Bambi - Legendary animated feature film. "Bambi's" world premiere was held in London, on August 8, 1942. It opened in the United States five days later, on August 13. Though the animation was a great step forward for the Studio, its timing could hardly be worse. The United States and the UK were mired in World War II, Europe was occupied by Nazi Germany, and thus the picture fared poorly at the box office. At the time, "Bambi" was described as a "great love story," as evidenced by this billboard for the feature animated film. Of course, the relationship between Bambi and Faline was certainly central to the tale. But the real love story played out in this film was the one between Walt and nature. "Bambi" amazed viewers with its highly realistic approach to animals. Walt insisted that his artists study animals in the wild and at the zoo; some were even imported into the Studio to help create lifelike effects on the screen.
