"Bambi...or not to be" - Media award turns 75
Paul McCartney has one, Tom Hanks, Kate Winslet and the Pope too. Alain Delon dedicated his to Romy Schneider and Liz Taylor was almost too late for hers. The "Bambi" has been awarded for 75 years. Now it is celebrating its birthday at the Bavaria Film Studios near Munich. There will be a big gala there on Thursday (November 16) - the first since the three-year coronavirus break. Sat.1 will broadcast the event live from 8.15 pm.
"Hubert Burda Media has decided to take the 75th anniversary of Bambi as an opportunity to present Germany's most important media award again after a four-year break due to coronavirus and the crisis," the media group announced as the organizer - and it is not only taking the anniversary as an opportunity for a new start, but also for a look back at more than seven decades of glitz and glamour.
The Bambi has been awarded since 1948, and since 1953 with a grand gala to which the greats have always been invited: in 1968, acting legend Elizabeth Taylor was awarded a Bambi - and arrived 37 minutes late to the award ceremony in the television studio in Munich with an allegedly no longer completely sober Richard Burton. A year later, Omar Sharif received the Bambi for "Doctor Zhivago".
In 1971, the Bambi was awarded in Monte Carlo - with Countess Gracia Patrizia as guest of honor. At the time, she wanted an autograph from Uwe Seeler, who was also present in Monaco, according to a special edition of "Bunte" on 50 years of Bambi from 1998.
The following year, the fire department had to rescue Peter Alexander from a fan mob at Rosenheim station. He was able to save himself by jumping onto the special Bambi train to Salzburg, where the award ceremony took place in 1972. In 1987, Alain Delon dedicated his Bambi to Romy Schneider, who died in 1982, with the words "For you, my doll".
Over the years, Bud Spencer and Terence Hill have received a Bambi, as have Larry Hagman, Sean Connery, Boris Becker and Hannelore Kohl, Steffi Graf, Paul McCartney, Gina Lollobrigida, Audrey Hepburn, Boris Yeltsin, Whitney Houston, Jennifer Lopez, Michael Jackson and Muhammad Ali, Bill Gates, Lady Gaga, Tom Hanks, Kate Winslet and even the Pope. Francis was presented with the trophy in the Apostolic Palace in 2016.
The Bambi will now be awarded in twelve categories in this anniversary year. Some winners have already been announced: Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen ("The Rush") will receive the Bambi in the "Acting International" category, while Swedish pop singer Zara Larsson will receive the Bambi in the "Music International" category. Peter Maffay, who already received a Bambi 43 years ago, is declared a "legend" and actress Senta Berger receives one for her life's work.
The feature films "Einfach mal was Schönes", "Oskars Kleid" and "Tausend Zeilen" are nominated in the "Film National" category, the actresses Jeanette Hain, Karoline Herfurth and Jördis Triebel in the "Actress National" category and Florian David Fitz, Felix Kammerer and Elyas M'Barek in the "Actor National" category.
According to Burda, what Rock Hudson is said to have said at the 1960 gala in Karlsruhe, "Bambi...or not to be" may apply to them - at least for one evening.
The "Bambi" Media award, celebrating its 75th anniversary, is set to honor various individuals this November 16, as reported by Sat.1 TV outlook. Additionally, media outlets have been covering the upcoming awards ceremony, highlighting the prestigious list of people who have previously received Bambi Awards over the past seven decades.
Source: www.dpa.com
