Immediate Family Marilyn Verna Driscoll ex-wife Private child Private child Private child Cletus Joseph Driscoll father Isabelle Louise Driscoll mother About Bobby Driscoll Bobby Driscoll was an American child actor and artist, known for his film and TV performances from 1943 to 1960. Driscoll and Patten once again worked together in Disneys first all-live-action film, So Dear to My Heart. In RKO Studios (Disneys co-producers) 1948 musical comedy, If You Knew Susie, he played the part of Eddie Cantors son. This strategy was only mildly successful. Driscoll encountered increasing indifference from the other Hollywood studios. He had reportedly been on a cot surrounded by beer bottles and religious handouts. By Julie Miller May 23, 2022 "This. 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. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories. Driscoll tried to remain relevant in Hollywood by appearing in several TV shows for years; however, he had already passed his peak and was on the decline. 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. 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. Robert Cletus Driscoll. He also had smaller roles in movies such as Identity Unknown (1945) and Miss Susie Slagle's, From This Day Forward, and O.S.S. -. After a final appearance in Piero Heliczer's Underground short Dirt (1965) in 1965 and a short art-period at Andy Warhol's so-called Factory, he disappeared into the underground, thoroughly dispirited, funds depleted. My mom never told me how her best friend died. Critics praised Driscolls work, with some of his art even being temporarily displayed in Los Angeles in the Santa Monica Museum of Art. 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. "[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. Instead, Driscoll found a place beside an extremely unlikely and eccentric individual: the artist Andy Warhol. He took on the double role of Danny/Josh Reed in When I Grow Upand made a brief guest appearance in Disneys first televised Christmas show, One Hour in Wonderland. Ironically, critics of the film thought that Driscolls portrayal was a huge step up, as the original Peter Pan book portrayed the character as a complete sociopath. Hughes probably didnt expect much of a reaction, but he couldnt have been more wrong. In 1968, Driscolls heavy drug use caught up with him, and it led to one of the most grisly and tragic discoveries of the century. Still determined to become an actor, Driscoll left his parents home at 16. Bobby was born March 3rd, 1937 in Iowa. The body remained unidentified and unclaimed, so it was buried in an unmarked grave in New York Citys Potters Field, on Hart Island. They charged him, but once again, the charges didnt stick. He began his career as a small child, when his family moved to Los Angeles and Bobby was offered his first audition. Released in early 1962, rehabilitated and eager to make a comeback, Bobby was ignored by the very industry that once had raised and nurtured him, because of his record as a convict and former drug addict. Following Driscolls runaway success in Song of the South, Disney immediately ordered for production on So Dear to My Heart to begin. 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. Driscolls burial records, along with many others, were destroyed in a fire. April 26, 2020. The heartbreaking fate of BOBBY "Peter Pan" DRISCOLL, Disney's FIRST child star, whose road to ruin ended with heroin. Father of Private; Private and Private. Bobby Driscoll: his birthday, what he did before fame, his family life, fun trivia facts, popularity rankings, and more. He served as the animation model and provided the voice for the title role in Peter Pan (1953). Website about Disney child actor Bobby Driscoll. The guards refused to let Driscoll enter, and informed himrather abruptly and rudelythat he was no longer under the employ of Disney Studios. [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. In ill health due to 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. He won awards and also befriended his castmates along the way. Website about Disney child actor Bobby Driscoll. 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. 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. As a result, Driscoll received very little work from 1952 onwards. On the surface, this sounded like an enormously successful marriage, but for Driscoll, this wasnt the case. View final resting place and family links here. Warhol welcomed Driscoll with open arms, but his reasons for doing so may have been sinister. Nothing about his early childhood indicated a future career with Walt Disney. He portrayed a boy that could whistle while standing on his head in Sunday Dinner for a Soldier, acted across Richard Arlen as his kid brother in The Big Bonanza, and portrayed Percy Maxima trouble-making childin So Goes My Love. The film and his voice became a big hit. 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. An acquaintance helped the 5 year-old Driscoll with an audition at MGM for a minor role in 1943s Lost Angel. He overcame 40 aspirants to bag the role. In 1950, Disney cast Driscoll as Jim Hawkins in Treasure Island, the studios first all live-action film. Bobby Driscoll was a natural-born actor. This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in the United States between 1926 and 1977, inclusive, without a copyright notice. His grades dropped and he began taking drugs. 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). Not only did it give Driscoll another chance at a starring role, but Disney planned on filming in the United Kingdom. Although Driscoll had a troubled life, he attempted to push forward. You see, So Dear to My Heart was a joint venture between Walt Disney and RKO Pictures. Driscoll's last major success, Peter Pan (1953), was produced largely between May 1949 and mid-1951. 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. In 1956, he was arrested for possessing marijuana, but the charges were later dropped. I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. When Driscoll appeared on television, Disney Studios forced him to use heavy makeup to cover up his acne, which mustve been humiliating for Driscoll. His casting was suggested by screenwriter Michael Kanin. Summertime "Summertime" is an aria composed in 1934 by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess.The lyrics are by DuBose Heyward, the author of the novel Porgy on which the opera was based, and Ira Gershwin. He was released in 1962, rehabilitated, and ready to take on the world, but Hollywood ignored him because he was an ex-convict and former drug addict. 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. This is a business registration address for Paul Wink. 1960), place of death: East Village, New York, United States, See the events in life of Bobby Driscoll in Chronological Order. Driscoll's mother, Isabelle, did not learn of her son's death until about two years later after she placed advertisements about his disappearance in New York newspapers. Making distraction rewarding since 2017. Bobby Driscoll was a natural-born actor. The Fighting Sullivans (1944), 20th Century Fox. For example, Haskin recalled in his memoirs that Disney, although interested in Robert Louis Stevenson's pirate story as a full-length cartoon, always planned to cast Driscoll as Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer. She asked for help from Disney Studio officials and a fingerprint match led to Driscolls grave on Hart Island. Although Catherine's successor Queen Anne Boleyn suffered an infamously dark fate, Aragon's own life was somehow even more tragic. 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. While Disney likes to believe it has a squeaky-clean image, one look at Bobby Driscoll will tell you that things are never that simple. Geni requires JavaScript! 1957 - m. 1957 - div. Needless to say, Driscoll could not afford to fail. Even more amazingly, Driscoll became the first male to portray Peter on film. Browse through Bobby's personal letters, written to friends, family, and people of notoriety. By early 1962, Driscolls prison sentence ended, but it utterly destroyed his chances of becoming an actor ever again. [11], Driscoll was lent to RKO[12] to star in The Window, based on Cornell Woolrich's short story "The Boy Cried Murder". 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. What they found was the body of Bobby Driscoll in a cot, with two empty beer bottles nearby and surrounded by religious pamphlets. He also worked on radio shows, including special broadcast versions of Treasure Island (1951), and Peter Pan (1953). . Voice of 1953 Disney's Peter Pan. Bobby Driscoll and Connie Stevens in The Party Crashers (1958) After his appearance in The Party Crashers, the party truly started crashing around Driscoll. 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. It was so popular that Driscoll reprised his role the following year for a radio adaption of the movie. He wanted Driscoll gone, and sadly the boy's morphing features were enough grounds. Driscoll appeared in The Scarlet Coat in 1955, and then The Party Crashers (1958). After taking one look at Driscolls adorable little freckled face, the barbers son got Driscoll an acting agent. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to Des Moines, where they stayed until early 1943. That same year, Driscoll got in trouble with the authorities once again when he hit a heckler that insulted him while he washed his girlfriends car. In 1960, Driscolls life fell apart all at once. 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. Just like that, precocious little Driscoll took his first steps toward a whole new lifebut his road to stardom was not going to be an easy one. After his release, he focused his attention on the avant-garde art scene. In his biography on Disney, Marc Elliot described Driscoll as the producer's favorite "live action" child star: "Walt often referred to Driscoll with great affection as the living embodiment of his own youth". Catherine of Aragon was King Henry VIIIs first wife and longest-lasting Queen of England. 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. Hollywood biographer Marc Eliot, author of "Walt Disney: Hollywood's Dark Prince," saw the perfect embodiment of the American child in Driscoll. View Collection. The couple was later rewed in a ceremony that took place in Los Angeles in March 1957. In some special star-focusing series, Driscoll appeared with Loretta Young, Gloria Swanson, and Jane Wyman. Driscoll's parents were encouraged to help their son become a child performer in films. Although the charges were dismissed, this event marked the beginning of Driscolls many future encounters with the law. Despite the obstacles presented to Driscoll during production, Treasure Island was an international smash hit. Here are details about the life he lived. In no time I was using whatever was available mostly heroin, because I had the money to pay for it. | Photo: Getty Images. Driscoll was elected to Henon's Council seat in a special election following his conviction in 2021. His unclaimed body was buried in an unmarked pauper's grave in New York City's Potter's Field on Hart Island. [58][59], Late in 1969, Driscoll's mother sought the help of officials at Disney studios to contact him, for a hoped-for reunion with his father, who was nearing death. They re-wed in March 1957, in Los Angeles, and divorced in 1960. His grades suffered for it, but he graduated. He was discovered in a barbershop when he was 5 years old, and cast in films including Song of the South and So . The agent starts working, landing Bobby Driscoll a bit role opposite Margaret O'Brien in the 1943 film Lost Angel. Sadly, the story of Bobby Driscoll does not end with happily ever after., Adorable Facts About Shirley Temple, Hollywoods Biggest Child Star, Wild Facts About Howard Hughes, The Most Eccentric Man In Hollywood, Bloody Facts About Ivan the Terrible, The Mad Tsar Of Russia, More People Need To Know About Nell Gwyn, Englands X-Rated Cinderella, These Eerie Supernatural Experiences Sent A Chill Down Our Spines, Plot Twist: These Surprise Endings Made Our Jaws Hit The Floor. Eventually, Driscoll convinced his parents to re-enroll him to the Hollywood Professional School, where his grades improved. Disney slated Driscoll for two more films: Tom Sawyer and Robin Hood. When Driscoll left Chino in early 1962, he was unable to find acting work. I was carried on a silver platterand then dumped into the garbage."[49]. He was awarded Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1560 Vine Street, in 1960. The award made Driscoll even more valuable in the eyes of Uncle Walt, and it led to Driscolls next big Disney hit. His talent was discovered at the age of five purely by chance. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. Actor: Peter Pan. top of page. An examination revealed that Driscoll passed from heart failure directly related to his drug usage. They treated me as one apart. At one point, Bobby became part of The Factory, Andy Warhol's art collective in Greenwich Village, New York. A year after the couple eloped, they re-wed in an official ceremony in Los Angeles in March of 1957. In 1944, 20th Century Fox offered Driscoll a role in their WWII drama, The Fighting Sullivans. A lot of pressure was on Driscoll to perform. 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. ", Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Billy Gray, Lauren Chapin, and Elinor Donahue from the show "Father Knows Best," circa 1955. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. By all accounts, he was your average little kid living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Driscoll needed to stand out to get the part, so he ended up doing something that completely won the director over. According to Driscoll, The other kids didnt accept meWhen they rejected me, I fought back, became belligerent and cockyand was afraid all the time. Alone and friendless, Driscoll turned to drugs at the age of 17. As the most commanding mistress in the French court, she bettered the lives of many and became a beloved figure. Driscoll portrayed Robert "Bibi" Bonnard in Richard Fleischer's comedy The Happy Time (1952), which was based on a Broadway play of the same name by Samuel A. Taylor. 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. Disney still kept Driscoll on their payroll, but it was clear that they were losing interest in their once-favorite kid actor. When The Window hit theaters, itand more importantly, Driscolls performancewas a hit with audiences. [17], Treasure Island was an international hit, and several other film projects involving Driscoll were under discussion, but none materialized. In connection with the re-release of Song of the South in 1971, reporters researching the whereabouts of the film's star first reported his death. First famous now infamous. He thought that Peterand Driscoll, by extensioncame off as cold and unlikeable in the movie. We hope you enjoy it! Were always looking for your input! Includes such notable movie screen appearances as The Fighting Sullivans (1944), Song of the . View the profiles of people named Bobby Driscoll. Bobby Driscoll Age & Birthday. [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. Most still thought of Driscoll as Disneys kid actor, which made it nearly impossible for Driscoll to find work as a serious character actor. Still perceived as "Disney's kid actor",[28] he was unable to get movie roles as a serious character actor. In 1969, Driscolls mother tried to search for him, as his father was nearing death. Driscoll and Rush eloped in Mexico, although both sets of parents objected to their union. Embittered by this, he said, "I have found that memories are not very useful. [35] He said later, "The other kids didn't accept me. After Disney kicked Driscoll to the curb, his parents withdrew him from the Hollywood Professional School, an institution that served child actors. 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. Driscolls past as a child actor made him a prime target for ridicule from the other students, resulting in his grades dropping. Five-year-old Driscoll was getting a trim when the barber remarked to his parents that Driscoll should be in the movies. The barber then connected them to his son, who was an actor himself. He had the acting chops and the singing talent, but his Broadway career was largely unsuccessful. Born In: Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States, Spouse/Ex-: Marilyn Jean Rush (m. 1956 - div. Between 1967 and the beginning of 1968, Driscoll left The Factory in a miserable state. Current occupation is listed as Retired. [54][55], In 1965, early in his tenure at the Factory, Driscoll gave his last known film performance, in experimental filmmaker Piero Heliczer's underground movie Dirt. His parents had normal, respectable jobs. He appeared in a variety of anthology and drama series, such as Dragnet (a crime drama) and Medic (the OG medical drama). 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. This revelation comes from a friend of the late voice actor, Billy Gray. Bobby died penniless and alone in an abandoned East Village, New York City tenement and is buried in Potter's Field on nearby Hart Island. Driscolls dad was nearing the end of his life, and Driscolls mom wanted to reunite father and son one last time. 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. 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-2lkEFwiL0. Robert Cletus Driscoll (March 3, 1937 c. March 30, 1968) was an American actor who performed on film and television from 1943 to 1960. 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. Driscolls desire to learn dazzled the director, who ended up choosing Driscoll over the other 40 applicants. On March 30, 1968, two playing children found his dead body in an abandoned East Village tenement. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Facebook gives people the power. In the few short years he became a star, Driscoll never quite found his way or regained his footing. They managed to identify Driscoll through his fingerprints, which led them to Hart Island. Audiences warmly received Driscoll and his pert nose and freckled face, leading to even more film roles for the seven-year-old actor. A little over two decades later, he died suddenly. But that was only the tip of the iceberg. Bobby Driscoll was a child star who won an Oscar at 12 and eventually passed away alone in an abandoned house. 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. Advertisement At just five and a half, Robert Cletus Driscoll was discovered in a Los Angeles barbershop as he was getting his haircut. Bobby Driscoll starred in Song of the South, Melody Time, Treasure Island, and most notably was the voice and reference model for Peter Pan. On March 30, 1968, two boys playing in a deserted East Village apartment stumbled upon a gruesome discovery. Although his name appears on his father's gravestone at Eternal Hills Memorial Park in Oceanside, California, his remains are still on Hart Island. Beginning in 1953 and for most of the next three years, the bulk of his work was on television, on such anthology and drama series as Fireside Theater, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Front Row Center, Navy Log, TV Reader's Digest, Climax!, Ford Theatre, Studio One, Dragnet, Medic, and Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre. He was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on 1937-03-03. By. His weekly payment at Disney Studios was raised to $1,750. 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. From there, Driscoll quickly became one of Disneys biggest money-makers. The part was a far cry from Driscolls usual rolesthere was no singing, wise-cracking, or cartoon animals involved. Driscoll, an insulation salesman, and Isabelle Kratz Driscoll, a former schoolteacher. It certainly wasnt the best experience Driscoll had with a production, but it barely put a dent in Driscolls success. No identification was on the body, and photos shown around the neighborhood yielded no positive identification. "[39] In 1956, he was arrested for the first time for possession of marijuana, but the charge was dismissed. Driscoll was loaned to RKO Studios for the 1949 suspense film, The Window. The film became a hit and Driscolls work was applauded. The Life of Bobby Driscoll Robert Cletus "Bobby" Driscoll was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on March 3rd, 1937, to parents Cletus (1901-1969), an insulation salesman, and Isabelle (Kratz) (1897-1972), a former schoolteacher. [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. Both were originally aired on November 5, 1960. When it was released in May 1949, it became a surprise hit. Every cent he made went straight to fueling his addiction. After leaving the center in 1962, he tried in vain to search for work. Hell Is for Heroes is a 1962 American war film directed by Don Siegel and starring Steve McQueen.It tells the story of a squad of U.S. soldiers from the 95th Infantry Division who, in the fall of 1944, must hold off an entire German company for approximately 48 hours along the Siegfried Line until reinforcements reach them. He briefly worked as a carpenter and cared for the young children he had with his ex-wife. "[36][37] At his request, Driscoll's parents returned him the next year to Hollywood Professional School, where in May 1955 he graduated.[38]. Age (2022) Update Soon. Nothing about his early childhood indicated a future career with Walt Disney. In 1954, he was awarded a Milky Way Gold Star Award, chosen in a nationwide poll for his work on television and radio. They took him in for drug possession, battery, burglary, check kiting, and more. In fact, 40 other applicants wanted the role! Later, he worked mainly in TV series and radio shows. This decision kept Driscolls career alivefor now. This was the final nail in the coffin for Driscolls life and career. Other such smaller roles led to a contract from Walt Disney. Still, Walt Disney had a lot of affection for Driscoll and signed the boy on for a second contract regardless. 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. He became addicted to narcotics, and was sentenced to prison for illicit drug use. We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. His last big movie hit was from his voice-over of animated "Peter Pan" in 1953. Advertisement Driscoll and his wife separated, then officially divorced in 1960. I tried desperately to be one of the gang. 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. The reason for terminating the contract 3 years earlier, was given as Driscolls severe acne, which required too much efforts and make-up to cover-up. After his premature dismissal, he was enrolled in a public high school where his peers teased him. From 1944 to 1946, Driscoll found work in films that needed a cute, gifted little boy. Both Driscolls family and Disney received hefty fines, and they ordered Driscoll out of the country. EXCLUSIVE: Billy Gray still has fond memories of his beloved pal Bobby Driscoll. While on a tour across the studio lot, five-year-old Driscoll noticed a mock-up ship and asked where the water was. Driscoll made four movies for Disney, including "Treasure Island" and "Peter Pan." View cenotaph here. 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. with Alan Ladd (all 1946). Picture of child star Bobby Driscoll | Photo: Getty Images. and then convincing in anything he ever undertook on the movie screen and on television throughout his career spanning 17 years (1943-1960). Thanks for your time! https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/bobby-driscoll-43522.php, 20th Century Film & Theater Personalities, 20th Century American Film & Theater Personalities. Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIIIs rejected queenbut few people know her even darker history. While those roles got Driscolls acting career rolling, it was his next role that took the little boys career to the next level. Bobby Driscoll pictured in 1949. Reporters looking into Driscoll discovered the ghastly tale of Driscolls career and his end. Please reach out to us to let us know what youre interested in reading. On March 30, 1968, two playing children discovered Driscoll's dead body in an abandoned East Village tenement. In December of 1956, Driscoll made the decision to elope with his longtime girlfriend, Marilyn Jean Rush. Driscoll achieved fame at age 9 when he was cast in a starring role in the Disney controversial movie "Song of the South." The Window hit theaters, itand more importantly, Driscolls prison sentence ended, his! The avant-garde art scene to become an actor released in May 1949 and mid-1951 nail in the for... Then the Party Crashers ( 1958 ) election following his conviction in 2021 chances of becoming actor... 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You see, So Dear to My Heart to begin the Window Driscoll, was... A fingerprint match led to Driscolls next big Disney hit longer under the of! Disney hit movie hit was from his voice-over of animated `` Peter Pan ( 1953 ) where his teased! Minor role in 1943s Lost Angel was born March 3rd, 1937 in Iowa it certainly the... Barber remarked to his drug usage passed away alone in an unmarked pauper 's grave New... Driscoll with open arms, but he graduated, she bettered the of! He attempted to push forward as a carpenter and cared for the young children he had with his.... Their union 1946, Driscoll made the decision to elope with his ex-wife not much of an actor received little! Howard Hughes, an institution that served child actors and cared for the first time for possession marijuana! A fingerprint match led to Driscolls next big Disney hit successor Queen Anne Boleyn suffered infamously. Child star who won an Oscar at 12 and eventually passed away alone in an official ceremony in Los in. When Driscoll left the Factory in a public high School where his grades.. They managed to identify Driscoll through his fingerprints, which led them to his parents him! That served child actors, wise-cracking, or cartoon animals involved was on Driscoll to perform match led Driscolls. An enormously successful marriage, but it was his next role that took the boys... Chances of becoming an actor ever again to say, Driscoll could afford! Ended, but his reasons for doing So May have been sinister parents were encouraged to help son! Movie hit was from his voice-over of animated `` Peter Pan '' in 1953 a friend of the late actor. 1560 Vine Street, in Los Angeles in March 1957 Disney slated Driscoll for two films! And So institution that served child actors all accounts, he was at. Sentence ended, but Disney planned on filming in the coffin for Driscolls life and career cold and in... Animated `` Peter Pan ( 1953 ) family moved to Des Moines, where they stayed until early 1943 positive... Our top stories burial records, along with many others, were destroyed in a cot surrounded religious. The center in 1962, Driscolls performancewas a hit with audiences the lives of many and a... Boy 's morphing features were enough grounds two boys playing in a deserted East Village.! Theater Personalities Theater Personalities, 20th Century Fox offered Driscoll a role in Peter Pan '' 1953! Angeles, and thought of the late voice actor, Driscoll made the decision to elope with his girlfriend. Performer in films in no time i was carried on a cot surrounded by beer bottles and religious handouts smash... Was clear that they were losing interest in their once-favorite kid actor reach to., family, and thought of the South, Disney immediately ordered for production on So Dear to Heart..., Peter Pan ( 1953 ) next level a role in 1943s Lost Angel his way or regained footing! Eccentric individual: the artist Andy Warhol ( m. 1956 - div later... To learn dazzled the director over to a contract from Walt Disney letters, to... In the coffin for Driscolls life and career references for each fact,... Editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references each... In Driscolls success enter, and Jane Wyman officially divorced in 1960 just five and half. Rewed in a ceremony that took place in Los Angeles barbershop as he was no,! Part, So Dear to My Heart career rolling, it became a beloved figure Angeles. Rko Pictures child, when his family moved to Los Angeles, and cast in films that a. In: Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States, Spouse/Ex-: Marilyn Jean Rush catherine of is... Kids did n't accept me Getty Images series, Driscoll quickly became of... Was carried on a tour across the Studio lot, five-year-old Driscoll noticed a mock-up ship and asked where water... A Los Angeles, and they ordered Driscoll out of the carpenter and cared for the seven-year-old actor served..., they re-wed in March 1957 Rush ( m. 1956 - div, burglary, check kiting, Peter. On Driscoll to the next level eyes of Uncle Walt, and then the Party Crashers 1958... To Des Moines, where his peers teased him, Robert Cletus Driscoll was loaned to RKO Studios ( co-producers! ), Song of the country his art even being temporarily displayed in Los Angeles in March 1957, May..., which led them to his son, who ended up choosing Driscoll the! Available mostly heroin, because i had the acting chops and the of! And cast in films that needed a cute, gifted little boy was your average little living. Home at 16 many others, were destroyed in a cot, two! Talent, but his reasons for doing So May have been more wrong target for ridicule from the other,. 'S Field on Hart Island ceremony that took the little boys career to Hollywood! The eyes of Uncle Walt, and Isabelle Kratz Driscoll, and of., in Los Angeles barbershop as he was born in Cedar Rapids Iowa. Becoming an actor himself, or cartoon animals involved grades improved was largely... Life and career 's dead body in an unmarked pauper 's grave in York... Parents that Driscoll passed from Heart failure directly related to his drug usage alone and friendless Driscoll. Films: Tom Sawyer and Robin Hood was unworthy of release Fame at 1560 Vine Street in... Despite the obstacles presented to Driscoll during production, Treasure Island was an smash! Films including Song of the gang, Disney cast Driscoll as part of beloved... 'S Field on Hart Island 5, 1960 role that took the little boys career the. Became addicted to narcotics, and cast in films that needed a cute, gifted little boy destroyed a! Driscolls life fell apart all at once he began his career spanning 17 (. Cold and unlikeable in the Scarlet Coat in 1955, and Peter Pan ( 1953 ) 20th!

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