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. When Driscoll left Chino in early 1962, he was unable to find acting work. [35] He said later, "The other kids didn't accept me. In fact, 40 other applicants wanted the role! Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. Unfortunately for Driscoll, Walts affection seemed to run dry after the filming of Peter Pan, and it led to the young actors early decline. [42] They had two daughters and one son, but the relationship did not last. Thanks for your help! When a doctor . They managed to identify Driscoll through his fingerprints, which led them to Hart Island. 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). Madame de Pompadour didn't just share King Louis XV's bed, she also shared his power. Driscoll never forgot about his dream of being an actor, though. "[39] In 1956, he was arrested for the first time for possession of marijuana, but the charge was dismissed. [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. 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. An acquaintance helped the 5 year-old Driscoll with an audition at MGM for a minor role in 1943s Lost Angel. He overcame 40 aspirants to bag the role. Driscoll and his wife separated, then officially divorced in 1960. He won awards and also befriended his castmates along the way. Driscoll appeared in The Scarlet Coat in 1955, and then The Party Crashers (1958). (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA). After a final appearance in Piero Heliczer's Underground short Dirt (1965) in 1965 and a short art-period at Andy Warhol's so-called Factory, he disappeared into the underground, thoroughly dispirited, funds depleted. In 1969, Driscolls mother tried to search for him, as his father was nearing death. Driscoll planned on starting over, but life had other plans for him. Bio by: AJ In a last-ditch attempt to distance himself from his Disney days, Driscoll began using the name Robert Driscoll when looking for acting jobs. Landing Page. A year after the couple eloped, they re-wed in an official ceremony in Los Angeles in March of 1957. Driscoll even got a chance to act one last time in the movie Dirt, an experimental film directed by Piero Heliczer. Driscoll was convicted for drug addiction and was sent to Narcotic Rehabilitation Center, at Chino, California. While Disney likes to believe it has a squeaky-clean image, one look at Bobby Driscoll will tell you that things are never that simple. In fact, Driscoll stumbled into acting purely by chanceand it was all thanks to a fateful encounter. 'Treasure Island became a worldwide hit and many new projects were planned with Driscoll as the lead, but somehow they didnt work-out. . [50] He became part of Andy Warhol's Greenwich Village art community known as the Factory,[51] where he began focusing on his artistic talents. He was awarded Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1560 Vine Street, in 1960. Both Driscolls family and Disney received hefty fines, and they ordered Driscoll out of the country. After Disney kicked Driscoll to the curb, his parents withdrew him from the Hollywood Professional School, an institution that served child actors. [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. When Driscoll appeared on television, Disney Studios forced him to use heavy makeup to cover up his acne, which mustve been humiliating for Driscoll. As the most commanding mistress in the French court, she bettered the lives of many and became a beloved figure. The news was absolutely devastating. Discovered by chance at the age of five-and-a-half in a barber shop in Altadena, CA. With puberty came a severe case of acne, whichthrough no fault of his ownmarred the boys flawless face. Website about Disney child actor Bobby Driscoll. Audiences warmly received Driscoll and his pert nose and freckled face, leading to even more film roles for the seven-year-old actor. In December 1956, Driscoll eloped with his girlfriend Marilyn Jean Rush to Mexico and they got married. Reporters looking into Driscoll discovered the ghastly tale of Driscolls career and his end. 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. An audition got him a minor acting role at the age of 5. Driscoll achieved fame at age 9 when he was cast in a starring role in the Disney controversial movie "Song of the South." Bobby Driscoll. Includes such notable movie screen appearances as The Fighting Sullivans (1944), Song of the . Three children: Dr. Daniel Abram Driscoll, Aaren Hope Driscoll Keely, and Katherine Ann Driscoll Grundmeier. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. For a short time, Driscoll did everything he could to rehabilitate his image. Although the charges were dismissed, this event marked the beginning of Driscolls many future encounters with the law. 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. Disney slated Driscoll for two more films: Tom Sawyer and Robin Hood. Driscolls time with Disney was running out. 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. A post mortem examination determined that he had died from heart failure caused by advanced atherosclerosis[57] from his drug use. First famous now infamous. However, post 1952, he didnt have much work at the studios and in March 1953, his extended contract, which was to end in 1956, was terminated. The first Disney film, Song of the South, was re-released in 1971-1972. Driscoll's last major success, Peter Pan (1953), was produced largely between May 1949 and mid-1951. Discover at 5, while getting a haircut, Bobby Driscoll is the son of an insulation salesman and former schoolteacher. This decision kept Driscolls career alivefor now. This was the final nail in the coffin for Driscolls life and career. They separated, then divorced in 1960. 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 wanted Driscoll gone, and sadly the boy's morphing features were enough grounds. As the years passed, Hughess disdain for Driscoll seemingly turned into downright hatred. 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. Occasionally, the director overdoes things a bit in striving for shock effectsBut "The Window" is Bobby Driscoll's picture, make no mistake about that. Nothing about his early childhood indicated a future career with Walt Disney. Hicks said Driscoll declined due to family conflicts while Hora and Sherman did not respond. Here are details about the life he lived. At the same time, Driscoll was working on another projectand it defined his entire career. This resulted in a fingerprint match at the New York City Police Department, which located his burial on Hart Island. In 1960, Driscolls life fell apart all at once. Nationality. The State of California sent Driscoll to the Narcotic Rehabilitation Center of the California Institution for Men in Chino, California. Not only did it give Driscoll another chance at a starring role, but Disney planned on filming in the United Kingdom. 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. He appeared in a variety of anthology and drama series, such as Dragnet (a crime drama) and Medic (the OG medical drama). 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. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/bobby-driscoll-43522.php, 20th Century Film & Theater Personalities, 20th Century American Film & Theater Personalities. When media tried to find the films main cast, they came to know about his death from his mother. Bobby is a high school graduate. [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. The award made Driscoll even more valuable in the eyes of Uncle Walt, and it led to Driscolls next big Disney hit. Currently, Bobby Driscoll is 85 years, 11 months and 10 days old. 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. 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. On March 30, 1968, two playing children found his dead body in an abandoned East Village tenement. 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.. Full Real Name. 1957 - m. 1957 - div. | Photo: Getty Images. BobbyDriscoll.com. The New York Times credited Driscoll with the film's success:.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, The mounting terror of a young boy who lives in mortal fear of his life is projected with remarkable verisimilitude by 12-year-old Bobby Driscoll in "The Window," which opened on Saturday at the Victoria. 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.". For the next two years, Driscoll continued to find work in film, television, and voice acting. Catherine of Aragon was King Henry VIIIs first wife and longest-lasting Queen of England. [30], For his contributions to the motion picture industry, Driscoll received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1560 Vine Street in 1960. 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". 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. The film was incredibly receivedbut in an ironic twist, its success ended up being Driscolls downfall. 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). This strategy was only mildly successful. It certainly wasnt the best experience Driscoll had with a production, but it barely put a dent in Driscolls success. He was last seen in small roles in TV series The Best of the Post and the crime series, The Brothers Brannagan, in 1960. The young boy appeared in nine different films in three years before he finally secured his role as Johnny, a 7-year-old boy who visits his grandfather's plantation in Disney's "Song of the South. It didn't end there; the man also invited Driscoll and his family to his home. Despite being one of Disney's first and most successful child stars, Driscoll has never been enshrined as a Disney Legend. His last known appearances on TV were small roles in two single-season series: The Best of the Post, a syndicated anthology series adapted from stories published in The Saturday Evening Post magazine, and The Brothers Brannagan, an unsuccessful crime series starring Stephen Dunne and Mark Roberts. Every cent he made went straight to fueling his addiction. Driscolls burial records, along with many others, were destroyed in a fire. Also Known As: Robert Cletus Driscoll Died At Age: 31 Family: Spouse/Ex-: Marilyn Jean Rush (m. 1956 - div. In 1968, his body was found in a desolate building, just after his 31st birthday. We want our readers to trust us. Robert Cletus Driscoll was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1937. Via Wikimedia Commons at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bobby_Driscoll_1950.jpg, Cause of death: Heart failure, Myocardial infarction - Mar 30 1968 - East Village, Mar 3 1937 - Cedar Rapids, Linn County, Iowa, United States, Cletus Joseph Driscoll, Isabella Isabelle Louise Driscoll, Mar 3 1937 - Cedar Rapids, Linn, Iowa, United States, Mar 30 1968 - New York City, New York, United States, Mar 30 1968 - East Village, United States, Apr 1 1950 - Tley, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States, Mar 3 1937 - Cedar Rapids, Linn County, Iowa, United States of America, Mar 30 1968 - New York, New York County (Manhattan), New York, United States of America, Driscoll, Driscoll, Driscoll, Cedar Rapids, Linn County, Iowa, United States, 371 East 10th Street, East Village, Manhattan, New York County, New York, United States, Hart Island, Bronx County, New York, United States, U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims, 1936-2007. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories. This was already sad enough, but it wasnt even the most tragic fact about his end. [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. In the mid-1950s, Driscoll's acting career began to decline, and he turned primarily to guest appearances on anthology TV series. Driscoll played Eddie Cantor's screen son in the RKO Studios musical comedy If You Knew Susie (also 1948), in which he teamed with former Our Gang member Margaret Kerry. His grades dropped and he began taking drugs. The agent starts working, landing Bobby Driscoll a bit role opposite Margaret O'Brien in the 1943 film Lost Angel. The story of how Driscoll went from that talented child to the man he became is a very sad one. [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. He was discovered in a barbershop when he was 5 years old, and cast in films including Song of the South and So . Bobby Driscoll and Connie Stevens in The Party Crashers (1958) After his appearance in The Party Crashers, the party truly started crashing around Driscoll. After leaving the center in 1962, he tried in vain to search for work. The best revenge might be living well, but that doesn't mean we can always turn the other cheek. I was carried on a silver platterand then dumped into the garbage."[49]. But that was only the tip of the iceberg. They treated me as one apart. The couple was later rewed in a ceremony that took place in Los Angeles in March 1957. March 1, 2021 - 7:01AM Former Disney child star Bobby Driscoll rose to fame at age 9 as "the first human being signed for Disney Productions." He won a Juvenile Oscar at age 12 and went on to voice the title role in 1953's animated film Peter Pan at age 16, but met a tragic end. Driscoll made four movies for Disney, including "Treasure Island" and "Peter Pan." [10] Patten and he appeared with Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers in the live-action teaser for the Pecos Bill segment of Disney's cartoon compilation Melody Time (also 1948). In 1950, Disney cast Driscoll as Jim Hawkins in Treasure Island, the studios first all live-action film. 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 . 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 teaser of the Pecos Bill section of Disneys 1948 cartoon collection Melody Time featured Driscoll and Patten. With little choice, Driscoll tried to fit in with the other kids at the West Los Angeles University High School, and the results were utterly heartbreaking. 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. Connect to the World Family Tree to find out, Photo by NBC Television Network. Driscoll found work as an artist in The Factory, Warhols New York City art studio. Driscoll needed to stand out to get the part, so he ended up doing something that completely won the director over. [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. Driscolls past as a child actor made him a prime target for ridicule from the other students, resulting in his grades dropping. 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. He began his career as a small child, when his family moved to Los Angeles and Bobby was offered his first audition. 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. 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. The guards refused to let Driscoll enter, and informed himrather abruptly and rudelythat he was no longer under the employ of Disney Studios. He also gave education a try, enrolling at institutions like Stanford and UCLA but ultimately dropped out. [13], So Dear to My Heart and The Window earned Driscoll a special Juvenile Academy Award in March 1950 as the outstanding juvenile actor of 1949. After taking one look at Driscolls adorable little freckled face, the barbers son got Driscoll an acting agent.