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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. There, his grades dropped substantially, he was the target of ridicule for his previous film career, and he began to take drugs. Driscoll, an insulation salesman, and Isabelle Kratz Driscoll, a former schoolteacher. The film and his voice became a big hit. She reached out to Disney for help, which eventually led her to the NYPD. The director was impressed by the boy's curiosity and intelligence and chose him over 40 applicants.[2][3]. Voice of 1953 Disney's Peter Pan. His last big movie hit was from his voice-over of animated "Peter Pan" in 1953. First famous now infamous. 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). In an incredibly sad twist, Driscolls work with Disney made it incredibly difficult for the young actor to find roles. Instead, they sent Driscoll to West Los Angeles University High School. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. He left his family at 16 and moved to New York City to study acting. [64], In February 2009, singer-songwriter Benjy Ferree released Come Back to the Five and Dime Bobby Dee Bobby Dee, a concept album based in part on Driscoll's life. In 1965, a year after his parole expired, Driscoll made the decision to relocate to New York City. When his face was no longer as charming, and his voice had become unsuitable to be used for voice-over jobs, things began to go awry. Bobby was born March 3rd, 1937 in Iowa. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. Hughes was not a big fan of Driscoll and Hollywood kids in general. Academy Award-winning actor of Disney films in the 40s and early 50s who died from a drug overdose. The first Disney film, Song of the South, was re-released in 1971-1972. Bobby Driscoll was an American child actor known for a large body of cinema and TV performances from 1943 to 1960. Website about Disney child actor Bobby Driscoll. 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. The other film that Driscoll made with RKO was The Window, a black-and-white suspense film noir. 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 1944, 20th Century Fox offered Driscoll a role in their WWII drama, The Fighting Sullivans. Needless to say, Driscoll could not afford to fail. From there, Driscoll quickly became one of Disneys biggest money-makers. Bobby Driscoll was born on the 3rd of March, 1937. Unfortunately, Driscoll's fans had no idea about his sad fate until 1972 when the Disney film "Song of the South," featured in, was re-released. 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. As a result, Driscoll was unable to work on the two major pictures that Disney planned for him. He tried to seek serious acting roles. His drug use increased; in an interview years later, he stated, "I was 17 when I first experimented with the stuff. He thought that Peterand Driscoll, by extensioncame off as cold and unlikeable in the movie. 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. You see, So Dear to My Heart was a joint venture between Walt Disney and RKO Pictures. "[36][37] At his request, Driscoll's parents returned him the next year to Hollywood Professional School, where in May 1955 he graduated.[38]. The couple had two daughters and a son. This put Driscoll and the entire production in a sticky situation. [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. Billy Gray, who also got an early start in showbiz, said that "he was devastated and didn't take the news well.". As a result, Driscoll received very little work from 1952 onwards. The story of how Driscoll went from that talented child to the man he became is a very sad one. Other such smaller roles led to a contract from Walt Disney. Beginning in 1953 and for most of the next three years, the bulk of his work was on television, on such anthology and drama series as Fireside Theater, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Front Row Center, Navy Log, TV Reader's Digest, Climax!, Ford Theatre, Studio One, Dragnet, Medic, and Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre. My mom never told me how her best friend died. . 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. 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. In May of 1955, Driscoll graduated and even found work in television. 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. Driscoll never forgot about his dream of being an actor, though. Still, Walt Disney had a lot of affection for Driscoll and signed the boy on for a second contract regardless. Discovered by chance at the age of five-and-a-half in a barber shop in Altadena, CA. Well, not exactly. 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. They separated, then divorced in 1960. 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. Bobby Driscoll was born in Cedar Rapids. Driscoll was convicted for drug addiction and was sent to Narcotic Rehabilitation Center, at Chino, California. 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. Current occupation is listed as Retired. 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. From 1944 to 1946, Driscoll found work in films that needed a cute, gifted little boy. The two had two daughters and one son. He was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on 1937-03-03. Robert Cletus Driscoll was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1937. . In 1950, Disney cast Driscoll as Jim Hawkins in Treasure Island, the studios first all live-action film. Unfortunately for Driscoll, Walts affection seemed to run dry after the filming of Peter Pan, and it led to the young actors early decline. An audition got him a minor acting role at the age of 5. The role was minor, but it was the start of many movies that capitalized on Driscoll's features, including his pert nose and freckled face. The award Driscoll received was the Juvenile Academy Award, which is only awarded at the discretion of the Academys Board of Governors. 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. April 26, 2020. Unfortunate circumstances made it difficult to keep Driscolls memory alive, however. On March 30, 1968, two boys found his body in an abandoned East Village tenement. 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 In March 1953, the additional two-year option Driscoll had been extended (which would have kept him at Disney into 1956) was cancelled, just weeks after Peter Pan was released theatrically. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. One day in 1953, Driscoll drove up to the entrance of Disney Studios as usual, only to find his way blocked. top of page. [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]). In 1956, he was arrested for possessing marijuana, but the charges were later dropped. 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. Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark historyor the chilling secret shared by her and Louis. All Rights Reserved. When it was released in May 1949, it became a surprise hit. The Happy Time: Directed by Richard Fleischer. 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. In the mid-1950s, Driscoll's acting career began to decline, and he turned primarily to guest appearances on anthology TV series. The authorities in the United Kingdom allowed Driscoll six weeks to prepare an appeal. They treated me as one apart. Landing Page. The teaser of the Pecos Bill section of Disneys 1948 cartoon collection Melody Time featured Driscoll and Patten. While on tour across the studio lot, five-year-old Driscoll noticed a mock-up ship and asked where the water was. Picture of child star Bobby Driscoll | Photo: Getty Images. Driscolls time with Disney was running out. state Rep. Bobby Kaufmann of Wilton was the sole Republican representing a part of Johnson County. Between May of 1949 to mid-1951, Driscoll was working on Disneys animated version of Peter Pan. 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. Son of Cletus Joseph Driscoll and Isabelle Louise Driscoll ", Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Billy Gray, Lauren Chapin, and Elinor Donahue from the show "Father Knows Best," circa 1955. In no time I was using whatever was available mostly heroin, because I had the money to pay for it. 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. Bobby Driscoll: his birthday, what he did before fame, his family life, fun trivia facts, popularity rankings, and more. "A barber in Pasadena told me I should be in the movies, so one. Driscolls desire to learn dazzled the director, who ended up choosing Driscoll over the other 40 applicants. The courtroom is packed with Henon's family and supporters, with more . 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. We want our readers to trust us. Driscoll was loaned to RKO Studios for the 1949 suspense film, The Window. The film became a hit and Driscolls work was applauded. Driscoll appeared in The Scarlet Coat in 1955, and then The Party Crashers (1958). I tried desperately to be one of the gang. Around that time, Howard Hughes bought RKO, effectively making him the owner of the Disney studio. 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. 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. His parents again sent him to his earlier school, where he completed his graduation in 1955. He was born in a pretty normal household, but he was nothing but regular; he had something in it. 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. Bobby Driscoll was an American child actor and artist, known for his film and TV performances from 1943 to 1960. Disney had big plans for Driscoll too. Outside of his career, Driscolls private life was going just as poorly. Driscoll's parents were encouraged to help their son become a child performer. In 1960, Driscolls life fell apart all at once. When The Window hit theaters, itand more importantly, Driscolls performancewas a hit with audiences. They took him in for drug possession, battery, burglary, check kiting, and more. 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. [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. After his release, he focused his attention on the avant-garde art scene. [35] He said later, "The other kids didn't accept me. A post mortem examination determined that he had died from heart failure caused by advanced atherosclerosis[57] from his drug use. Were always looking for your input! 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