Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Bambi Academy Tribute



Great evening last night at the Academy.
Host Leonard Maltin led the panel, and it showed how much knowledge and appreciation he has for the film. While Disney art director Paul Felix and myself represented a newer generation, Donnie Dunagan and Peter Behn were the real stars of the evening. They recalled how they were selected as the voices of Bambi and Thumper. Behn remember how frightened he was watching the forest fire during the film's premiere screening. Dunagan at age 5 fired his manager, who thought the audition at Disney for a baby deer wouldn't be worthwhile. 
It really was a historical evening. Disney provided a 2 1/2 min. pencil test from the film which left the audience in awe.
There was also a tribute to Tyrus Wong, whose fingerprints are all over this movie.










The two kids who made movie history: Donnie Dunagan and Peter Behn.







5 comments:

  1. If anyone finds a recording of the presentation, send it my way please!
    I'd love to hear more from Andreas and Paul Felix about this film.
    I'm also curious about this pencil test, although I imagine it would really bruise my ego to see something like that!

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    1. I wish you could do such recordings there. The academy staff watches the audience closely and stops all recording and photography. Here's hoping someone managed despite.

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  2. Wow! They showed 2 and half minutes of pencil test from Bambi?! Now I hate myself for missing this event, specially because I have been in LA for a few days.

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  3. Nice. I hope the Academy puts this up on their website. I'm guessing there was talk about the film's art director, Tom Codrick, who's black and white sketches you show above? Tyrus Wong always praised him and called him "Walt's Secret Weapon." Codrick art directed the first 5 Disney features (although he only supervised on Fantasia).

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