[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. In 1956, the authorities took him in and charged him with possession of marijuana. His parents again sent him to his earlier school, where he completed his graduation in 1955. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-2lkEFwiL0. In late 1969, one year after the discovery of Driscolls body, Driscolls mother attempted to find her son. And despite Driscolls acting talents, not everyone believed in Driscolls star power. Soon, Driscoll began butting heads with the law. "[39] In 1956, he was arrested for the first time for possession of marijuana, but the charge was dismissed. In 1969, Driscolls mother tried to search for him, as his father was nearing death. On March 30, 1968, two boys playing in a deserted East Village apartment stumbled upon a gruesome discovery. His drug use increased; in an interview years later, he stated, "I was 17 when I first experimented with the stuff. 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. | Photo: Getty Images. The film and his voice became a big hit. 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. The award Driscoll received was the Juvenile Academy Award, which is only awarded at the discretion of the Academys Board of Governors. Most notably, he served as the animation model and provided the voice for the title role in Peter Pan (1953). Robert Cletus Bobby Driscoll was an American child artist, known for his work in popular Walt Disney pictures, including So Dear to My Heart, Treasure Island, and Song of the South. Born in Iowa, his family later moved to California. Sadly, the story of Bobby Driscoll does not end with happily ever after., Adorable Facts About Shirley Temple, Hollywoods Biggest Child Star, Wild Facts About Howard Hughes, The Most Eccentric Man In Hollywood, Bloody Facts About Ivan the Terrible, The Mad Tsar Of Russia, More People Need To Know About Nell Gwyn, Englands X-Rated Cinderella, These Eerie Supernatural Experiences Sent A Chill Down Our Spines, Plot Twist: These Surprise Endings Made Our Jaws Hit The Floor. 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. Every cent he made went straight to fueling his addiction. Most still thought of Driscoll as Disneys kid actor, which made it nearly impossible for Driscoll to find work as a serious character actor. In ill health from 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. Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. He became addicted to narcotics, and was sentenced to prison for illicit drug use. View final resting place and family links here. After taking one look at Driscolls adorable little freckled face, the barbers son got Driscoll an acting agent. When she's not writing, Rebecca can be found buried under too many blankets with a hot cup of tea. 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. [17], Treasure Island was an international hit, and several other film projects involving Driscoll were under discussion, but none materialized. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to Des Moines, where they stayed until early 1943. Madame de Pompadour didn't just share King Louis XV's bed, she also shared his power. He won awards and also befriended his castmates along the way. The couple had two daughters and a son. 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. After his premature dismissal, he was enrolled in a public high school where his peers teased him. Despite the obstacles presented to Driscoll during production, Treasure Island was an international smash hit. "A barber in Pasadena told me I should be in the movies, so one. At the time, Disneys finances were in shambles thanks to WWII and desperately needed the film to do well. Later, he worked mainly in TV series and radio shows. Critics praised Driscolls work, with some of his art even being temporarily displayed in Los Angeles in the Santa Monica Museum of Art. As a result, the city buried Driscolls unclaimed body in an unmarked paupers grave on Hart Island. Perhaps Driscoll hoped that Rush would change him for the better, but what actually happened was far, far worse. [60][61][62], Driscoll received an Academy Juvenile Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at the 22nd Academy Awards presentation in 1950. Additional screen portrayals included the boy who could blow his whistle while standing on his head in Sunday Dinner for a Soldier, the "child brother" of Richard Arlen in The Big Bonanza (both 1944), and young Percy Maxim in So Goes My Love (1946),[5] with Don Ameche and Myrna Loy. Driscolls moment of peace was painfully brief. While on a tour on the studio lot, Driscoll noticed a mock-up ship and curiously asked where the water was. An audition got him a minor acting role at the age of 5. The short and tragic life of Disney child star Bobby Driscoll is explored in the new documentary Lost Boy: The Bobby Driscoll Story. The guards refused to let Driscoll enter, and informed himrather abruptly and rudelythat he was no longer under the employ of Disney Studios. In 1965, a year after his parole expired, Driscoll made the decision to relocate to New York City. Audiences warmly received Driscoll and his pert nose and freckled face, leading to even more film roles for the seven-year-old actor. 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 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. Bobby Driscoll starred in Song of the South, Melody Time, Treasure Island, and most notably was the voice and reference model for Peter Pan. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. Still, Walt Disney had a lot of affection for Driscoll and signed the boy on for a second contract regardless. The Fighting Sullivans (1944), 20th Century Fox. He had the acting chops and the singing talent, but his Broadway career was largely unsuccessful. He tried to seek serious acting roles. [35] He said later, "The other kids didn't accept me. In an incredibly sad twist, Driscolls work with Disney made it incredibly difficult for the young actor to find roles. Driscoll never forgot about his dream of being an actor, though. [23][24] Scenes were played on an almost empty sound stage, with only the most essential props, and filmed for use by the animators. Connect to the World Family Tree to find out, Photo by NBC Television Network. His weekly payment at Disney Studios was raised to $1,750. Driscoll, an insulation salesman, and Isabelle Kratz Driscoll, a former schoolteacher. The teaser of the Pecos Bill section of Disneys 1948 cartoon collection Melody Time featured Driscoll and Patten. We hope you enjoy it! Bobby Driscoll was born in Cedar Rapids. 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. 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. Making distraction rewarding since 2017. Driscoll's parents were encouraged to help their son become a child performer. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. The story of how Driscoll went from that talented child to the man he became is a very sad one. 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). While on a tour across the studio lot, five-year-old Driscoll noticed a mock-up ship and asked where the water was. "The Bobby Henon I know is an individual who cares very deeply about making life better for our most vulnerable citizens and creating opportunity for the people who never had any before," Rendell wrote to the judge, adding that he knows . It was so popular that Driscoll reprised his role the following year for a radio adaption of the movie. [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]). On the surface, this sounded like an enormously successful marriage, but for Driscoll, this wasnt the case. [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 best known for being a TV Actor. 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. 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. 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. 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. . Driscoll achieved fame at age 9 when he was cast in a starring role in the Disney controversial movie "Song of the South." Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. This strategy was only mildly successful. The body remained unidentified and unclaimed, so it was buried in an unmarked grave in New York Citys Potters Field, on Hart Island. Disney had big plans for Driscoll too. "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 lot of pressure was on Driscoll to perform. This resulted in a fingerprint match at the New York City Police Department, which located his burial on Hart Island. 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