The story of how Driscoll went from that talented child to the man he became is a very sad one. In May of 1955, Driscoll graduated and even found work in television. ), Media related to Bobby Driscoll at Wikimedia Commons. Website about Disney child actor Bobby Driscoll. While on a tour across the studio lot, five-year-old Driscoll noticed a mock-up ship and asked where the water was. Actor: Peter Pan. [6] Driscoll then played the lead character in Song of the South (1946), which introduced live action into the producer's films in conjunction with extensive animated footage. Bobby Driscoll had a great start in life, but somewhere along the line, he went off track, and according to his friend Billy Gray, it was a choice he made. The teaser of the Pecos Bill section of Disneys 1948 cartoon collection Melody Time featured Driscoll and Patten. 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. The only child of his parents, he initially grew up in Des Moines, and in 1943, because of his fathers work-related ailment, the family moved to Altadena, California. Driscoll even had the honor of voicing Goofy Jr. in two Disney cartoon shorts, Fathers are People and Fathers Lion. Every cent he made went straight to fueling his addiction. [66], (This is not necessarily a complete list; it displays all those that could be located and verified. Other studios quickly saw Driscolls potential too, and the boy soon had more roles than he knew what to do with. Father of Private; Private and Private. Bobby Driscoll was an American child actor known for a large body of cinema and TV performances from 1943 to 1960. Disney slated Driscoll for two more films: Tom Sawyer and Robin Hood. According to Driscoll, The other kids didnt accept meWhen they rejected me, I fought back, became belligerent and cockyand was afraid all the time. Alone and friendless, Driscoll turned to drugs at the age of 17. Driscoll was born on March 3, 1937, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Isabelle (ne Kratz), a former school teacher, and Cletus, an insulation salesman. Bobby died penniless and alone in an abandoned East Village, New York City tenement and is buried in Potter's Field on nearby Hart Island. After Disney turned its back on him, the budding actor was left to fend for himself, and it led to his early and tragic end. After the termination of Disney contract, Driscoll was taken out of Hollywood Professional School, and was sent to the University High School, where he was not accepted by other students. 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. That introduction led to an appointment with his soon-to-be agent. Website about Disney child actor Bobby Driscoll. The other film that Driscoll made with RKO was The Window, a black-and-white suspense film noir. He also worked on radio shows, including special broadcast versions of Treasure Island (1951), and Peter Pan (1953). For his role as Jim Hawkins in Walt Disney's Treasure Island (1950), he eventually received his Hollywood Star on 1560 Vine Street, and in 1954 he was chosen in a nation-wide poll for a Milky Way Gold Star Award (for his work on TV and radio). During production, the big wigs of RKO pictures were so impressed by Driscolls talent that they borrowed him for two vastly different films. "[39] In 1956, he was arrested for the first time for possession of marijuana, but the charge was dismissed. From there, Driscoll quickly became one of Disneys biggest money-makers. Some of his works were considered outstanding,[52][53] and a few of his surviving collages and cardboard mailers were temporarily exhibited in Los Angeles at the Santa Monica Museum of Art. He had been getting a trim in a barber's shop in Pasadena when one barber told him he should be in the movies. late) 1967", "Semina Culture Wallace Berman & His Circle", "A Return Trip to a Faraway Place Called Underground", "Santa Monica Museum Of Art Official Homepage", "DIRT- Review and a downloadable clip of the so-called "Bath-sequence", "Hart Island (Potter's Field) Official Homepage (controlled by the "Department Of Correction" and inaccessible to visitors)", "With Re-Release Of Disney Film Child Star's Tragic Death Described", "Bobby Driscoll Won't Be Around For Reissue Of Song of the South", "Benjy Ferree Come Back To The Five and Dime", "Benjy Ferree Announces New Album, Channels Former Child Star Bobby Driscoll", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bobby_Driscoll&oldid=1140629992, University High School (Los Angeles) alumni, Articles with dead external links from September 2018, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Episode: "S01, E15, The Ordeal of the S-38", Episode: "Incident of Fear in the Streets", Bobby Driscoll and Luana Patten, hosted by Johnny Mercer, Bobby Driscoll, Luana Patten, Walt Disney and James Baskett, hosted by Johnny Mercer, Capitol Records (CDF 3000) narrated by John Beal, RCA Victor (Y-416) narrated by Bobby Driscoll, Byron Haskin interviewed by Joe Adamson, The Directors Guild Of America and The Scarecrow Press, Inc. Metuchen, N.Y. and London, 1984, This page was last edited on 21 February 2023, at 00:36. 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. After Disney kicked Driscoll to the curb, his parents withdrew him from the Hollywood Professional School, an institution that served child actors. Discovered by chance at the age of five-and-a-half in a barber shop in Altadena, CA. On his new School, the public Westwood University High School, on which he graduated in 1955, all of a sudden his former stardom became more burden than advantage. Bobby Driscoll. Bobby Driscoll pictured in 1949. 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. Billy Gray, who also got an early start in showbiz, said that "he was devastated and didn't take the news well.". Voice of 1953 Disney's Peter Pan. After leaving the center in 1962, he tried in vain to search for work. When media tried to find the films main cast, they came to know about his death from his mother. Late in 1961, he was sentenced as a drug addict and imprisoned at the Narcotic Rehabilitation Center of the California Institution for Men in Chino, California. While on a tour on the studio lot, Driscoll noticed a mock-up ship and curiously asked where the water was. Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. The part was a far cry from Driscolls usual rolesthere was no singing, wise-cracking, or cartoon animals involved. [19] Driscoll also was scheduled to portray a youthful follower of Robin Hood following Treasure Island, again with Robert Newton, who would play Friar Tuck,[20] but Driscoll's run-in with British immigration made this impossible.[21]. "[36][37] At his request, Driscoll's parents returned him the next year to Hollywood Professional School, where in May 1955 he graduated.[38]. In 1950, Driscollat just 13 years oldreceived a very special Academy Award that recognized his work in So Dear to My Heart and The Window. There was simply no way Disney could complete Treasure Island without DriscollOr so it seemed. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to Des Moines,[1] where they stayed until early 1943. Nothing about his early childhood indicated a future career with Walt Disney. It certainly wasnt the best experience Driscoll had with a production, but it barely put a dent in Driscolls success. "A Tribute to Shirley Booth, paragraph: Dean Martin on Shirley Booth Dean Martin recalling an encounter with Driscoll at a party in the mid-1950s, literally terming him "Pupils In Hollywood School Drew More pay Than Their Teachers", "Strangest Grammar School In Nation Found In Hollywood", "Bobby's graduation at Hollywood Professional School", "The Long Road Back Bobby Driscoll, a Film Star at 6, an Addict at 17, Sent to Chino", "Bobby Driscoll, Friend Denies Narcotic Charge This Is No Act", "Actor Bobby Driscoll, 19, Seized On Dope Charge", "Actor Driscoll reveals To Plan To Rewed Girl, 19", "Actor Driscoll Needs Job As Clerk To Finance Marriage", "The Long Road back Bobby Driscoll, a Film Star At 6, An Addict At 17, Sent To Chino", "A personal Letter to his girl friend of then, which he closes with "Bob". Actor Bobby Driscoll at age12 in a studio portrait taken in 1950 | Source: Wikimedia Commons/ NBC Television Network, Bobby Driscoll 1950, marked as public domain, more details on Wikimedia Commons, It turned out the barber's son was in showbiz, which made it easy to get an appointment with his agent, who helped Driscoll land a small role opposite Margaret O'Brien in the 1943 film "Lost Angel.". With puberty came a severe case of acne, whichthrough no fault of his ownmarred the boys flawless face. As a child,. On another series, Men of Annapolis, he appeared with John Smith, future second husband of Driscoll's Song of the South co-star, Luana Patten. [35] He said later, "The other kids didn't accept me. Needless to say, Driscoll could not afford to fail. The family moved to Los Angeles when a doctor advised the father to relocate to California because he was suffering from work-related handling of asbestos. The short and tragic life of Disney child star Bobby Driscoll is explored in the new documentary Lost Boy: The Bobby Driscoll Story. Driscoll was born an only child to an insulation salesman and former schoolteacher. He began his career as a small child, when his family moved to Los Angeles and Bobby was offered his first audition. 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. The film turned Driscoll and his co-star Luana Patten into child stars, and they were discussed for a special Academy Award as the best child actors of the year, but for the year of its release, no juvenile awards were presented at all.[7]. They separated, then divorced in 1960. This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in the United States between 1926 and 1977, inclusive, without a copyright notice. While on a tour across the studio lot, five-year-old Driscoll noticed a mock-up ship and asked where the water was. The song soon became a popular and much-recorded jazz standard, described as "without doubt one of the finest songs the composer ever wrote In the mid-1950s, Driscoll's acting career began to decline, and he turned primarily to guest appearances on anthology TV series. Hicks said Driscoll declined due to family conflicts while Hora and Sherman did not respond. In late 1969, one year after the discovery of Driscolls body, Driscolls mother attempted to find her son. Following Driscolls runaway success in Song of the South, Disney immediately ordered for production on So Dear to My Heart to begin. It mustve felt like one huge adventure for Driscoll, but a huge issue ended Driscolls journey almost as soon as it began. While on tour across the studio lot, five-year-old Driscoll noticed a mock-up ship and asked where the water was. Just like that, precocious little Driscoll took his first steps toward a whole new lifebut his road to stardom was not going to be an easy one. [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. Thanks for your time! Spring inspires lessons in love and life for a French family in 1920s Ottawa, especially for teenage Robert, who's blind to the attentions of an American neighbor girl, because he's infatuated with the beautiful new maid, fleeing life as a magician's assistant. The film and his voice became a big hit. By all accounts, he was your average little kid living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 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. Bobby is a high school graduate. Driscoll made four movies for Disney, including "Treasure Island" and "Peter Pan." Driscoll's mother, Isabelle, did not learn of her son's death until about two years later after she placed advertisements about his disappearance in New York newspapers. Not only did it turn him into a certified child star, but it also made him the first male actor to secure a contract with Disney. By the age of 17, he began taking drugs regularly. In December 1956, Driscoll and his longtime girlfriend, Marilyn Jean Rush (occasionally misspelled as "Brush"), eloped to Mexico to marry despite their parents' objections. Driscoll wasnt going to take that lying down, however. We know that Angie D Parrish, Paul Wing, and three other persons also lived at this address, perhaps within a different time frame. Driscolls desire to learn dazzled the director, who ended up choosing Driscoll over the other 40 applicants. He starred in some of the Walt Disney Studios' best-known live-action pictures of that period, such as Song of the South (1946), So Dear to My Heart (1949), The Window (1949), and Treasure Island (1950). It's also the final resting place of Bobby Driscoll, who became a household name at the age of 9 with a starring role in Disney's controversial Song of the South. In 1965, a year after his parole expired, Driscoll made the decision to relocate to New York City. Facebook gives people the power. View final resting place and family links here. Bobby Driscoll and Connie Stevens in The Party Crashers (1958) After his appearance in The Party Crashers, the party truly started crashing around Driscoll. On March 23, 1950, Driscoll won a Special Juvenile Academy Award as the Outstanding Juvenile Actor of 1949 for his performances in So Dear to My Heart, and The Window., In Walt Disneys all-live-action picture Treasure Island (based on Robert Louis Stevensons 1883 novel), Driscoll played Jim Hawkins.. He was best known for being a TV Actor. Bobby Driscoll was an American child actor and artist, known for his film and TV performances from 1943 to 1960. He briefly worked as a carpenter and cared for the young children he had with his ex-wife. While those roles got Driscolls acting career rolling, it was his next role that took the little boys career to the next level. He was born Robert Cletus Driscoll in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the only child of Cletus (19011969), an insulation salesman, and Isabelle (ne Kratz; 19041981), a former schoolteacher. Although Driscoll had a troubled life, he attempted to push forward. Making distraction rewarding since 2017. The Fighting Sullivans (1944), 20th Century Fox. All that is known is that Driscolls body is somewhere in the Northern part of the island, surrounded by deer, red raccoons, and a bird sanctuary. [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. When Driscoll left Chino in early 1962, he was unable to find acting work. The story of this child actor, who starred in films like Song of the South and Peter Pan, is a heart-wrenching one. A year after the couple eloped, they re-wed in an official ceremony in Los Angeles in March of 1957. 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. 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. The agent starts working, landing Bobby Driscoll a bit role opposite Margaret O'Brien in the 1943 film Lost Angel. He was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on 1937-03-03. 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. April 26, 2020. Driscoll was very talented, but he did not know that it all hinged on his facial features. Driscoll planned on starting over, but life had other plans for him. He made multiple trips to New York City to study acting, and even reportedly enrolled in UCLA and Stanford. 1957 - m. 1957 - div. At one point, Bobby became part of The Factory, Andy Warhol's art collective in Greenwich Village, New York. After his release, he focused his attention on the avant-garde art scene. Outside of his career, Driscolls private life was going just as poorly. The only son of an insulation salesman and former schoolteacher, Driscoll was discovered at the age of 5 while getting a trim. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. In 1954, he was awarded a Milky Way Gold Star Award, chosen in a nationwide poll for his work on television and radio. In 1972, Disney re-released Song of the South, which reignited public interest in Driscoll, the smiling little boy in the film that brought Disney back from the verge of bankruptcy. During the middle of production, authorities discovered that Driscoll did not have a valid British work permit. Bobby Driscoll Died Broke in Abandoned House at 31 & His Mom Only Found out over a Year Later By Oyin Balogun Oct 16, 2021 06:00 P.M. Bobby Driscoll was a child star who won an Oscar at 12 and eventually passed away alone in an abandoned house. The stigma that his prison sentence left on him made it impossible for Driscoll to find acting jobs, leaving the young man bitterBut not completely hopeless. By all accounts, he was your average little kid living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Bobby Driscoll was a natural-born actor. The first Disney film, Song of the South, was re-released in 1971-1972. Voice of 1953 Disney's Peter Pan. Disney had big plans for Driscoll too. [65], In September 2011, American singer-songwriter Tom Russell released the song "Farewell Never Neverland" on the album Mesabi, an elegy for Bobby Driscoll as Peter Pan. 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. He landed his debut role in "Lost Angels . The award was presented as a special miniature Oscar statuette for "the outstanding juvenile actor of 1949" for his roles in So Dear to My Heart and The Window, both released that year. To make matters worse, Disney distanced itself from Song of the South, as well as Peter Pan to a lesser degree, both films in which Driscoll played a pivotal role. Current occupation is listed as Retired. 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