Bambi (1942 movie)

Bambi is an animated feature produced by Walt Disney, which was originally released to theatres by RKO Radio Pictures on August 13, 1942. The film was based on the 1923 book Bambi, A Life in the Woods by Felix Salten. The main characters are Bambi, the young deer prince of the forest, his parents (the Great Prince of the forest), his mate Fauline, and his friends Thumper (a rabbit) and Flower (a skunk).

Viewers of this movie created the term "Bambi eyes", to describe an innocent look that people can make with their eyes, to generate sympathy.

Plot

This film never quite develops a plot. However, it is a delightful story that uses the life of a fawn, Bambi, to parallel human existence. It is a case study in the very basics of life: the ‘doe-eyed’, innocence of childhood; parental love; discovering and learning about the world around us; loss and grief; developing friendships; loyalty; balancing risk and need; growing toward independence; being at one and in harmony with nature; and romantic love.

The death of Bambi's mother

Unlike later Disney films, Bambi did not shy away from tragedy in storytelling. A seminal scene in the movie involved Bambi's mother being shot by a hunter, albeit off-screen. However, it was immediately obvious to young audiences what had happened, especially when they saw Bambi's reaction. This particular scene was sometimes so upsetting to children that, even as adults, they could recall the intense emotions the scene evoked in them.

Controversy

Recently, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior has criticized the movie Bambi for propagating the idea that the best way to manage the forest resources within the U.S. was to fight forest fires. The Secretary of the Interior points out that controlled burning is now recognized as more beneficial, and that forest animals, such as Bambi, simply move out of the way of forest fires and, in general, are not killed by them.

History

Bambi was released in cinemas in 1942, during World War II and was Disney's fifth full length animated film. It was an advance over the previous movies in sophistication of the animation, partly due to the experience gained, and partly due to the influence of Wong, a former painter who provided eastern and painterly influence to the backgrounds. It was released on VHS video in the 1990s and remastered for DVD in 2005.

Voice cast

• Bobby Stewart - Baby Bambi
• Donnie Dunagan - Young Bambi
• Hardie Albright - Adolescent Bambi
• John Sutherland - Adult Bambi
• Paula Winslowe - Bambi's Mother
• Peter Behn - Young Thumper
• Tim Davis - Adult Thumper
• Sam Edwards - Thumper
• Will Wright - Friend Owl
• Cammie King - Young Faline
• Ann Gillis - Adult Faline
• Fred Shields - Great Prince of the Forest
• Stan Alexander - Young Flower
• Tim Davis - Adolescent Flower
• Sterling Holloway - Adult Flower
• Thelma Boardman - Mrs. Quail
• Thelma Hubbard - Girl Bunny, Quail Mother, Female Pheasant
• Mary Lansing - Aunt Ena , Mrs. Possum
• Margaret Lee - Mrs. Rabbit
• Marion Darlington - Bird Calls

See also

• Bambi, A Life in the Woods
• Bambi Effect

External links

• Internet Movie Database listing: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034492/