he was described as a fat little man as round as a butterball, with a sweetly smiling mouth. He seemed rather effeminate in manner, yet was more sadistic than his Disney counterpart in the way he abused and even mutilated the poor donkeys who pulled his wagon. Also Pleasure Island in the original story was called Toyland ("Il Paese del Balocchi").
- The Coachman might not be human. But, some possiable hints of the Coachman making a devilish grin about his Pleasure Island plan, and his henchmen who might not be human either. He had four fingers on each hand of his gloves, so they were easy to draw.
- The Coachman's real name is Barker which wasn't heard in the movie.
- The Coachman was thought to be the secondary antagonist of the film.
- The Coachman might be a symbolism of Satan.
- The Coachman's inspiration is Mr. Bumble who was the secondary antagonist of Oliver Twist.
- Another inspiration for the Coachman is Mephistopheles, the demon prince from Marlowe's play The Tragedy of Doctor Faustus, as the Coachman's boy victims, like Faustus, in effect sell their souls to him in exchange for a night of pleasure (in the original tale it was five months), and like the devil he is there at the end to foreclose the deal.
- The Coachman's fate is unclear maybe ran out of Donkeys.
- He is an English villain to have a Cockney accent.
The evil Coachman