In 1954, he was awarded a Milky Way Gold Star Award, chosen in a nationwide poll for his work on television and radio. Actor: Peter Pan. 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. He won an Oscar at 12, and. After his release, he focused his attention on the avant-garde art scene. He lent his voice to Goofy Jr.s character in Disneys Fathers are People (1951) and Fathers Lion (1952). 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. Hollywood biographer Marc Eliot, author of "Walt Disney: Hollywood's Dark Prince," saw the perfect embodiment of the American child in Driscoll. Copyright 2023 by Factinate.com. His parents again sent him to his earlier school, where he completed his graduation in 1955. The authorities showed photos of his body to people living in the neighborhood, but no one had any idea who he was. [23][24] Scenes were played on an almost empty sound stage, with only the most essential props, and filmed for use by the animators. 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. When a doctor . 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. [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. Despite being one of Disney's first and most successful child stars, Driscoll has never been enshrined as a Disney Legend. The other film RKO had in mind for Driscoll, however, presented a whole new challenge for the child actor. The best revenge might be living well, but that doesn't mean we can always turn the other cheek. When his contract with the Disney studios was prematurely terminated shortly after the release of Peter Pan (1953) in late March 1953, his mother additionally took him from the talent-supporting Hollywood Professional School, which he attended by then. 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. By Julie Miller May 23, 2022 "This. 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. He received an Academy Juvenile Award for outstanding performances in So Dear to My Heart and The Window. Driscoll was convicted for drug addiction and was sent to Narcotic Rehabilitation Center, at Chino, California. Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter. He had reportedly been on a cot surrounded by beer bottles and religious handouts. He was born in a pretty normal household, but he was nothing but regular; he had something in it. When his face was no longer as charming, and his voice had become unsuitable to be used for voice-over jobs, things began to go awry. Catherine of Aragon was King Henry VIIIs first wife and longest-lasting Queen of England. [65], In September 2011, American singer-songwriter Tom Russell released the song "Farewell Never Neverland" on the album Mesabi, an elegy for Bobby Driscoll as Peter Pan. 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. [56], On March 30, 1968, two boys playing in a deserted East Village tenement at 371 East 10th St. found Driscoll's body lying on a cot, with two empty beer bottles and religious pamphlets scattered on the ground. This put Driscoll and the entire production in a sticky situation. Driscoll found it difficult to get work, because all other studios considered him a Disney kid. From 1953, he mostly worked on TV in Front Row Center, Climax!, Navy Log, Fireside Theater, Ford Theater, Dragnet, Studio One, Men of Annapolis, Medic, among others. The agent starts working, landing Bobby Driscoll a bit role opposite Margaret O'Brien in the 1943 film Lost Angel. Nationality. It certainly wasnt the best experience Driscoll had with a production, but it barely put a dent in Driscolls success. On the surface, this sounded like an enormously successful marriage, but for Driscoll, this wasnt the case. Still determined to become an actor, Driscoll left his parents home at 16. He was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on 1937-03-03. | Photo: Getty Images. Driscoll's second long-run Disney contract allowed him to be lent to independent Horizon Pictures for the double role of Danny/Josh Reed in When I Grow Up (1951). He wanted Driscoll gone, and sadly the boy's morphing features were enough grounds. 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. In the few short years he became a star, Driscoll never quite found his way or regained his footing. Between 1967 and the beginning of 1968, Driscoll left The Factory in a miserable state. Landing Page. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories. In December 1956, Driscoll eloped with his girlfriend Marilyn Jean Rush to Mexico and they got married. (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA). [47], He was charged with disturbing the peace and assault with a deadly weapon, the latter after hitting one of two hecklers with a pistol who had made insulting remarks while he was washing a girlfriend's car; the charges were dropped.[48]. By all accounts, he was your average little kid living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The feature was filmed in the United Kingdom, and during production, Driscoll was found to not have a valid British work permit, so his family and Disney were fined and ordered to leave the country. Picture of child star Bobby Driscoll | Photo: Getty Images. 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. The only son of an insulation salesman and former schoolteacher, Driscoll was discovered at the age of 5 while getting a trim. Bobby Driscoll was born on the 3rd of March, 1937. It wasnt until one year later that Driscolls family learned of his passing, and the results were agonizingly tragic. Thanks for your help! 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. However, this wasnt the end of the humiliation that Driscoll had to face. 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. His talent was discovered at the age of five purely by chance. Instead, they sent Driscoll to West Los Angeles University High School. 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. Hughes was not a big fan of Driscoll and Hollywood kids in general. 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! [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). 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. His life became more and more a roller coaster ride that included several encounters with the law and his eventual sentencing as a drug addict in October 1961. 202 Sharp Drv, Gadsden, AL 35903-1448 is the residential address for Bobby. 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. 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]). Driscoll never forgot about his dream of being an actor, though. First, the exact spot where the city buried Driscoll remains a mystery. Soon, Driscoll began butting heads with the law. He was discovered in a barbershop when he was 5 years old, and cast in films including Song of the South and So . His drug use increased; in an interview years later, he stated, "I was 17 when I first experimented with the stuff. 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. Bobby Driscoll is best known as TV Actor who has born on March 03, 1937 in Cedar Rapids, IA. Unfortunate circumstances made it difficult to keep Driscolls memory alive, however. 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 teaser of the Pecos Bill section of Disneys 1948 cartoon collection Melody Time featured Driscoll and Patten. 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. 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. Making distraction rewarding since 2017. Driscoll's last major success, Peter Pan (1953), was produced largely between May 1949 and mid-1951. The song soon became a popular and much-recorded jazz standard, described as "without doubt one of the finest songs the composer ever wrote Around that time, Howard Hughes bought RKO, effectively making him the owner of the Disney studio. Audiences warmly received Driscoll and his pert nose and freckled face, leading to even more film roles for the seven-year-old actor. Driscoll was born on March 3, 1937, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Isabelle (ne Kratz), a former school teacher, and Cletus, an insulation salesman. In New York City, Driscoll attempted to revive his career through Broadway. He tried to seek serious acting roles. Please let us know if a fact weve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect its inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. Current occupation is listed as Retired. From 1944 to 1946, Driscoll found work in films that needed a cute, gifted little boy. After Disney kicked Driscoll to the curb, his parents withdrew him from the Hollywood Professional School, an institution that served child actors. 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. Discover at 5, while getting a haircut, Bobby Driscoll is the son of an insulation salesman and former schoolteacher. Voice of 1953 Disney's Peter Pan. In the 1952 comedy, The Happy Time, based on a Broadway play, Driscoll played the role of Robert Bibi Bonnard. In Walt Disneys animated Peter Pan, he lent his voice to Peter Pan and worked as reference model for close-ups. An examination revealed that Driscoll passed from heart failure directly related to his drug usage. What they found was the body of Bobby Driscoll in a cot, with two empty beer bottles nearby and surrounded by religious pamphlets. Nothing about his early childhood indicated a future career with Walt Disney. Although Driscoll did much to bolster Disney during a time of crisis, he is still, to this day, not a part of Disney Legends, the Disney equivalent of a Hall of Fame. 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