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{{short description|1942 animated Disney film}}
{{About|the 1942 Disney animated film|the original novel|Bambi, a Life in the Woods|other uses|Bambi (disambiguation)}}
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{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Bambi
| image          = Walt Disney's Bambi poster.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = '''Supervising Director'''<br>[[David Hand (animator)|David D. Hand]]<br>
'''Sequence Director'''{{Plainlist|
*[[James Algar]]
*Bill Roberts
*Norman Wright
*Sam Armstrong
*Paul Satterfield
*Graham Heid
}}
| story          = [[Perce Pearce]]<br>[[Larry Morey]]<br>[[Vernon Stallings|George Stallings]]<br>[[Mel Shaw|Melvin Shaw]]<br>[[Carl Fallberg]]<br />Chuck Couch<br>[[Ralph Wright]]
| based_on       = {{based on|''[[Bambi, a Life in the Woods]]''|[[Felix Salten]]}}
| producer       = [[Walt Disney]]
| music          = [[Frank Churchill]]<br>[[Edward H. Plumb|Edward Plumb]]
| studio         = [[Walt Disney Productions]]
| distributor    = [[RKO Pictures|RKO Radio Pictures]]
| released       = {{Film date|1942|8|9|[[London]]|1942|8|13|United States|ref2=<ref>{{cite web|url=https://d23.com/a-to-z/bambi-film/|title=Bambi (film)|publisher=[[D23: The Official Disney Fan Club]]|website=[[Disney A to Z]]|access-date=August 21, 2024}}</ref>}}
| runtime        = 70 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $858,000{{sfn|Barrier|1999|page=273}}
| gross          = $267.4 million<ref name="BoxOfficeMojo">{{cite Box Office Mojo|title=Bambi|id=tt0034492|access-date=January 25, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240303192500/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tttt0034492/|archive-date=March 3, 2024|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}
'''''Bambi''''' is a 1942 American [[Animated film|animated]] [[drama film]] produced by [[Walt Disney Productions]] and released by [[RKO Radio Pictures]]. Loosely based on [[Felix Salten]]'s 1923 novel ''[[Bambi, a Life in the Woods]]'', the production was supervised by [[David Hand (animator)|David D. Hand]], and was directed by a team of sequence directors, including [[James Algar]], Bill Roberts, Norman Wright, Sam Armstrong, Paul Satterfield, and Graham Heid.

The main characters are [[Bambi (character)|Bambi]], a [[white-tailed deer]]; his parents (the Great Prince of the forest and his unnamed mother); his friends [[Thumper (Bambi)|Thumper]] (a pink-nosed [[rabbit]]); and Flower (a [[skunk]]); and his childhood friend and future mate, [[Faline]]. In the original book, Bambi was a [[roe deer]], a species native to Europe; but Disney decided to base the character on a [[mule deer]] from [[Arrowhead Springs, San Bernardino, California|Arrowhead, California]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oldmagazinearticles.com/Bambi_Movie_Review-pdf |title=THE REAL BAMBI |last=Hallet |first=Richard |date=October 3, 1942 |publisher=Collier's |access-date=July 25, 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/to-discover-the-real-bambi-walt-disney-goes-to-maine/ |title=To Discover the Real Bambi, Walt Disney Goes to Maine|agency=Associated Press |date=January 1, 2019 |publisher=New England Historical Society |access-date=July 25, 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/19/obituaries/maurice-e-day-animator-90-drew-deer-for-movie-bambi.html |title=Maurice E. Day, Animator, 90; Drew Deer for Movie 'Bambi'|agency=Associated Press |date=May 19, 1983 |publisher=NY Times |access-date=July 25, 2020 }}</ref> Illustrator Maurice "Jake" Day convinced Disney that the mule deer had large "mule-like" ears and were more common to western North America; but that the [[white-tail deer]] was more recognized throughout the United States.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Hrehovck |first=Steve |date=May 1, 2016 |title=Damariscotta's Favorite Son Maurice "Jake" Day |url=https://issuu.com/discovermainemagazine/docs/midcoast_2016 |magazine=Discover Maine |access-date=July 26, 2020 }}</ref>

The film received three [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] nominations: [[Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing|Best Sound]] ([[Sam Slyfield]]), [[Academy Award for Best Original Song|Best Song]] (for "Love Is a Song" sung by [[Donald Novis]]) and [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Original Music Score]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1943 |title=The 15th Academy Awards (1943) Nominees and Winners |access-date=August 13, 2011 |publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706093739/http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/legacy/ceremony/15th-winners.html |archive-date=July 6, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In June 2008, the [[American Film Institute]] presented a list of its "[[AFI's 10 Top 10|10 Top 10]]"—the best ten films in each of ten classic American film genres—after polling over 1,500 people from the creative community. ''Bambi'' placed third in animation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afi.com/10top10/category.aspx?cat=1|publisher=[[American Film Institute]]|title=AFI's 10 Top 10|date=June 17, 2008|access-date=July 23, 2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100518174029/http://www.afi.com/10top10/category.aspx?cat=1|archive-date=May 18, 2010}}</ref> In December 2011, the film was added to the [[National Film Registry]] of the [[Library of Congress]] as being "culturally, historically and aesthetically significant".<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.iol.co.za/entertainment/movies-theatre/bambi-joins-library-of-congress-film-trove-1205436|title=Bambi joins Library of Congress film trove {{!}} IOL|access-date=April 20, 2017|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170420235737/http://www.iol.co.za/entertainment/movies-theatre/bambi-joins-library-of-congress-film-trove-1205436|archive-date=April 20, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=2011 National Film Registry More Than a Box of Chocolates|url=https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-11-240/2011-national-film-registry-more-than-a-box-of-chocolates/2011-12-28/|website=Library of Congress|access-date=2020-05-18}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Complete National Film Registry Listing |url=https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/|website=Library of Congress|access-date=2020-05-18}}</ref>

In January 2020, it was announced that a [[Photorealism|photorealistic]] computer-animated remake was in development.<ref name="Remake"/>

==Plot==
<!--Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot length should be between 400 and 700 words. Current count is 412 words.-->
In a [[Maine]] forest, a doe gives birth to a male fawn named [[Bambi (character)|Bambi]], who will one day take over the position of Great Prince of the Forest, who guards the woodland creatures and (unbeknownst to Bambi himself) is his father. Bambi grows up very attached to his mother, with whom he spends most of his time.  The fawn is befriended by an eager, energetic male rabbit named [[Thumper (Bambi)|Thumper]], who helps to teach him to walk and speak, a young male skunk he mistakenly calls "Flower" (who is so flattered, he keeps the name) and a female fawn named Faline. Curious and inquisitive, Bambi frequently asks about the world around him and is cautioned about the dangers of life as a forest creature by his loving mother. 

One day out in a meadow, Bambi briefly sees the Great Prince but does not know that he is his father. As the Great Prince wanders uphill, he discovers the human hunter, named "Man" by all the animals, is coming and rushes down to the meadow to get everyone to safety. Bambi is briefly separated from his mother during that time but is escorted to her by the Great Prince as the three of them make it back in the forest just as Man fires his gun. During Bambi's first winter, he and Thumper play in the snow while Flower hibernates. One day his mother takes him to find food when Man shows up again. As they run off, his mother is shot and killed by the hunter, leaving the little fawn mournful and alone. Taking pity on his abandoned son, the Great Prince leads Bambi home as he reveals to him that he is his father.

Next year, Bambi has matured into a young stag, and his childhood friends have also entered young adulthood. They are warned about becoming "twitterpated" by Friend Owl and that they will eventually fall in love, but the trio views the concept of romance with scorn. Thumper and Flower soon encounter their beautiful romantic counterparts and abandon their former thoughts on love. Bambi himself encounters Faline as a beautiful doe. Their courtship is quickly interrupted by a belligerent older stag named Ronno, who attempts to force Faline away from Bambi. Bambi successfully manages to defeat Ronno in battle and earn the rights to the doe's affections.

Bambi is awakened afterward by the smell of smoke; he follows it and discovers it leads to a hunter camp. His father warns Bambi that Man has returned with more hunters. Bambi is separated from Faline in the turmoil, but finds her cornered by Man's vicious hunting dogs, which he manages to ward off. Bambi escapes them and is shot by Man, but survives. Meanwhile, at the "Man's" camp, their campfire suddenly spreads into the forest, resulting in a wildfire from which the forest residents flee in fear. Bambi, his father, Faline, and the forest animals manage to reach shelter on a riverbank. The following spring, Faline gives birth to twins under Bambi's watchful eye as the new Great Prince of the Forest.

==Voice cast==
The voice cast was all uncredited, as was the practice at the time for many animated films.
<!--please make sure you are linking to the proper actor when editing this section-->
[[File:Bambi 1942 trailer- 00 min 29 s.png|thumb|Adolescent Bambi, Thumper, and Flower, as shown in the film's trailer.]]
* [[Donnie Dunagan]] as [[Bambi (character)|Bambi]],<ref name="10FactsFromBambi">{{cite web|url=https://d23.com/from-the-archives-walt-disneys-bambi/|first=Jim|last=Fanning|title=10 Facts From Walt Disney's ''Bambi''|date=September 6, 2012|website=[[D23 (Disney)|D23]]|access-date=May 11, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231001115208/https://d23.com/from-the-archives-walt-disneys-bambi/|archive-date=October 1, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> the film's title character and protagonist<ref>{{cite web|url=https://animatedviews.com/2011/bambi-diamond-edition-an-interview-with-donnie-dunagan-the-original-young-prince-of-the-forest/|title=''Bambi Diamond Edition: an interview with Donnie Dunagan, the original "Young Prince of the Forest"''|last=Noyer|first=Jérémie|date=March 8, 2011|website=Animated Views|access-date=December 18, 2023}}</ref>
** Bobby Stewart as Baby Bambi
** [[Hardie Albright]] as Adolescent Bambi
** [[John Sutherland (producer)|John Sutherland]] as Adult Bambi{{sfn|Smith|2012|page=41}}{{efn|Sources differ on whether Sutherland actually voiced Young Adult Bambi.<ref>{{cite web|author=Tom Heintjes|url=http://cartoonician.com/animating-ideas-the-john-sutherland-story/|title=Animating Ideas: The John Sutherland Story|publisher=Cartoonician.com|date=May 24, 2012|access-date=April 13, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413155243/http://cartoonician.com/animating-ideas-the-john-sutherland-story/|archive-date=April 13, 2014}}</ref>}}
* Peter Behn as [[Thumper (Bambi)|Thumper]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/82-year-olds-voiced-bambi-thumper-never-revealed-part-1942-disney-classic-214200882.html|title=Why the 82-Year-Olds Who Voiced Bambi and Thumper Never Revealed They Were Part of 1942 Disney Classic|last=Polowy|first=Kevin|date=May 24, 2017|website=[[Yahoo!]]|access-date=May 11, 2024|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240106054556/https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/82-year-olds-voiced-bambi-thumper-never-revealed-part-1942-disney-classic-214200882.html|archive-date=January 6, 2024}}</ref> a [[rabbit]] friend of Bambi's
** [[Tim Davis (actor)|Tim Davis]] as Adolescent Thumper
** [[Sam Edwards]] as Young Adult Thumper
* [[Paula Winslowe]] as Bambi's Mother and the Pheasant
* Stan Alexander as Flower, a [[striped skunk]] and another friend of Bambi's
** Tim Davis as Adolescent Flower
** [[Sterling Holloway]] as Young Adult Flower
* [[Will Wright (actor)|Will Wright]] as Friend Owl<ref name="10FactsFromBambi" />
* [[Cammie King]] as Faline,<ref>{{cite news|last=Hevesi|first=Dennis|date=September 3, 2010|title=Cammie King, Scarlett and Rhett's Girl, Dies at 76|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/arts/03king.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=May 11, 2024|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231207180848/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/arts/03king.html|archive-date=December 7, 2023}}</ref> a female deer whom Bambi eventually falls in love with
** [[Ann Gillis]] as Adult Faline<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Barnes|first=Mike|date=February 2, 2018|title=Ann Gillis, Young Leading Lady in 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,' Dies at 90|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/ann-gillis-dead-young-leading-lady-adventures-tom-sawyer-dies-at-90-1081203/|magazine=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|access-date=May 11, 2024|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240207105403/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/ann-gillis-dead-young-leading-lady-adventures-tom-sawyer-dies-at-90-1081203/|archive-date=February 7, 2024}}</ref>
* Fred Shields as the Great Prince of the Forest<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.waltdisney.org/blog/unusual-suspects-great-prince-forest|last=Gluck|first=Keith|title=Unusual Suspects: The Great Prince of the Forest|publisher=[[Walt Disney Family Museum]]|date=August 29, 2013|access-date=May 11, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211124213914/https://www.waltdisney.org/blog/unusual-suspects-great-prince-forest|archive-date=November 24, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref>
* 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

==Production==
===Development===
In 1933, [[Sidney Franklin (director)|Sidney Franklin]] purchased the rights to [[Felix Salten]]'s novel ''[[Bambi, a Life in the Woods]]'' (1923) to produce a [[live-action]] film for [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]], but soon realized that it would be too difficult to achieve.<ref name="10FactsFromBambi" />{{sfn|Barrier|1999|page=236}} [[Joseph M. Schenck]] of [[United Artists]] suggested he make an animated version in alliance with [[Walt Disney]], who was contemplating the idea of his first full-length feature at the time, with ''Bambi'' as one of the possible choices.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|page=215}} Later that year, Franklin approached him with the idea, but Disney eventually refused, feeling that his animation studio was unprepared for the technical difficulties that ''Bambi'' would have presented.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|page=215}}{{sfn|Kaufman|2012|page=31}} Franklin sold the film rights to [[Walt Disney]] in April 1937.<ref name="Barrier, Michael 1999">Barrier, Michael, 1999, ''Hollywood Cartoons'', Oxford University Press, United Kingdom</ref> Disney began work on crafting an animated adaptation immediately, intending it to be the company's second feature-length animated film and their first to be based on a specific, recent work.<ref name="Barrier, Michael 1999"/> However, the original novel was written for an adult audience, and was considered too "grim" and "somber" for a regular light-hearted Disney film.<ref name="Barrier, Michael 1999"/> The artists also discovered that it would be challenging to animate deer realistically.<ref name="The Making of Bambi">''The Making of Bambi: A Prince is Born'', Bambi Blu-Ray, 2011</ref> These difficulties resulted in Disney putting production on hold while the studio worked on several other projects, and eventually [[Pinocchio (1940 film)|Pinocchio]] became the studio's second film.<ref name="Barrier, Michael 1999"/> In 1938, Disney assigned Perce Pearce and Carl Fallberg to work on the film's storyboards, but attention was soon drawn away as the studio began working on ''[[Fantasia (1940 film)|Fantasia]]''.<ref name="Barrier, Michael 1999"/> Finally, on August 17, 1939, production on ''Bambi'' began in earnest, but progressed slowly owing to changes in the studio personnel, location, and methodology of handling animation at the time.<ref name="Barrier, Michael 1999"/>

===Writing===
There were many interpretations of the story. As writer and animator [[Mel Shaw]] recalled: {{cquote|The story of ''Bambi'' had a so many possibilities, you could go off on a million tangents. I remember one situation when Walt became involved with himself. He said 'Suppose we have Bambi step on an ant hill and we cut inside and see all the damage he's done to the ant civilization'. We spent weeks and weeks developing the ants, and then all of a sudden we decided, you know, we're way off the story, this has got nothing to do with the story of ''Bambi''. We also had a family of grasshoppers, and they get into a family squabble of this or that, and Bambi is watching all of this, and here's the big head of Bambi in the grasshoppers. And what's that got to do with the story, and this would go on many times.<ref name="The Making of Bambi"/>}}

Originally the film was intended to have six individual bunny characters, similar to the dwarfs in ''Snow White''. However Perce Pearce suggested that they could instead have five generic rabbits and one rabbit with a different color than the rest, with one tooth, would have a very distinct personality.<ref name="Inside Walt">''Inside Walt's Story Meetings'', Bambi 2011 Blu-ray</ref> This character later became known as Thumper.

There originally was a brief shot in the scene where Bambi's mother dies after jumping over a log and getting shot by a man. Larry Morey, however, felt the scene was too dramatic, and that it was emotional enough to justify having her death occur off screen.<ref name="The Making of Bambi"/><ref name="Inside Walt"/> Walt Disney was also eager to show the man burned to death by his fire that he inadvertently started, but this was discarded when it was decided not to show the man at all.<ref name="The Making of Bambi"/> There was also a scene involving two autumn leaves conversing like an old married couple before parting ways and falling to the ground, but Disney found that talking flora did not work in the context of the film, and instead a visual metaphor of two realistic leaves falling to the ground was used instead.<ref name="Inside Walt"/> Disney and his story team also developed the characters consisting of a squirrel and a chipmunk that were to be a comic duo reminiscent of [[Laurel and Hardy]]. However, after years of experimentation, Walt felt that the story should focus on the three principal characters: Bambi, Thumper and Flower.<ref name="Inside Walt"/> The squirrel and chipmunk make only brief appearances in the final film.

The writing was completed in July 1940, by which time the film's budget had increased to $858,000.<ref name="Barrier, Michael 1999"/>

===Animation===
Although the animators had animated deer in ''Snow White'', they were animated, in the words of [[Eric Larson]], "like big flour sacks".<ref name="The Making of Bambi"/> Disney wanted the animals in ''Bambi'' to be more realistic and expressive than those in ''Snow White''. He had Rico LeBrun, a painter of animals, come and lecture to the animators on the structure and movement of animals.<ref name="thomas">{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Bob|chapter=6: Expansion and War: ''Bambi''|pages=90–1|title=Disney's Art of Animation: From Mickey Mouse to Hercules|year=1997|publisher=Disney Editions |isbn=978-0-7868-6241-2}}</ref> The animators visited the [[Griffith Park Zoo|Los Angeles Zoo]] and Disney set up a small zoo at the studio with animals such as rabbits, ducks, owls, and skunks, and a pair of fawns named Bambi and Faline so that the artists could see first-hand the movement of these animals.<ref name="Inside Walt"/><ref name="thomas"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Walt Disney Collection: Walt's Masterworks |url=http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/collection/masterworks/bambi/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070228102553/http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/collection/masterworks/bambi/index.html |archive-date=February 28, 2007 }}</ref> LeBrun's sketches depicted realistic animals, but as characters they lacked personality. [[Marc Davis (animator)|Marc Davis]] created the final design of Bambi by incorporating LeBrun's realistic study of deer anatomy but exaggerating the character's face by making his proportions baby-like (short snout, big eyes, etc.).<ref name="The Making of Bambi"/> Although there were no humans in ''Bambi'', [[live-action]] footage of humans was used for one scene: actress [[Jane Randolph]] and [[Ice Capades]] star [[Donna Atwood]] acted as live-action references for the scene where Bambi and Thumper are on the icy pond.<ref>{{cite web|website=Disney Archives|title=Bambi Character History|url=http://disney.go.com/vault/archives/characters/bambi/bambi.html|access-date=April 23, 2009|archive-url=https://archive.today/20090427180706/http://disney.go.com/vault/archives/characters/bambi/bambi.html|archive-date=April 27, 2009|url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref> The animators learned a lot about animals during the film's production, giving them a broader spectrum of animation styles to use in future projects.<ref>{{cite book|last=Finch|first=Christopher|chapter=7: Dumbo and Bambi|pages=217–222|title=The Art of Walt Disney: From Mickey Mouse to the Magic Kingdoms|year=2004|publisher=Harry N. Abrams |isbn=978-0-8109-4964-5}}</ref>

The backgrounds for the film were inspired by the Eastern American woodlands. One of the earliest and best-known artists for the Disney studio, [[Jake Day|Maurice "Jake" Day]], spent several weeks in the Vermont and Maine forests, sketching and photographing deer, fawns, and the surrounding wilderness areas.<ref>Maurice E. Day, Animator, 90; Drew Deer for Movie 'Bambi': Obituary in the New York Times, published May 19, 1983)</ref> However his first sketches were too "busy" as the eye did not know where to focus.<ref name="The Making of Bambi"/> [[Tyrus Wong]], a Chinese animator, showed Day some of his impressionistic paintings of a forest. Day liked the paintings and appointed him art director of the film.<ref name="The Making of Bambi"/> Wong's backgrounds were revolutionary since they had more detail around the center and less around the edges, thus leading a viewer's eye to the characters.<ref name="Inside Walt"/>

Due to [[World War II]], which began in Europe in 1939, ''[[Pinocchio (1940 film)|Pinocchio]]'' and ''[[Fantasia (1940 film)|Fantasia]]'' failed at the box office. Facing financial difficulty, Disney was forced to cut 12 minutes from the film before final animation to save production costs.<ref name="Barrier, Michael 1999"/>

==Songs==

{{Track listing
| all_writing     = 
| all_lyrics      = [[Larry Morey]]
| all_music       = [[Frank Churchill]]
| extra_column    = Performer(s)

| title1          = Love Is a Song
| extra1          = [[Donald Novis]]

| title2          = Little April Shower
| extra2          = Disney Studio Chorus

| title3          = Let's Sing a Gay Little Spring Song
| extra3          = Disney Studio Chorus

| title4          = Looking for Romance (I Bring You a Song)
| extra4          = [[Donald Novis]] & the Disney Studio Chorus

}}

==Release==
===Original theatrical run===
[[File:Bambi (Original Theatrical Trailer) 1942.ogv|thumb|right|thumbtime=127|The film's 1942 theatrical [[Trailer (promotion)|trailer]].]]
''Bambi'' premiered in London on August 8, 1942, as the first Disney film to premiere abroad.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://d23.com/this-day/bambi-world-premiere-in-london-2/|title=''Bambi'' World Premiere in London|date=August 8, 1942|website=[[D23 (Disney)|D23]]|access-date=May 11, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426225644/https://d23.com/this-day/bambi-world-premiere-in-london-2/|archive-date=April 26, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>{{sfn|Smith|2012|pages=22-23}} It was released in theaters in United States five days later, on August 13.{{sfn|Smith|1996|page=40}} The film was released during [[World War II]] and did not perform as well as hoped.{{sfn|Barrier|1999|p=[https://archive.org/details/hollywoodcartoon00barr/page/318 318]}} [[Roy O. Disney]] sent a telegram to his brother Walt after the New York opening of the film that read: "Fell short of our holdover figure by $4,000. Just came from Music Hall. Unable to make any deal to stay third week ... Night business is our problem."<ref name="Walt's Masterworks: Bambi"/> The film earned RKO [[theatrical rental]]s of $1,270,000 in the United States and Canada in its initial release.<ref name="rko">{{cite journal| first=Richard| last=Jewel| title=RKO Film Grosses, 1929–1951: the C. J. Tevlin ledger| journal=Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television| volume=14| number=1| year=1994| page=46| doi=10.1080/01439689400260031}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/stream/variety149-1943-01#page/n57/mode/1up|title=101 Pix Gross in Millions|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=January 6, 1943|page=58|via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref>

Disney lacked access to much of the European market during the war,<ref name="Walt's Masterworks: Bambi">{{cite web|publisher=Disney |title=Walt's Masterworks: Bambi |url=http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/collection/masterworks/bambi/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070228102553/http://disney.go.com/disneyatoz/familymuseum/collection/masterworks/bambi/index.html |archive-date=February 28, 2007 }}</ref> however, the film earned rentals of $1,685,000 internationally for an initial worldwide total of $2,955,000, Disney's third highest, behind ''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)|Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]]'' (1937) with $7.8 million and ''[[Pinocchio (1940 film)|Pinocchio]]'' (1940) with $3.2 million.<ref name="rko"/>

===Re-releases===
The film was re-released to theatres in the United States in 1947, 1957, 1966, 1975, 1982 and 1988. In its first reissue in the United States in 1947, the film earned additional domestic rentals of $900,000 but did much better 10 years later, more than doubling the domestic rental total with a further $2.5 million<ref>{{cite magazine|title=$16,500,000 Invested in Disney's Lineup of 6 for 1961; $5,000,000 in 'Swiss'; 'Pollyanna' Not Glad|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=January 18, 1961|page=3}}</ref> taking its total domestic rental earnings to $4.7 million.

The film earned $14 million in domestic rentals from its reissues in 1966 and 1975 giving it a total domestic rental of $18,735,000,<ref>{{cite magazine|title=All-Time Film Rental Champs|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=January 13, 1982|page=54}}</ref> which equates to a gross of around $40 million.<ref name="BoxOfficeMojo" /> In 1982, it grossed another $23 million in the United States and Canada and in 1988, a further $39 million, taking its total in the United States and Canada to $102 million,<ref name="BoxOfficeMojo" /> making it (at the time) the second [[List of highest-grossing animated films|highest-grossing animated movie of all-time]] after ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs''.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Top 100 All-Time Film Rental Champs|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=January 11, 1989|page=26}}</ref> With grosses from international reissues, the film has a worldwide gross of $267 million.<ref name="BoxOfficeMojo" />

===Home media===
Prior to ''Bambi''{{'}}s initial release on home video on September 28, 1989, initial orders placed in the United States and Canada up to the end of August totaled 9.8 million units, the second largest number of orders for a video at the time, behind ''[[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]]'', with a wholesale value of $167 million.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|page=1|date=September 6, 1989|last=Bierbaum|first=Tom|title='Bambi,' 'Rabbit' eye hv records}}</ref> Even in home video, it has seen multiple releases, including three VHS releases — in 1989 (Classics Version), 1997 (Masterpiece Collection Version), and 2005 (Platinum Edition version), one Betamax release in 1989 (Classics version), two Laserdisc releases in 1989 (Classics version) and 1997 (Masterpiece Collection version).  In 2005, a digitally remastered and restored Platinum Edition DVD was released;<ref>{{cite web|first=James |last=Wray |url=http://dvd.monstersandcritics.com/features/article_4717.php/How_They_Restored_Bambi |title=How They Restored Bambi |website=Monsters and Critics |date=February 26, 2005 |access-date=July 14, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080203201320/http://dvd.monstersandcritics.com/features/article_4717.php/How_They_Restored_Bambi |archive-date=February 3, 2008 }}</ref> it went on [[moratorium (entertainment)|moratorium]] on January 31, 2007.<ref>{{cite web|first=David|last=McCutcheon|url=http://dvd.ign.com/articles/736/736573p1.html|title=Disney Closes the Vault|website=IGN|date=September 29, 2006|access-date=July 14, 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091214035104/http://dvd.ign.com/articles/736/736573p1.html|archive-date=December 14, 2009}}</ref>

''Bambi'' was released as a Diamond Edition on March 1, 2011,<ref name="High Def Digest">{{cite news|title='Bambi (Two-Disc Diamond Edition)' Blu-ray Fully Detailed|url=http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Disc_Announcements/Disney/Buena_Vista/Bambi_%28Two-Disc_Diamond_Edition%29_Blu-ray_Fully_Detailed/5968|access-date=December 20, 2010|newspaper=High Def Digest|date=December 10, 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110504033412/http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Disc_Announcements/Disney/Buena_Vista/Bambi_%28Two-Disc_Diamond_Edition%29_Blu-ray_Fully_Detailed/5968|archive-date=May 4, 2011}}</ref> consisting of a [[Blu-ray Disc|Blu-ray]] and DVD combo pack. This release included multiple bonus features not previously included in ''Bambi'' home releases: a documentary entitled ''Inside Walt's Story Meetings&nbsp;– Enhanced Edition'', two deleted scenes, a deleted song, an image gallery, and a game entitled ''Disney's Big Book of Knowledge: Bambi Edition''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Grabert|first=Jessica|title=Bambi Returns From The Forest on Blu-Ray|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/dvdnews/Bambi-Returns-From-Forest-Blu-Ray-28677.html|access-date=December 20, 2010|newspaper=Cinema Blend|date=December 8, 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101220020111/http://www.cinemablend.com/dvdnews/Bambi-Returns-From-Forest-Blu-Ray-28677.html|archive-date=December 20, 2010}}</ref> This release also marked the first use of "[[Disney Second Screen]]",<ref>{{cite news|last=Snider|first=Mike|title=Second Screen creates a 'Bambi' for multitaskers|url=https://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2011-02-24-bambi24_ST_N.htm|access-date=February 25, 2011|newspaper=USA Today|date=February 24, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110227115516/http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2011-02-24-bambi24_ST_N.htm|archive-date=February 27, 2011}}</ref> a feature which is accessed via a computer or [[iPad]] app download that syncs with the Blu-ray disc,<ref>{{cite news|last=Lawler|first=Richard|title=Disney announces Bambi Blu-ray/DVD combo for March 1st, debuts new Second Screen PC/iPad app|url=http://hd.engadget.com//2010//12//08//disney-announces-bambi-blu-ray-dvd-combo-for-march-1st-debuts-n//|access-date=January 10, 2011|newspaper=Engadget|date=December 8, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110205174755/http://hd.engadget.com//2010//12//08//disney-announces-bambi-blu-ray-dvd-combo-for-march-1st-debuts-n//|archive-date=February 5, 2011|url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref> allowing the viewer to follow along by interacting with animated flip-books, galleries and trivia while watching the movie.<ref name="High Def Digest" /> A UK version of Diamond Edition was released on February 7, 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004C03TFW|title=Bambi&nbsp;– Diamond Edition Double Play (Blu-ray + DVD)|website=Amazon UK |date=February 7, 2011|access-date=April 13, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151105125503/http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004C03TFW|archive-date=November 5, 2015}}</ref>

In honor of the film's 75th anniversary, ''Bambi'' was released as part of the Walt Disney Signature Collection on May 23, 2017 (digital) and June 6, 2017 (Blu-ray/DVD/digital combo pack).

On August 18, 2023, ''Bambi'' was re-released in cinemas across the UK only for one week as part of Disney's 100th anniversary.<ref>{{Cite web |title=DISNEY100 'CELEBRATING TIMELESS STORIES' SCREENING PROGRAMME LAUNCHES IN THE UK TOMORROW, FRIDAY 4TH AUGUST, 2023 |url=https://press.disney.co.uk/news/disney100-celebrating-timeless-stories-screening-programme-launches-in-the-uk-tomorrow-friday-4th-august-2023 |access-date=2024-02-22 |website=UK Press |language=en-GB}}</ref>

===Localization===
On the initiative of Stephen Greymoming, professor of Native American studies and anthropology at the [[University of Montana]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Faculty and Staff |url=https://www.umt.edu/native-american-studies//faculty-and-staff.php |access-date=2022-10-12 |website=www.umt.edu |language=en}}</ref> an [[Arapaho language|Arapaho-language]] [[dubbing]] of the movie was produced in 1994, in collaboration with the Northern Plains Educational Foundation.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Greymorning |first=Stephen |url=https://brill.com/view/book/edcoll/9789004261723/B9789004261723-s024.xml |title=Reflections on the Arapaho Language Project, or When Bambi Spoke Arapaho and Other Tales of Arapaho Language Revitalization Efforts |date=2001-01-01 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-90-04-26172-3 |language=en}}</ref> The final product was, however, only a partial dubbing, as the spoken parts were dubbed in Arapaho, but all the songs were left in [[English language|English]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wiles |first=Sara |date=2005-08-15 |title=Walt Disney's Bambi – The Arapaho Language Version |url=https://tribalcollegejournal.org/walt-disney’s-bambi-–-arapaho-language-version/ |access-date=2022-10-12 |website=Tribal College Journal of American Indian Higher Education |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite AV media | website=Disney+ | year=2022 | title=Bambi | medium=Motion picture | location=USA | publisher=Disney |lang=en}}</ref> The dubbed version of the movie premiered on November 3 the same year, and Disney later provided the [[Arapaho Nation]] with 2000 VHS tapes of the movie.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=University of Montana--Missoula. Office of University Relations |date=1995-03-15 |title=Arapaho version of Disney's 'Bambi' helps preserve a language |url=https://scholarworks.umt.edu/newsreleases/13588 |journal=University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present}}</ref> The dubbing was never issued again in any other forms, until it was uploaded on the streaming platform [[Disney+]] in October 2022.<ref name="Oddo-2022">{{Cite web |last=Oddo |first=Marco Vito |date=2022-10-06 |title='Lion King,' 'Moana,' and 'Bambi' Now Have Indigenous Language Dubs on Disney+ [Exclusive] |url=https://collider.com/disney-plus-indigenous-language-dubs-lion-king-moana-bambi/ |access-date=2022-10-12 |website=Collider |language=en-US}}</ref> ''Bambi'' was the first of three Disney movies to receive a dubbing in a [[Indigenous languages of the Americas|Native American language]].<ref name="Oddo-2022" /> The next such instance had to wait until 2016, when Pixar's ''Finding Nemo'' received a dubbing in [[Navajo language|Navajo]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jodie |first=Quentin |date=2016-03-10 |title='Nemo Há'déést'į́į́' |url=https://navajotimes.com/reznews/nemo-hadeestii/ |access-date=2022-10-12 |website=Navajo Times |language=en-US}}</ref> and then Disney's ''[[Moana (2016 film)|Moana]]'' in [[Hawaiian language|Hawaiian]] two years later.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Disney's Moana to make World Premiere in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi at Ko Olina's World Oceans Day, June 10 |url=http://koolina.com/press/disneys-moana-make-world-premiere-%CA%BBolelo-hawai%CA%BBi-ko-olinas-world-oceans-day-june-10/ |access-date=2022-10-12 |website=Ko Olina |language=en}}</ref> While the first was also made available on Disney+,<ref name="Oddo-2022" /> the latter was only distributed for free in schools in [[Hawaii]], and never received any [[home media]] release form.<ref>{{Cite web |work=University of Hawaii News|title=Disney's Moana in Olelo Hawaii to be available to schools across the state|url=https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2018/11/27/moana-olelo-hawaii-to-schools/ |date=November 27, 2018|access-date=2022-10-12 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Reception==
===Critical response===
At the time of the film's release, ''Bambi'' received mixed reviews from the critics, mainly because of the lack of fantasy elements in the film and objection towards a dramatic story of animals and their struggle to survive in the woods and avoid the threat of humans.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=397}} ''[[The New York Times]]'' claimed that "In the search for perfection, Mr. Disney has come perilously close to tossing away his whole world of cartoon fantasy."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1942/08/14/archives/bambi-a-musical-cartoon-in-technicolor-produced-by-walt-disney-from.html|title='Bambi,' a Musical Cartoon in Technicolor Produced by Walt Disney From the Story by Felix Salten, at the Music Hall|newspaper=The New York Times|date=August 14, 1942|access-date=September 3, 2019}}</ref> [[Manny Farber]] of ''[[The New Republic]]'' wrote that "Bambi is interesting because it's the first one that's been entirely unpleasant…[[Mickey Mouse|Mickey]] wouldn't be caught dead in this."

Farber added that "In an attempt to ape the trumped-up realism of flesh and blood movies, he has given up fantasy, which was pretty much the magic element."<ref>{{cite news|last=Farber|first=Manny|url=https://newrepublic.com/article/134248/saccharine-symphony|title=Saccharine Symphony|magazine=The New Republic|date=June 29, 1942|access-date=September 3, 2019}}</ref> Even Disney's daughter [[Diane Disney-Miller|Diane]] complained, saying that Bambi's mother did not need to die. When Walt claimed that he was only following the book, Diane protested, saying that he had taken other liberties before and that Walt Disney could do whatever he wanted.{{sfn|Gabler|2006|p=397}}

Today, however, ''Bambi'' is viewed much more favorably. On the review aggregator website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has an approval rating of 91% based on 53 reviews with an average rating of {{RT data|average}}. The website consensus reads: "Elegantly animated and deeply touching, ''Bambi'' is an enduring, endearing, and moving Disney classic."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bambi|title=Bambi (1942)|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|publisher=[[Fandango Media|Fandango]]|access-date={{RT data|access date}}}}{{RT data|edit}}</ref> {{MC film|91|16|access-date=4 January 2022}}<ref>{{Citation|title=Bambi|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/bambi|access-date=2022-02-04}}</ref> Critics Mick Martin and Marsha Porter call the film "the crowning achievement of Walt Disney's animation studio".<ref>Mick Martin,Marsha Porter DVD&Video Guide 2005.Ballantine 2004.{{ISBN|0-345-44995-9}}</ref> English film historian [[Leslie Halliwell]] wrote that ''Bambi'' was "one of Disney's most memorable and brilliant achievements with a great comic character in Thumper and a climactic forest fire sequence that is genuinely thrilling." He concluded that it was  "a triumph of the animator's arts".<ref>{{cite book|last1=Halliwell|first1=Leslie|last2=Walker|first2=John|title=Halliwell's Film Guide 2000|publisher=HarperCollins|year=1999|page=57|isbn=978-0-00-653165-4}}</ref>

===Accolades===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Nominee(s)
! Result
|-
| rowspan="3"| [[15th Academy Awards|Academy Awards]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1943 |title=The 15th Academy Awards (1943) Nominees and Winners |access-date=2011-08-13 |work=oscars.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706093739/http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/legacy/ceremony/15th-winners.html |archive-date=July 6, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture]]
| [[Frank Churchill]] and [[Edward H. Plumb]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Original Song|Best Original Song]]
| "Love Is a Song" <br> Music by Frank Churchill; <br> Lyrics by [[Larry Morey]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Sound|Best Sound Recording]]
| [[Sam Slyfield|C. O. Slyfield]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Genesis Awards]]
| colspan="2"| Feature Film – Classic
| {{won}}
|-
| [[5th Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Awards]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/bambi |title=Bambi – Golden Globes |website=[[HFPA]] |access-date=July 5, 2021 |ref={{harvid|HFPA|1948}}}}</ref>
| Special Achievement Award
| [[Walt Disney]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Hugo Award]]s<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/1943-retro-hugo-awards/ |work=[[Hugo Award]]s |title=1943 Retro-Hugo Awards |date=July 26, 2007 |access-date=November 1, 2008}}</ref>
| [[Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation|Best Dramatic Presentation – Short Form]]
| [[Perce Pearce]], Larry Morey and [[David Hand (animator)|David D. Hand]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[National Film Preservation Board]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://d23.com/a-to-z/national-film-registry/ |title=National Film Registry |website=[[D23 (Disney)|D23]] |access-date=May 29, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/ |title=Complete National Film Registry Listing |website=[[Library of Congress]] |access-date=December 16, 2015}}</ref>
| colspan="2"| [[National Film Registry]]
| {{won|Inducted}}
|-
| Online Film & Television Association Awards<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oftaawards.com/film-hall-of-fame/film-hall-of-fame-productions/ |title=Film Hall of Fame Productions |website=Online Film & Television Association |access-date=May 15, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oftaawards.com/film-hall-of-fame/film-hall-of-fame-songs/ |title=Film Hall of Fame Inductees: Songs |website=Online Film & Television Association |access-date=August 15, 2021}}</ref>
| colspan="2"| Hall of Fame – Motion Picture
| {{won|Inducted}}
|-
| [[10th Satellite Awards|Satellite Awards]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pressacademy.com/satawards/awards2005b.shtml |title=International Press Academy website – 2005 10th Annual SATELLITE Awards|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080201175700/http://www.pressacademy.com/satawards/awards2005b.shtml|archive-date=1 February 2008}}</ref>
| colspan="2"| [[Satellite Award for Outstanding Youth Blu-Ray/DVD|Outstanding Youth DVD]]
| {{nom}}
|}

In June 2008, the [[American Film Institute]] revealed its [[AFI's 10 Top 10|"10 Top 10"]]&nbsp;– the best ten films in ten classic American film genres&nbsp;– after polling over 1,500 people from the creative community. ''Bambi'' was acknowledged as the third best film in the animation genre.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://afi.com/10top10/category.aspx?cat=1|publisher=[[American Film Institute]]|title=AFI's 10 Top 10|date=June 17, 2008|access-date=July 23, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100518174029/http://www.afi.com/10top10/category.aspx?cat=1|archive-date=May 18, 2010}}</ref> It is also listed in the Top 25 Horror Movies of All Time by ''Time'' magazine. ''Bambi'', ''Time'' states, "has a primal shock that still haunts oldsters who saw it 40, 50, 65 years ago."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1676793_1676808_1676840,00.html|title=Top 25 Horror Movies of All Time by ''Time'' Magazine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026204910/http://entertainment.time.com/2007/10/29/top-25-horror-movies/slide/bambi-1942-2/|archive-date=October 26, 2011 |access-date=July 22, 2013|date=October 29, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>

'''American Film Institute'''
* [[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies]]&nbsp;– Nominated
* [[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains]]:
** Man&nbsp;– No. 20 Villain
* [[AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores]]&nbsp;– Nominated
* [[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition)]]&nbsp;– Nominated
* [[AFI's 10 Top 10]]&nbsp;– No. 3 Animated film

==Legacy==
The off-screen villain "Man" has been placed No. 20 on [[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Heroes and Villains|AFI's List of Heroes and Villains]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://afi.com/100years/handv.aspx|title=AFI's 100 Greatest Heroes & Villains|publisher=AFI.com|access-date=July 14, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100821122431/http://www.afi.com/100years/handv.aspx|archive-date=August 21, 2010}}</ref>

Some critics have cited parallels between Frank Churchill's theme music for "Man" (which consisted of three simple notes) and [[John Williams]]'s theme music in ''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]'' (which consists of two notes).<ref>Tylski, Alexandre. [http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/articles/1999/14_Sep---A_Study_of_Jaws_Incisive_Overture.asp "A Study of Jaws' Incisive Overture"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061023150218/http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/articles/1999/14_Sep---A_Study_of_Jaws_Incisive_Overture.asp |date=October 23, 2006 }}. ''[[Film Score Monthly]]''. Retrieved July 4, 2012.</ref>

[[Paul McCartney]] has credited the shooting death of Bambi's mother for his initial interest in [[animal rights]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4520658.stm|title=Former Beatle 'inspired by Bambi'|publisher=[[BBC]]|date=December 12, 2005|access-date=January 29, 2007|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051215090602/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4520658.stm|archive-date=December 15, 2005}}</ref>

Soon after the film's release, Walt Disney allowed his characters to appear in fire prevention public service campaigns. However, Bambi was only loaned to the government for a year, so a new symbol was needed, leading to the creation of [[Smokey Bear]].<ref name="AboutTheCampaign">{{Cite web|url=https://smokeybear.com/en/smokeys-history/about-the-campaign|title=About the Campaign |website=SmokeyBear.com |publisher=Ad Council |language=en |access-date=June 28, 2018}}</ref> Bambi and his mother also make a cameo appearance in the satirical 1955 Donald Duck short ''[[No Hunting]]'': drinking from a forest stream, the deer are startled by a sudden trickle of beer cans and other debris, and Bambi's mother tells him, "Man is in the forest. Let's dig out."

In 2006, the [[Ad Council]], in partnership with the [[United States Forest Service]], started a series of [[Public Service Announcement]]s that feature footage from ''Bambi'' and ''Bambi II'' for [[wildfire]] prevention. During the ads, as the ''Bambi'' footage is shown, the screen will momentarily fade into black with the text "Don't let our forests...become once upon a time", and usually (but not always) ending the ads with Bambi's line "Mother, what we gonna do today?" followed by [[Smokey Bear]] saying "Only you can prevent wildfires" as the Smokey logo is shown on the screen.{{citation needed|date=August 2022}} Bambi had previously been the Forest Service's advertising icon beginning in 1942, but was only allowed by Disney to use the character for a year.<ref name="AboutTheCampaign"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.smokeybear.com/vault/wartime_prevention.asp |title=Campaign History — Forest Fire Prevention |publisher=SmokeyBear.com|access-date=March 15, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407061417/http://www.smokeybear.com/vault/wartime_prevention.asp |archive-date=April 7, 2014}}</ref>

In December 2011, ''Bambi'' was among the films selected for preservation in the Library of Congress' National Film Registry.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.accessatlanta.com/atlanta-movies/forrest-gump-hannibal-lecter-1277319.html?cxntlid=thbz_hm |title=Forrest Gump, Hannibal Lecter join film registry |author=Ben Nuckols |newspaper=Atlanta Journal-Constitution |publisher=Cox Newspapers |date=December 28, 2011 |access-date=December 28, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111160501/http://www.accessatlanta.com/atlanta-movies/forrest-gump-hannibal-lecter-1277319.html?cxntlid=thbz_hm |archive-date=January 11, 2012 }}</ref> In its induction, the Registry said that the film was one of Walt Disney's favorites and that it has been "recognized for its eloquent message of nature conservation."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2011/11-240.html|title=2011 National Film Registry More Than a Box of Chocolates|website=Library of Congress|date=December 28, 2011|access-date=December 28, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140704135038/http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2011/11-240.html|archive-date=July 4, 2014}}</ref>

Characters of the film appear in several other Disney media, such as guest appearances in the animated television series ''[[House of Mouse]]'', Bambi being a character to summon in the video game ''[[Kingdom Hearts (video game)|Kingdom Hearts]]'' and its sequel ''[[Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.khguides.com/kh/combat/summons/ |title=Summons Guide (KHI) - KHGuides |publisher=khguides.com |date=August 13, 2021}}</ref> and Bambi, Thumper, Flower, Faline and Great Prince of the Forest being playable characters in ''[[Disney Magic Kingdoms]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qmt5zmNj0M&ab_channel=DisneyMagicKingdoms |title=Update 20: Bambi {{!}} Livestream|author=''Disney Magic Kingdoms'' ([[Gameloft]])|publisher=[[YouTube]]|date=April 25, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qmt5zmNj0M&ab_channel=DisneyMagicKingdoms |title=Update 69: Bambi {{!}} Event Walkthrough|author=''Disney Magic Kingdoms'' ([[Gameloft]])|publisher=[[YouTube]]|date=April 7, 2023}}</ref>

On December 17, 2018, a prison sentence passed against a man, in what is considered the biggest deer poaching case in Missouri history, contained the stipulation that the prisoner must view the film at least once each month during his one-year prison sentence.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46597364 |title=Deer poacher sentenced to watch Bambi in prison|publisher=[[BBC]]|date=December 17, 2018}}</ref>

==Media and merchandise==
===Comic adaptation===
The ''[[Silly Symphony (comic strip)|Silly Symphony]]'' Sunday comic strip ran a three-month-long adaptation of ''Bambi'' from July 19 to October 4, 1942.<ref>{{cite book |last1=De Maris |first1=Merrill |last2=Grant |first2=Bob |last3=Karpé |first3=Karl |last4=Moores |first4=Dick |last5=Murry |first5=Paul |title=Silly Symphonies: The Complete Disney Classics, vol 4 |date=2019 |publisher=IDW Publishing |location=San Diego |isbn=978-1684052646}}</ref>

===Sequel===
{{Main|Bambi II}}
Set in the middle of ''Bambi'', ''[[Bambi II]]'' shows the Great Prince of the Forest struggling to raise the motherless Bambi, and Bambi's doubts about his father's love. The film was released [[direct-to-video]] on February 7, 2006. While the film was a direct-to-video release in the United States and other countries, including Canada, China, Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan, it was a theatrical release in some countries, including Australia, Austria, Brazil, Dominican Republic, France, Mexico, the United Kingdom and some other European countries.{{citation needed|date=July 2012}}

===CGI remake===
On January 28, 2020, it was announced that a [[Photorealism|photorealistic]] [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]] feature-length remake is in development with a script co-written by [[Geneva Robertson-Dworet]] and Lindsey Beer. [[Paul Weitz (filmmaker)|Paul Weitz]], [[Chris Weitz]], and Andrew Miano will produce the film; a joint-venture production between [[Walt Disney Pictures]], Depth of Field Studios, and Known Universe Productions.<ref name="Remake">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/bambi-remake-works-1272457|title='Bambi' Remake in the Works With 'Captain Marvel', 'Chaos Walking' Writers (Exclusive)|magazine=The Hollywood Reporter|last1=Kit|first1=Borys|last2=Galuppo|first2=Mia|date=January 24, 2020}}</ref> Disney described the film as a "companion piece" to ''[[The Jungle Book (2016 film)|The Jungle Book]]'' (2016) and ''[[The Lion King (2019 film)|The Lion King]]'' (2019), as the three films feature wildlife that requires extensive [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI and special effects]].<ref name="Remake"/> On June 13, 2023, it was revealed that [[Sarah Polley]] is in talks to direct the film, which is said to be a musical that will feature music from six-time Grammy-winning country star [[Kacey Musgraves]]. [[Micah Fitzerman-Blue]] and [[Noah Harpster]] wrote the most recent draft of the script.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Grobar |first1=Matt |title=Sarah Polley In Talks To Direct Live-Action 'Bambi' For Disney |url=https://deadline.com/2023/06/bambi-live-action-movie-disney-sarah-polley-director-1235415991/ |website=Deadline |date=June 13, 2023 |access-date=June 13, 2023}}</ref> As of March 2024, Polley was reportedly no longer attached as director.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Taylor |first=Drew |date=March 6, 2024 |title=Sean Bailey's Disney Legacy: Reanimation and Later, Exhaustion {{!}} Analysis |url=https://www.thewrap.com/sean-bailey-disney-legacy/ |access-date=March 8, 2024 |work=The Wrap}}</ref>

==Copyright==
The copyrights for ''[[Bambi, a Life in the Woods]]'' were inherited by Anna Wyler, Salten's daughter, who renewed them in 1954. After her death, Wyler's husband sold the rights to Twin Books, a publishing company which subsequently filed a [[lawsuit]] against Disney, claiming Disney owed it money for the continued licensing for the use of the book. Disney countered by claiming that Salten had published the story in 1923 without a copyright notice, thus it immediately entered into the [[public domain]]. Disney also argued that if the claimed 1923 publication date was accurate, then the copyright renewal filed in 1954 had been registered after the deadline and was thus invalid. The courts initially upheld Disney's view; however, in 1996, the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit|Ninth Circuit]] Court reversed the decision on appeal in ''Twin Books Corp. v. Walt Disney Co.'', 83 [[F.3d]] 1162 (1996).<ref>{{cite web|title=Bambi, the Austrian Deer |url=http://courseweb.stthomas.edu/paschons/language_http/essays/salten.html |last=Schons |first=Paul |publisher=Germanic-American Institute |access-date=August 26, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080808113400/http://courseweb.stthomas.edu/paschons/language_http/essays/salten.html |archive-date=August 8, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=FindLaw's United States Ninth Circuit case and opinions. | website=Findlaw | date=2020-06-03 | url=https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-9th-circuit/1304377.html | access-date=2022-01-14}} {{PD-notice}}</ref>

The American copyright of the novel expired on January 1, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Public Domain Day 2022 {{!}} Duke University School of Law |url=https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2022/ |access-date=2023-05-23 |website=web.law.duke.edu |language=en}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{Refbegin|33em}}
* {{cite book|last=Barrier|first=Michael|title=Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in Its Golden Age|url=https://archive.org/details/hollywoodcartoon00barr|year=1999|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|isbn=978-0-1980-2079-0|url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book|last=Beck|first=Jerry|title=The Animated Movie Guide|year=2005|publisher=[[Chicago Review Press]]|isbn=978-1-5565-2591-9|url=https://archive.org/details/animatedmoviegui0000beck_f1r9|url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book|last=Gabler|first=Neal|title=Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination|url=https://archive.org/details/waltdisneytriump0000gabl|year=2006|publisher=[[Vintage Books]]|isbn=978-0-6797-5747-4|url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book|last=Kaufman|first=J. B.|year=2012|title=The Fairest One of All: The Making of Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs|publisher=Weldon Owen|isbn=978-1-61628-438-1}}
* {{cite book|last=Smith|first=Dave|title=Disney A to Z: The Official Encyclopedia|url=https://archive.org/details/disneytozofficia00smit|publisher=Disney Editions|year=1996|isbn=978-0-7868-6223-8|url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book|last=Smith|first=Dave|title=Disney Trivia from the Vault: Secrets Revealed and Questions Answered|url=https://archive.org/details/disneytriviafrom0000smit/mode/2up|publisher=Disney Editions|year=2012|isbn=978-1-4231-7857-6|url-access=registration}}
* {{Cite book | last=Wills | first=John | chapter=Felix Salten's Stories: The Portrayal of Nature in ''Bambi'', ''Perri'' and ''The Shaggy Dog'' | title=Walt Disney, from Reader to Storyteller: Essays on the Literary Inspirations | pages=45–61 | editor1-last=Jackson | editor1-first=Kathy Merloch | editor2-last=West | editor2-first=Mark I. | publisher=McFarland | location=Jefferson (N.C.) | year=2015 | isbn=978-0-7864-7232-1 }}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Bambi (1942 film)}}
{{Wikiquote|Bambi}}

* {{IMDb title|0034492}}
* ''[https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-film-preservation-board/documents/bambi.pdf Bambi]'', an essay by John Wills at [[National Film Registry]]
* {{rotten-tomatoes|bambi|Bambi}}
*[http://www.toonopedia.com/bambi.htm ''Bambi''] at [[Don Markstein's Toonopedia]]. [https://archive.today/20240528074939/https://www.webcitation.org/6xQvqm1nQ?url=http://www.toonopedia.com/bambi.htm Archived] from the original on February 22, 2018.
* {{mojo title|bambi}}

{{Bambi}}
{{Walt Disney Animation Studios}}
{{Disney theatrical animated features}}
{{David Hand}}
{{Retro Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1942 animated films]]
[[Category:1942 films]]
[[Category:1942 children's films]]
[[Category:1942 drama films]]
[[Category:1940s American animated films]]
[[Category:1940s children's fantasy films]]
[[Category:1940s English-language films]]
[[Category:1940s coming-of-age drama films]]
[[Category:American children's animated fantasy films]]
[[Category:American coming-of-age films]]
[[Category:Animated coming-of-age films]]
[[Category:Animated films about friendship]]
[[Category:Animated films based on novels]]
[[Category:Bambi]]
[[Category:Animated films about deer and moose]]
[[Category:Animated films about talking animals]]
[[Category:Films adapted into comics]]
[[Category:Films directed by Bill Roberts]]
[[Category:Films directed by David Hand (animator)]]
[[Category:Films directed by James Algar]]
[[Category:Films directed by Samuel Armstrong]]
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[[Category:Films scored by Frank Churchill]]
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[[Category:Animated films set in forests]]
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[[Category:United States National Film Registry films]]
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[[Category:1940s children's animated films]]
[[Category:Films based on Austrian novels]]
[[Category:Films based on works by Felix Salten]]
[[Category:American children's animated drama films]]
[[Category:Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation–winning works]]
[[Category:Animated films about mother–son relationships]]
[[Category:White-tailed deer]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Ralph Wright]]
[[Category:English-language fantasy films]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Perce Pearce]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Vernon Stallings]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Mel Shaw]]
[[Category:Animated romance films]]
[[Category:English-language romance films]]