On Wednesday, Walt Disney Studios unveiled the first public screening of its digitally restored BAMBI at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as part of the monthly Gold Standard series. The 1942 masterpiece was digitally projected using the same master provided for the recent DVD.

Theo Gluck and Steve Poehlein provided a pre-and post-restoration comparison, including a peek at the raw scan from the original camera negative. But the highlight of the evening was the panel discussion following the screening, hosted by historian Leonard Maltin, featuring Ollie Johnston, voice talents Peter Behn (young Thumper) and Cammie King (young Faline) and animator Andreas Deja.

A very emotional Johnston, the last of the legendary “Nine Old Men,” first paid tribute to his best friend and talented colleague, Frank Thomas, who passed away last year. When Maltin then proclaimed that it was time for Johnston to take some credit too, the elderly animator reminded the audience that the key for him was to always remember that these weren’t merely sketches come to life but real characters with emotions and experiences to convey. “What are they thinking?”

Deja, who once again affirmed his preference for traditional animation, paid homage to art director Ty Wong, also present, suggesting that you can sense the artist’s hand in every moment and are acutely aware of why certain details are stressed for aesthetic and dramatic impact and others are not.