ife story of a fawn, Bambi, who grows up, with friends Thumper, a rabbit, and Flower, a skunk, to become the Great Prince of the Forest. Meanwhile he suffers the death of his mother at the hands of hunters, falls in love with Faline, and barely escapes a catastrophic forest fire. The film had been put into production while work on "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" was winding down. But the story of "Bambi" was different from anything the Studio had ever attempted. It was more serious, and all the characters were animals. In striving for realism, the artists heard lectures from animal experts, made field trips to the Los Angeles Zoo, watched specially filmed nature footage shot in the forests of Maine, and even studied the movements of two fawns that were donated to the Studio. The meticulous work was time-consuming; even taking care to see that the spots on the fawn's back remained constant meant fewer drawings could be finished in a day. The film moved exceedingly slowly through the production process, but Walt was delighted with the results. "Fellas, this stuff is pure gold," he told the animators. "Bambi" was released at a difficult time, with the U.S. deep in World War II, so its initial profits were low, but the story of the little deer coming of age has endured, and today "Bambi" is universally regarded as one of Walt Disney's most charming films. World premiere in London on August 8, 1942. Based on the book by Felix Salten. The supervising director was David Hand. Starring: the voices of Sterling Holloway (adolescent Flower), Peter Behn (young Thumper), and Donnie Dunagan (young Bambi). 70 min. Includes the songs "Love Is a Song" and "Little April Shower," written by Frank Churchill and Edward H. Plumb. The film received Academy Award® nominations for Best Sound, Best Song ("Love Is a Song"), and Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture. It was rereleased in theaters in 1947, 1957, 1966, 1975, 1982, and 1988. Released on video in 1989. Learn more about Bambi at the Walt Disney Family Museum.