Though he was the youngest actor on the set of Son of Frankenstein (1939), Donnie Dunagan was treated like any other serious actor. Young Dunagen played little Peter von Frankenstein, son of Basil Rathbone’s Baron Wolf von Frankenstein. Though his role was limited, Dunagen was involved in one of the film’s more climactic moments when he faces Frankenstein’s Monster.

To many viewers, Dunagen played his role very well. But years later, the young actor called his performance “corny.”

“I had a Southern accent!” Dunagen said, according to Universal Horrors: The Studio's Classic Films, 1931-1946 by Tom Weaver, Michael Brunas, and John Brunas. “With this dignified European cast, they had this little kid in there with this loud voice.”

Dunagan was originally from Texas before moving to Hollywood, California, where he won the role of Peter. They kept saying ‘Speak up!’ because I didn’t speak that loud then...and as you speak up, your accent is always accentuated. So here’s this little curly-headed jerk runnin’ around there with this very deep Memphis-Texas accent. They had the courage to do that!”

Of course, Son of Frankenstein wouldn’t be Dunagan’s final role. The young actor would also move to voice acting, where he played young Bambi in the 1942 Walt Disney film, Bambi.