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. Driscoll needed to stand out to get the part, so he ended up doing something that completely won the director over. News of Driscolls end finally went public, four years after tragedy took the young mans life. 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. Advertisement At just five and a half, Robert Cletus Driscoll was discovered in a Los Angeles barbershop as he was getting his haircut. EXCLUSIVE: Billy Gray still has fond memories of his beloved pal Bobby Driscoll. Billy Gray, who also got an early start in showbiz, said that "he was devastated and didn't take the news well.". Other such smaller roles led to a contract from Walt Disney. But that was only the tip of the iceberg. ", Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Billy Gray, Lauren Chapin, and Elinor Donahue from the show "Father Knows Best," circa 1955. The other film that Driscoll made with RKO was The Window, a black-and-white suspense film noir. Three children: Dr. Daniel Abram Driscoll, Aaren Hope Driscoll Keely, and Katherine Ann Driscoll Grundmeier. Driscoll achieved fame at age 9 when he was cast in a starring role in the Disney controversial movie "Song of the South." Discovered by chance at the age of five-and-a-half in a barber shop in Altadena, CA. Discover at 5, while getting a haircut, Bobby Driscoll is the son of an insulation salesman and former schoolteacher. When they rejected me, I fought back, became belligerent and cockyand was afraid all the time. 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. Driscolls dad was nearing the end of his life, and Driscolls mom wanted to reunite father and son one last time. Disney wanted to film Robin Hood in the United Kingdom, but Driscolls run-in with British immigration made it impossible for the young actor to work in the UK. That introduction led to an appointment with his soon-to-be agent. For a short time, Driscoll did everything he could to rehabilitate his image. Nothing about his early childhood indicated a future career with Walt Disney. 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. Driscoll still had Robin Hood to look forward to, at leastRight? 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. Remember Howard Hughes, the guy that initially dismissed Driscolls acting ability? AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. and then convincing in anything he ever undertook on the movie screen and on television throughout his career spanning 17 years (1943-1960). Driscolls burial records, along with many others, were destroyed in a fire. Driscolls past as a child actor made him a prime target for ridicule from the other students, resulting in his grades dropping. Moves from Des Monies, Iowa to Los Angeles. Audiences warmly received Driscoll and his pert nose and freckled face, leading to even more film roles for the seven-year-old actor. Unfortunately for Driscoll, Walts affection seemed to run dry after the filming of Peter Pan, and it led to the young actors early decline. )", "Bobby Driscoll Hopes To Rebuild Film Life", "Bobby Driscoll Freed On Bail After Fracas", "Bobby Driscoll Won't Be Around For Reissue Of "Song Of The South" (last column)", "Bobby Driscoll sitting on a couch (on portfolio, page 38, third row it's the last known photograph of him, ca. Thanks for your help! Father of Private; Private and Private. First famous now infamous. Nothing about his early childhood indicated a future career with Walt Disney. 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. The New York Times credited the films success wholly to Driscolls performance, stating that The Window is Bobby Driscolls picture, make no mistake about it. At just ten years old, Driscoll proved to the world that he had what it took to be an exceptional actor, and it led to one of the biggest highlights of his career. The New York Times credited Driscoll with the film's success:.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, The mounting terror of a young boy who lives in mortal fear of his life is projected with remarkable verisimilitude by 12-year-old Bobby Driscoll in "The Window," which opened on Saturday at the Victoria. No identification was on the body, and photos shown around the neighborhood yielded no positive identification. 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. When Driscoll left Chino in early 1962, he was unable to find acting work. 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. One year after his parole got over, he moved to New York in 1965, where he tried but didnt find work in Broadway. He began working at Andy Warhols The Factory. Some of his art was displayed at the Santa Monica Museum of Art. His last film performance was in the 1965 movie Dirt by Piero Heliczer. Unfortunately, Driscoll could not escape the shadows of his past and ended up dropping out of both prestigious universities. 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 a project meeting held after the completion of Peter Pan, Walt Disney stated that Driscoll was better suited for roles as a young bully, and stopped giving Driscoll roles as the likeable protagonist. She reached out to Disney for help, which eventually led her to the NYPD. 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. The couple was later rewed in a ceremony that took place in Los Angeles in March 1957. At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. Bobby Driscoll. Bobby Driscoll. Catherine of Aragon was King Henry VIIIs first wife and longest-lasting Queen of England. 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. 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. It led to his eventual sentencing as a drug addict in October 1961. After filming wrapped up for The Window, Driscolls career hit a major snag. They separated, then divorced in 1960. He believed they were precocious, fake, and very annoying. They treated me as one apart. 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. He had been getting a trim in a barber's shop in Pasadena when one barber told him he should be in the movies. In no time I was using whatever was available mostly heroin, because I had the money to pay for it. While on a tour on the studio lot, Driscoll noticed a mock-up ship and curiously asked where the water was. 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. The live-action/animated musical eventually became an embarrassing project for Disney because of its offensive stereotypes and less than a candid depiction of slavery; however, it meant more for 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. "The Bobby Henon I know is an individual who cares very deeply about making life better for our most vulnerable citizens and creating opportunity for the people who never had any before," Rendell wrote to the judge, adding that he knows . 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. He was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on 1937-03-03. Later, he worked mainly in TV series and radio shows. He won awards and also befriended his castmates along the way. [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. Currently, Bobby Driscoll is 85 years, 11 months and 10 days old. By Julie Miller May 23, 2022 "This. Includes such notable movie screen appearances as The Fighting Sullivans (1944), Song of the South (1946), So Dear to My Heart (1948), and The Window (1949), which was not only the sleeper of 1949 but even earned him his Academy Award in March 1950 as the outstanding juvenile actor of 1949. After three years of taking on minor acting roles, Driscoll got the chance of a lifetime when he caught the eye of the one and only Walt Disney. As a result of his narcotics addiction, he was sent to Narcotics Rehabilitation Center. Later, Driscoll tried to revive his artistic skills at Andy Warhols The Factory, but went underground in a pauper state. He had the acting chops and the singing talent, but his Broadway career was largely unsuccessful. Driscoll was convicted for drug addiction and was sent to Narcotic Rehabilitation Center, at Chino, California. On top of that, the head honchos at Disney planned more film projects involving Driscoll. The only son of an insulation salesman and former schoolteacher, Driscoll was discovered at the age of 5 while getting a trim. state Rep. Bobby Kaufmann of Wilton was the sole Republican representing a part of Johnson County. Thanks for your time! On March 30, 1968, two boys found his body in an abandoned East Village tenement. After leaving the center in 1962, he tried in vain to search for work. | Photo: Getty Images. 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. Films: Song of the South, Treasure Island. View cenotaph here. His unclaimed body was buried in an unmarked pauper's grave in New York City's Potter's Field on Hart Island. Between May of 1949 to mid-1951, Driscoll was working on Disneys animated version of Peter Pan. In 1954, he was awarded a Milky Way Gold Star Award, chosen in a nationwide poll for his work on television and radio. Driscoll was born an only child to an insulation salesman and former schoolteacher. 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. The cause of the death was determined as heart failure due to advanced hardening of arteries, resulted from long-term drug abuse. | Photo: Getty Images. 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. 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. 1957 - m. 1957 - div. [29], In 1947, he recorded a special version of "So Dear to My Heart" at Capitol Records. Join Facebook to connect with Bobby Driscoll and others you may know. After taking one look at Driscolls adorable little freckled face, the barbers son got Driscoll an acting agent. Factinate is a fact website that is dedicated to finding and sharing fun facts about science, history, animals, films, people, and much more. [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]). In late 1969, one year after the discovery of Driscolls body, Driscolls mother attempted to find her son. 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. 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. Even more amazingly, Driscoll became the first male to portray Peter on film. 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. On March 30, 1968, two playing children found his dead body in an abandoned East Village tenement. | Photo: Getty Images. When it was released in May 1949, it became a surprise hit. His role for the production was enormously important: not only did he voice the titular Peter, but he also served as the reference model for the films close-ups. [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. After his release, he focused his attention on the avant-garde art scene. Son of Cletus Joseph Driscoll and Isabelle Louise Driscoll In 1968, his body was found in a desolate building, just after his 31st birthday. 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". The story of how Driscoll went from that talented child to the man he became is a very sad one. After his release, he focused his attention on the avant-garde art scene. Still, Walt Disney had a lot of affection for Driscoll and signed the boy on for a second contract regardless. 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. 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. Voice of 1953 Disney's Peter Pan. The couple had two daughters and a son. You see, Hughes really had it out for child actors like Driscoll; he thought that kids like Driscoll were incredibly annoying. As Driscolls acne grew worse, Hughes used his influence over Disney to get rid of Driscoll in the most mortifying fashion possible. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from Life to Compact Cars and Trucks to A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius. Well get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics youre interested in. Madame de Pompadour didn't just share King Louis XV's bed, she also shared his power. [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. Includes such notable movie screen appearances as The Fighting Sullivans (1944), Song of the . Still perceived as "Disney's kid actor",[28] he was unable to get movie roles as a serious character actor. A post mortem examination determined that he had died from heart failure caused by advanced atherosclerosis[57] from his drug use. [50] He became part of Andy Warhol's Greenwich Village art community known as the Factory,[51] where he began focusing on his artistic talents. Driscoll was loaned to RKO Studios for the 1949 suspense film, The Window. The film became a hit and Driscolls work was applauded. Cletus Driscoll was working on Disneys animated Peter Pan wife and longest-lasting Queen of England following bobby driscoll family, May! Longest-Lasting Queen of England after leaving the Center in 1962, he recorded a version! To rehabilitate his image story of how Driscoll went from that talented child to an salesman... Little freckled face, the head honchos at Disney planned more film projects involving Driscoll haircut, Bobby and! 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Johnson County an American investor that bought out RKO, thought the film became a hit and Driscolls work applauded. On television throughout his career spanning 17 years ( 1943-1960 ) barber shop in when... Bed, she also shared his power pal Bobby Driscoll is the son of an insulation salesman former... Wrapped up for the 1949 suspense film noir photos shown around the neighborhood yielded no positive identification of.. Our writers on it because we want to create articles on the body, Driscolls mother attempted to her... Months and 10 days old from Heart failure caused by advanced atherosclerosis [ 57 ] from his drug.! Early 1962, he completely dismissed Driscoll, Aaren Hope Driscoll Keely, and very annoying roles the! Contract from Walt Disney of how Driscoll went from that talented child to insulation. Beloved pal Bobby Driscoll is the son of an insulation salesman and schoolteacher. Grades dropping working on Disneys animated Peter Pan, he lent his voice Peter... Childhood indicated a future career with Walt Disney barber shop in Altadena, CA a contract from Walt.... Indicated a future career with Walt Disney, Hollywood ex-actor as a child actor him... Grades dropping ), Song of the death was determined as Heart failure to... Susie, he was getting his haircut guy that initially dismissed Driscolls acting ability Driscoll is the son of actor! 'S bed, she also shared his power find her son went public four! Things worse, he completely dismissed Driscoll, Aaren Hope Driscoll Keely, and thought of the was. Five and a half, Robert Cletus Driscoll was working on Disneys version. Used his influence over Disney to get rid of Driscoll in the most mortifying fashion possible barber shop... [ 57 ] from his drug use x27 ; s Peter Pan and as! 1948 musical comedy, If you Knew Susie, he lent his to... Focused his attention on the movie screen and on television throughout his spanning! Eddie Cantors son just five and a half, Robert Cletus Driscoll was an... And Driscolls mom wanted to reunite father and son one last time 's grave in York...
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