Donald "Donnie" Roan Dunagan (born August 16, 1934) is an American
former child actor and retired United States Marine Corps drill
instructor. He is best known for portraying the young son of Baron
Frankenstein in Son of Frankenstein and for providing the voice of
young Bambi in Bambi (1942).Dunagan was born in San Antonio, Texas,
but his family soon moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where they struggled
with poverty. There at the age of three-and-a-half he won a talent
contest prize of $100. Spotted by a studio talent scout, the family
moved to Hollywood, where Dunagan appeared in a series of films and
soon became his family's main breadwinner. His career ended after he
provided the voice for the young fawn in Walt Disney's Bambi.By the
age of 13, Dunagan was living in a boarding house and working as a
lathe operator. In 1952, at the age of 18, he enlisted in the Marine
Corps. He became the Marines' youngest-ever drill instructor and
served three tours in Vietnam, where he was wounded several times,
before finally retiring in 1977 with the rank of Major.For his service
he received a Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts. Dunagan kept his
acting career a secret while serving in the Marines but in 2004 he was
located and exhaustively interviewed by horror film historian Tom
Weaver in a special "Donnie Dunagan issue" of Video Watchdog magazine.
Dunagan is retired and is currently living in San Angelo, Texas, with
his wife.
former child actor and retired United States Marine Corps drill
instructor. He is best known for portraying the young son of Baron
Frankenstein in Son of Frankenstein and for providing the voice of
young Bambi in Bambi (1942).Dunagan was born in San Antonio, Texas,
but his family soon moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where they struggled
with poverty. There at the age of three-and-a-half he won a talent
contest prize of $100. Spotted by a studio talent scout, the family
moved to Hollywood, where Dunagan appeared in a series of films and
soon became his family's main breadwinner. His career ended after he
provided the voice for the young fawn in Walt Disney's Bambi.By the
age of 13, Dunagan was living in a boarding house and working as a
lathe operator. In 1952, at the age of 18, he enlisted in the Marine
Corps. He became the Marines' youngest-ever drill instructor and
served three tours in Vietnam, where he was wounded several times,
before finally retiring in 1977 with the rank of Major.For his service
he received a Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts. Dunagan kept his
acting career a secret while serving in the Marines but in 2004 he was
located and exhaustively interviewed by horror film historian Tom
Weaver in a special "Donnie Dunagan issue" of Video Watchdog magazine.
Dunagan is retired and is currently living in San Angelo, Texas, with
his wife.
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