Bambi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bambi |
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Original theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Supervising director David Hand Sequence directors James Algar Samuel Armstrong Graham Heid Bill Roberts Paul Satterfield Norman Wright |
| Produced by | Walt Disney |
| Story by | Story direction Perce Pearce Story adaptation Larry Morey Story development Vernon Stallings Melvin Shaw Carl Fallberg Chuck Couch Ralph Wright |
| Starring | see below |
| Music by | Frank Churchill Edward H. Plumb |
| Studio | Walt Disney Productions |
| Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures |
| Release date(s) | August 9, 1942 (World Premiere-London) August 13, 1942 (Premiere-New York City) August 21, 1942 (U.S.) |
| Running time | 70 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $858,000 |
| Money made | $267.4 million |
Bambi is a classic animated film from 1942. It was made by Walt Disney and directed by David Hand. The movie is based on a 1923 book called Bambi, a Life in the Woods by Felix Salten.
This film was the fifth full-length animated movie made by Disney. It was released by RKO Radio Pictures on August 13, 1942.
The main characters are Bambi, a young white-tailed deer, and his friends. These friends include Thumper, a lively rabbit, and Flower, a shy skunk. Bambi's childhood friend and future partner is a female deer named Faline.
Bambi was nominated for three Academy Awards. These awards were for Best Sound, Best Song ("Love Is a Song"), and Original Music Score. In 2008, the American Film Institute ranked Bambi as the third best animated film ever. In 2011, the film was added to the National Film Registry. This means it is considered important to American culture.
Contents
Story of Bambi
The movie begins with the birth of a young deer named Bambi. He is destined to become the Great Prince of the Forest. This is a special role held by his father, who protects all the animals from hunters.
Bambi quickly becomes friends with Thumper, a playful rabbit. Thumper helps Bambi learn to walk and talk. Bambi also meets Flower, a sweet skunk, and Faline, a young female deer.
Bambi is very curious about the world around him. His mother teaches him about the forest and warns him about the dangers of "Man." One day, Bambi sees his father, the Great Prince, for the first time. His father quickly warns everyone that hunters are near, and they all run to safety.
During Bambi's first winter, he and Thumper play in the snow. Flower sleeps through the cold season. One sad day, Bambi and his mother are looking for food when hunters appear again. As they try to escape, Bambi's mother is shot and killed. Bambi is left alone and very sad. His father, the Great Prince, then takes Bambi in and cares for him.
As Bambi grows into a young stag, his friends also become adults. Friend Owl warns them about "twitterpation," which means falling in love. Thumper and Flower soon find their own partners. Bambi meets Faline again, and she has grown into a beautiful doe.
Their time together is interrupted by Ronno, an older stag. Ronno tries to take Faline away from Bambi. Bambi bravely fights Ronno and wins, proving his love for Faline.
Later, Bambi smells smoke and finds a hunter's camp. His father warns him that more hunters have returned. Bambi gets separated from Faline but eventually finds her. He saves her from the hunters' dogs. Bambi is then shot by a hunter but manages to escape.
Meanwhile, the hunters' campfire starts a huge wildfire in the forest. All the animals flee in fear. Bambi, his father, Faline, and the other animals find safety by a river. The next spring, Faline gives birth to twin fawns. Bambi watches over them as the new Great Prince of the Forest.
Meet the Characters
Here are the main characters and the actors who voiced them:
- Bambi: The main character, a young deer.
- Bobby Stewart voiced Baby Bambi.
- Donnie Dunagan voiced Young Bambi.
- Hardie Albright voiced Adolescent Bambi.
- John Sutherland voiced Young Adult Bambi.
- Thumper: Bambi's rabbit friend.
- Peter Behn voiced Young Thumper.
- Tim Davis voiced Adolescent Thumper.
- Sam Edwards voiced Young Adult Thumper.
- Bambi's Mother: Voiced by Paula Winslowe.
- Flower: Bambi's skunk friend.
- Stan Alexander voiced Young Flower.
- Tim Davis voiced Adolescent Flower.
- Sterling Holloway voiced Young Adult Flower.
- Friend Owl: Voiced by Will Wright.
- Faline: The female deer Bambi falls in love with.
- Cammie King voiced Young Faline.
- Ann Gillis voiced Young Adult Faline.
- Great Prince of the Forest: Bambi's father, voiced by Fred Shields.
Other voices include:
- Margaret Lee as Mrs. Rabbit
- Mary Lansing as Aunt Ena and Mrs. Possum
- Perce Pearce as Mr. Mole
- Thelma Boardman as Girl Bunny, Quail Mother, Female Pheasant
Making the Movie
Early Ideas
In 1933, a producer named Sidney Franklin bought the rights to the Bambi book. He wanted to make a live-action movie. But it was too hard to do, so he sold the rights to Walt Disney in 1937.
Disney wanted Bambi to be his second full-length animated film. However, the book was written for adults and was quite serious. Disney's team found it hard to make the story lighter and to animate deer realistically. Because of these challenges, the movie's production was put on hold for a while.
Developing the Story
The story team had many ideas for Bambi. At one point, Walt Disney thought about showing ants and grasshoppers with their own tiny civilizations. But they decided these ideas didn't fit the main story of Bambi.
Originally, there were going to be six bunny characters, like the dwarfs in Snow White. But someone suggested having one special rabbit with a unique personality. This character became Thumper, known for his distinctive tooth.
The scene where Bambi's mother dies was carefully handled. It was decided to show her death happening off-screen. This made it emotional without being too graphic. The team also decided not to show "Man" (the hunter) at all in the film.
Bringing Animals to Life
Disney wanted the animals in Bambi to look very real and expressive. A painter named Rico LeBrun taught the animators about animal structure and movement. The animators even visited the Los Angeles Zoo. Disney also brought live animals like rabbits, ducks, and fawns (named Bambi and Faline) to the studio. This helped artists study how animals moved.
Marc Davis designed Bambi's final look. He used LeBrun's realistic studies but made Bambi's face more baby-like. This included a short snout and big eyes.
The backgrounds for the film were inspired by forests in Eastern America. An artist named Maurice "Jake" Day sketched and photographed deer and wilderness areas. Later, a Chinese animator named Tyrus Wong became the art director. Wong's paintings were revolutionary. They had more detail in the center and less around the edges. This helped guide the viewer's eye to the characters.
Due to World War II, Disney faced financial difficulties. Because of this, 12 minutes were cut from the film to save money.
Songs
The music for Bambi was composed by Frank Churchill and Edward H. Plumb. The lyrics were written by Larry Morey.
- "Love Is a Song" – Performed by Donald Novis
- "Little April Shower" – Performed by Disney Studio Chorus
- "Let's Sing a Gay Little Spring Song" – Performed by Disney Studio Chorus
- "Looking for Romance (I Bring You a Song)" – Performed by Donald Novis & the Disney Studio Chorus
Release and Home Video
Bambi first came out in theaters in 1942. It was shown again in cinemas in the United States many times over the years. These re-releases happened in 1947, 1957, 1966, 1975, 1982, and 1988.
The film became available for home viewing in North America in 1989. It has been released on VHS, Laserdisc, and DVD. In 2011, Bambi was released as a "Diamond Edition" on Blu-ray and DVD. This version included new bonus features like deleted scenes and a game.
In 2017, for its 75th anniversary, Bambi was released as part of the Walt Disney Signature Collection.
Legacy of Bambi
Bambi has had a lasting impact. The unseen hunter, known as "Man," was named the 20th greatest villain by the American Film Institute.
Some people, like Paul McCartney, have said that the scene where Bambi's mother is shot made them interested in animal rights.
After the film came out, Walt Disney allowed Bambi to be used in fire prevention campaigns. This led to the creation of Smokey Bear, a famous symbol for preventing wildfires. Bambi and his mother even appeared in a short cartoon called No Hunting.
In 2011, Bambi was chosen for the United States National Film Registry. This honor recognizes films that are important to American culture. The Registry noted the film's strong message about nature conservation.
Awards and Recognition
Bambi has been recognized by the American Film Institute in several of their lists:
- Nominated for AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies
- "Man" was ranked No. 20 Villain in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains
- Ranked No. 3 Animated film in AFI's 10 Top 10
Sequels and Remakes
A midquel, Bambi II, was released in 2006. It tells the story of Bambi's time with his father after his mother's death. This film was mostly released directly to home video.
In 2020, Disney announced that a new computer-animated remake of Bambi is being developed. This new film will use advanced computer graphics to make the animals look very realistic.
Images for kids
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Screenshot of Bambi, Thumper and Flower from the January 1942 theatrical trailer for the film
See also
In Spanish: Bambi para niños
