Donnie Dunagan
Encyclopedia
Donald "Donnie" Roan Dunagan (born August 16, 1934) is a semi-retired
American former child actor
and United States Marine Corps
drill instructor
. He was a voice actor
in the Bambi
film, providing the voice of Young Bambi. A 28-page interview, his first after decades as a "lost Hollywood player," can be found in the book "Earth vs. the Sci-Fi Filmmakers" (Jefferson NC: McFarland & Co., 2006) by Tom Weaver.
, 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
.
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
American former child actor
Child actor
The term child actor or child actress is generally applied to a child acting in motion pictures or television, but also to an adult who began his or her acting career as a child; to avoid confusion, the latter is also called a former child actor...
and United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
drill instructor
Drill instructor
A drill instructor is a non-commissioned officer or Staff Non-Commissioned Officer in the armed forces or police forces with specific duties that vary by country. In the U.S. armed forces, they are assigned the duty of indoctrinating new recruits entering the military into the customs and...
. He was a voice actor
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
in the Bambi
Bambi
Bambi is a 1942 American animated film directed by David Hand , produced by Walt Disney and based on the book Bambi, A Life in the Woods by Austrian author Felix Salten...
film, providing the voice of Young Bambi. A 28-page interview, his first after decades as a "lost Hollywood player," can be found in the book "Earth vs. the Sci-Fi Filmmakers" (Jefferson NC: McFarland & Co., 2006) by Tom Weaver.
Biography
Dunagan was born in San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, but his family soon moved to Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
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
Boarding house
A boarding house, is a house in which lodgers rent one or more rooms for one or more nights, and sometimes for extended periods of weeks, months and years. The common parts of the house are maintained, and some services, such as laundry and cleaning, may be supplied. They normally provide "bed...
and working as a lathe operator
Lathe (metal)
A metal lathe or metalworking lathe is a large class of lathes designed for precisely machining relatively hard materials. They were originally designed to machine metals; however, with the advent of plastics and other materials, and with their inherent versatility, they are used in a wide range of...
. In 1952, at the age of 18 he enlisted in the Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. He became the Marines youngest-ever drill instructor ) , and served three tours in Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, where he was wounded several times, before finally retiring in 1977 with the rank of Major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
.
Filmography
- BambiBambiBambi is a 1942 American animated film directed by David Hand , produced by Walt Disney and based on the book Bambi, A Life in the Woods by Austrian author Felix Salten...
(1942) – as Bambi (young) - Meet the Chump (1941) – as Little Boy
- Vigil in the NightVigil in the NightVigil in the Night is a 1940 film based on the 1939 serialized novel Vigil in the Night, by A. J. Cronin...
(1940) – as Tommy - Tower of LondonTower of London (1939 film)Tower of London is a 1939 black-and-white historical film and quasi-horror film released by Universal Pictures and directed by Rowland V. Lee. It stars Basil Rathbone as the future Richard III of England, and Boris Karloff as his fictitious club-footed executioner Mord. Vincent Price appears as...
(1939) – as Baby Prince Richard - The Forgotten Woman (1939) – as Terry Kennedy Jr.
- Son of FrankensteinSon of FrankensteinSon of Frankenstein is the third film in Universal Studios' Frankenstein series and the last to feature Boris Karloff as the Monster as well as the first to feature Béla Lugosi as Ygor. It is a sequel to Bride of Frankenstein....
(1939) – as Peter von Frankenstein - Mother Carey's Chickens (1938) – as Peter Carey