He wasn't really part of the crowd," says Eliot, who remembers seeing Driscoll in the '60s in a Greenwich Village club. January 27, 2023, 7:23 pm, by "I wish I could say that my childhood was a happy one, but I wouldn't be honest," he said in a 1961 magazine article titled "The Nightmare Life of an Ex-Child Star." That's the real story of Hollywood. Family, friends and fans were left wondering how a star that could shine so bright would burn out so quickly, and fall so far. Fairly recent Disney stars like Miley Cyrus, Justin Timberlake, and Britney Spears were able to leave Disney on their own terms Bobby Driscoll had no such choice when the studio unexpectedly dropped him in 1953. He controlled the money and he hated Bobby Driscoll. He even created collages and small works of art. Entertainment Weekly may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. 5,366, This story has been shared 4,741 times. Robert Cletus Driscoll (March 3, 1937 c. March 30, 1968) was an American actor who performed on film and television from 1943 to 1960. In no time at all, I was using whatever was availablemostly heroin, because I had the money to pay for it.". He was only 31 years old. Stephanie Nolasco covers entertainment at Foxnews.com. "There are a number of interesting characters from New York Citythe cool people. He had previously been encouraged to do so by artist and poet Wallace Berman, whom he had befriended after joining Berman's art circle (now also known as Semina Culture) in Los Angeles in 1956. pic.twitter.com/9SpRsvqCDR, Bobby Driscoll suffered a tragic life after Disney dropped him. When Driscoll left Chino in early 1962, he was unable to find acting work. (United Artists/Getty Images). It would take the re-release of Song of the South four years later in 1972, for the general public to discover the former Disney stars demise. This was a popular American sitcom that ran over 12 seasons and 380 episodes from 1960 to 1972. "Bobby was Disney's live-action Mickey Mouse. Sad Ending of BOBBY DRISCOLL | Disney's Troubled Child Star Daze with Jordan the Lion Part 2, Chap.1 | Walt Disney American Experience | PBS Frank Sinatra Revealed Marilyn Monroe's True Cause. That was his notification that he was no longer needed there. It's the exact same story.". It should be noted that all four of these men were all former child actors. At the same time, he also attempted to settle into a life of domesticity with Marilyn Jean Rush, a 19-year-old he met in Manhattan Beach, California. His casting was suggested by screenwriter Michael Kanin. Gray said Driscoll eventually resorted to heroin. My personality had suffered during my marriage and I was trying to recoup it. When it was released in May 1949, it became a surprise hit. It was horrible what happened to him.". [66], (This is not necessarily a complete list; it displays all those that could be located and verified. June 20, 2021, 9:06 am, by January 27, 2023, 6:25 pm, Trending (Quest/Getty Images), "He came to the lot one day and they wouldnt let him in at the gate," said Gray. "I do remember living in Pacific Palisades in a house that my dad owned andseeing a bunch of pot on the table. Russ Tamblyn flirted with the idea of doing a movie about his old pal before deciding he'll devote a chapter or two to Driscoll in his upcoming autobiography. By the time Bobby Driscoll voiced Peter Pan at 16, however, he no longer had the adorable looks that kept him in demand. He landed two final screen roles: with Cornel Wilde in The Scarlet Coat (1955) and opposite Mark Damon, Connie Stevens, and Frances Farmer in The Party Crashers (1958). [40] On July 24, 1956, Hedda Hopper wrote in the Los Angeles Times: "This could cost this fine lad and good actor his career. While Dale (voiced by John Mulaney) expresses sympathy for this bitter, broken-down Sweet Pete, he nonetheless becomes the movies villain, whom the chipmunks must defeat to rescue their kidnapped friend. Oak Island is a privately owned island that sits off the coast of Nova Scotia in Canada. He just never found his way and made that choice.". A severe case of acne accompanying the onset of puberty,[27] explaining why it was necessary for Driscoll to use heavy makeup for his performances on dozens of TV shows, was officially provided as the final reason for the termination of his connection with the Disney Studios. "He was very lovely," adds Kathryn Beaumont, 82, who starred opposite Driscoll as the voice of Wendy in Peter Pan. 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. says the actress. I still thank [Bobby] for that. "The way I understand it, it was a rather rude dismissal," says Gray. [30], After Driscoll left the Disney studios, his parents withdrew him from the Hollywood Professional School, which served child movie actors,[31][32][33][34] and sent him to the public West Los Angeles University High School, instead. There were no obvious signs of foul play. Offers may be subject to change without notice. I'm not really sure why I started using narcotics. Maybe that was it. I made lots of money, so I recruited other toons to star in more movies. The onetime Peter Pan, aged 31, was found on a cot with two empty beer bottles. "[36][37] At his request, Driscoll's parents returned him the next year to Hollywood Professional School, where in May 1955 he graduated.[38]. "I became a beatnik and a bum," Driscoll said in the 1961 magazine article. Bobby Driscoll pictured in 1949. 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. When it comes time to declare Bobby Driscolls cause of death, authorities mention the hardening of the arteries. RAT PACK'S JOEY BISHOP AND FRANK SINATRA NEVER RECONCILED FOR THIS REASON, American film director, animator, and businessman Walt Disney with Bobby Driscoll and Luana Patten in 1946. Facts Verse Though the live-action/animated musical (which featured the Oscar-winning "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah") would ultimately represent an embarrassing chapter in Disney's storied history because of its offensive stereotypes and candy-coated depiction of slavery, it marked the start of a successful relationship between the studio and Driscoll, who became the first male actor to ever secure a Disney contract. Late in 1961, he was sentenced as a drug addict and imprisoned at the Narcotic Rehabilitation Center of the California Institution for Men in Chino, California. He was 19 before we knew. he says of Driscoll's drug use. Bobby Driscoll American actor (1937-1968) . Despite being . At one point, Bobby became part of The Factory, Andy Warhol's art collective in Greenwich Village, New York. The cause of his death was later determined to have been brought on by his addiction to heroin. Bobby Driscoll was arrested multiple times for drug possession, assault, burglary, and writing bad checks, before he ended up in Chino State Prison in 1961. Bobby's body, as noted, was found on March 30, 1968 in an abandoned tenement in Greenwich Village. As a child, starting at the age of 10, he was one of the first child actors to land a Disney contract. Facts Verse "I was carried on a silver platter and then dumped into the garbage can. Bobby Driscoll wasnt really part of the hip New York City underground crowd. 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'. 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. Alongside other homeless or indigent individuals who fall on hard times. 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. What former child stars of music, film or TV would you like to learn more about? "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". The punches dont stop there. Start Time, How To Watch, 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved, I Want to See the Aunt-Man Movie Paul Rudd Pitched in His Chip n Dale Cameo, Stream It Or Skip It: 'Chip 'N Dale: Rescue Rangers' on Disney+, A Half-Toon, Half-Live Romp With More References Than A Library, The Ugly Sonic Scene in Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers Was Not Easy, Says Director, How to Watch Donald Trump's 2023 CPAC Speech: Live Stream Information, Kids' Choice Awards 2023 Live Stream: Time, How To Watch Live on Nickelodeon, 11 Best New Movies on Netflix: March 2023's Freshest Films to Watch, Will There Be A 'Sex/Life' Season 3 on Netflix? "Like many adolescents, he developed a rough complexion," explained the former "Father Knows Best" star. His unclaimed body was buried in an unmarked pauper's grave in New York City's Potter's Field on Hart Island. The agent starts working, landing Bobby Driscoll a bit role opposite Margaret OBrien in the 1943 film Lost Angel. Driscoll also engaged in a more dangerous form of recreationheroin. He served as the animation model and provided the voice for the title role in Peter Pan (1953). He controlled the money and he hated Bobby Driscoll. [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. But the shows [] More, You might remember her as Mindy in the off-beat yet endearing 70s and 80s sitcom Mork and Mindy. 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. But contemporary actors like Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez willingly left the Mouse House; Driscoll didn't have a choice when the studio unexpectedly dropped its golden child in 1953. When they rejected me, I fought back, became belligerent and cockyand was afraid all the time. Alcohol abuse, drug overdose, violent fits, and severe depression. Bobby took Hollywood by storm when his parents moved there from Cedars Rapids, Iowa. Alcohol abuse, drug overdose, violent fits, and severe depression. Pam Grier reflects on her most iconic roles, from, Driscoll the Juvenile Academy Award in 1950, Bobby Driscoll's Hollywood Walk of Fame star, Disney Legendsthe studio's version of a Hall of Fame, Wrong turn: Amy Locane's sad journey from movies and TV to prison. 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. "Was earning $50,000 a year working steadily with good parts. "Carol Anne" from Poltergeist died in 1988 from complications during surgery to remove an acute bowel obstruction. However, many audience members didnt realize that. 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. He was strong(smart) and he should have known better. After failing to locate his next of kin, authorities declared the man dead from hardening of the arteriesa common side effect of longtime heroin abuseand buried him in a mass, unmarked paupers' grave on the Bronx's Hart Island alongside other unidentified bodies and indigent souls who had fallen on hard times. Bobby Driscoll was born in Cedar Rapids. [42] They had two daughters and one son, but the relationship did not last. The split was devastating and rather rude. This award gives to the best child actor of the year from 1935 to 1961. January 19, 2022, 6:17 pm, by The couple eloped to Mexico just five months after they met, and would eventually have one son and two daughters. 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. "A lovely guy, a dear friend. ", "He really was a sweet guy," Gray shared. In December 1956, Driscoll and his longtime girlfriend, Marilyn Jean Rush (occasionally misspelled as "Brush"), eloped to Mexico to marry despite their parents' objections. Its a question that still troubles his oldest friends, some fifty years after his death. A 7-year-old boy visits his grandfathers plantation in Disneys Song of the South. In 1954, he was awarded a Milky Way Gold Star Award, chosen in a nationwide poll for his work on television and radio. The cause of the death was determined as heart failure due to advanced hardening of arteries, resulted from long-term drug abuse. He didnt want Bobby Driscoll to be associated with Disney any longer. [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. From Austin Butler and Cate Blanchett to a potential Best Supporting Actress toss-up, see who EW thinks will win at the 2023 Oscars. And if you know Driscolls story, it makes the jokes about Peter Pan in the new Chip n Dale movie a lot less funny. That was Warhol's perversity in full playyou know, dissipated Hollywood.". Driscolls mother Isabelle wouldnt learn of her sons death until nearly two years later after placing advertisements about his disappearance in New York newspapers, the outlet shared. This led to a rapid succession of movies that highlighted Driscolls adorable freckled face and All-American looks. ", 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. 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. He had normal experiences with his peer groupjust as I did.". He had no identification. The boy on a silver platter thrown out like trash indeed https://t.co/EeBap3xbOQ, Bad Opinions Red Ranger in Another World (@SirBadOpinions) May 21, 2022. She was 12. "A barber in Pasadena told me I should be in the movies, so one Sunday he invited us out to his home and his son was there," recalled Driscoll during a 1946 radio interview. If Disney child actors have taught us anything, its that the magic of childhood never lasts forevereven in Never-Never Land. While on a tour across the studio lot, five-year-old Driscoll noticed a mock-up ship and asked where the water was. 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. 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Soon after, Driscoll started to spend time a bit inland, up in Topanga Canyon dabbling in poetry, songwriting and art. The apparent cause was heart failure, brought on by his drug abuse. Driscoll's parents were encouraged to help their son become a child performer in films. But such is the story of Bobby Driscoll. They go on adventures, living the life so many boys his age dreams of. Im not really sure why I started using narcotics. Bobby Driscoll. Hassan A child actor's childhood is not a normal one. He was devastated. ", The budding star made four movies for Disney, including Treasure Island, Peter Pan, and So Dear to My Heartwhich, together with his role in The Window for RKO Pictures, earned Driscoll the Juvenile Academy Award in 1950. "I had everything," Driscoll said in an interview after his sentencing, as quoted by Entertainment Weekly. He even won an Oscar, a special Academy Juvenile Award. 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. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to Des Moines,[1] where they stayed until early 1943. "Before he went on narcotics he almost never cried. Fatal addiction to drugs destroyed Bobby Driscoll's brilliant career as a child star and left him for dead in an abandoned New York City tenement at age 31. In 1953, the teen was unexpectedlydropped by the studio. "I was lonely most of the time. Apparently, Driscoll was informed that he was no longer under contract when he arrived at the studio front gate one day. Heart Attack. I called it Flying Bedroom Boy. The voice of Disneys animate Peter Pan at age 16 dead at the age of just 31. . 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. By the time Driscoll voiced Peter Pan at 16, however, he no longer had the impish face that kept him gainfully employed as a youth. Even if the main character is the star in one of the favorite Disney movies of all time. The director was impressed by the boy's curiosity and intelligence and chose him over 40 applicants.[2][3]. Despite the lengths they go to in order to protect their wholesome image, its no secret that Disney has a dark side. Driscolls remains were unclaimed and he was eventually buried in a mass, unmarked grave on Hart Island alongside other unidentified bodies. The award was presented as a special miniature Oscar statuette for "the outstanding juvenile actor of 1949" for his roles in So Dear to My Heart and The Window, both released that year. I was 17 when I first experimented with the stuff. Flippo asked Parton about what the most outrageous thing shed [] More, Robert Urich was known throughout the world as a tough guy. with Alan Ladd (all 1946). Bobby Driscoll then became, in his own words, a beatnik and a bum. Read More The Scarlet Coat (1955) . Thats when he became belligerent. 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. But the adulation is only one part of it. Other kids prove themselves once, but I had to prove myself twice with everyone. Thanks for watching The Shocking Life & Death of Bobby Driscoll. Theirs was clearly a complicated and volatile relationship, as they split up three years, two marriages, and two divorces later! People continually saying What a cute little boy! creates innate conceit. Bobby Driscoll's body was found on March 30, 1968 in an abandoned building, his body was unclaimed and buried in Potter's Field on Hart Island, New York City. He was treated so rudely by Hollywood. Death was due to hardening of the arteries, a condition common in long-term heroin addicts. All rights reserved. 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. ", That's what a New York City charity is trying to do for Driscoll and all the other people who were buried and forgotten on Hart Island. [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. A New Jersey woman who prefers to remain anonymous quietly maintains a website devoted to Driscoll's life and career. ), For his part, Allender just wants to see Driscoll remembered for his achievements, not his shortcomings. March 29, 2021, 4:49 am, Way back in 1980, Dolly Parton sat down with Chet Flippo of Rolling Stone magazine for what she thought was just going to be a typical interview. Although his name appears on his father's gravestone at Eternal Hills Memorial Park in Oceanside, California, his remains are still on Hart Island. Keep watching to learn more about Bobby Driscolls untimely death. For those years, Driscoll was Disneys sweetheart. His own mother didnt know he had died until a year-and-a-half after he was found, and the public wasnt alerted to his death until the re-release of Song of the South in 1972. In the new millennium, Jan has turned her interests [] More, Each year over 1.5 million patients become victims of medical malpractice in the US alone. 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. 1 Year-Later She Realizes Her Huge Mistake, Bebe Buell Reveals Everything About Her Rock Star Romances, The Real Reason Peter Lawford Got Kicked Out of the Rat Pack, Pam Dawber is Unrecognizable Today (Try Not to Gasp), Why Jan Smithers DISAPPEARED After WKRP in Cincinnati, Celebrities Who Died Due to Medical Malpractice, The ONE Time Dolly Parton Got Naked in Public, Rare Photos of Lynda Carter Not Suitable for All Ages, The Tragic Death of Robert Urich & His Wife, The Tragic Life and Demise of Angie Dickinson, How Each Gilligans Island Cast Member Died. He received an Academy Juvenile Award for outstanding performances in So Dear to My Heart and The Window. He died at the age of thirty-one from drugs and misery. Though his movie career fizzled, Bobby Driscoll eventually found fairly steady work on television shows like Dragnet and Rawhide. The tv actor Bobby Driscoll died at the age of 31. Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. Market data provided by Factset. (LMPC via Getty Images), "He had a drug problem," said Gray. There were no signs of foul play. [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. Cause of Death. In 1968, Driscoll's body was discovered in Greenwich Village by children playing in an abandoned tenement building. Discover at 5, while getting a haircut, Bobby Driscoll is the son of an insulation salesman and former schoolteacher. In March of 1968, a pair of children playing in an abandoned, Greenwich Village tenement in New York City discovered a young man dead on a cot, surrounded by beer bottles and religious handouts .
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