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I was the voice of Bambi – and kept it secret for years

Donnie Dunagan was a Disney child star in the 1930s before becoming a US Marine.

Donnie Dunagan was a Disney child star in the 1930s before becoming a US Marine.

He was born in 1934 and grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, in the midst of the Great Depression. After winning a talent show aged four he was scouted and whisked to Hollywood where he starred in several movies – including a role as the voice of Walt Disney’s iconic animated deer Bambi in 1942. But the Second World War would put a halt to his movie career, and Donnie eventually became a US Marine – never telling anyone about his Hollywood history until he was publicly unmasked in 2004. On the 80th anniversary of Bambi's release, he shares his story.

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Zoe Gelber

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29 minutes

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