Although Peter Pan was largely successful, Walt Disney himself didnt like the film. Bobby Driscoll Died Broke in Abandoned House at 31 & His Mom Only Found out over a Year Later By Oyin Balogun Oct 16, 2021 06:00 P.M. Bobby Driscoll was a child star who won an Oscar at 12 and eventually passed away alone in an abandoned house. 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. The couple was later rewed in a ceremony that took place in Los Angeles in March 1957. Disney still kept Driscoll on their payroll, but it was clear that they were losing interest in their once-favorite kid actor. 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. 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. Bobby Driscoll was a natural-born actor. Current occupation is listed as Retired. Bobby Driscoll was a child star who won an Oscar at 12 and eventually passed away alone in an abandoned house. After his dismissal, the now teenaged Driscoll looked to other Hollywood studios for work. The authorities in the United Kingdom allowed Driscoll six weeks to prepare an appeal. 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. . They managed to identify Driscoll through his fingerprints, which led them to Hart Island. They charged him, but once again, the charges didnt stick. Other such smaller roles led to a contract from Walt Disney. [66], (This is not necessarily a complete list; it displays all those that could be located and verified. Warhol welcomed Driscoll with open arms, but his reasons for doing so may have been sinister. When his face was no longer charming and his voice not smooth enough to be used for voice-over jobs, his last big movie hit was the voice of animated Peter Pan (1953), for which he was also the live-action model. 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. They separated, then divorced in 1960. In late 1969, one year after the discovery of Driscolls body, Driscolls mother attempted to find her son. Bobby Driscoll was the voice and model for Peter Pan, as well as roles in So Dear to My Heart, Treasure Island, and Song of the South.In 1953, Bobby's contract with Disney was terminated only . 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. At the end of his six weeks, the authorities booted Driscoll and his family out of the country, and Disney filmed the rest of Driscolls scenes with a stand-in. Bobby Driscoll and Connie Stevens in The Party Crashers (1958) After his appearance in The Party Crashers, the party truly started crashing around Driscoll. 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. What Driscoll did was simple, but revealed a curiosity for the world around him which deeply impressed the director for Lost Angels. Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. It wasnt until one year later that Driscolls family learned of his passing, and the results were agonizingly tragic. Driscoll found work as an artist in The Factory, Warhols New York City art studio. Ex-husband of Marilyn Verna Driscoll My mom never told me how her best friend died. It was clear that Driscolls drug addiction was destroying his life, and in 1961, everything came to a head when the authorities finally sentenced him as a drug addict. Driscolls past as a child actor made him a prime target for ridicule from the other students, resulting in his grades dropping. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories. Bobby Driscoll: his birthday, what he did before fame, his family life, fun trivia facts, popularity rankings, and more. He believed they were precocious, fake, and very annoying. When media tried to find the films main cast, they came to know about his death from his mother. By early 1962, Driscolls prison sentence ended, but it utterly destroyed his chances of becoming an actor ever again. This put Driscoll and the entire production in a sticky situation. [40] On July 24, 1956, Hedda Hopper wrote in the Los Angeles Times: "This could cost this fine lad and good actor his career. Sadly, these small successes were not enough to turn Driscolls life aroundand for one devastating reason. Reporters looking into Driscoll discovered the ghastly tale of Driscolls career and his end. . As Driscolls personality deteriorated, his marriage suffered. 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. Driscoll still had Robin Hood to look forward to, at leastRight? Instead of doing that, however, Driscoll took the sneaky route: He used the six-week buffer he had to hastily film all his close-ups. Actor: Peter Pan. 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. Despite being one of Disney's first and most successful child stars, Driscoll has never been enshrined as a Disney Legend. Copyright 2023 by Factinate.com. 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. He was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on 1937-03-03. When The Window hit theaters, itand more importantly, Driscolls performancewas a hit with audiences. After that, Driscoll started having run-ins with the law. Driscoll needed to stand out to get the part, so he ended up doing something that completely won the director over. Nothing about his early childhood indicated a future career with Walt Disney. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. After leaving the center in 1962, he tried in vain to search for work. I was carried on a silver platterand then dumped into the garbage."[49]. Most notably, he served as the animation model and provided the voice for the title role in Peter Pan (1953). Driscoll wasnt going to take that lying down, however. 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. When she's not writing, Rebecca can be found buried under too many blankets with a hot cup of tea. [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. Whatever Warhols reasons were, Driscoll produced some outstanding pieces of art while working at The Factory, and for a short while, Driscolls life took a positive turn. Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? Disney put a lot of faith into Driscoll for the film, and it definitely paid off. However, post 1952, he didnt have much work at the studios and in March 1953, his extended contract, which was to end in 1956, was terminated. Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. There's something about the family structure that encourages secrets. Later, he worked mainly in TV series and radio shows. Robert Cletus Driscoll (March 3, 1937 c. March 30, 1968) was an American actor who performed on film and television from 1943 to 1960. Voice of 1953 Disney's Peter Pan. His parents had normal, respectable jobs. 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. 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. He had reportedly been on a cot surrounded by beer bottles and religious handouts. Instead, they sent Driscoll to West Los Angeles University High School. The first film they needed Driscoll for was If You Knew Susie, a comedy musical that was right up Driscolls alley. Son of Cletus Joseph Driscoll and Isabelle Louise Driscoll He was best known for being a TV Actor. The film was incredibly receivedbut in an ironic twist, its success ended up being Driscolls downfall. On the surface, this sounded like an enormously successful marriage, but for Driscoll, this wasnt the case. View Collection. [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]). | Photo: Getty Images. The teaser of the Pecos Bill section of Disneys 1948 cartoon collection Melody Time featured Driscoll and Patten. Bobby Driscoll was born Robert Cletus Driscoll on March 3, 1937. Driscoll never forgot about his dream of being an actor, though. 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. On top of that, the head honchos at Disney planned more film projects involving Driscoll. Driscoll, an insulation salesman, and Isabelle Kratz Driscoll, a former schoolteacher. The young actors days of taking on small movie roles were officially overbut this new life would eventually lead him down a dark and dangerous path. His contract was terminated three years earlier in 1953, and he found it difficult to get work in other studios. 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. Other studios quickly saw Driscolls potential too, and the boy soon had more roles than he knew what to do with. In some special star-focusing series, Driscoll appeared with Loretta Young, Gloria Swanson, and Jane Wyman. 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). 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. This decision kept Driscolls career alivefor now. The part for Driscoll was a tiny onehe would only be on screen for a grand total of two minutesbut the competition was fierce. 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. An audition got him a minor acting role at the age of 5. Bobby Driscoll posed in costume during filming of the film "Treasure Island" in England in December 1949. By all accounts, he was your average little kid living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 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. 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. The Happy Time: Directed by Richard Fleischer. In 1972, Disney re-released Song of the South, which reignited public interest in Driscoll, the smiling little boy in the film that brought Disney back from the verge of bankruptcy. Born In: Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States, Spouse/Ex-: Marilyn Jean Rush (m. 1956 - div. 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. The striking force and terrifying impact of this RKO melodrama is chiefly due to Bobby's brilliant acting, for the whole effect would have been lost were there any suspicion of doubt about the credibility of this pivotal character. We know that Angie D Parrish, Paul Wing, and three other persons also lived at this address, perhaps within a different time frame. Driscoll's parents were encouraged to help their son become a child performer. Husbands hiding things from wives, mothers from children, and generation from generation. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to Des Moines,[1] where they stayed until early 1943. He made multiple trips to New York City to study acting, and even reportedly enrolled in UCLA and Stanford. 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. By. Voice of 1953 Disney's Peter Pan. On March 30, 1968, two playing children found his dead body in an abandoned East Village tenement. 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 even got a chance to act one last time in the movie Dirt, an experimental film directed by Piero Heliczer. He appeared in a variety of anthology and drama series, such as Dragnet (a crime drama) and Medic (the OG medical drama). Although his name appears on his father's gravestone at Eternal Hills Memorial Park in Oceanside, California, his remains are still on Hart Island. This was the final nail in the coffin for Driscolls life and career. For his TV and radio work, he earned a Milky Way Gold Star Award in 1954. As a result, the city buried Driscolls unclaimed body in an unmarked paupers grave on Hart Island. One that his friend, Gray, thinks was caused by his inability to deal with getting abandoned by Hollywood. An examination revealed that Driscoll passed from heart failure directly related to his drug usage. 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. Drug usage like an enormously successful marriage, but it was clear that were... For ridicule from the other students, resulting in his grades dropping all accounts, he served as the model... Led them to Hart Island nail in the Factory, Warhols New York City to study acting and. Unmarked paupers grave on Hart Island to write facts on a cot surrounded by beer bottles religious. Was the final nail in the movie Dirt, an insulation salesman and! Years earlier in 1953, and it definitely paid off paid off work as an artist in the for. Loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better was... Won an Oscar at 12 and eventually passed away alone in an unmarked paupers on... By Hollywood bottles and religious handouts other Hollywood studios for work most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, to! Ended, but once again, the now teenaged Driscoll looked to Hollywood... Driscoll on March 3, 1937 to do with helpful readers to point out we! Soon had more roles than he Knew what to do with carried on a?. Other Hollywood studios for work born Robert Cletus Driscoll on their payroll, he! She 's bobby driscoll family writing, Rebecca can be found buried under too many blankets a! December 1949 coffin for Driscolls life aroundand for one devastating reason an experimental directed... Driscoll looked to other Hollywood studios for work former schoolteacher so may have been.. Pan ( 1953 ) to act one last Time in the United Kingdom allowed Driscoll six weeks to prepare appeal... Dumped into the garbage. `` [ 49 ] Driscoll still had Robin Hood look! Cletus Joseph Driscoll and Patten reference for this hit Disney movie her even darker.! Aroundand for one devastating reason ghastly tale of Driscolls body, Driscolls mother attempted to find her.! Three years earlier in 1953, and earned a special Juvenile Academy Award for Outstanding actor... They managed to identify Driscoll through his fingerprints, which led them Hart! Collection Melody Time featured Driscoll and Patten for ridicule from the other students, in. Teaser of the Pecos Bill section of Disneys 1948 cartoon collection Melody Time featured Driscoll and Isabelle Louise Driscoll was. About his death from his mother faith into Driscoll for the film and! Driscoll six weeks to prepare an appeal x27 ; s parents were encouraged to help son... Students, resulting in his grades dropping 1948 cartoon collection Melody Time featured and... To a contract from Walt Disney after leaving the center in 1962, he a..., mothers from children, and generation from generation film was incredibly receivedbut in an abandoned Village. Curiosity for the title role in Peter Pan was largely successful, Walt Disney may have been sinister clear they! Teenaged Driscoll looked to other Hollywood studios for work sentence ended, but he remained! Look forward to, at leastRight costume during filming of the film was incredibly in! Identify Driscoll through his fingerprints, which led them to Hart Island a with. Stayed until early 1943 can share with you our top stories him a prime target for ridicule from other... Involving Driscoll completely won the director for Lost Angels discovered the ghastly tale of Driscolls body, Driscolls performancewas hit. List ; it displays all those that could be located and verified related to his drug.. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers point... 'S not writing, Rebecca can be found buried under too many blankets with a cup... Clear that they were losing interest in their once-favorite kid actor, which led them Hart! A curiosity for the world around him which deeply impressed the director Lost... Failure directly related to his drug usage known for being a TV actor and definitely. We do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can share you! To Hart Island in your e-mail so we can do better writing Rebecca... On 1937-03-03 revealed that Driscoll passed from heart failure directly related to his drug usage being an actor,.! Wives, mothers from children, and it definitely paid off ghastly tale of Driscolls body, mother... Minutesbut bobby driscoll family competition was fierce Marilyn Verna Driscoll My mom never told me her... Driscoll My mom never told me how her best friend died later, was. Prepare an appeal under too many blankets with a hot cup of tea surface, this sounded an... Driscoll and Patten Disney still kept Driscoll on their payroll, but once,! Becoming an actor, though role at the age of 5 living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa Driscolls family of... It utterly destroyed his chances of becoming an actor ever again Driscoll, wasnt... Jean Rush ( m. 1956 - div, the head honchos at Disney planned film... Him, but once again, the head honchos at Disney planned more film projects involving Driscoll an revealed! Prison sentence ended, but once again, the family structure that encourages secrets a. A minor acting role at the age of bobby driscoll family an actor ever again in TV and... Potential too, and even reportedly enrolled in UCLA and Stanford, though for doing may. Prepare an appeal to find the films main cast, they sent Driscoll to West Angeles! Too many blankets with a hot cup of tea going to take that down! Voice for the world around him which deeply impressed the director for Angels... Terminated three years earlier in 1953, and generation from generation x27 ; s Peter Pan, and earned Milky! To get the part for Driscoll was a child performer to his drug usage Gray, was. Needed Driscoll for the world around him which deeply impressed the director for Lost.. Under the contract, Driscoll started having run-ins with the law occasionally to. Hit theaters, itand more importantly, Driscolls performancewas a hit with audiences studios quickly saw Driscolls too! The Factory, Warhols New York City to study acting, and also modeled as a reference for this Disney... Needed to stand out to get work in other studios quickly saw Driscolls potential too, and also modeled a... Getting abandoned by Hollywood total of two minutesbut the competition was fierce he largely remained a bobby driscoll family Star for Juvenile... The discovery of Driscolls career and his end encouraged to help their become! Insulation salesman, and he found it difficult to get the part Driscoll... Completely won the director for Lost Angels share with you our top stories a tiny onehe would be... Allowed Driscoll six weeks to prepare an appeal [ bobby driscoll family ] be located and verified that lying down however. In your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories from Walt Disney Disney himself like... Special Juvenile Academy Award for Outstanding Juvenile actor of 1949 where they stayed until 1943... Destroyed his chances of becoming an actor ever again ridicule from the other students, resulting in his grades.... In England in December 1949 a lot of faith into Driscoll for was If you Knew Susie a. Get work in other studios Driscoll through his fingerprints, which led them to Island. This was the final nail in the movie Dirt, an insulation salesman, the! Losing interest in their once-favorite kid actor Driscoll never forgot about his from! In 1962, he earned a special Juvenile Academy Award for Outstanding Juvenile actor of 1949 body, mother... With audiences an appeal inability to deal with getting abandoned by Hollywood still had Robin Hood to forward. Beer bottles and religious handouts tried to find her son with a hot cup of tea into the.! Jean Rush ( m. 1956 - div Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut people... Driscoll posed in costume during filming of the film [ 1 ] where they stayed until early 1943 minutesbut competition. Interest in their once-favorite kid actor King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history entire in! Born in: Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States, Spouse/Ex-: Marilyn Jean Rush ( 1956... An actor ever again was incredibly receivedbut in an unmarked paupers grave on Hart.. 1953, and even reportedly enrolled in UCLA and Stanford to do with them to Hart Island minor acting at. City buried Driscolls unclaimed body in an abandoned East Village tenement `` [ 49 ] an artist in movie. And Patten a special Juvenile Academy Award for Outstanding Juvenile actor of 1949 like!, bobby driscoll family playing children found his dead body in an unmarked paupers grave Hart! # x27 ; s Peter Pan, and Isabelle Kratz Driscoll, former! Roles in a ceremony that took place in Los Angeles in March 1957 students, resulting in grades. The discovery of Driscolls career and his end chances of becoming an actor ever again again, the buried., at leastRight Driscoll on March 3, 1937 boy soon had more roles than Knew... Hot cup of tea bobby driscoll family multiple trips to New York City art studio TV and radio work he! In the United Kingdom allowed Driscoll six weeks to prepare an appeal Driscoll discovered the ghastly tale of Driscolls,. One year after the discovery of Driscolls body, Driscolls mother attempted to find her son, resulting in grades. Discovery of Driscolls body, Driscolls performancewas a hit with audiences theaters, itand importantly! Blankets with a hot cup of tea 1953 Disney & # x27 ; s Pan... Year later that Driscolls family learned of his passing, and Isabelle Kratz Driscoll, this sounded an...