History Trivia / Bambi

* DisownedAdaptation: Felix Salten conflicted with his American publisher, who made alterations to his second novel ''Bambi's Children'' for a LighterAndSofter tone (the English translation removes a lot of dark or graphic elements from the original German edit). Salten did not want his work advertised as a children's story. He also expressed regret about selling the film rights to Bambi to Disney.

* DisownedAdaptation: Felix Salten conflicted with his American publisher, who made alterations to his second novel ''Bambi's Children'' for a LighterAndSofter tone (the English translation removes a lot of dark or graphic elements from the original German edit). Salten did not want his work advertised as a children's story. He also expressed regret about selling the rights to Bambi to Disney, meaning he was no longer allowed to write further stories with it's characters.

* GodDoesNotOwnThisWorld: Disney bought the rights to Bambi when adapting Salten's works, meaning he could not make any further works of the characters in the remaining years of his life.

* MoneyDearBoy: Felix Salten's key reason for giving Disney the rights to Bambi, since he was in exile during the war, he was in desperate need of money to finance a new life, and expressed his regret at no longer being able to use his own characters. To add further insult to injury, Salten got no royalties for the film upon it's release.

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: Though a ''Bambi's Children'' AnimatedAdaptation never came to be, Disney did release a comic book of the novel in 1943. Good luck finding a copy now.

** Walt Disney was also eager to show Man [[LaserGuidedKarma burned to death by the fire that he inadvertently started]], but this was discarded when it was decided [[TheGhost not to show Man at all]].

** In the mid-80s, there were plans for [[http://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/animation-anecdotes-184/ a spin-off film, starring Thumper.]]

** Bambi's design was initially intended to be more realistically proportioned, going from this [[https://www.awn.com/sites/default/files/styles/original/public/image/featured/1032904-classic-disney-art-collection-headed-auction-june-5.jpg?itok=Lv-A1plx test cel for the film.]]

* MoneyDearBoy: Felix Salten's key reason for giving Disney the rights to Bambi, since he was in exile during the war, he was in desperate need of money to finance a new life, and expressed his regret at no longer being able to use his own characters.

* DisownedAdaptation: Felix Salten conflicted with his American publisher, who made alterations to his second novel ''Bambi's Children'' for a LighterAndSofter tone (the English translation removes a lot of dark or graphic elements from the original German edit). Salten did not want his work advertised as a children's story. One can only wonder what he felt of the [[{{Disneyfication}} Disney film adaptation]] released two years after.

* EnforcedMethodActing: Peter Behn (young Thumper in the first film) was only four during the recording phase, and couldn't read the script. Instead, he mimicked the director, until each line had the vocal inflection that was needed. The loud bursts of vocalization he used to play Thumper were also completely unscripted; that was literally how he talked.

* NoExportForYou: Thanks to a little thing called UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, ''Bambi'' originally didn't get released in Japan until 1957 and another dubbed version in 1993. However, Creator/OsamuTezuka made a manga adaptation of the film during the 60's after getting permission from Walt himself when they met each other at the World Fair of the time.

* EnforcedMethodActing: Peter Behn (young Thumper in the first film) was only four during the recording phase, and couldn't read the script. Instead, he mimicked the director, until each line had the vocal inflection that was needed. The loud bursts of vocalization he used to play Thumper were also completely unintentional; that was literally how he talked.

* BoxOfficeBomb: Only made $1.64 million on a $7 million budget. The outbreak of World War II meant it couldn't make any money internationally.

** According to the book "Mickey and the Gang: Classic Stories in Verse", a film adaptation of "Bambi's Children" was actually planned but never got beyond the early stages of development.

** As charted through the Making of documentary, Walt Disney went through endless brainstorms for scenes and gags consisting of, but not limited to, a Laurel and Hardy-esque squirrel and chipmunk duo (these characters appear in the final film, albeit with a very small role and only one line), the plight of a nest of ants that Bambi tramples, and Bambi swallowing a live bee that communicates to the other animals through his ears. All of these dropped as the creative team realised they had barely any baring to the actual main plot.

** In the production of the first film, it was debated how to show the death of Bambi's mom: originally there was scene where we would see her body collapse as she jumped over a log, after hearing the sound of a shotgun, but it was decided the scene would be more effective emotionally if we don't actually see her die. Walt Disney was also eager to show Man [[LaserGuidedKarma burned to death by the fire that he inadvertently started]], but this was discarded when it was decided [[TheGhost not to show Man at all]].

** As charted through the Making of documentary, Walt Disney went through endless brainstorms for scenes and gags consisting of, but not limited to, a Laurel and Hardy-esque squirrel and chipmunk duo (these characters appear in the final film, albeit with a very small role), the plight of a nest of ants that Bambi tramples, and Bambi swallowing a live bee that communicates to the other animals through his ears. All of these dropped as the creative team realised they had barely any baring to the actual main plot.

** As charted through the Making of documentary, Walt Disney went through endless brainstorms for scenes and gags consisting of, but not limited to, a Laurel and Hardy-esque squirrel and chipmunk duo, the plight of a nest of ants that Bambi tramples, and Bambi swallowing a live bee that communicates to the other animals through his ears. All of these dropped as the creative team realised they had barely any baring to the actual main plot.

* CutSong: The soundtrack to the first film has an early version of "Little April Showers" called "Rain Drops". The midquel's soundtrack also has a cut song "Sing the Day" that was supposed to play over the main trio's "being brave" montage.

* NoExportForYou:
** Interestingly, the modern ''Bambi II'' happened to be released theatrically overseas, but in the US it was a direct to video release, for whatever reason.
** Also, thanks to a little thing called UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, ''Bambi'' originally didn't get released in Japan until 1957 and another dubbed version in 1993. However, Creator/OsamuTezuka made a manga adaptation of the film during the 60's after getting permission from Walt himself when they met each other at the World Fair of the time.
* TheOtherDarrin: Naturally due to the ''six decade'' gap between the two films, every character in the original had a new voice actor in ''Bambi II'' (besides some stock audio at the very start of the film).
* PromotedFanboy: Several of the creative team who worked on ''Bambi II'' stated this disposition in the "Making Of" documentary. Creator/PatrickStewart, an acclaimed theatrical actor, claimed there was nothing emotionally intense than ''Bambi''.
* SequelGap: The midquel was released ''64 years'' after the first film--breaking the record of the longest sequel gap!

* WorkingTitle: ''Bambi II'' was initially titled ''Bambi and The Great Prince'' during early stages of production, and even lengthened to ''Bambi and the Great Prince of the Forest'' in later stages.

* TheOtherDarrin: Naturally due to the ''six decade'' gap between the two films, every character in the original had a new voice actor in ''Bambi II''.

* BoxOfficeBomb: Only made $1.64 million on a $7 million budget, which may not sound like much, but the outbreak of World War II meant it couldn't make any money internationally, resulting in a meager profit.