Released in early 1962, rehabilitated and eager to make a comeback, Bobby was ignored by the very industry that once had raised and nurtured him, because of his record as a convict and former drug addict. The State of California sent Driscoll to the Narcotic Rehabilitation Center of the California Institution for Men in Chino, California. Bobby Driscoll was an American child actor known for a large body of cinema and TV performances from 1943 to 1960. The award made Driscoll even more valuable in the eyes of Uncle Walt, and it led to Driscolls next big Disney hit. )", "Bobby Driscoll Hopes To Rebuild Film Life", "Bobby Driscoll Freed On Bail After Fracas", "Bobby Driscoll Won't Be Around For Reissue Of "Song Of The South" (last column)", "Bobby Driscoll sitting on a couch (on portfolio, page 38, third row it's the last known photograph of him, ca. Hughes dismissed Driscoll later in 1953, and he did so in a terrible manner by denying Driscoll entry into the studio. Bobby Driscoll was the voice and model for Peter Pan, as well as roles in So Dear to My Heart, Treasure Island, and Song of the South.In 1953, Bobby's contract with Disney was terminated only . Lets just, Song of the South (1946), Walt Disney Productions, So Dear to My Heart (1948), Walt Disney Productions, Treasure Island (1950), Walt Disney Productions, The Party Crashers (1958), Paramount Pictures, The Truth Always Comes Out: Dark Family Secrets Exposed, Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress, Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIIIs First Wife, Scandalous Facts About Lady Caroline Lamb, The High Society Outcast, Strange Facts of Nick Adams, The Enigmatic Celebrity, Straight Up Facts About Paula Abdul, The Queen Of Reality TV, Heartbreaking Facts About Desi Arnaz, The Man Who Loved Lucy. Both were originally aired on November 5, 1960. Bobby Driscoll was born Robert Cletus Driscoll on March 3, 1937. Thanks for your help! Still, Walt Disney had a lot of affection for Driscoll and signed the boy on for a second contract regardless. He received an Academy Juvenile Award for outstanding performance in two feature films released in 1949, for his roles in So Dear to My Heart and The Window. The new Disney+ film evokes the devastating story of Bobby Driscoll, who earned an Oscar and played Peter Pan as a child before being discarded as a teenager. "[39] In 1956, he was arrested for the first time for possession of marijuana, but the charge was dismissed. With puberty came a severe case of acne, whichthrough no fault of his ownmarred the boys flawless face. When his contract with the Disney studios was prematurely terminated shortly after the release of Peter Pan (1953) in late March 1953, his mother additionally took him from the talent-supporting Hollywood Professional School, which he attended by then. The teaser of the Pecos Bill section of Disneys 1948 cartoon collection Melody Time featured Driscoll and Patten. While those roles got Driscolls acting career rolling, it was his next role that took the little boys career to the next level. For his TV and radio work, he earned a Milky Way Gold Star Award in 1954. The authorities showed photos of his body to people living in the neighborhood, but no one had any idea who he was. The body remained unidentified and unclaimed, so it was buried in an unmarked grave in New York Citys Potters Field, on Hart Island. Driscoll's parents were encouraged to help their son become a child performer in films. From petty paybacks to insane acts of karma, these bitter people somehow found the most ingenious ways. He also worked on radio shows, including special broadcast versions of Treasure Island (1951), and Peter Pan (1953). Although his name appears on his father's gravestone at Eternal Hills Memorial Park in Oceanside, California, his remains are still on Hart Island. Copyright 2023 by Factinate.com. This was the final nail in the coffin for Driscolls life and career. During production, the big wigs of RKO pictures were so impressed by Driscolls talent that they borrowed him for two vastly different films. with Alan Ladd (all 1946). Instead, they sent Driscoll to West Los Angeles University High School. He managed to land two television parts in 1957, and even got a film role in The Party Crashers in 1958, but it was too little, too late. Facebook gives people the power. Hoping to revive his career on the stage after his parole had expired in 1964, he eventually traveled to New York, only to learn that his reputation had preceded him, and no one wanted to hire him there, either. Bobby Driscoll was a child star who won an Oscar at 12 and eventually passed away alone in an abandoned house. That same year, Driscoll got in trouble with the authorities once again when he hit a heckler that insulted him while he washed his girlfriends car. . [66], (This is not necessarily a complete list; it displays all those that could be located and verified. He briefly worked as a carpenter and cared for the young children he had with his ex-wife. In March 1953, the additional two-year option Driscoll had been extended (which would have kept him at Disney into 1956) was cancelled, just weeks after Peter Pan was released theatrically. Critics praised Driscolls work, with some of his art even being temporarily displayed in Los Angeles in the Santa Monica Museum of Art. Father of Private; Private and Private. He was born in a pretty normal household, but he was nothing but regular; he had something in it. Includes such notable movie screen appearances as The Fighting Sullivans (1944), Song of the . Website about Disney child actor Bobby Driscoll. Bio by: AJ Instead of doing that, however, Driscoll took the sneaky route: He used the six-week buffer he had to hastily film all his close-ups. Driscoll encountered increasing indifference from the other Hollywood studios. He tried to seek serious acting roles. The Fighting Sullivans (1944), 20th Century Fox. Their barber's son, an actor, got Bobby an audition at MGM for a role in the family drama Lost Angel (1943), which starred Margaret O'Brien. Robert Cletus Driscoll. It was so popular that Driscoll reprised his role the following year for a radio adaption of the movie. Driscolls new acting agent put out the feelers for roles that suited little Driscoll, and soon found the perfect part for him in an upcoming MGM Studios film called Lost Angels. It took even longer for news of Driscolls passing to reach the public. But this was only the beginning. This strategy was only mildly successful. The film and his voice became a big hit. They managed to identify Driscoll through his fingerprints, which led them to Hart Island. Bobby Driscoll. Born In: Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States, Spouse/Ex-: Marilyn Jean Rush (m. 1956 - div. Ironically, critics of the film thought that Driscolls portrayal was a huge step up, as the original Peter Pan book portrayed the character as a complete sociopath. Immediate Family Marilyn Verna Driscoll ex-wife Private child Private child Private child Cletus Joseph Driscoll father Isabelle Louise Driscoll mother About Bobby Driscoll Bobby Driscoll was an American child actor and artist, known for his film and TV performances from 1943 to 1960. In connection with the re-release of Song of the South in 1971, reporters researching the whereabouts of the film's star first reported his death. This revelation comes from a friend of the late voice actor, Billy Gray. One that his friend, Gray, thinks was caused by his inability to deal with getting abandoned by Hollywood. Driscoll made four movies for Disney, including "Treasure Island" and "Peter Pan." Beginning in 1953 and for most of the next three years, the bulk of his work was on television, on such anthology and drama series as Fireside Theater, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Front Row Center, Navy Log, TV Reader's Digest, Climax!, Ford Theatre, Studio One, Dragnet, Medic, and Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre. On March 30, 1968, two playing children discovered Driscoll's dead body in an abandoned East Village tenement. His grades suffered for it, but he graduated. The film is now available . However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. Thanks for your time! This put Driscoll and the entire production in a sticky situation. In late 1969, one year after the discovery of Driscolls body, Driscolls mother attempted to find her son. The first Disney film that Driscoll ever acted in was Song of the South in 1946, in which Driscoll took on the starring role as Johnny. She reached out to Disney for help, which eventually led her to the NYPD. Most still thought of Driscoll as Disneys kid actor, which made it nearly impossible for Driscoll to find work as a serious character actor. Driscolls past as a child actor made him a prime target for ridicule from the other students, resulting in his grades dropping. [23][24] Scenes were played on an almost empty sound stage, with only the most essential props, and filmed for use by the animators. [60][61][62], Driscoll received an Academy Juvenile Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at the 22nd Academy Awards presentation in 1950. [22] Driscoll was cast with Disney's "Little British Lady" Kathryn Beaumont, who was in the role of Wendy Darling; he was used as the reference model for the close-ups and provided Peter Pan's voice, and dancer and choreographer Roland Dupree was the model for the character's motion. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. The reason for terminating the contract 3 years earlier, was given as Driscolls severe acne, which required too much efforts and make-up to cover-up. Includes such notable movie screen appearances as The Fighting Sullivans (1944), Song of the South (1946), So Dear to My Heart (1948), and The Window (1949), which was not only the sleeper of 1949 but even earned him his Academy Award in March 1950 as the outstanding juvenile actor of 1949. . In ill health from his substance abuse, and with his funds depleted, his body was discovered on March 30, 1968, in an abandoned building in the East Village of Manhattan. At the end of his six weeks, the authorities booted Driscoll and his family out of the country, and Disney filmed the rest of Driscolls scenes with a stand-in. He was awarded Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1560 Vine Street, in 1960. Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. They re-wed in March 1957, in Los Angeles, and divorced in 1960. According to him, his personality took a turn for the worse during his marriage, and his dwindling career soon followed suit. Films: Song of the South, Treasure Island This decision kept Driscolls career alivefor now. They took him in for drug possession, battery, burglary, check kiting, and more. Driscoll's second long-run Disney contract allowed him to be lent to independent Horizon Pictures for the double role of Danny/Josh Reed in When I Grow Up (1951). He became addicted to narcotics, and was sentenced to prison for illicit drug use. Disney had big plans for Driscoll too. In the mid-1950s, Driscoll's acting career began to decline, and he turned primarily to guest appearances on anthology TV series. Landing Page. Although Driscoll did much to bolster Disney during a time of crisis, he is still, to this day, not a part of Disney Legends, the Disney equivalent of a Hall of Fame. After making his screen debut, he got a role in a 20th Century Fox war film, The Fighting Sullivans (1944), wherein he essayed the youngest of 5 brothers, Al Sullivan. In Sunday Dinner for a Soldier (1944), he played the boy who could blow his whistle while standing on head, and in the same year he played young brother of Richard Arlen in The Big Bonanza., In 1946, Driscoll portrayed Percy Maxim in So Goes My Love. The other movies in which he played small parts, included Identify Unknown, From This Day Forward, O.S.S., and Miss Susie Slagles., Driscoll was one of the first two actors to sign contract with Walt Disney. The first live-action/animated film of Disney, Song of the South (1946), had Driscoll as its lead actor. Things came to a head when Driscoll hit puberty. In the few short years he became a star, Driscoll never quite found his way or regained his footing. On top of that, the head honchos at Disney planned more film projects involving Driscoll. He had no identification, so the body was marked as unknown and went unclaimed until it was buried in an unmarked grave on Hart Island, where he remains. Driscoll appeared in The Scarlet Coat in 1955, and then The Party Crashers (1958). Although Driscoll had a troubled life, he attempted to push forward. He portrayed a boy that could whistle while standing on his head in Sunday Dinner for a Soldier, acted across Richard Arlen as his kid brother in The Big Bonanza, and portrayed Percy Maxima trouble-making childin So Goes My Love. You see, Hughes really had it out for child actors like Driscoll; he thought that kids like Driscoll were incredibly annoying. As Driscolls acne grew worse, Hughes used his influence over Disney to get rid of Driscoll in the most mortifying fashion possible. Unfortunately, Driscoll's fans had no idea about his sad fate until 1972 when the Disney film "Song of the South," featured in, was re-released. Bobby Driscoll: his birthday, what he did before fame, his family life, fun trivia facts, popularity rankings, and more. Bobby Driscoll was born Robert Cletus Driscoll on March 3, 1937. They were allowed to remain for six weeks to prepare an appeal, and director Byron Haskin hastily shot all of Driscoll's close-ups,[16] using his British stand-in to film missing location scenes after his parents and he had returned to California. Driscolls moment of peace was painfully brief. [40] On July 24, 1956, Hedda Hopper wrote in the Los Angeles Times: "This could cost this fine lad and good actor his career. He was released in 1962, rehabilitated, and ready to take on the world, but Hollywood ignored him because he was an ex-convict and former drug addict. What Driscoll did was simple, but revealed a curiosity for the world around him which deeply impressed the director for Lost Angels. On March 30, 1968, two boys playing in a deserted East Village apartment stumbled upon a gruesome discovery. He was best known for being a TV Actor. Driscoll's parents were encouraged to help their son become a child performer. He successfully continued acting on TV until 1957 and even managed to get two final screen roles; in The Scarlet Coat (1955) and opposite of Mark Damon and Connie Stevens in The Party Crashers (1958). Driscolls burial records, along with many others, were destroyed in a fire. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. Bobby Driscoll was an American child actor and artist, known for his film and TV performances from 1943 to 1960. Believed to be an unclaimed and homeless person, he was buried in an unmarked pauper's grave on Hart Island, where he remains. The part was a far cry from Driscolls usual rolesthere was no singing, wise-cracking, or cartoon animals involved. It didn't end there; the man also invited Driscoll and his family to his home. His parents had normal, respectable jobs. Website about Disney child actor Bobby Driscoll. Both Driscolls family and Disney received hefty fines, and they ordered Driscoll out of the country. Bobby Driscoll was born in Cedar Rapids. "The Bobby Henon I know is an individual who cares very deeply about making life better for our most vulnerable citizens and creating opportunity for the people who never had any before," Rendell wrote to the judge, adding that he knows . [56], On March 30, 1968, two boys playing in a deserted East Village tenement at 371 East 10th St. found Driscoll's body lying on a cot, with two empty beer bottles and religious pamphlets scattered on the ground. At the time, Disneys finances were in shambles thanks to WWII and desperately needed the film to do well. The live-action/animated musical eventually became an embarrassing project for Disney because of its offensive stereotypes and less than a candid depiction of slavery; however, it meant more for Driscoll. The couple had two daughters and a son. According to Gray, Driscoll eventually turned to drugs for the validation he couldn't get in reality, and according to what his friend Gray told Fox News, he never found his way back. Disney wanted to film Robin Hood in the United Kingdom, but Driscolls run-in with British immigration made it impossible for the young actor to work in the UK. [18] He was at the perfect age for the role, but because of a story rights ownership dispute with Hollywood producer David O. Selznick, who had previously produced the property in 1938, Disney ultimately had to cancel the entire project. The part for Driscoll was a tiny onehe would only be on screen for a grand total of two minutesbut the competition was fierce. It mustve felt like one huge adventure for Driscoll, but a huge issue ended Driscolls journey almost as soon as it began. The best revenge might be living well, but that doesn't mean we can always turn the other cheek. The real tragedy of Bobby Driscoll was the fact that no one identified his body. Advertisement At just five and a half, Robert Cletus Driscoll was discovered in a Los Angeles barbershop as he was getting his haircut. Eventually, Driscoll convinced his parents to re-enroll him to the Hollywood Professional School, where his grades improved. One day in 1953, Driscoll drove up to the entrance of Disney Studios as usual, only to find his way blocked. We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. Madame de Pompadour didn't just share King Louis XV's bed, she also shared his power. Driscoll found work as an artist in The Factory, Warhols New York City art studio. Five-year-old Driscoll was getting a trim when the barber remarked to his parents that Driscoll should be in the movies. The barber then connected them to his son, who was an actor himself. Fatal addiction to drugs destroyed Bobby Driscoll's brilliant career as a child star and left him for dead in an abandoned New York City tenement at age 31. David Derks. They treated me as one apart. [30], After Driscoll left the Disney studios, his parents withdrew him from the Hollywood Professional School, which served child movie actors,[31][32][33][34] and sent him to the public West Los Angeles University High School, instead. While So Dear to My Heart didnt put quite as much pressure on Driscoll to perform well, the plot of the film closely mirrored Walt Disneys childhood, giving the filmand Driscolls role as young Jeremiaha special meaning to Walt. Hicks said Driscoll declined due to family conflicts while Hora and Sherman did not respond. But all the more tragic, then, was his fruitless struggle to find a place in a pitiless adolescent world after severe acne had stalled his acting career at 16. 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