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Child actress Luana Patten was discovered by Walt Disney in 1946, when she was eight years old. Patten was prominently featured in Disney's Song of the South (1946), Fun and Fancy Free (1947) and So Dear to My Heart (1948), then left films to finish schooling. Back in Hollywood in 1956, she was the nominal female lead in Disney's Johnny Tremain (1957), but her adult career never took hold. Amidst long periods of inactivity and several forgettable projects, she made her last appearance for Disney in 1966, playing a very minor role in Follow Me, Boys (1966). From 1960 to 1964, Patten was married to actor John Smith. Long retired, Luana Patten died of respiratory failure at the age of 57.