Steven Spielberg's Career-Making Sci-Fi Film Originally Had Strong Ties To Disney's Pinocchio

Inspiration comes in all sizes. Sometimes a small idea can result in another relatively small idea. For instance, you can buy plenty of gadgets on Amazon that were inspired by the spirit of the '90s. But now and then, a seemingly simple concept can turn into an avalanche, inspiring an entire movie. Just look at "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."

Today, Steven Spielberg is synonymous with quality movies and shows. This wasn't always the case (obviously), but we can trace his fame to two of his earlier films: "Jaws" (a movie that needs no introduction), and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." Now, far be it from us to diminish the film's impact by summarizing the plot, but it is one of those "seen to be believed" movies. Maybe watch this film after seeing "Disclosure Day." You might assume that Spielberg got the idea for "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" from all the stories about people being abducted by aliens, but instead, he got it from the title song of Disney's "Pinocchio."

During an interview with Rolling Stones, Spielberg stated that "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" spawned from him listening to "When You Wish Upon a Star" — the UFOs came later. In fact, "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" was originally supposed to feature Cliff Edwards (the voice of Jiminy Cricket) singing the lyrics of that famous song. According to Spielberg, the song's placement in his film was meant to give audiences the same feeling it gave him when he listened to it while watching "Pinocchio." 

Obviously, if you watch "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" today, the film doesn't include the song "When You Wish Upon a Star." Or any other "Pinocchio" references that we noticed, for that matter. It turns out audiences didn't like the original vision.

Originally, the finale to "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" was supposed to feature Cliff Edwards singing "When You Wish Upon a Star." When the test audience got to preview the movie in Dallas, the song "bathed" them in memories. However, as Spielberg recalls, they did not want that at all, so it was removed.

Admittedly, this isn't the only major change "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" went through before release. For instance, the film's original title paid homage to a classic '50s sci-fi movie. However, while that edit was meant to head off potential legal issues, the loss of "When You Wish Upon a Star" feels far more personal since it was the impetus behind the entire film. But, you know what they say: You have to play to your audience.