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. 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. I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. In New York City, Driscoll attempted to revive his career through Broadway. 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. He was born in a pretty normal household, but he was nothing but regular; he had something in it. His grades dropped and he began taking drugs. 1957 - m. 1957 - div. and then convincing in anything he ever undertook on the movie screen and on television throughout his career spanning 17 years (1943-1960). Following Driscolls runaway success in Song of the South, Disney immediately ordered for production on So Dear to My Heart to begin. 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. Driscoll's last major success, Peter Pan (1953), was produced largely between May 1949 and mid-1951. 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. Born In: Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States, Spouse/Ex-: Marilyn Jean Rush (m. 1956 - div. [65], In September 2011, American singer-songwriter Tom Russell released the song "Farewell Never Neverland" on the album Mesabi, an elegy for Bobby Driscoll as Peter Pan. Driscoll's parents were encouraged to help their son become a child performer in films. [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. 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). https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/bobby-driscoll-43522.php, 20th Century Film & Theater Personalities, 20th Century American Film & Theater Personalities. Unfortunate circumstances made it difficult to keep Driscolls memory alive, however. Over the next year, Driscoll ran into trouble with the authorities again and again. The teaser of the Pecos Bill section of Disneys 1948 cartoon collection Melody Time featured Driscoll and Patten. They separated, then divorced in 1960. 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. For a short time, Driscoll did everything he could to rehabilitate his image. When media tried to find the films main cast, they came to know about his death from his mother. Driscolls dad was nearing the end of his life, and Driscolls mom wanted to reunite father and son one last time. [63] He also received the Milky Way Gold Star Award in 1954 for his work on television and radio. With puberty came a severe case of acne, whichthrough no fault of his ownmarred the boys flawless face. 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. Still perceived as "Disney's kid actor",[28] he was unable to get movie roles as a serious character actor. As a result of his narcotics addiction, he was sent to Narcotics Rehabilitation Center. Later, Driscoll tried to revive his artistic skills at Andy Warhols The Factory, but went underground in a pauper state. He briefly worked as a carpenter and cared for the young children he had with his ex-wife. [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 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. Includes such notable movie screen appearances as The Fighting Sullivans (1944), Song of the South (1946), So Dear to My Heart (1948), and The Window (1949), which was not only the sleeper of 1949 but even earned him his Academy Award in March 1950 as the outstanding juvenile actor of 1949. He lent his voice to Goofy Jr.s character in Disneys Fathers are People (1951) and Fathers Lion (1952). | Photo: Getty Images. He starred in some of the Walt Disney Studios' best-known live-action pictures of that period, such as Song of the South (1946), So Dear to My Heart (1949), The Window (1949), and Treasure Island (1950). 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. 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. 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 View Collection. Geni requires JavaScript! For his TV and radio work, he earned a Milky Way Gold Star Award in 1954. [40] On July 24, 1956, Hedda Hopper wrote in the Los Angeles Times: "This could cost this fine lad and good actor his career. His grades suffered for it, but he graduated. 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. After leaving the center in 1962, he tried in vain to search for work. Nothing about his early childhood indicated a future career with Walt Disney. An audition got him a minor acting role at the age of 5. When she's not writing, Rebecca can be found buried under too many blankets with a hot cup of tea. It certainly wasnt the best experience Driscoll had with a production, but it barely put a dent in Driscolls success. 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. 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. What they found was the body of Bobby Driscoll in a cot, with two empty beer bottles nearby and surrounded by religious pamphlets. Driscoll was born on March 3, 1937, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Isabelle (ne Kratz), a former school teacher, and Cletus, an insulation salesman. 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. Driscoll never forgot about his dream of being an actor, though. When The Window hit theaters, itand more importantly, Driscolls performancewas a hit with audiences. Age (2022) Update Soon. They treated me as one apart. Around that time, Howard Hughes bought RKO, effectively making him the owner of the Disney studio. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to Des Moines,[1] where they stayed until early 1943. [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. However, this wasnt the end of the humiliation that Driscoll had to face. 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. Both were originally aired on November 5, 1960. Thanks to the money he saved up while working for Disney, Driscoll had the cash to experiment with a wide variety of drugs, and his experiments led him down a dark path with no return. Robert Cletus Driscoll was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1937. [29], In 1947, he recorded a special version of "So Dear to My Heart" at Capitol Records. When it was released in May 1949, it became a surprise hit. The first Disney film, Song of the South, was re-released in 1971-1972. The film and his voice became a big hit. Disney had big plans for Driscoll too. Needless to say, Driscoll could not afford to fail. Copyright 2023 by Factinate.com. A year after the couple eloped, they re-wed in an official ceremony in Los Angeles in March of 1957. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. Audiences warmly received Driscoll and his pert nose and freckled face, leading to even more film roles for the seven-year-old actor. He landed his debut role in "Lost Angels . Driscoll found work as an artist in The Factory, Warhols New York City art studio. | Photo: Getty Images. 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). Still determined to become an actor, Driscoll left his parents home at 16. Bobby Driscoll and Connie Stevens in The Party Crashers (1958) After his appearance in The Party Crashers, the party truly started crashing around Driscoll. Husbands hiding things from wives, mothers from children, and generation from generation. EXCLUSIVE: Billy Gray still has fond memories of his beloved pal Bobby Driscoll. Despite being one of Disney's first and most successful child stars, Driscoll has never been enshrined as a Disney Legend. Driscoll's salary at Disney had been raised to $1,750 per week[26] and compared to his salary, Driscoll had little work from 1952 on. Bobby Driscoll was a natural-born actor. One day in 1953, Driscoll drove up to the entrance of Disney Studios as usual, only to find his way blocked. Although Peter Pan was largely successful, Walt Disney himself didnt like the film. Robert Cletus Driscoll. Driscoll encountered increasing indifference from the other Hollywood studios. By all accounts, he was your average little kid living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 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. The courtroom is packed with Henon's family and supporters, with more . 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. After a few years of experimenting with drugs, Driscoll became a full-blown addict. We know that Angie D Parrish, Paul Wing, and three other persons also lived at this address, perhaps within a different time frame. This revelation comes from a friend of the late voice actor, Billy Gray. 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. Full Real Name. The stigma that his prison sentence left on him made it impossible for Driscoll to find acting jobs, leaving the young man bitterBut not completely hopeless. We hope you enjoy it! He portrayed a young version of Al Sullivan, one of five close-knit brothers growing up in Iowa during the dark days of the Great Depression. Thanks for your time! Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. His parents had normal, respectable jobs. . 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. Nationality. . Bobby Driscoll was Disney's first fallen child star whose rejection and eventual self-sabotage led him to a bizarre and unfortunate early death. As a result, Driscoll received very little work from 1952 onwards. Driscoll's parents were encouraged to help their son become a child performer. Disney slated Driscoll for two more films: Tom Sawyer and Robin Hood. 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. 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