He was just 31 years of age. In 1953, the teen was unexpectedlydropped by the studio. He eventually dropped out of both, failing to get the same fulfillment out of college life as he did from the bright lights of Hollywood. 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. July 2, 2021, 6:38 am, by ), For his part, Allender just wants to see Driscoll remembered for his achievements, not his shortcomings. Bach was my guy, that was it for me. 3,489, This story has been shared 2,872 times. Cast with Charles Boyer, Marsha Hunt, Louis Jourdan, and Kurt Kasznar, he played the juvenile offspring of a patriarch in Quebec of the 1920s, the character upon whom the plot centered. He was best known for being a TV Actor. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Refering to his diffcult transition to teenage and adult years, Bobby Driscoll admitted that his childhood was not a normal one, with people continually praising him, creating an environment of innate conceit. "When we got home, we watched old movies, and I became a big fan of So Dear to My Heart. Despite some TV roles, Driscoll never recovered from his traumatic experience as a child actor. Driscolls children will never see the spot where their father was laid to rest on Hart Island in The Bronx, since burial records from 1961 through July 1977 were destroyed by a fire. When it comes time to declare Bobby Driscolls cause of death, authorities mention the hardening of the arteries. He became addicted to narcotics, and was sentenced to prison for illicit drug use. In 1943, the Driscoll family relocated to Los Angeles, and as it used to happen back in the Golden Age of Hollywood, young Bobby Driscoll would be discovered quite soon.One good day, while the five-year-old was having a haircut, the barber, who was the father of an actor, suggested he should be taken out to one of the big movie studios. CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER REMEMBERED BY SOUND OF MUSIC CO-STAR JULIE ANDREWS: I HAVE LOST A CHERISHED FRIEND, Bobby Driscoll with pen in mouth in a scene from the film 'When I Grow Up', 1951. Hassan The famed Disney animator Mary Blair, for instance, reportedly died from complications related to alcoholism, but that did not stop her from being inducted in 1991. Multiple marriages to the same woman, also the wild world of Andy Warhols Factory scene, and a tragic end. Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines for February 18, Prince Harry addresses 'Spare' backlash in interview: 'I have never looked for sympathy in this', Shania Twain was 'uncontrollably fragile' from ex Mutt Lange's affair with friend: 'How could I be so stupid', Olivia Newton-John's daughter Chloe reveals 'promise' she made to mother before her death, Emma Stones 'And' co-star Willem Dafoe had her slap him 20 times to get scene right, Prince Harry's 'attacks' on 'villain' Camilla led to Frogmore Cottage eviction: expert, Film industry reacts to death of 'Saving Private Ryan' star Tom Sizemore: 'You're a legend'. After her role on that classic sitcom ended, Jan became more interested in being a mother than being an actress. Driscoll's mother, Isabellewho had not heard from her son in yearsfound out about Bobby's death nearly a year and a half later after placing advertisements about his disappearance in New York newspapers. The cause of death for the penniless 31-year-old was hardening of the arteries, a common side effect of longtime heroin use, Entertainment Weekly reported. Thats how he found out he was fired. Both living and deceased artists are eligible to be commemorated with a bronze plaque in the studio's Legends Plaza on the Burbank lot; honorees include Fred MacMurray, Regis Philbin, Betty White, and Oprah Winfrey. "He was very lovely," adds Kathryn Beaumont, 82, who starred opposite Driscoll as the voice of Wendy in Peter Pan. | Photo: Getty Images Nobody came to his rescue. 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. His agent took me out to a part.". I felt he was changing but his father said no, it was just a phase he was going through like most boys. Occasionally, the director overdoes things a bit in striving for shock effectsBut "The Window" is Bobby Driscoll's picture, make no mistake about that. "Was earning $50,000 a yearworking steadily with good parts. "Warhol was so perverse, that he loved having Bobby Driscoll as part of his scene. Unfortunately, he started putting that money into his veins. They treated me as one apart. In those days, a prison sentence was as good as a death sentence when it came to a Hollywood career. In 1954, he was awarded a Milky Way Gold Star Award, chosen in a nationwide poll for his work on television and radio. But then, unlike his forever-young character, Driscoll grew up. 6,086, This story has been shared 5,366 times. We didnt know what it was. 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. "[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. May 11, 2021, 5:00 pm ", If there's one thing Allender hopes to achieve with his documentary (besides clearance from Disney to include old movie clips), it's a place for Driscoll in Disney Legendsthe studio's version of a Hall of Fame. 1,316, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), What Time Is Chris Rock's Netflix Special On Tonight? I'm just saying, respect him. )", "Bobby Driscoll Hopes To Rebuild Film Life", "Bobby Driscoll Freed On Bail After Fracas", "Bobby Driscoll Won't Be Around For Reissue Of "Song Of The South" (last column)", "Bobby Driscoll sitting on a couch (on portfolio, page 38, third row it's the last known photograph of him, ca. Warhols New York studio, The Factory, became an internationally known gathering place that mixed intellectuals, playwrights, Hollywood celebrities, wealthy patrons, drag queens and random street people in a late night, drug and alcohol filled stew. Just in case you might think that this was all a coincidencethat writers Dan Gregor and Doug Mand werent aware of Driscoll when they wrote this particular meta-joke in a movie made out of meta-jokesas Sweet Pete is talking, a film clip rolls of a teenage Peter Pan looking in the mirror at a budding mustache, and, yes, some acne spots on his chin. "What's the point of poking at it?" "My feeling is that it's not a shameful place to be buried," says Hunt, who hopes to someday see the cemetery accessible to the public. But the shows [] More, You might remember her as Mindy in the off-beat yet endearing 70s and 80s sitcom Mork and Mindy. People continually saying What a cute little boy! creates innate conceit. Does anyone here even know the name at the center of those five points? It's also the final resting place of Bobby Driscoll, who became a household name at the age of 9 with a starring role in Disney's controversial Song of the South. with Alan Ladd (all 1946). [10] Patten and he appeared with Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers in the live-action teaser for the Pecos Bill segment of Disney's cartoon compilation Melody Time (also 1948). He had no residence, and kept his clothes at his parents. Driscolls remains were unclaimed and he was eventually buried in a mass, unmarked grave on Hart Island alongside other unidentified bodies. I called it Flying Bedroom Boy. [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. Best Picture Nominee Triangle of Sadness Is Now Streaming on Hulu, Stream It or Skip It: 'Black Girl Missing' on Lifetime Casts Garcelle Beauvais as a Mother Searching for Her Daughter, When Does 'Black Girl Missing' Premiere on Lifetime? I later heard he was discovered overdosed in an abandoned building. "He didn't really recover from being abandoned by Hollywood," reflects actor Billy Gray, who played Bud Anderson on the classic sitcom Father Knows Best and later befriended Driscoll. I got cast in the biggest movie in the world as the boy who wouldnt grow up: Peter Pan, Sweet Pete (voiced by Will Arnett) explains to the chipmunks. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. "Bobby was a curiosity. The split was devastating and rather rude. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. My personality had suffered during my marriage and I was trying to recoup it. Alcohol abuse, drug overdose, violent fits, and severe depression. What former child stars of music, film or TV would you like to learn more about? And it wouldnt be until four years later that the public learned of Driscolls grim fate in 1972 when his Disney film "Song of the South" was re-released. And guess what? 2,517, This story has been shared 2,243 times. A 7-year-old boy visits his grandfathers plantation in Disneys Song of the South. He won an Oscar at 12, and then, at 16, went on to voice the title role in Disney's classic animated film about a boy who never wants to grow up. Mork, of course, played by the late Robin Williams. He was just another sullen teen with pimples. This award gives to the best child actor of the year from 1935 to 1961. 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. 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. Apparently, Driscoll was informed that he was no longer under contract when he arrived at the studio front gate one day. In some special star-focusing series, Driscoll appeared with Loretta Young, Gloria Swanson, and Jane Wyman. My clothes were at my parents' [house] but I didn't live anywhere. It was horrible what happened to him.". 2,066, This story has been shared 1,686 times. [23][24] Scenes were played on an almost empty sound stage, with only the most essential props, and filmed for use by the animators. Family, friends, and fans were left to ponder how a boy who seemingly had it all could fall so far. The director was impressed by the boy's curiosity and intelligence and chose him over 40 applicants.[2][3]. "I did study him for a long time. Popular, by So in 1965, after briefly working as a carpenter, Driscoll left his children with his now ex-wife and moved to New York City permanently. "He controlled the money and he hated Bobby Driscoll. In the mid-1950s, Driscoll's acting career began to decline, and he turned primarily to guest appearances on anthology TV series. 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. In todays world, its a familiar story the star who began his or her career on the Disney lot, growing up and out of the white-washed, antiseptic confines of the studio. According to Entertainment Weekly, he left home at age 16 and headed to New York City to study acting. They separated, then divorced in 1960. When Driscoll left Chino in early 1962, he was unable to find acting work. However, many audience members didnt realize that. 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. Thats how I remember him.". In some ways, its a lot like Peter Pans Never Never Land. In short, Bobby Driscoll is Disneys live-action animate hero. Cause of Death. "Obviously he was sick and an addict and broke. [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. Fifty years after his death, it's a question that continues to trouble some of his oldest friends. Only beer bottles and religious handouts were by his side. Facts Verse No one knows exactly how the then 31-year-old Driscoll spent his final days in New York City and why he ended up in the slum where his body was found. "He got into heroin. 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. Who was this man, and what happened? But Bobby Driscollwho was the voice and the animation model for the studios 1953 animated classic Peter Panhad an experience with the company that was particularly bleak. Bobby Driscoll suffered a tragic life after Disney dropped him. 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. . "I do remember living in Pacific Palisades in a house that my dad owned andseeing a bunch of pot on the table. He was 85 at the time of his death. He died alone on a cot in NYC with no one to claim his body.. Driscoll played Eddie Cantor's screen son in the RKO Studios musical comedy If You Knew Susie (also 1948), in which he teamed with former Our Gang member Margaret Kerry. Biography - A Short Wiki. Wait until you see where Bobby Driscolls story goes next. "I don't have very many memories of my dad or my mom," says Don, now in his 60s, in Allender's raw video. Bobby Driscoll (left) with Hedda Hopper (right) and Luana Patten (center), circa 1947. Academy Award-winning actor of Disney films in the 40s and early 50s who died from a drug overdose. He was just 17 when he first experimented with heroin, and soon after was using whatever he could get his hands onmostly heroin, because he had the money to pay for it. Robert Cletus Driscoll (March 3, 1937 c. March 30, 1968) was an American actor who performed on film and television from 1943 to 1960. After eloping to Mexico five months after they met, the young couple had one son and two daughters before splitting for good three years, two marriages, and two divorces later. I still thank [Bobby] for that. But that hasn't stopped her from encouraging Driscoll's children to visit the island, which for now is open only to next of kin. In 1968, the actors body was discovered by children playing in an abandoned New York City tenement. But Warhol loved having him as part of his scene. He even won an Oscar, a special Academy Juvenile Award. [1] Scala is interred in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Check out what's clicking today in entertainment. But trouble was never far away. Alongside other homeless or indigent individuals who fall on hard times. Multiple reports alleged the once "Wonder Child" had to rely on heavy makeup to hide pockmarks on his skin. He was just another teen boy with a bad case of acne. Facts Verse It's the first Sunday after Thanksgiving and a family is busy setting up chairs on the 1500 block of Vine Street in Hollywood. Today I visit the famous gravesites of Disney actor Bobby Driscoll, NFL football player Junior Seau, Glenn Miller Band musician Paul Tanner and Sergeant Pres. Facts Verse Still perceived as "Disney's kid actor",[28] he was unable to get movie roles as a serious character actor. They bury him in a mass, unmark paupers grave on Hart Island in The Bronx, New York. He wanted to be just the reverse. So, it shouldnt really be that big of a surprise that, with numbers like those, celebrities would face the same risk of dying [] More, The Shocking Life & Death of Bobby Driscoll, Judge Judy is Quitting Heres Her New Show, Scientists Discovered Evidence That Exposes An Ancient Lie About Woolly Mammoths, Handlers Thought This Owl Was Male For 23 Years Then He Laid An Egg, This Baby Elephant Decided To Spend His Last Days Alongside This Creature, Woman Adpots Tiny, Adorable Puppy.