Disney's beloved 'Bambi,' still breaking hearts at 75

Los Angeles : A timeless tale of an adorable fawn and his forest pals, or the death of childhood innocence? Either way, and nearly 75 years on, Disney classic "Bambi" packs as powerful a punch as it ever has.

The Walt Disney Company bewitched generations of children and children-at-heart with its pioneering animated film, released in August 1942, about a wide-eyed young deer and his doting mom. 

But the shocking image of young Bambi curled up next to the doe after she is slain by hunters has become as iconic as any scene in cinema history, credited with opening up taboo conversations about death and helping youngsters cope with bereavement.

It also kindled former Beatle Paul McCartney's interest in animal rights and has served as the template for every harrowing Disney death since, from Mufasa in "The Lion King" to Hiro's brother Tadashi in "Big Hero 6."

"You're creating a sense of what life was like for these animals in the forest and loss was part of it," production designer Paul Felix told journalists at Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank, California.

"To be honest about the vision you had for the film, you couldn't leave that out. It's just a question of how it's done, how you prepare an audience for something like that."