'But later, I realised something else that binds Disney films, other than good old nostalgic charm: an absence of parents. Bambi, abandoned by his father before birth, experiences the hunting and subsequent shooting of his mummy. A tragedy that still reduces me to uncontrollable sobs four decades after I first saw it with my own mother.

That's not all. In the Lion King, Simba is implicated in the death of his father and runs away in a vain attempt to escape his misery. While Nemo  -  the rebellious fish  -  is the sole survivor of a violent barracuda attack on his mother and siblings and spends much of the story estranged from his father.

The realisation that these three films all drew on a parent-less theme made me reel. Surely it was only coincidence? Apparently not. For Disney, that most child-friendly of organisations, appears to have something of a parent problem. Since its formation in the Twenties, Disney's output has featured a steady supply of dysfunctional and broken families.

Read more: Why Does Disney Hate Parents? Ever Noticed Your Favourite Films Always Kill off Mum and Dad