Released by Walt Disney 63 years ago, Bambi stands at the pinnacle of his achievements in animation. Its memorable characters and poignant story of loss and courage have left an indelible impression on viewers for decades. This special presentation, produced under the supervision of The Walt Disney studios’ Preservation and Restoration Team, is the result of months of exhaustive research and restoration. This process included shooting surviving artwork housed at the Studio’s Animation Research Library, utilizing the same techniques as employed during the original photography in the 1940s. Final color also was referenced by screening an original IB Technicolor print. The original nitrate negative was pulled from the Library of Congress archives and digitally scanned at 4K resolution so that each frame could be scrutinized and cleaned to fully realize the artistry in the drawings. The final restored picture was then re-color-corrected for Digital Cinema and High Definition video. The soundtrack was digitally cleaned up and then remastered in 5.1 audio from the studio’s archived magnetic masters, which were transferred from the original nitrate soundtrack negatives, under the supervision of Academy Award®-nominated sound mixer Terry Porter. The final result is a version of Bambi which truly represents the artists’ original vision without dirt, scratches or dust.

The Academy’s current exhibition “Toon In: Animated Movie Posters from the Cudequest Family Collection” will be open for viewing in the Academy Galleries after the screening of Bambi.

Presenter Walt Disney. Supervising Director David H. Hand. From the story by Felix Salten. Story Direction Perce Pearce. Story Adaptation Larry Morey. Music by Frank Churchill, Edward Plumb. Orchestration by Charles Wolcott, Paul J. Smith. Conducted by Alexander Steinert. Choral Arrangements by Charles Henderson. Story Development by George Stallings, Melvin Shaw, Carl Fallberg, Chuck Couch, Ralph Wright. Sequence Directors James Algar, Bill Roberts, Norman Right, Sam Armstrong, Paul Satterfield, Graham Heid. Art Direction Thomas H. Codrick, Robert C. Cormack, McLaren Stewart, Al Zinnen, Lloyd Harting, David Hilberman, John Hubley, Dick Kelsey. Backgrounds Merle T. Cox, Tyrus Wong, W. Richard Anthony, Art Riley, Stan Spohn, Robert McIntosh, Ray Huffine, Travis Johnson, Ed Levitt, Joe Stahley. Supervising Animators Franklin Thomas, Milton Kahl, Eric Larson, Oliver M. Johnston Jr. Animators Fraser Davis, Preston Blair, Bill Justice, John Bradbury, Don Lusk, Bernard Garbutt, Retta Scott, Joshua Meador, Kenneth Hultgree, Phil Duncan, Kenneth O’Brien, George Rowley, Louis Schmitt, Art Palmer, Art Elliott. Technicolor. Walt Disney Productions. RKO Radio Pictures, Inc. 1942. Running Time: 69 mins. Digital presentation courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures. Audio restoration by Buena Vista Sound, Burbank and Sony Studios in New York. Digital Scanning and Restoration Services by Lowry Digital Images. Digital Cinema Mastering by Technicolor Digital Images, Burbank.

Voices: Bobby Stewart, Donnie Donagan, John Sutherland, Hardie Albright, Tim Davis, Peter Behn, Paula Winslowe, Cammie King, Ann Gillis, Thelma Hubbard, Thelma Boardman, Margaret Lee, Sterling Holloway, Will Wright, Mary Lansing, Fred Shields, Stanley Alexander, Marion Darlington, Otis Harlan, Jeanne Christy, Janet Chapman, Bobette Audrey, Jack Horner, Francesca Santoro, Babs Nelson, Sandra Lee Richards, Dolyn Bramston Cook, Elouise Wohlwend.

Academy Award Nominations: Sound Recording (Sam Slyfield), Music - Song (“Love is a Song”) (Churchill, Morey), Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (Churchill, Plumb).