Walt Disney Bambi Poster-What kind of Item is this?
The poster, as an Advertisement for a 1942 children’s film, indicates a universal appetite for cinema despite the ongoing World War. From this, we can infer a sense of film as an escapist medium, offering a fantastical world set aside from bleak reality. Its target audience was those interested in Disney films, most likely children but not excluding those who are older who enjoy animated, ‘easy-to-watch’ films. The poster’s purpose is to bring awareness to the film’s release and to create an excitement amongst the British public, especially considering the time in which the film was being released, any form of entertainment was popular as a distraction from the horrors of War.
The World premier for the film was in London on the 9th August, which shows proof of Britain as a predominant player in international wartime cinema and furthermore, the film is also an example of distribution to British cinemas from the US – an exploit still achieved and focused upon during WW2, despite the risk involved. This shows us that the war did not affect the release of Bambi, as it would be assumed that there were bigger priorities than releasing a children’s film. However, one could also argue the importance of the film’s release, to prove to society that the War was not everything, that not every aspect of the life they knew would be disrupted.
On the other hand, this Item does not show us how the public felt about the film’s production and distribution, we can only assume. It also does not show the actions taken to get the film released, it can be inferred that it would be more complicated to do so. After researching the potentially problematic release of Bambi in 1942, it is evident that overseas marketing was near to impossible due to World War 2, leading to the film not being as popular as it could’ve been. However, the re-release in 1947 proved much more successful. The Item fails to provide this information, instead it simply tells us that it is a ‘Multiplane Technicolor Feature’ and information about the film centered around selling it to viewers of the poster, not it’s relation to the War.
Overall, the poster is a very solid piece of evidence to show that it would attract those to a world where the public can escape the hardship of the wartime for a period of their day where freedom is presented to their lives, even if it is for a limited time.
This is a thoughtful and singular response to this week’s task in that suggests an unusual source (a poster for the animated feature Bambi) but succeeds in linking it to the wider context, which in this instance meant war. I like how you have teased out what the poster can tell us as well as, just as importantly what it cannot (in this instance audience responses). The piece is also well-written and illustrated. From the images provided, however, it is not entirely clear if this is indeed a poster tailored for the British audience or not. If so, how? Does it specify where the film will be shown, or if it will be given a widespread release? It would therefore be useful to provide a link so I can examine it further. Elsewhere, there is good research on display that shows that you have explored the film’s history, but do remember to cite your sources. Good work overall.