Bambi Meets Godzilla is a 1969 black-and-white animated short student film produced entirely byMarv Newland.[1] Less than two minutes long, the film is seen as a classic ofanimation; it was listed #38 in the bookThe 50 Greatest Cartoons (1994).[2]
The opening credits, consisting of roles filled by Newland himself,[3] scroll over an image of the fawnBambi serenely grazing on a field of grass and flowers while theChicago Symphony Orchestra's recording ofWilliam Tell'sRanz des Vaches plays in the background. After the credits, Bambi looks up to seeGodzilla's foot coming down, squashing him flat (set to the final chord ofthe Beatles' "A Day in the Life"). After a moment, the closing credits appear alongside the image of Godzilla's foot atop Bambi.[4] The closing credits give acknowledgement toTokyo "for their help in obtaining Godzilla for this film". Godzilla's toe claws wiggle once and the cartoon ends.
In 1973,Bambi Meets Godzilla was paired with John Magnuson'sThank You Mask Man by Randy Finley and Specialty Films in Seattle and released widely under the titleThe King of Hearts and His Loyal Short Subjects.[5] The program ran in repertory theaters across America for several years.[6] The short was also included onVHS home video releases ofGodzilla 1985 andFantastic Animation Festival.[7][8]
In 1976, the black-and-white sequelBambi's Revenge was released.[9]
In 1999, the 3D-animated color sequelSon of Bambi Meets Godzilla was released.[10]
In 2013, animator Coda Gardner made a frame-by-frame recreation of the original via tracing the film frames and assembling the animation via digital video editing.[3][11]
In 2015, a live action remake was created by Scotty Fields.[12]
