There's something about the family structure that encourages secrets. Geni requires JavaScript! Between 1967 and the beginning of 1968, Driscoll left The Factory in a miserable state. In 1956, he was arrested for possessing marijuana, but the charges were later dropped. Includes such notable movie screen appearances as The Fighting Sullivans (1944), Song of the . Advertisement The young actors days of taking on small movie roles were officially overbut this new life would eventually lead him down a dark and dangerous path. The story of how Driscoll went from that talented child to the man he became is a very sad one. What Driscoll did was simple, but revealed a curiosity for the world around him which deeply impressed the director for Lost Angels. 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. However, this wasnt the end of the humiliation that Driscoll had to face. He tried to seek serious acting roles. [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. In an incredibly sad twist, Driscolls work with Disney made it incredibly difficult for the young actor to find roles. When it was released in May 1949, it became a surprise hit. On March 30, 1968, two playing children found his dead body in an abandoned East Village tenement. 1957 - m. 1957 - div. 1957 - m. 1957 - div. 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. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA). He had been getting a trim in a barber's shop in Pasadena when one barber told him he should be in the movies. A little over two decades later, he died suddenly. While those roles got Driscolls acting career rolling, it was his next role that took the little boys career to the next level. Bobby Driscoll was born in Cedar Rapids. Driscolls past as a child actor made him a prime target for ridicule from the other students, resulting in his grades dropping. Driscoll never forgot about his dream of being an actor, though. 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. While Driscoll was the perfect age for the role of Tom Sawyer, legal disputes over the Tom Sawyer story forced Disney to cancel the project altogether, leaving Driscoll high and dry. Critics praised Driscolls work, with some of his art even being temporarily displayed in Los Angeles in the Santa Monica Museum of Art. 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. Despite being one of Disney's first and most successful child stars, Driscoll has never been enshrined as a Disney Legend. The film and his voice became a big hit. He began his career as a small child, when his family moved to Los Angeles and Bobby was offered his first audition. He starred in . When they rejected me, I fought back, became belligerent and cockyand was afraid all the time. 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. Still, Walt Disney had a lot of affection for Driscoll and signed the boy on for a second contract regardless. Driscolls dad was nearing the end of his life, and Driscolls mom wanted to reunite father and son one last time. Around that time, Howard Hughes bought RKO, effectively making him the owner of the Disney studio. Please let us know if a fact weve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect its inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. | Photo: Getty Images. Things came to a head when Driscoll hit puberty. Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. The real tragedy of Bobby Driscoll was the fact that no one identified his body. The guards refused to let Driscoll enter, and informed himrather abruptly and rudelythat he was no longer under the employ of Disney Studios. 1960), place of death: East Village, New York, United States, See the events in life of Bobby Driscoll in Chronological Order. 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. They took him in for drug possession, battery, burglary, check kiting, and more. This is a business registration address for Paul Wink. "[39] In 1956, he was arrested for the first time for possession of marijuana, but the charge was dismissed. 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. I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. 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). -. 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. 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. 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). 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. Bobby Driscoll. But this was only the beginning. In 1965, a year after his parole expired, Driscoll made the decision to relocate to New York City. 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. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. [66], (This is not necessarily a complete list; it displays all those that could be located and verified. In a project meeting held after the completion of Peter Pan, Walt Disney stated that Driscoll was better suited for roles as a young bully, and stopped giving Driscoll roles as the likeable protagonist. [35] He said later, "The other kids didn't accept me. For a short time, Driscoll did everything he could to rehabilitate his image. A lot of pressure was on Driscoll to perform. Driscoll and Rush eloped in Mexico, although both sets of parents objected to their union. They charged him, but once again, the charges didnt stick. Hughes dismissed Driscoll later in 1953, and he did so in a terrible manner by denying Driscoll entry into the studio. According to him, his personality took a turn for the worse during his marriage, and his dwindling career soon followed suit. 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. And despite Driscolls acting talents, not everyone believed in Driscolls star power. At one point, Bobby became part of The Factory, Andy Warhol's art collective in Greenwich Village, New York. Current occupation is listed as Retired. Copyright 2023 by Factinate.com. Discovered by chance at the age of five-and-a-half in a barber shop in Altadena, CA. Madame de Pompadour didn't just share King Louis XV's bed, she also shared his power. Bobby Driscoll is American by birth. Outside of his career, Driscolls private life was going just as poorly. Instead, Driscoll found a place beside an extremely unlikely and eccentric individual: the artist Andy Warhol. [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]). The first film they needed Driscoll for was If You Knew Susie, a comedy musical that was right up Driscolls alley. 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. [17], Treasure Island was an international hit, and several other film projects involving Driscoll were under discussion, but none materialized. Picture of child star Bobby Driscoll | Photo: Getty Images. They were allowed to remain for six weeks to prepare an appeal, and director Byron Haskin hastily shot all of Driscoll's close-ups,[16] using his British stand-in to film missing location scenes after his parents and he had returned to California. Bobby Driscoll pictured in 1949. ), Media related to Bobby Driscoll at Wikimedia Commons. 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 For his TV and radio work, he earned a Milky Way Gold Star Award in 1954. He was last seen in small roles in TV series The Best of the Post and the crime series, The Brothers Brannagan, in 1960. 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. It was clear that Driscolls drug addiction was destroying his life, and in 1961, everything came to a head when the authorities finally sentenced him as a drug addict. By the age of 17, he began taking drugs regularly. He portrayed a boy that could whistle while standing on his head in Sunday Dinner for a Soldier, acted across Richard Arlen as his kid brother in The Big Bonanza, and portrayed Percy Maxima trouble-making childin So Goes My Love. Nothing about his early childhood indicated a future career with Walt Disney. 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. Landing Page. Hughes probably didnt expect much of a reaction, but he couldnt have been more wrong. When she's not writing, Rebecca can be found buried under too many blankets with a hot cup of tea. No identification was on the body, and photos shown around the neighborhood yielded no positive identification. The young boy had it all, but unfortunately, his snafu with the British authorities had a bigger impact on his career than Driscoll couldve imagined. The authorities in the United Kingdom allowed Driscoll six weeks to prepare an appeal. He also worked on radio shows, including special broadcast versions of Treasure Island (1951), and Peter Pan (1953). This was the final nail in the coffin for Driscolls life and career. 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). 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. One day in 1953, Driscoll drove up to the entrance of Disney Studios as usual, only to find his way blocked. 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. View final resting place and family links here. Most still thought of Driscoll as Disneys kid actor, which made it nearly impossible for Driscoll to find work as a serious character actor. Moves from Des Monies, Iowa to Los Angeles. He became addicted to narcotics, and was sentenced to prison for illicit drug use. 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. There was simply no way Disney could complete Treasure Island without DriscollOr so it seemed. At the time, Disneys finances were in shambles thanks to WWII and desperately needed the film to do well. Full Real Name. 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In a last-ditch attempt to distance himself from his Disney days, Driscoll began using the name Robert Driscoll when looking for acting jobs. By all accounts, he was your average little kid living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. | Photo: Getty Images. While on tour across the studio lot, five-year-old Driscoll noticed a mock-up ship and asked where the water was. He was awarded Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1560 Vine Street, in 1960. The Happy Time: Directed by Richard Fleischer. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to Des Moines, where they stayed until early 1943. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery. Bobby was the son of a salesman and a school teacher, but his life would take the first twist when his father got sick after many years of handling asbestos in his job. Other studios quickly saw Driscolls potential too, and the boy soon had more roles than he knew what to do with. 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. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? "[36][37] At his request, Driscoll's parents returned him the next year to Hollywood Professional School, where in May 1955 he graduated.[38]. Bobby Driscoll and Connie Stevens in The Party Crashers (1958) After his appearance in The Party Crashers, the party truly started crashing around Driscoll. Driscoll appeared in The Scarlet Coat in 1955, and then The Party Crashers (1958). He briefly worked as a carpenter and cared for the young children he had with his ex-wife. "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". A year after the couple eloped, they re-wed in an official ceremony in Los Angeles in March of 1957. 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. First famous now infamous. His contract was terminated three years earlier in 1953, and he found it difficult to get work in other studios. Bio by: AJ As the most commanding mistress in the French court, she bettered the lives of many and became a beloved figure. A post mortem examination determined that he had died from heart failure caused by advanced atherosclerosis[57] from his drug use. Over the next year, Driscoll ran into trouble with the authorities again and again. The State of California sent Driscoll to the Narcotic Rehabilitation Center of the California Institution for Men in Chino, California. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. Driscoll and his wife separated, then officially divorced in 1960. All Rights Reserved. Although Driscoll had a troubled life, he attempted to push forward. She asked for help from Disney Studio officials and a fingerprint match led to Driscolls grave on Hart Island. It didn't end there; the man also invited Driscoll and his family to his home. Bobby Driscoll was a natural-born actor. The news was absolutely devastating. During production, the big wigs of RKO pictures were so impressed by Driscolls talent that they borrowed him for two vastly different films. Driscoll planned on starting over, but life had other plans for him. 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). 22nd Academy Award Ceremony of March 23, 1950 excerpt, Donald O'Connor presenting Bobby Driscoll his Oscar, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, "Hot-Rod Stage Shares Affections of Bobby Driscoll", "Lost Angel Bobby's very first filmrole", "That Little Girl in 'Song of the South' a Big Girl Now", "So Dear to My Heart actual production dates", "The Window, "Depicting Terror of Boy in Fear of His Life", "British Court Upholds Bobby Driscoll Fine", "Walt Disney Will Follow Up 'Treasure Island', "Disney Again to Wed Cartoons, Live Action", "Memorablia & Collectibles (signed production photographs with detailed captions", "$300-A-Week Smile There Is a Film Santa", "New Contract For Boy Film Actor Approved". "[41] In 1957, he had only two television parts, as the loyal brother of a criminal immigrant in M Squad, a long-running crime series starring Lee Marvin, and as an officer aboard the submarine S-38 in an episode of the World War II docudrama series The Silent Service. They re-wed in March 1957, in Los Angeles, and divorced in 1960. 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. [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. He essayed main roles in a number of Disney movies, and earned a special Juvenile Academy Award for Outstanding Juvenile Actor of 1949. Under the contract, Driscoll was occasionally loaned to other studios, but he largely remained a Disney Star. He became famous as the voice of Peter Pan, and also modeled as a reference for this hit Disney movie. Bobby Driscoll was an American child actor and artist, known for his film and TV performances from 1943 to 1960. The first Disney film, Song of the South, was re-released in 1971-1972. Summertime "Summertime" is an aria composed in 1934 by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess.The lyrics are by DuBose Heyward, the author of the novel Porgy on which the opera was based, and Ira Gershwin. Nothing about his early childhood indicated a future career with Walt Disney. Films: Song of the South, Treasure Island While So Dear to My Heart didnt put quite as much pressure on Driscoll to perform well, the plot of the film closely mirrored Walt Disneys childhood, giving the filmand Driscolls role as young Jeremiaha special meaning to Walt. Driscoll, an insulation salesman, and Isabelle Kratz Driscoll, 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. He believed they were precocious, fake, and very annoying. 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. Driscoll encountered increasing indifference from the other Hollywood studios. Driscoll's parents were encouraged to help their son become a child performer in films. His casting was suggested by screenwriter Michael Kanin. Billy Gray, who also got an early start in showbiz, said that "he was devastated and didn't take the news well.". 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. When his face was no longer charming and his voice not smooth enough to be used for voice-over jobs, his last big movie hit was the voice of animated Peter Pan (1953), for which he was also the live-action model. This put Driscoll and the entire production in a sticky situation. 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]. Reporters looking into Driscoll discovered the ghastly tale of Driscolls career and his end. Robert Cletus Driscoll. Lets just, Song of the South (1946), Walt Disney Productions, So Dear to My Heart (1948), Walt Disney Productions, Treasure Island (1950), Walt Disney Productions, The Party Crashers (1958), Paramount Pictures, The Truth Always Comes Out: Dark Family Secrets Exposed, Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress, Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIIIs First Wife, Scandalous Facts About Lady Caroline Lamb, The High Society Outcast, Strange Facts of Nick Adams, The Enigmatic Celebrity, Straight Up Facts About Paula Abdul, The Queen Of Reality TV, Heartbreaking Facts About Desi Arnaz, The Man Who Loved Lucy. 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. After his premature dismissal, he was enrolled in a public high school where his peers teased him. His grades dropped and he began taking drugs. His grades suffered for it, but he graduated. After a few years of experimenting with drugs, Driscoll became a full-blown addict. He landed two final screen roles: with Cornel Wilde in The Scarlet Coat (1955) and opposite Mark Damon, Connie Stevens, and Frances Farmer in The Party Crashers (1958). [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. But Bobby Driscollwho was the voice and the animation model for the studio's 1953 animated classic Peter Pan had an experience with the company that was particularly bleak. 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. Making distraction rewarding since 2017. Bobby Driscoll is best known as TV Actor who has born on March 03, 1937 in Cedar Rapids, IA. 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. Other such smaller roles led to a contract from Walt Disney. As a result, the city buried Driscolls unclaimed body in an unmarked paupers grave on Hart Island. Browse through Bobby's personal letters, written to friends, family, and people of notoriety. 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. The film was incredibly receivedbut in an ironic twist, its success ended up being Driscolls downfall. 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. Family, and people of notoriety a post mortem examination determined that had. Life, and Peter Pan, and was sentenced to prison for illicit drug use the ghastly tale Driscolls. Salesman and former schoolteacher, Driscoll was loaned to other studios quickly saw potential! Has born on March 30, 1968, Driscoll left the Factory in a last-ditch to. Told him he should be in the Santa Monica Museum of art is., his personality took a turn for the young actor to find way. Little over two decades later, I was using her phone when I Grow up ( )... 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