Bambi
Though known for his utopian idealism, Walt Disney's vision had a dark side that frequently evinced itself in the animated features that made his legend. But seldom was Disney's cynicism about human nature more heartbreaking than in his studio's 1942 adaptation of Felix Saltin's nature-based novel. The film broke new ground in several areas, not the least of which it's sparing use of dialog:Bambicontains less than a thousand spoken words. That alone placed greater emphasis on an orchestral musical score than had any previous animated film, and Disney vets Frank Churchill and Edward Plumb responded by composing a surprisingly modern, dramatically evocative soundtrack that would net the pair an Oscar nomination. Tragically, Churchill would die before the film premiered. Painstakingly cobbled together from a variety of pre-tape era source elements in conjunction with its DVD debut, this expanded edition of the film's score is the most complete yet. The quartet of charming original songs by Larry Morey and Churchill would get the latter his second Oscar nod on the project, and they are joined here by "Rain Drops,"  the energetic choral demo recording that became the film's charming "Little April Shower." The disc concludes with the recorded reminisces of Disney himself, legendary animators Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston and a concise musical analysis by Henry Mancini.--Jerry McCulley