Donnie Dunagan, Voice of Young Bambi and Marine Major, Dies at 92

By Daniel Okafor

Donnie Dunagan, the original voice of young Bambi, died November 4 at 92. He voiced the young fawn in Walt Disney's Bambi in 1942. He retired from the Marine Corps as a decorated major in 1977. The film credit came with a military record attached.

Donald Roan Dunagan was born August 16, 1934, in San Antonio, Texas. He grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, where his family struggled through the Great Depression.

At three and a half years old, he won a local talent contest and its $100 prize. A studio talent scout saw him perform and brought the family to Hollywood. The child soon became his family's main breadwinner.

How did a Memphis child become Bambi?

Dunagan's early credits included:

• Mother Carey's Chickens (1938), as Peter Carey, his film debut.
• Son of Frankenstein (1939), Universal's horror classic, as Peter von Frankenstein, the Baron's young son, opposite Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi.
• The Forgotten Woman, Tower of London, Vigil in the Night and Meet the Chump.

In 1942, Dunagan voiced young Bambi in Walt Disney's Bambi. The role became his most enduring. His performance brought wide-eyed wonder to one of animation's most cherished characters.

The actors recorded separately. More than 70 years later, Dunagan finally met Peter Behn, the voice of Thumper, and Stan Alexander, the voice of Flower, and the three shared memories of the film.

How did he become a decorated Marine?

After Bambi, Dunagan stepped away from acting. By 13, he lived in a boarding house and worked as a lathe operator (shaping material on a rotating machine). In 1952, at 18, he enlisted in the Marine Corps.

He rose quickly. He became one of the Corps' youngest drill instructors (recruit trainers) and served three tours in Vietnam. During more than 25 years of service, he received:

• The Bronze Star.
• Three Purple Hearts.
• The Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat V.
• Many other decorations.

He retired with the rank of major in 1977. Throughout his military career, he kept his Hollywood childhood secret. Fellow Marines discovered his Bambi past shortly before his retirement. Their decorated officer had once been Bambi.

What happened when his past came out?

In 2004, horror film historian Tom Weaver tracked Dunagan down for an in-depth interview. Video Watchdog devoted an entire special issue to him. The story soon reached a much wider audience.

After decades of keeping Hollywood out of uniformed conversation, Dunagan embraced his Disney legacy with warmth and humour. He attended anniversary celebrations and screenings. In 2015, NPR introduced him to listeners as “Major Bambi.”

In his later years, he lived in San Angelo, Texas, with his wife, Dana. There, he proudly supported service members of Goodfellow Air Force Base. His story charmed and inspired people around the world, according to the published obituary.

Generations of children loved a young fawn learning to walk on ice. Future audiences will find a documented life behind that voice: three Vietnam tours, more than 25 years of service and one secret kept until retirement. The film credit now carries a military record too.