Bobby Driscoll is known for Long Lost Daughter (2018). This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. That was his notification that he was no longer needed there.. As Driscolls personality deteriorated, his marriage suffered. Beside his body were two empty bottles of beer and a number of religious tracts. But that was only the tip of the iceberg. Between 1948 and 1957, he performed on a number of radio productions, which included a special broadcast version of Treasure Island in January 1951 and of Peter Pan in December 1953. Here are details about the life he lived. But instead of some Harvey Weinsteintype producer or chipmunk-biased studio exec, Chip and Dale discover Sweet Pete(Will Arnett), a former child star whose middle-aged potbelly pokes out from his old Peter Pan costume. Driscoll was arrested multiple times for drug possession, assault, burglary, and check kiting before he was finally committed for drug rehabilitation at Chino Men's Prison in 1961. He briefly worked as a carpenter and cared for the young children he had with his ex-wife. Russ Tamblyn flirted with the idea of doing a movie about his old pal before deciding he'll devote a chapter or two to Driscoll in his upcoming autobiography. So Dear to My Heart (VHS, 1992) 12257296037 | eBay At age 13, he was presented with a special juvenile Academy Award for his work in The Window and So Dear to My Heart. EXCLUSIVE: Billy Gray still has fond memories of his beloved pal Bobby Driscoll. CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER REMEMBERED BY SOUND OF MUSIC CO-STAR JULIE ANDREWS: I HAVE LOST A CHERISHED FRIEND, Bobby Driscoll with pen in mouth in a scene from the film 'When I Grow Up', 1951. Husbands hiding things from wives, mothers from children, and generation from generation. Even more amazingly, Driscoll became the first male to portray Peter on film. Bobby Driscoll ventured into crime after his professional career and personal life ended in tatters.Source: Pinterest. I was 17 when I first experimented with the stuff. "People make mistakes. Describing his turn to heroin, Driscoll said, Then I started putting all my spare time in my arm. In his biography on Disney, Marc Elliot described Driscoll as the producer's favorite "live action" child star: "Walt often referred to Driscoll with great affection as the living embodiment of his own youth". "Bobby was a curiosity. And I guess Disney thought he was no longer useful for them.". 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. "A lovely guy, a dear friend. Warhol was so perverse, that he loved having Bobby Driscoll as part of his scene. His casting was suggested by screenwriter Michael Kanin. Driscolls moment of peace was painfully brief. He was a child actor who had starred in several films after being discovered at a barbershop at the age of five in . 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. According to him, his personality took a turn for the worse during his marriage, and his dwindling career soon followed suit. He was the only child to parents Cletus, an insulation salesman, and Isabelle, a former schoolteacher. ", The only son of an insulation salesman and former schoolteacher, Driscoll was discovered at the age of 5 while getting a trim. They later shifted to Los Angeles when a doctor recommended Bobby's father to relocate to California since he was diagnosed with work-related handling of asbestos. "Obviously he was sick and an addict and broke. The onetime Peter Pan, aged 31, was found on a cot with two empty beer bottles and religious pamphlets. The family moved to California in 1943 on the advice of Cletus' doctor, who said the elder Driscoll was . Thats how I remember him.". Driscoll attempted to maintain steady work in several TV shows and guest appearances over the years, but he never achieved the same stardom he once had as a sought-after actor. He thought they were precocious, werent real, and were incredibly annoying. Driscolls dad was nearing the end of his life, and Driscolls mom wanted to reunite father and son one last time. "He was very lovely," adds Kathryn Beaumont, 82, who starred opposite Driscoll as the voice of Wendy in Peter Pan. Bobby Driscoll, Peter Votrian and Claude Akins star in "Laughter is a Boy," 1954 medical drama about a boy who is bullied because of a speech defect. Free delivery for many products! Thanks for your help! These included live-action/animated musical Song of the South (1946), feature film So Dear to My Heart (1949), and live-action adventure Treasure Island(1950). Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? No one takes notice beneath their feet, though a little girl pops a bubble that a street vendor just blew her way right on top of the star. Thats how he found out he was fired. And bangarang, now I run my own bootleg movie studio. For Driscoll, this was easier said than done. I felt he was changing but his father said no, it was just a phase he was going through like most boys. 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. Embittered by the experience, Driscoll later saidin a line that Sweet Pete seemingly paraphrasesI have found that memories are not very useful. Actor: Peter Pan. He had normal experiences with his peer groupjust as I did.". Then he didnt care about his appearance or cleanliness, he didnt bathe, his teeth got loose. In the film, Driscoll portrayed Tommy Woodry, a boy that witnesses a murder, only to have no one believe him due to his reputation as a liar. The feature was filmed in the United Kingdom, and during production, Driscoll was found to not have a valid British work permit, so his family and Disney were fined and ordered to leave the country. Vhs. Rachel McAdams Took a Break From ActingAnd Rejected Some Major Roles, Hope Davis Has Done Everything, and Shes Finally Everywhere. Every cent he made went straight to fueling his addiction. From rising to the top to falling from grace, actor Bobby Driscoll experienced all the highs and lows of showbiz. It worked. TIL of Bobby Driscoll, famous Disney child actor in the 1940s - Reddit Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action, Driscoll the Juvenile Academy Award in 1950, Bobby Driscoll's Hollywood Walk of Fame star, Disney Legendsthe studio's version of a Hall of Fame, Wrong turn: Amy Locane's sad journey from movies and TV to prison. Bobby Driscoll (full name Robert Cletus Driscoll ), born on March 3, 1937, was a child actor and artist. I talked to a priest at the prison that he was in, and I got Bobby's prison records. From there on, his life turned into a shocking mess with neither fame nor money on his account. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. In 1954, he was awarded a Milky Way Gold Star Award, chosen in a nationwide poll for his work on television and radio. The former actor also turned to heroin to find solace. Bobby Driscoll was a natural-born actor. Born on March 3, 1937, Bobby Driscoll was a native of Iowa, United States. Bobby Driscoll - Wikipedia He died at the age of thirty-one from drugs and. Multiple reports alleged the once "Wonder Child" had to rely on heavy makeup to hide pockmarks on his skin. 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. Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, and director Rob Marshall share the tale behind making their underwater musical with a groundbreaking Disney princess. During production, the big wigs of RKO pictures were so impressed by Driscolls talent that they borrowed him for two vastly different films. It really blew me away. Following Driscolls runaway success in Song of the South, Disney immediately ordered for production on So Dear to My Heart to begin. "If we weren't at Disneyland, we were at collectible stores looking for vintage antiques," says Allender of himself and his dad, who used to write for Tomart's Disneyana Update magazine. and then convincing in anything he ever undertook on the movie screen and on television throughout his career spanning 17 years (1943-1960). After only five months of dating, the couple eloped to Mexico; the couple had a son and a daughter, but after only three years of marriage, the couple split. "Warhol was so perverse, that he loved having Bobby Driscoll as part of his scene. I heard that he was informed that he was no longer under contract through them by driving up to the entrance and being refused entrance into the studio. You know, I got my big break when I was just a kid. Paperback mysteries usually end this way, not Disney fairy tales. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! All rights reserved. Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action Little Mermaid with a new generation's Ariel. Unfortunately, Driscoll could not escape the shadows of his past and ended up dropping out of both prestigious universities. All rights reserved. His role for the production was enormously important: not only did he voice the titular Peter, but he also served as the reference model for the films close-ups. Includes such notable movie screen appearances as The Fighting Sullivans (1944), Song of the . Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. The Shocking Life & Death of Bobby Driscoll - YouTube After his dismissal, the now teenaged Driscoll looked to other Hollywood studios for work. Bobby Driscoll was a naturally talented actor, born with the gift of owning the stage. 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. The other film RKO had in mind for Driscoll, however, presented a whole new challenge for the child actor. He even created collages and small works of art. Actor: Peter Pan. Driscolls past as a child actor made him a prime target for ridicule from the other students, resulting in his grades dropping. ", Bobby Driscoll, circa 1950. "I became a beatnik and a bum," Driscoll said in the 1961 magazine article. What Happened To Bobby Driscoll: 'Peter Pan' Star Died - Decider I was carried on a silver platterand then dumped into the garbage."[49]. This was the final nail in the coffin for Driscolls life and career. The striking force and terrifying impact of this RKO melodrama is chiefly due to Bobby's brilliant acting, for the whole effect would have been lost were there any suspicion of doubt about the credibility of this pivotal character. (CBS via Getty Images). Bobby Driscoll. ", Though his big-screen career fizzled, Driscoll found fairly steady work in TV shows like Dragnet and Rawhide and attempted to settle into a life of domesticity with Marilyn Jean Rush, a 19-year-old he met in Manhattan Beach. A few months later, the day after Bobby's 23rd birthday, his third child and second daughter, was born. The actor continued to perform successfully on television until 1957 and even managed to secure two final screen roles on The Scarlet Coat (1955) and The Party Crashers (1958). And they threw me away like I was nothing. I was scared, desperate, and all alone, says Sweet Pete. Discovered by chance at the age of five-and-a-half in a barber shop in Altadena, CA. And he didnt take the news well.". In 1960, Driscolls life fell apart all at once. It's just like Never Never Land.". In the biggest role of his career, Lunas intense two-season arc will soon wrap filmingbut as he shares on this weeks, Disney Sees Ron DeSantiss Prison-Complex Threat and Raises Him a Pride Nite Extravaganza. After a few years of experimenting with drugs, Driscoll became a full-blown addict. From petty paybacks to insane acts of karma, these bitter people somehow found the most ingenious ways. Gray said he and his pal lost touch when Driscoll headed to New York. Former Disney child star Bobby Driscoll's short, tragic life Check out what's clicking today in entertainment. Driscoll wasnt going to take that lying down, however. (Wallace Berman died in 1976). That was Warhols perversity in full playyou know, dissipated Hollywood, Eliot told Entertainment Weekly. He had previously been encouraged to do so by artist and poet Wallace Berman, whom he had befriended after joining Berman's art circle (now also known as Semina Culture) in Los Angeles in 1956. Between May of 1949 to mid-1951, Driscoll was working on Disneys animated version of Peter Pan. In addition to his brief guest appearance in Walt Disney's first television Christmas show in 1950, One Hour in Wonderland, Driscoll lent his voice to Goofy, Jr. in the Disney cartoon shorts "Fathers are People" and "Father's Lion", which were released in 1951 and 1952, respectively. 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. This business can be so tough, laments Chip (John Mulaney), the animated chipmunk, about 30 minutes into Disney+s reboot Chip n Dale: Rescue Rangers. ", Regrettably, Driscoll's children will never see the exact spot where their father was laid to rest: Burial records from 1961 through July 1977 that had been kept in the old hospital were destroyed by a fire. Driscoll found work as an artist in The Factory, Warhols New York City art studio. After doing some research, I uncovered that other child actors, who worked for Disney, suffered not much better: Luana Patten: costarred with Bobby Driscoll; she married at 16; married and divorced two more times before dying of respiratory failure at age 57. He took on the double role of Danny/Josh Reed in When I Grow Upand made a brief guest appearance in Disneys first televised Christmas show, One Hour in Wonderland. He didnt want Bobby Driscoll to be with Disney anymore. Both Driscoll and his co-star Patten received critical acclaim for their roles in the film, turning them both into child stars nearly overnight. THE HOUSE OF FRADKIN-STEIN: Bobby Driscoll: The Darkside of Child Their search takes them to a villains lair. In fact, Driscoll stumbled into acting purely by chanceand it was all thanks to a fateful encounter. This culminated in a fingerprint match at the New York City Police Department, who informed her the actor is buried at Hart Island. or redistributed. Despite the obstacles presented to Driscoll during production, Treasure Island was an international smash hit. "He liked heroin. Needless to say, Driscoll could not afford to fail. Driscolls time with Disney was running out. After Disney kicked Driscoll to the curb, his parents withdrew him from the Hollywood Professional School, an institution that served child actors. Driscoll was born in Iowa on March 3, 1937. It was so popular that Driscoll reprised his role the following year for a radio adaption of the movie. So for Bobby Driscoll, it's the perfect place to be buried. Continued Eliot, Walt approved production of a live-action version of Treasure Island, to be shot on location in England, with fourteen-year-old Bobby Driscoll, Disneys favorite live-action child star, in the principal role.. 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. "He's somewhere on the northern part of the island," says Hunt. pic.twitter.com/pUVTLKY6qh, (read bio) (@FiendByte) October 22, 2019. The corpse failed to be identified, even with pictures shown around the neighborhood. In a radio interview in 1946, Driscoll revealed, "A barber in Pasadena told me I should be in the movies, so one Sunday he . ", Trying to forge a new path, Driscoll left his parents' home at 16 and made trips to New York City to study acting. In 1972, the matriarch described to Movie Digest how drugs changed 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. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. ", While hanging out on Los Angeles beaches, Driscoll befriended a group of young Hollywood turks like Gray, Robert Blake (Baretta), Dean Stockwell (Quantum Leap), and Russ Tamblyn (West Side Story). He had an extremely high I.Q., but the narcotics affected his brain. All Rights Reserved. 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. Driscoll was best known as the voice of (and model for) Peter Pan, as well as roles in So Dear to My Heart, Treasure Island, and Song of the South. 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. On top of that, the head honchos at Disney planned more film projects involving Driscoll. I think that was Bobby's best role." 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. "When we got home, we watched old movies, and I became a big fan of So Dear to My Heart. But trouble was never far away. His interest centered on the avant-garde art scene following his release. There are herds of deer, these red raccoons, and a whole bird sanctuary. 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. The cause of death for the penniless 31-year-old was hardening of the arteries, a common side effect of longtime heroin use, Entertainment Weekly reported. [25] During a project meeting following the completion of Peter Pan, though, Disney stated that he now saw Driscoll as best suited for roles as a young bully rather than a likeable protagonist. USA. The only son of a salesman and a former schoolteacher, he simply went in for a haircut one day and ended up meeting an agent. Nineteen months after his demise, Driscoll's mother sought the support of Disney Studio officials to reach Bobby for a potential reunion with his dying father. Both were originally aired on November 5, 1960. He received an Academy Juvenile Award for outstanding performances in So Dear to My Heart and The Window. The one where EW follows up with the cast. This resulted in a fingerprint match at the New York City Police Department, which located his burial on Hart Island. Alcohol abuse, drug overdose, violent fits, and severe depression. They charged him, but once again, the charges didnt stick. She had hoped he would return to California to say goodbye to his dying father. Its given me so much joy throughout my life. Robert Cletus Driscoll (March 3, 1937 c. March 30, 1968) was an American actor who performed on film and television from 1943 to 1960. We want our readers to trust us. He won an Oscar at 12, and then, at 16, went on to voice the title role in Disney's classic animated film about a boy who never wants to grow up. When Driscoll appeared on television, Disney Studios forced him to use heavy makeup to cover up his acne, which mustve been humiliating for Driscoll. Bobby Driscoll (left) with Hedda Hopper (right) and Luana Patten (center), circa 1947. The news was absolutely devastating. I really feared people, Driscoll said of his years after the firing. "What's the point of poking at it?" (United Artists/Getty Images). Driscoll's parents received encouragement to get Bobby into the movie industry. [66], (This is not necessarily a complete list; it displays all those that could be located and verified. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. No one seems to know how the then 31-year-old Driscoll spent his final days in New York City and why he ended up in an abandoned apartment where those kids found his body. As it was common practice in this business, Driscoll and Luana Patten also did promotional radio gigs (starting in late 1946 for Song of the South) and toured the country for various parades and charity events through the years. When it was released in May 1949, it became a surprise hit. Outside of his career, Driscolls private life was going just as poorly. [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. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. It's the first Sunday after Thanksgiving and a family is busy setting up chairs on the 1500 block of Vine Street in Hollywood. I had everythingwas earning more than $50,000 a yearworking steadily with good parts, Driscoll told Judge Allen Miller at a hearing, according to the Los Angeles Times. 30S STAR ELISSA LANDI LEFT HOLLYWOOD FOR THIS REASON, BOOK REVEALS: I WASTED 7 GOOD YEARS OF MY LIFE THERE, Bobby Driscoll was the voice of Peter Pan in the 1953 film. The New York Times credited the films success wholly to Driscolls performance, stating that The Window is Bobby Driscolls picture, make no mistake about it. At just ten years old, Driscoll proved to the world that he had what it took to be an exceptional actor, and it led to one of the biggest highlights of his career. He was devastated. Prison sentences were the kiss of death for Hollywood actors in those days, so after briefly working as a carpenter, Driscoll left his young children behind and moved to New York City in 1965,. A post mortem examination determined that he had died from heart failure caused by advanced atherosclerosis[57] from his drug use. 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. In October 1959, Bobby was convicted on charges of narcotics but was later declared not guilty. Then we just kind of lost touch after that. The medical report revealed he had suffered from heart failure caused by severe stiffening of the arteries due to his prolonged substance abuse. It's the exact same story.". Maybe that was it. The film was incredibly receivedbut in an ironic twist, its success ended up being Driscolls downfall. In March of 1968, a pair of children playing in an abandoned, Greenwich Village tenement in New York City discovered a young man dead on a cot, surrounded by beer bottles and religious handouts. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. He was just another teen boy with a bad case of acne. [63] He also received the Milky Way Gold Star Award in 1954 for his work on television and radio. Driscoll even had the honor of voicing Goofy Jr. in two Disney cartoon shorts, Fathers are People and Fathers Lion. 19920919. . Bobby was arrested for the third time the following month over the possession of opioids. However, their wedding was subsequently dissolved (not officially recognized), and they remained apart for a few months.