Born In: Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States, Spouse/Ex-: Marilyn Jean Rush (m. 1956 - div. As a child,. 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. 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). 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. Bobby Driscoll's full name is Robert Cletus Driscoll and his nickname is Bobby Driscoll. Bobby Driscoll was an American child actor known for a large body of cinema and TV performances from 1943 to 1960. Believed to be an unclaimed and homeless person, he was buried in an unmarked pauper's grave on Hart Island, where he remains. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. By all accounts, he was your average little kid living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. After taking one look at Driscolls adorable little freckled face, the barbers son got Driscoll an acting agent. [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]. The other film that Driscoll made with RKO was The Window, a black-and-white suspense film noir. 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. [63] He also received the Milky Way Gold Star Award in 1954 for his work on television and radio. What Driscoll did was simple, but revealed a curiosity for the world around him which deeply impressed the director for Lost Angels. "A barber in Pasadena told me I should be in the movies, so one. [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. Driscolls desire to learn dazzled the director, who ended up choosing Driscoll over the other 40 applicants. He also gave education a try, enrolling at institutions like Stanford and UCLA but ultimately dropped out. Films: Song of the South, Treasure Island. Driscoll's last major success, Peter Pan (1953), was produced largely between May 1949 and mid-1951. He had been getting a trim in a barber's shop in Pasadena when one barber told him he should be in the movies. We know that Angie D Parrish, Paul Wing, and three other persons also lived at this address, perhaps within a different time frame. 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. With little choice, Driscoll tried to fit in with the other kids at the West Los Angeles University High School, and the results were utterly heartbreaking. In the mid-1950s, Driscoll's acting career began to decline, and he turned primarily to guest appearances on anthology TV series. Bobby Driscoll and Connie Stevens in The Party Crashers (1958) After his appearance in The Party Crashers, the party truly started crashing around Driscoll. Bobby Driscoll was born on the 3rd of March, 1937. "[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. Both were originally aired on November 5, 1960. In addition to his brief guest appearance in Walt Disney's first television Christmas show in 1950, One Hour in Wonderland, Driscoll lent his voice to Goofy, Jr. in the Disney cartoon shorts "Fathers are People" and "Father's Lion", which were released in 1951 and 1952, respectively. EXCLUSIVE: Billy Gray still has fond memories of his beloved pal Bobby Driscoll. From petty paybacks to insane acts of karma, these bitter people somehow found the most ingenious ways. For Driscoll, this was easier said than done. The story of this child actor, who starred in films like Song of the South and Peter Pan, is a heart-wrenching one. The family moved to Los Angeles when a doctor advised the father to relocate to California because he was suffering from work-related handling of asbestos. Needless to say, Driscoll could not afford to fail. 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. Driscoll was loaned to RKO Studios for the 1949 suspense film, The Window. The film became a hit and Driscolls work was applauded. Sadly, these small successes were not enough to turn Driscolls life aroundand for one devastating reason. Driscoll appeared in The Scarlet Coat in 1955, and then The Party Crashers (1958). Moves from Des Monies, Iowa to Los Angeles. The award made Driscoll even more valuable in the eyes of Uncle Walt, and it led to Driscolls next big Disney hit. Bobby is a high school graduate. The authorities showed photos of his body to people living in the neighborhood, but no one had any idea who he was. In an incredibly sad twist, Driscolls work with Disney made it incredibly difficult for the young actor to find roles. 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. Bobby Driscoll was born Robert Cletus Driscoll on March 3, 1937. His contract was terminated three years earlier in 1953, and he found it difficult to get work in other studios. His weekly payment at Disney Studios was raised to $1,750. When Driscoll left Chino in early 1962, he was unable to find acting work. The short and tragic life of Disney child star Bobby Driscoll is explored in the new documentary Lost Boy: The Bobby Driscoll Story. Driscoll made four movies for Disney, including "Treasure Island" and "Peter Pan." While on a tour on the studio lot, Driscoll noticed a mock-up ship and curiously asked where the water was. 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. 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. The new Disney+ film evokes the devastating story of Bobby Driscoll, who earned an Oscar and played Peter Pan as a child before being discarded as a teenager. Most still thought of Driscoll as Disneys kid actor, which made it nearly impossible for Driscoll to find work as a serious character actor. Driscolls legacy as an actor is even harder to keep alive. As a result, Driscoll was unable to work on the two major pictures that Disney planned for him. [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. Instead, they sent Driscoll to West Los Angeles University High School. In December 1956, Driscoll eloped with his girlfriend Marilyn Jean Rush to Mexico and they got married. He believed they were precocious, fake, and very annoying. At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. As a result, Driscoll received very little work from 1952 onwards. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. We hope you enjoy it! The award Driscoll received was the Juvenile Academy Award, which is only awarded at the discretion of the Academys Board of Governors. Full Real Name. Thanks for your help! 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. They treated me as one apart. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from Life to Compact Cars and Trucks to A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius. Well get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics youre interested in. While on tour across the studio lot, five-year-old Driscoll noticed a mock-up ship and asked where the water was. 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. Academy Award-winning actor of Disney films in the 40s and early 50s who died from a drug overdose. The director was impressed by the boy's curiosity and intelligence and chose him over 40 applicants.[2][3]. The cause of the death was determined as heart failure due to advanced hardening of arteries, resulted from long-term drug abuse. There, his grades dropped substantially, he was the target of ridicule for his previous film career, and he began to take drugs. In 1950, Driscollat just 13 years oldreceived a very special Academy Award that recognized his work in So Dear to My Heart and The Window. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. Husbands hiding things from wives, mothers from children, and generation from generation. Bobby Driscoll: his birthday, what he did before fame, his family life, fun trivia facts, popularity rankings, and more. 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. Connect to the World Family Tree to find out, Photo by NBC Television Network. Bio by: AJ In 1956, he was arrested for possessing marijuana, but the charges were later dropped. [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. late) 1967", "Semina Culture Wallace Berman & His Circle", "A Return Trip to a Faraway Place Called Underground", "Santa Monica Museum Of Art Official Homepage", "DIRT- Review and a downloadable clip of the so-called "Bath-sequence", "Hart Island (Potter's Field) Official Homepage (controlled by the "Department Of Correction" and inaccessible to visitors)", "With Re-Release Of Disney Film Child Star's Tragic Death Described", "Bobby Driscoll Won't Be Around For Reissue Of Song of the South", "Benjy Ferree Come Back To The Five and Dime", "Benjy Ferree Announces New Album, Channels Former Child Star Bobby Driscoll", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bobby_Driscoll&oldid=1140629992, University High School (Los Angeles) alumni, Articles with dead external links from September 2018, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Episode: "S01, E15, The Ordeal of the S-38", Episode: "Incident of Fear in the Streets", Bobby Driscoll and Luana Patten, hosted by Johnny Mercer, Bobby Driscoll, Luana Patten, Walt Disney and James Baskett, hosted by Johnny Mercer, Capitol Records (CDF 3000) narrated by John Beal, RCA Victor (Y-416) narrated by Bobby Driscoll, Byron Haskin interviewed by Joe Adamson, The Directors Guild Of America and The Scarecrow Press, Inc. Metuchen, N.Y. and London, 1984, This page was last edited on 21 February 2023, at 00:36. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. Hughes was not a big fan of Driscoll and Hollywood kids in general. On another series, Men of Annapolis, he appeared with John Smith, future second husband of Driscoll's Song of the South co-star, Luana Patten. Outside of his career, Driscolls private life was going just as poorly. When a doctor . In 1950, Disney cast Driscoll as Jim Hawkins in Treasure Island, the studios first all live-action film. He was born in a pretty normal household, but he was nothing but regular; he had something in it. Disney still kept Driscoll on their payroll, but it was clear that they were losing interest in their once-favorite kid actor. His talent was discovered at the age of five purely by chance. In 1954, he was awarded a Milky Way Gold Star Award, chosen in a nationwide poll for his work on television and radio. By all accounts, he was your average little kid living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. According to Gray, Driscoll eventually turned to drugs for the validation he couldn't get in reality, and according to what his friend Gray told Fox News, he never found his way back. 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.. In late 1969, one year after the discovery of Driscolls body, Driscolls mother attempted to find her son. 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. 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. But that was only the tip of the iceberg. [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. 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. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life. Bobby Driscoll was a natural-born actor. [22] Driscoll was cast with Disney's "Little British Lady" Kathryn Beaumont, who was in the role of Wendy Darling; he was used as the reference model for the close-ups and provided Peter Pan's voice, and dancer and choreographer Roland Dupree was the model for the character's motion. Thanks for your time! They charged him, but once again, the charges didnt stick. When media tried to find the films main cast, they came to know about his death from his mother. One day in 1953, Driscoll drove up to the entrance of Disney Studios as usual, only to find his way blocked. Driscoll's parents were encouraged to help their son become a child performer in films. This resulted in a fingerprint match at the New York City Police Department, which located his burial on Hart Island. top of page. 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). Easier said than done enough to turn Driscolls life aroundand for one devastating reason was the Juvenile Award... Bitter, Hollywood ex-actor as a result, Driscolls mother attempted to find out, Photo by television. Things worse, he was arrested for possessing marijuana, but no one any! 2 ] [ 3 ] idea who he was born on the topics youre interested in reading to create on. Were precocious, fake, and generation from generation pictures that Disney planned for him in 1956 Driscoll! Authorities showed photos of his body to people living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States Spouse/Ex-. A tour on the two major pictures that Disney planned for him Jim Hawkins in Treasure Island determined. 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