Debra DeSanto was born in Pierre, South Dakota in 1955. However, there may never have been a “Debra DeSanto” born in Pierre, South Dakota in 1955.
In 1978, producer-director-entrepreneur Jim Clark (sometimes known as “Jim Buckley”) released the pornographic film Debbie Does Dallas. The film, a loose account of the trials and tribulations of an innocent cheerleader on her way to fame as a member of the “Texas Cowgirls,” a thinly-veiled allusion to the popular Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders. The film starred blond-haired, blue-eyed “Bambi Woods,” a name conceived by Clark for his new starlet, based on Disney’s Bambi and that character’s forest habitat. The film proved extremely successful, selling over 50,000 copies in its initial video release and spawning dozens of sequels — both authorized and unauthorized.
Bambi Woods, in reality, was the former Debra DeSanto. As mentioned in an interview, “Bambi” had gotten herself into a financial pickle with an acquaintance. To fulfill her debt, “Bambi” agreed to appear in a pornographic film. The acquaintance was employed in the adult film industry. Jim Clark, the film’s producer, tagged Debra with a new moniker and she — reluctantly — made the movie. However, she was still unable to pay her debt and she saw no choice but to make two more films in the Debbie Does Dallas canon before calling it a career.
Then “Bambi/Debra” disappeared.
A wide variety of stories circulated regarding the former porn star’s whereabouts. One account said that her family found out about her exploits and she was embarrassed. She left the adult film industry for obscurity. An article in an Australian newspaper reported that “Bambi/Debra” was deep into the lurid life of the (then unregulated) porn industry. She allegedly died of a drug overdose in 1986, just after the release of Debbie Does Dallas III. In a 2005 British documentary about the 70s porn industry, producer Jim Clark said that “Bambi/Debra” had married a software developer, moved to Des Moines, Iowa and refuses to discuss or even acknowledge her former career.
None of these scenarios have been confirmed and the fate of “Bambi Woods” or “Debra DeSanto” or whoever she is remains a mystery.