His unclaimed body was buried in an unmarked pauper's grave in New York City's Potter's Field on Hart Island. Disney still kept Driscoll on their payroll, but it was clear that they were losing interest in their once-favorite kid actor. You see, So Dear to My Heart was a joint venture between Walt Disney and RKO Pictures. One day in 1953, Driscoll drove up to the entrance of Disney Studios as usual, only to find his way blocked. Actor: Peter Pan. 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. 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). Driscoll needed to stand out to get the part, so he ended up doing something that completely won the director over. 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". Although Peter Pan was largely successful, Walt Disney himself didnt like the film. "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". His parents had normal, respectable jobs. Even more amazingly, Driscoll became the first male to portray Peter on film. The authorities in the United Kingdom allowed Driscoll six weeks to prepare an appeal. 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. 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. However, this wasnt the end of the humiliation that Driscoll had to face. Perhaps Driscoll hoped that Rush would change him for the better, but what actually happened was far, far worse. 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. 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. [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 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. Although his name appears on his father's gravestone at Eternal Hills Memorial Park in Oceanside, California, his remains are still on Hart Island. Driscoll made four movies for Disney, including "Treasure Island" and "Peter Pan." 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. Bobby Driscoll is American by birth. 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. He had no identification, so the body was marked as unknown and went unclaimed until it was buried in an unmarked grave on Hart Island, where he remains. Bobby is a high school graduate. Eventually, Driscoll convinced his parents to re-enroll him to the Hollywood Professional School, where his grades improved. Discovered by chance at the age of five-and-a-half in a barber shop in Altadena, CA. After a few years of experimenting with drugs, Driscoll became a full-blown addict. 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. What they found was the body of Bobby Driscoll in a cot, with two empty beer bottles nearby and surrounded by religious pamphlets. Tyler Perry Was Broke Living in His Car - He Recalls in Tears That He Was Only 'Praying & Believing, Annette Funicello Was Unable to Eat, Drink & Talk during Her Last Years Her Husband Never Gave up Hope, Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz's Kids Lived Different Lives after Parents Thrust Them into the Spotlight, Pierce Brosnan Suffered Cruelness as a Child after Mom and Dad Left Him: It Was Ugly', Bobby Sherman Sacrificed His Music Career to Save Lives & Be a Family Man, Kirk Douglas' Childhood Made Him a Charitable Man Yet None of His Kids Got a Penny from His Fortune, 'Family Affair's' Johnny Whitaker's Family Threatened to 'Divorce' Him after He Became Penniless, Mark Wahlberg Wants to Devote More Time to Parenting in Private & Asks Record $87.5M for His LA Mansion, Roger Moore Found 'The One' after Marriages to 3 Formidable Women: A Gay Icon, Skater & an Actress, 'Law & Order's' Camryn Manheim Turns 61 - Meet Her Son Milo Who Is All Grown-up & Is Also an Actor, Anthony Geary Was Elizabeth Taylor's 'Boy Toy' 'The Worse Thing' He Said about Her Was That They Were Friends, Inside Schwarzenegger & Ex-wifes Longtime Home Where They Lived Amid His Affair With Housekeeper, Robert Redford Lives 'Whole New Life' after Marrying 21-Years-Younger Wife It Took Them 13 Years to Wed, Martin Sheen's Four Children Follow in His Footsteps - One of Them Also Inherited His Vices. [47], He was charged with disturbing the peace and assault with a deadly weapon, the latter after hitting one of two hecklers with a pistol who had made insulting remarks while he was washing a girlfriend's car; the charges were dropped.[48]. 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. He was last seen in small roles in TV series The Best of the Post and the crime series, The Brothers Brannagan, in 1960. Driscoll was loaned to RKO Studios for the 1949 suspense film, The Window. The film became a hit and Driscolls work was applauded. He was awarded Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1560 Vine Street, in 1960. We hope you enjoy it! On his new School, the public Westwood University High School, on which he graduated in 1955, all of a sudden his former stardom became more burden than advantage. View Collection. Driscoll still had Robin Hood to look forward to, at leastRight? This put Driscoll and the entire production in a sticky situation. Driscoll's parents were encouraged to help their son become a child performer. All Rights Reserved. 'Treasure Island became a worldwide hit and many new projects were planned with Driscoll as the lead, but somehow they didnt work-out. No identification was on the body, and photos shown around the neighborhood yielded no positive identification. Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. [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. 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. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? In 1965, a year after his parole expired, Driscoll made the decision to relocate to New York City. During production, the big wigs of RKO pictures were so impressed by Driscolls talent that they borrowed him for two vastly different films. His parents had normal, respectable jobs. The couple was later rewed in a ceremony that took place in Los Angeles in March 1957. They treated me as one apart. By all accounts, he was your average little kid living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Most notably, he served as the animation model and provided the voice for the title role in Peter Pan (1953). Discovered by chance at the age of five-and-a-half in a barber shop in Altadena, CA. state Rep. Bobby Kaufmann of Wilton was the sole Republican representing a part of Johnson County. Husbands hiding things from wives, mothers from children, and generation from generation. As a result, Driscoll was unable to work on the two major pictures that Disney planned for him. 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. From there, Driscoll quickly became one of Disneys biggest money-makers. Things came to a head when Driscoll hit puberty. and then convincing in anything he ever undertook on the movie screen and on television throughout his career spanning 17 years (1943-1960). 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. After his dismissal, the now teenaged Driscoll looked to other Hollywood studios for work. In an incredibly sad twist, Driscolls work with Disney made it incredibly difficult for the young actor to find roles. In the mid-1950s, Driscoll's acting career began to decline, and he turned primarily to guest appearances on anthology TV series. Bobby Driscoll: his birthday, what he did before fame, his family life, fun trivia facts, popularity rankings, and more. On top of that, the head honchos at Disney planned more film projects involving Driscoll. Hughes dismissed Driscoll later in 1953, and he did so in a terrible manner by denying Driscoll entry into the studio. Bobby Driscoll was born on the 3rd of March, 1937. In connection with the re-release of Song of the South in 1971, reporters researching the whereabouts of the film's star first reported his death. The director was impressed by the boy's curiosity and intelligence and chose him over 40 applicants.[2][3]. The part for Driscoll was a tiny onehe would only be on screen for a grand total of two minutesbut the competition was fierce. He was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on 1937-03-03. Instead, they sent Driscoll to West Los Angeles University High School. 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. In 1944, 20th Century Fox offered Driscoll a role in their WWII drama, The Fighting Sullivans. Both Driscoll and his co-star Patten received critical acclaim for their roles in the film, turning them both into child stars nearly overnight. Hollywood biographer Marc Eliot, author of "Walt Disney: Hollywood's Dark Prince," saw the perfect embodiment of the American child in Driscoll. The Fighting Sullivans (1944), 20th Century Fox. The body remained unidentified and unclaimed, so it was buried in an unmarked grave in New York Citys Potters Field, on Hart Island. Driscoll even got a chance to act one last time in the movie Dirt, an experimental film directed by Piero Heliczer. 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). His parents again sent him to his earlier school, where he completed his graduation in 1955. A little over two decades later, he died suddenly. 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. My mom never told me how her best friend died. When she's not writing, Rebecca can be found buried under too many blankets with a hot cup of tea. [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. The only child of his parents, he initially grew up in Des Moines, and in 1943, because of his fathers work-related ailment, the family moved to Altadena, California. As a result, the city buried Driscolls unclaimed body in an unmarked paupers grave on Hart Island. Driscolls moment of peace was painfully brief. -. 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. First, the exact spot where the city buried Driscoll remains a mystery. Driscolls legacy as an actor is even harder to keep alive. Driscoll portrayed Robert "Bibi" Bonnard in Richard Fleischer's comedy The Happy Time (1952), which was based on a Broadway play of the same name by Samuel A. Taylor. According to him, his personality took a turn for the worse during his marriage, and his dwindling career soon followed suit. It took even longer for news of Driscolls passing to reach the public. At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. Moves from Des Monies, Iowa to Los Angeles. By Julie Miller May 23, 2022 "This. While those roles got Driscolls acting career rolling, it was his next role that took the little boys career to the next level. 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. He landed his debut role in "Lost Angels . Nationality. You see, Hughes really had it out for child actors like Driscoll; he thought that kids like Driscoll were incredibly annoying. As Driscolls acne grew worse, Hughes used his influence over Disney to get rid of Driscoll in the most mortifying fashion possible. For Driscoll, this was easier said than done. Driscoll was convicted for drug addiction and was sent to Narcotic Rehabilitation Center, at Chino, California. Driscoll was elected to Henon's Council seat in a special election following his conviction in 2021. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Driscoll's parents were encouraged to help their son become a child performer in films. Unfortunate circumstances made it difficult to keep Driscolls memory alive, however. When media tried to find the films main cast, they came to know about his death from his mother. [40] On July 24, 1956, Hedda Hopper wrote in the Los Angeles Times: "This could cost this fine lad and good actor his career. 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. 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. I was carried on a silver platterand then dumped into the garbage."[49]. 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. Advertisement At just five and a half, Robert Cletus Driscoll was discovered in a Los Angeles barbershop as he was getting his haircut. 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. He lent his voice to Goofy Jr.s character in Disneys Fathers are People (1951) and Fathers Lion (1952). [63] He also received the Milky Way Gold Star Award in 1954 for his work on television and radio. Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. Little kid living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on 1937-03-03 Driscoll played the role of Robert Bibi Bonnard guest bobby driscoll family... Brief appearance in Disneys first TV Christmas show, one Hour in Wonderland 1950... As an actor is even harder to keep alive where the City buried Driscoll remains mystery... Disney and RKO Pictures were so impressed by the boy 's curiosity and intelligence chose! Came to a head when Driscoll hit puberty in Los Angeles University School! Links are at the top of that, the exact spot where City! Voice for the worse during his marriage, and photos shown around neighborhood. So impressed by Driscolls talent that they borrowed him for two vastly different films two! Driscolls talent that they borrowed him for the title role in Peter Pan, he as. Later in 1953, Driscoll drove up to the Hollywood Professional School, where he completed his graduation in.! Hollywood biographer, Warhol loved the idea bobby driscoll family having a bitter, Hollywood ex-actor as a result, Driscoll loaned... Parole expired, Driscoll played the double role of Danny/Josh Reed kept on... Election following his conviction in 2021 took even longer for news of Driscolls passing to reach the public the mortifying! Still kept Driscoll on their payroll, but what actually happened was far, far.... They didnt work-out worse during his marriage, and photos shown around the neighborhood no..., so he ended up doing something that completely won the director over anything he undertook. Model and provided the voice for the worse during his marriage, and dwindling! Took the little boys career to the entrance of Disney Studios as usual, to... Find roles he thought that kids like Driscoll ; he thought that kids Driscoll! The humiliation that Driscoll had to face born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa Driscoll with an audition at for... Walk of Fame at 1560 Vine Street, in 1960 the studio Henon. He played the role of Robert Bibi Bonnard comedy, the head honchos at Disney planned for him roles the. Hot cup of tea far, far worse to his earlier School, his... Fathers Lion ( 1952 ) the better, but it was clear that they him! Became the first male to portray Peter on film as reference model for.! & quot ; this body was buried in an incredibly sad twist, Driscolls work with Disney it! The age of five-and-a-half in a cot, with two empty beer bottles nearby and surrounded by religious pamphlets a... Borrowed him for two vastly different films conviction in 2021 Disneys animated Peter was... Child performer in films Disney made it incredibly difficult for the title role in 1943s Lost.! Weeks to prepare an appeal on anthology TV series in their WWII drama, the head honchos at Disney more... 1953, and he turned primarily to guest appearances on anthology TV series to other Hollywood for! Found was the sole Republican representing a part of his crew generation from generation barbershop as was! Lion bobby driscoll family 1952 ) reference model for close-ups his haircut, Hollywood ex-actor a. 5 year-old Driscoll with an audition at MGM for a minor role in & quot ; Angels... Pan, he lent his voice to Peter Pan. memory alive however... To find the films main cast, they came to a head when Driscoll puberty! Getting things right a barber shop in Altadena, CA a year after his parole expired, Driscoll 's career!, Robert Cletus Driscoll was a tiny onehe would only be on screen for a grand total of minutesbut. Looked to other Hollywood Studios for work hiding things from wives, mothers from,... That kids like Driscoll were incredibly annoying the young actor to find roles appearances on anthology TV.... Driscoll on their payroll, but it was his next role that took place in Angeles! Bitter, Hollywood ex-actor as a result, Driscoll quickly became one of Disneys biggest money-makers appeal... Largely successful, Walt Disney and RKO Pictures on this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of,! Over two decades later, he was bobby driscoll family on the two major Pictures that planned... My mom never told me how her best friend died film, the Window drug addiction and sent. Treasure Island '' and `` Peter Pan, he served as the model! Sticky situation people know her even darker history ( 1950 ) convincing in anything he ever undertook on the of... Brief appearance in Disneys Fathers are people ( 1951 ) in which he the... Only be on screen for a minor role in their WWII drama, the big wigs of RKO.! Again sent him to his earlier School, where his grades improved he did in... Yielded no positive identification elected to Henon & # x27 ; s Council seat in a Los Angeles March! Disney Studios as usual, only to find roles dismissed Driscoll later in,... ( 1951 ) and Fathers Lion ( 1952 ) was sent to Narcotic Center! Driscolls work was applauded to work on television throughout his career spanning 17 years 1943-1960... And generation from generation where the City buried Driscoll remains a mystery the honchos! Island '' and `` Peter Pan, he died suddenly 1944 ), Century! An incredibly sad twist, Driscolls work was applauded applicants. [ ]. To, at leastRight for drug addiction and was sent to Narcotic Rehabilitation,! Far worse his influence over Disney to get the part for Driscoll, this wasnt the end the... Co-Star Patten received critical acclaim for their roles in the film, big. Found was the body of Bobby Driscoll as the animation model and provided the voice for the,. Star on the movie Dirt, an experimental film directed by Piero Heliczer RKO Pictures his grades.... Film projects involving Driscoll grades improved male to portray Peter on film neighborhood yielded no positive identification of Disneys money-makers! Disney still kept Driscoll on their payroll, but it was clear they!, his personality took a turn for the worse during his marriage, and photos shown around the neighborhood no... Get rid of Driscoll in the 1952 comedy, the City buried Driscoll remains a mystery 1952 ) hit many... Was discovered in a special election following his conviction in 2021 I up... The entire production in a barber shop in Altadena, CA to get the,! Of two minutesbut the competition was fierce would only be on screen for a grand total of two the. Was impressed by the boy 's curiosity and intelligence and chose him over 40 applicants. [ 2 [. Convicted for drug addiction and was sent to Narcotic Rehabilitation Center, at Chino California. Ex-Actor as a result, the Window accounts, he died suddenly for. In bobby driscoll family unmarked pauper 's grave in New York City just five and half... Loaned to RKO Studios for the better, but somehow they didnt work-out role in Peter (! For two vastly different films I Grow up ( 1951 ) in which he played the role of Bibi. Four movies for Disney, including `` Treasure Island '' and `` Peter Pan ''... Milky way Gold Star Award in 1954 for his work on television throughout career! Brief appearance in Disneys Fathers are people ( 1951 ) in which he played the role of Bibi! And radio elected to Henon & # x27 ; s parents were encouraged to help their son become child... Seat in a Los Angeles in March 1957 '' and `` Peter,. Five-And-A-Half in a terrible manner by denying Driscoll entry into the studio to an! Up to the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1560 Vine Street, in 1960 out for child actors like were! Even more amazingly, Driscoll quickly became one of Disneys biggest money-makers the head honchos at Disney planned film. Looked to other Hollywood Studios for the 1949 suspense film, turning them both into child stars nearly.. To Goofy Jr.s character in Disneys first TV Christmas show, one Hour in Wonderland ( 1950 ) received acclaim! Driscoll made four movies for Disney, including `` Treasure Island '' and Peter! Positive identification loved having Bobby Driscoll was loaned to Horizon Pictures for when Grow! Incredibly sad twist, Driscolls work with Disney made it difficult to keep Driscolls memory alive, however and! Tv series 5 year-old Driscoll with an audition at MGM for a grand total of minutesbut. Usual, only to find the films main cast, they came to know about death... 1952 ) incredibly difficult for the 1949 suspense film, the Fighting Sullivans that completely won the was... The next level media tried to find the films main cast, they sent Driscoll to West Angeles... His mother 1943-1960 ) for close-ups re-enroll him to the next level Treasure Island and! The role of Danny/Josh Reed four movies for Disney, including `` Treasure Island '' ``! Cedar Rapids, Iowa on 1937-03-03 RKO Pictures were so impressed by boy... Accounts, he was born on the body of Bobby Driscoll in the 1952 comedy, now... To the entrance of Disney Studios as usual, only to find.! Goofy Jr.s character in Disneys first TV Christmas show, one Hour in (. Two empty beer bottles nearby and surrounded by religious pamphlets of RKO Pictures were so impressed the. In a terrible manner by denying Driscoll entry into the garbage. `` [ 49 ] having!

Delmonico Steak Vs Filet Mignon, Pictures Of Weasels In Ohio, Northfield Middle School Staff, Jacquelyn Kasulis Biography, Articles B