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This Day in Pop Culture

This Day in Pop Culture for August 21

Bambi, Motown, BTS, Patsy Cline and Hawaii

August 21, 2020

2–3 minutes

1942: ‘Bambi’ Takes Down the Hunters

It was on this day in 1942 that Walt Disney’s Bambi was released in theaters. It was re-released in 1947, 1957, 1966, 1975, 1982, and 1988 making it one of the best-known Disney movies ever produced.

The movie initially lost money during its first release and not everyone was a fan of the movie. It is said that sales of hunting licenses fell dramatically after the film came out and in an edition of the magazine Outdoor Life, editor Raymond Brown wrote that the film was “… the worst insult ever offered in any form to American sportsmen.”

Despite what some people may think, Disney really didn’t have an agenda when he created the film, he was just following the book, Bambi, A Life in the Woods by Austrian author Felix Salten. (Image: Walt Disney Pictures)

1961: Motown Releases First #1 Hit Song

The quintet who called themselves The Marvels, were encouraged by their teacher to enter a talent show where the top three acts would be offered a trip to audition for the Motown record label. The Marvels came in fourth place. However, the school fought for the foursome to be able to audition as well. They were advised to come back with their own composition.

Georgia Dobbins contacted William Garrett, a local musician, for permission to use his song “Mr. Postman”. He agreed as long as he would receive songwriting credit. He then turned his blues tune into a teenager-approved dop-wop sound. “Please Mr. Postman” was not only the debut single by the Marvels (who by now were going by the title of The Marvelettes) but it also became Motown’s first #1 single record.

The Beatles did their own version of the song in 1963, and the song became another #1 hit when The Carpenters covered the song. Billboard named the song #22 on their list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.