He was awarded Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1560 Vine Street, in 1960. 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 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. This is a business registration address for Paul Wink. Although his name appears on his father's gravestone at Eternal Hills Memorial Park in Oceanside, California, his remains are still on Hart Island. 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. Instead, they sent Driscoll to West Los Angeles University High School. 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. He thought that Peterand Driscoll, by extensioncame off as cold and unlikeable in the movie. Driscoll tried to remain relevant in Hollywood by appearing in several TV shows for years; however, he had already passed his peak and was on the decline. 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. What they found was the body of Bobby Driscoll in a cot, with two empty beer bottles nearby and surrounded by religious pamphlets. His parents again sent him to his earlier school, where he completed his graduation in 1955. This put Driscoll and the entire production in a sticky situation. 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. Driscolls legacy as an actor is even harder to keep alive. It took even longer for news of Driscolls passing to reach the public. Unfortunate circumstances made it difficult to keep Driscolls memory alive, however. Other studios quickly saw Driscolls potential too, and the boy soon had more roles than he knew what to do with. 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. Driscoll's brief, two-minute debut[4] helped him win the role of young Al Sullivan, the youngest of the five Sullivan brothers, in the 20th Century Fox's World War II drama The Fighting Sullivans (1944) with Thomas Mitchell and Anne Baxter. [14][15], Driscoll was cast to play Jim Hawkins in Walt Disney's version of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island (1950), with British actor Robert Newton as Long John Silver, the studio's first all-live-action picture. Still, Walt Disney had a lot of affection for Driscoll and signed the boy on for a second contract regardless. 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. The guards refused to let Driscoll enter, and informed himrather abruptly and rudelythat he was no longer under the employ of Disney Studios. Eventually, Driscoll convinced his parents to re-enroll him to the Hollywood Professional School, where his grades improved. In the mid-1950s, Driscoll's acting career began to decline, and he turned primarily to guest appearances on anthology TV series. Driscolls burial records, along with many others, were destroyed in a fire. 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. and then convincing in anything he ever undertook on the movie screen and on television throughout his career spanning 17 years (1943-1960). 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 1969, Driscolls mother tried to search for him, as his father was nearing death. After three years of taking on minor acting roles, Driscoll got the chance of a lifetime when he caught the eye of the one and only Walt Disney. In the few short years he became a star, Driscoll never quite found his way or regained his footing. This revelation comes from a friend of the late voice actor, Billy Gray. Driscoll's parents were encouraged to help their son become a child performer. He also had smaller roles in movies such as Identity Unknown (1945) and Miss Susie Slagle's, From This Day Forward, and O.S.S. Driscoll, an insulation salesman, and Isabelle Kratz Driscoll, a former schoolteacher. When The Window hit theaters, itand more importantly, Driscolls performancewas a hit with audiences. By the age of 17, he began taking drugs regularly. 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 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. In 1956, he was arrested for possessing marijuana, but the charges were later dropped. Needless to say, Driscoll could not afford to fail. As a child,. Following Driscolls runaway success in Song of the South, Disney immediately ordered for production on So Dear to My Heart to begin. The State of California sent Driscoll to the Narcotic Rehabilitation Center of the California Institution for Men in Chino, California. He portrayed a young version of Al Sullivan, one of five close-knit brothers growing up in Iowa during the dark days of the Great Depression. All Rights Reserved. The cause of the death was determined as heart failure due to advanced hardening of arteries, resulted from long-term drug abuse. Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. He also gave education a try, enrolling at institutions like Stanford and UCLA but ultimately dropped out. For example, Haskin recalled in his memoirs that Disney, although interested in Robert Louis Stevenson's pirate story as a full-length cartoon, always planned to cast Driscoll as Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer. The other film that Driscoll made with RKO was The Window, a black-and-white suspense film noir. He became addicted to narcotics, and was sentenced to prison for illicit drug use. 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. In no time I was using whatever was available mostly heroin, because I had the money to pay for it. The award Driscoll received was the Juvenile Academy Award, which is only awarded at the discretion of the Academys Board of Governors. It mustve felt like one huge adventure for Driscoll, but a huge issue ended Driscolls journey almost as soon as it began. Driscoll found work as an artist in The Factory, Warhols New York City art studio. In a last-ditch attempt to distance himself from his Disney days, Driscoll began using the name Robert Driscoll when looking for acting jobs. In fact, 40 other applicants wanted the role! The Life of Bobby Driscoll Robert Cletus "Bobby" Driscoll was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on March 3rd, 1937, to parents Cletus (1901-1969), an insulation salesman, and Isabelle (Kratz) (1897-1972), a former schoolteacher. 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. Driscoll was elected to Henon's Council seat in a special election following his conviction in 2021. She asked for help from Disney Studio officials and a fingerprint match led to Driscolls grave on Hart Island. top of page. By. Hughes dismissed Driscoll later in 1953, and he did so in a terrible manner by denying Driscoll entry into the studio. His weekly payment at Disney Studios was raised to $1,750. The part was a far cry from Driscolls usual rolesthere was no singing, wise-cracking, or cartoon animals involved. 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. Bobby Driscoll is American by birth. 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. In the mid-1950s, Driscoll's acting career began to decline, and he turned primarily to guest appearances on anthology TV series. 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). The best revenge might be living well, but that doesn't mean we can always turn the other cheek. Reporters looking into Driscoll discovered the ghastly tale of Driscolls career and his end. When it was released in May 1949, it became a surprise hit. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. [54][55], In 1965, early in his tenure at the Factory, Driscoll gave his last known film performance, in experimental filmmaker Piero Heliczer's underground movie Dirt. 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. 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. The film is now available . Things came to a head when Driscoll hit puberty. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. Between 1967 and the beginning of 1968, Driscoll left The Factory in a miserable state. 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. He starred in some of the Walt Disney Studios' best-known live-action pictures of that period: Song of the South (1946), So Dear to My Heart (1949), and Treasure Island (1950), as well as RKO's The Window (1949). 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. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? The story of this child actor, who starred in films like Song of the South and Peter Pan, is a heart-wrenching one. While on tour across the studio lot, five-year-old Driscoll noticed a mock-up ship and asked where the water was. His performance won him an Oscar at 12, and by 16, he was given a chance to voice "Peter Pan," an animated film about a boy who never wants to grow up. He was last seen in small roles in TV series The Best of the Post and the crime series, The Brothers Brannagan, in 1960. I tried desperately to be one of the gang. The body remained unidentified and unclaimed, so it was buried in an unmarked grave in New York Citys Potters Field, on Hart Island. 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. Voice of 1953 Disney's Peter Pan. Rebecca had her start in writing in elementary school, when a short story she wrote was published in her school's yearbook; she's been chasing the thrill of having her works published ever since. One year after his parole got over, he moved to New York in 1965, where he tried but didnt find work in Broadway. He began working at Andy Warhols The Factory. Some of his art was displayed at the Santa Monica Museum of Art. His last film performance was in the 1965 movie Dirt by Piero Heliczer. Perhaps Driscoll hoped that Rush would change him for the better, but what actually happened was far, far worse. "[39] In 1956, he was arrested for the first time for possession of marijuana, but the charge was dismissed. He briefly worked as a carpenter and cared for the young children he had with his ex-wife. He left his family at 16 and moved to New York City to study acting. It was so popular that Driscoll reprised his role the following year for a radio adaption of the movie. Most notably, he served as the animation model and provided the voice for the title role in Peter Pan (1953). Driscoll even had the honor of voicing Goofy Jr. in two Disney cartoon shorts, Fathers are People and Fathers Lion. [17], Treasure Island was an international hit, and several other film projects involving Driscoll were under discussion, but none materialized. 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. Picture of child star Bobby Driscoll | Photo: Getty Images. He had the acting chops and the singing talent, but his Broadway career was largely unsuccessful. 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 . When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. 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. . Thanks to the money he saved up while working for Disney, Driscoll had the cash to experiment with a wide variety of drugs, and his experiments led him down a dark path with no return. 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. Bobby Driscoll Age & Birthday. As a result, Driscoll was unable to work on the two major pictures that Disney planned for him. Connect to the World Family Tree to find out, Photo by NBC Television Network. Hollywood biographer Marc Eliot, author of "Walt Disney: Hollywood's Dark Prince," saw the perfect embodiment of the American child in Driscoll. Advertisement At just five and a half, Robert Cletus Driscoll was discovered in a Los Angeles barbershop as he was getting his haircut. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. Most still thought of Driscoll as Disneys kid actor, which made it nearly impossible for Driscoll to find work as a serious character actor. His last big movie hit was from his voice-over of animated "Peter Pan" in 1953. Full Real Name. Voice of 1953 Disney's Peter Pan. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery. The teaser of the Pecos Bill section of Disneys 1948 cartoon collection Melody Time featured Driscoll and Patten. No clan is left untouched, and even families that seem happy and normal on. The part for Driscoll was a tiny onehe would only be on screen for a grand total of two minutesbut the competition was fierce. Sadly, these small successes were not enough to turn Driscolls life aroundand for one devastating reason. When they rejected me, I fought back, became belligerent and cockyand was afraid all the time. A year after the couple eloped, they re-wed in an official ceremony in Los Angeles in March of 1957. On top of that, the head honchos at Disney planned more film projects involving Driscoll. Although Catherine's successor Queen Anne Boleyn suffered an infamously dark fate, Aragon's own life was somehow even more tragic. News of Driscolls end finally went public, four years after tragedy took the young mans life. | Photo: Getty Images. Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. Bobby Driscoll was Disney's first fallen child star whose rejection and eventual self-sabotage led him to a bizarre and unfortunate early death. Both Driscolls family and Disney received hefty fines, and they ordered Driscoll out of the country. Hughes probably didnt expect much of a reaction, but he couldnt have been more wrong. In ill health due to 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. He was best known for being a TV Actor. Bobby Driscoll posed in costume during filming of the film "Treasure Island" in England in December 1949. Driscoll was born on March 3, 1937, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Isabelle (ne Kratz), a former school teacher, and Cletus, an insulation salesman. Warhol welcomed Driscoll with open arms, but his reasons for doing so may have been sinister. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. . They separated, then divorced in 1960. Driscoll and Patten once again worked together in Disneys first all-live-action film, So Dear to My Heart. In RKO Studios (Disneys co-producers) 1948 musical comedy, If You Knew Susie, he played the part of Eddie Cantors son. This decision kept Driscolls career alivefor now. Discovered by chance at the age of five-and-a-half in a barber shop in Altadena, CA. A lot of pressure was on Driscoll to perform. ", Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Billy Gray, Lauren Chapin, and Elinor Donahue from the show "Father Knows Best," circa 1955. As a result, the city buried Driscolls unclaimed body in an unmarked paupers grave on Hart Island. [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. Now nicknamed by the American press as Walt Disney's "Sweetheart Team",[8] Driscoll and Patten starred together in So Dear to My Heart (1948) with Burl Ives and Beulah Bondi. Bobby is a high school graduate. Hughes was not a big fan of Driscoll and Hollywood kids in general. The two had two daughters and one son. 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.. 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