# Donnie Dunagan

Donald Roan Dunagan (born August 16, 1934) is an American former child actor and retired U.S. 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 2025, 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, 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.
For Dunagan's service he received a Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts. Dunagan kept his acting career a secret while serving in the Marines, but was eventually found out shortly before his retirement. 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 (as of 2018) resides 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)

## Awards and decorations

| 1st Row | Bronze Star Medal | Bronze Star Medal | Bronze Star Medal | Bronze Star Medal | Bronze Star Medal | Bronze Star Medal | Purple Heart w/ 2 award stars | Purple Heart w/ 2 award stars | Purple Heart w/ 2 award stars | Purple Heart w/ 2 award stars | Purple Heart w/ 2 award stars | Purple Heart w/ 2 award stars |
| 2nd Row | Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal w/ Combat V | Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal w/ Combat V | Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal w/ Combat V | Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal w/ Combat V | Army Commendation Medal | Army Commendation Medal | Army Commendation Medal | Army Commendation Medal | Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal w/ 1 award star | Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal w/ 1 award star | Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal w/ 1 award star | Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal w/ 1 award star |
| 3rd Row | Combat Action Ribbon | Combat Action Ribbon | Combat Action Ribbon | Combat Action Ribbon | Navy Presidential Unit Citation w/ 1 service star | Navy Presidential Unit Citation w/ 1 service star | Navy Presidential Unit Citation w/ 1 service star | Navy Presidential Unit Citation w/ 1 service star | Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation | Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation | Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation | Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation |
| 4th Row | Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal w/ 3 service stars | Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal w/ 3 service stars | Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal w/ 3 service stars | Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal w/ 3 service stars | National Defense Service Medal w/ 1 service star | National Defense Service Medal w/ 1 service star | National Defense Service Medal w/ 1 service star | National Defense Service Medal w/ 1 service star | Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal | Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal | Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal | Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal |
| 5th Row | Vietnam Service Medal w/ 3 service stars | Vietnam Service Medal w/ 3 service stars | Vietnam Service Medal w/ 3 service stars | Vietnam Service Medal w/ 3 service stars | Vietnam Gallantry Cross unit citation | Vietnam Gallantry Cross unit citation | Vietnam Gallantry Cross unit citation | Vietnam Gallantry Cross unit citation | Vietnam Campaign Medal | Vietnam Campaign Medal | Vietnam Campaign Medal | Vietnam Campaign Medal |
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