This was already sad enough, but it wasnt even the most tragic fact about his end. Driscoll even got a chance to act one last time in the movie Dirt, an experimental film directed by Piero Heliczer. 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. He was awarded Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1560 Vine Street, in 1960. What Driscoll did was simple, but revealed a curiosity for the world around him which deeply impressed the director for Lost Angels. and then convincing in anything he ever undertook on the movie screen and on television throughout his career spanning 17 years (1943-1960). 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. As the years passed, Hughess disdain for Driscoll seemingly turned into downright hatred. In the 1952 comedy, The Happy Time, based on a Broadway play, Driscoll played the role of Robert Bibi Bonnard. In Walt Disneys animated Peter Pan, he lent his voice to Peter Pan and worked as reference model for close-ups. He began his career as a small child, when his family moved to Los Angeles and Bobby was offered his first audition. This was the final nail in the coffin for Driscolls life and career. Driscoll was loaned to Horizon Pictures for When I Grow Up (1951) in which he played the double role of Danny/Josh Reed. He made a brief appearance in Disneys first TV Christmas show, One Hour in Wonderland (1950). With puberty came a severe case of acne, whichthrough no fault of his ownmarred the boys flawless face. 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. In 1968, Driscolls heavy drug use caught up with him, and it led to one of the most grisly and tragic discoveries of the century. 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. 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. In some special star-focusing series, Driscoll appeared with Loretta Young, Gloria Swanson, and Jane Wyman. April 26, 2020. Both were originally aired on November 5, 1960. Occasionally, the director overdoes things a bit in striving for shock effectsBut "The Window" is Bobby Driscoll's picture, make no mistake about that. He tried to seek serious acting roles. Unfortunately for Driscoll, Walts affection seemed to run dry after the filming of Peter Pan, and it led to the young actors early decline. A post mortem examination determined that he had died from heart failure caused by advanced atherosclerosis[57] from his drug use. The director was impressed by the boy's curiosity and intelligence and chose him over 40 applicants.[2][3]. It was planned as Disney's first all-live-action movie, with production beginning immediately after Song of the South,[9] but its release was delayed until late 1948 to meet the demands of Disney's co-producer and longtime distributor RKO Radio Pictures for animated content in the film. 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. When media tried to find the films main cast, they came to know about his death from his mother. 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. As a child,. )", "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. After his premature dismissal, he was enrolled in a public high school where his peers teased him. and then convincing in anything he ever undertook on the movie screen and on television throughout his career spanning 17 years (1943-1960). We know that Angie D Parrish, Paul Wing, and three other persons also lived at this address, perhaps within a different time frame. It was so popular that Driscoll reprised his role the following year for a radio adaption of the movie. By. 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. When it was released in May 1949, it became a surprise hit. They separated, then divorced in 1960. Believed to be an unclaimed and homeless person, he was buried in an unmarked pauper's grave on Hart Island, where he remains. He became addicted to narcotics, and was sentenced to prison for illicit drug use. [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. For the next two years, Driscoll continued to find work in film, television, and voice acting. On the surface, this sounded like an enormously successful marriage, but for Driscoll, this wasnt the case. 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. In 1956, Driscoll eloped with his long-time girlfriend, Marilyn Jeanne Rush, to Mexico, in the hopes of avoiding their parents' objection, but this marriage was later annulled. The first film they needed Driscoll for was If You Knew Susie, a comedy musical that was right up Driscolls alley. According to one Hollywood biographer, Warhol loved having Bobby Driscoll as part of his scene. In particular, Warhol loved the idea of having a bitter, Hollywood ex-actor as a part of his crew. "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". Over the next year, Driscoll ran into trouble with the authorities again and again. The film was incredibly receivedbut in an ironic twist, its success ended up being Driscolls downfall. 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. The short and tragic life of Disney child star Bobby Driscoll is explored in the new documentary Lost Boy: The Bobby Driscoll Story. Bobby Driscoll was a natural-born actor. BobbyDriscoll.com. Following Driscolls runaway success in Song of the South, Disney immediately ordered for production on So Dear to My Heart to begin. 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. 1960) father: Cletus Driscoll mother: Isabelle Kratz Driscoll Actors Child Actors Height: 5'10" (178 cm ), 5'10" Males Died on: March 30, 1968 place of death: East Village, New York, United States . https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/bobby-driscoll-43522.php, 20th Century Film & Theater Personalities, 20th Century American Film & Theater Personalities. A severe case of acne accompanying the onset of puberty,[27] explaining why it was necessary for Driscoll to use heavy makeup for his performances on dozens of TV shows, was officially provided as the final reason for the termination of his connection with the Disney Studios. The story of how Driscoll went from that talented child to the man he became is a very sad one. [43], Driscoll began using the name "Robert Driscoll"[44] to distance himself from his youthful roles as "Bobby" (since 1951, he had been known to friends and family as "Bob",[45] and in Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Early Space Conquerors, 1952, was credited as "Bob Driscoll"[46]). We hope you enjoy it! Billy Gray, who also got an early start in showbiz, said that "he was devastated and didn't take the news well.". 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. Soon, Driscoll began butting heads with the law. Bobby Driscoll: his birthday, what he did before fame, his family life, fun trivia facts, popularity rankings, and more. Both Driscolls family and Disney received hefty fines, and they ordered Driscoll out of the country. Join Facebook to connect with Bobby Driscoll and others you may know. 1957 - m. 1957 - div. An examination revealed that Driscoll passed from heart failure directly related to his drug usage. Films: Song of the South, Treasure Island After years of working for the studio, Disney dropped Driscoll like a hot coal, forcing the young man to find work elsewhere. [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. Still perceived as "Disney's kid actor",[28] he was unable to get movie roles as a serious character actor. In 1965, a year after his parole expired, he relocated to New York, hoping to revive his career on the Broadway stage, but was unsuccessful. The film and his voice became a big hit. 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. Howard Hughes, who had bought RKO the previous year, considered the film unworthy of release and Driscoll not much of an actor, so delayed its release. EXCLUSIVE: Billy Gray still has fond memories of his beloved pal Bobby Driscoll. Facebook gives people the power. Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. His life became more and more a roller coaster ride that included several encounters with the law and his eventual sentencing as a drug addict in October 1961. Around that time, Howard Hughes bought RKO, effectively making him the owner of the Disney studio. Disney placed young Driscoll and an even younger Luana Patten under contract, making Driscoll one of the first actors to ever be placed under a contract to the House of Mouse. Still determined to become an actor, Driscoll left his parents home at 16. | Photo: Getty Images. [58][59], Late in 1969, Driscoll's mother sought the help of officials at Disney studios to contact him, for a hoped-for reunion with his father, who was nearing death. Driscoll appeared in The Scarlet Coat in 1955, and then The Party Crashers (1958). Disney had big plans for Driscoll too. The teaser of the Pecos Bill section of Disneys 1948 cartoon collection Melody Time featured Driscoll and Patten. He briefly worked as a carpenter and cared for the young children he had with his ex-wife. In no time I was using whatever was available mostly heroin, because I had the money to pay for it. 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.. The authorities showed photos of his body to people living in the neighborhood, but no one had any idea who he was. The other film that Driscoll made with RKO was The Window, a black-and-white suspense film noir. In the few short years he became a star, Driscoll never quite found his way or regained his footing. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. For a short time, Driscoll did everything he could to rehabilitate his image. Driscoll still had Robin Hood to look forward to, at leastRight? 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. In New York City, Driscoll attempted to revive his career through Broadway. 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. Despite the obstacles presented to Driscoll during production, Treasure Island was an international smash hit. | Photo: Getty Images. Bobby Driscoll Age & Birthday. 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. 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. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. 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. You see, So Dear to My Heart was a joint venture between Walt Disney and RKO Pictures. As a result, the city buried Driscolls unclaimed body in an unmarked paupers grave on Hart Island. 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. Howard Hughes, an American investor that bought out RKO, thought the film was unworthy of release. To make things worse, he completely dismissed Driscoll, and thought of the young boy as not much of an actor. As a result, Driscolls film wasnt released until the following year, in May of 1949. 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. This revelation comes from a friend of the late voice actor, Billy Gray. I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. [29], In 1947, he recorded a special version of "So Dear to My Heart" at Capitol Records. Driscoll wasnt going to take that lying down, however. 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