Donnie Dunagan

Donald Roan Dunagan (born August 16, 1934) is an American former child actor and retired United States Marine Corps major. 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). As of, he, Peter Behn (the voice of young Thumper) and Stan Alexander (the voice of young Flower) are the last three surviving cast members of the film.

Biography
Dunagan was born in San Antonio, Texas, United States, but his family soon moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where they struggled with poverty. There, when he was 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. After he provided the voice for the titular character in Walt Disney's Bambi (1942), he retired from voice acting.

By the age of 13, Dunagan lived in a boarding house and worked as a lathe operator. In 1952, at the age of 18, he enlisted in the Marine Corps. He became the youngest drill instructor in the history of the Corps and served three tours in Vietnam, where he was wounded several times, before finally retiring with the rank of major in 1977.

Donnie Entered the United States Marine Corps as a recruit at age 18 in San Diego, California. He promotions were rapid, eventually retiring from combat wounds with the rank of Major 25 years later.

For Dunagan's service, he received a Medal of Honor Nomination, A Silver Star, Two Bronze Star s, 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. He is retired and currently lives in San Angelo, Texas, with his wife, Dana.

Filmography

 * Mother Carey's Chickens (1938) as Peter Carey (film debut)
 * Son of Frankenstein (1939) as Peter von Frankenstein
 * The Forgotten Woman (1939) as Terry Kennedy Jr.
 * Tower of London (1939) as Baby Prince
 * Vigil in the Night (1940) as Tommy (uncredited)
 * Meet the Chump (1941) as Little Boy (uncredited)
 * Bambi (1942) as Young Bambi (voice, final film role)