Bambi. by DISNEY, Walt - 1941: Adapted from Felix Salten's novel.

New York: Simon and Schuster, 1941. Inscribed by Walt Disney First edition thus, first printing, presentation copy, inscribed on the half-title, "To Janet with best wishes Walt Disney". Inscribed copies of this title are notably rare; we have traced just one other copy at auction, inscribed from Disney to Roald Dahl.
Walt Disney acquired the rights for Bambi in 1937 from a producer and director of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer after the project was deemed too difficult. Indeed, the technical challenge of rendering a realistic animation of a deer delayed to production, as did the Fantasia project. In 1939, Bambi's production actually started, but progress was slow. Finally, the animated film was released in 1942, and 69 years later, it was added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. Quarto. Original printed pictorial boards, green endpapers. With dust jacket. Housed in a green quarter morocco solander box with titles in gilt direct to spine and Bambi design blocked to lower corner of front board. 4 detachable full-page colour illustrations, double-page colour-illustrated title, 8 full-page colour illustrations, and numerous in-text colour and monochrome illustrations by the Walt Disney Studio. Spine ends a little worn, small tear to lower front joint, extremities rubbed, the binding otherwise bright, front hinge broken, small closed tear to frontispiece at foot of gutter, else notably untoned and without marks. A very good copy in the very good jacket, mild wear and creasing to extremities with occasional loss, rubbed, else notably unfaded, not price-clipped.