bobby driscoll family

In 1956, the authorities took him in and charged him with possession of marijuana. [40] On July 24, 1956, Hedda Hopper wrote in the Los Angeles Times: "This could cost this fine lad and good actor 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. 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. [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. Thanks for your time! 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. When The Window hit theaters, itand more importantly, Driscolls performancewas a hit with audiences. Here are details about the life he lived. He was born in a pretty normal household, but he was nothing but regular; he had something in it. Needless to say, Driscoll could not afford to fail. The film and his voice became a big hit. 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. On another series, Men of Annapolis, he appeared with John Smith, future second husband of Driscoll's Song of the South co-star, Luana Patten. During the middle of production, authorities discovered that Driscoll did not have a valid British work permit. Were always looking for your input! Driscoll even got a chance to act one last time in the movie Dirt, an experimental film directed by Piero Heliczer. 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. Bobby Driscoll had a great start in life, but somewhere along the line, he went off track, and according to his friend Billy Gray, it was a choice he made. Believed to be an unclaimed and homeless person, he was buried in an unmarked pauper's grave on Hart Island, where he remains. Audiences warmly received Driscoll and his pert nose and freckled face, leading to even more film roles for the seven-year-old actor. After his release, he focused his attention on the avant-garde art scene. But this was only the beginning. Advertisement At just five and a half, Robert Cletus Driscoll was discovered in a Los Angeles barbershop as he was getting his haircut. 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. 1960) father: Cletus Driscoll mother: Isabelle Kratz Driscoll Actors Child Actors Height: 5'10" (178 cm ), 5'10" Males Died on: March 30, 1968 place of death: East Village, New York, United States What they found was the body of Bobby Driscoll in a cot, with two empty beer bottles nearby and surrounded by religious pamphlets. It led to his eventual sentencing as a drug addict in October 1961. The authorities showed photos of his body to people living in the neighborhood, but no one had any idea who he was. They took him in for drug possession, battery, burglary, check kiting, and more. Driscoll and his wife separated, then officially divorced in 1960. Driscoll needed to stand out to get the part, so he ended up doing something that completely won the director over. During production, the big wigs of RKO pictures were so impressed by Driscolls talent that they borrowed him for two vastly different films. 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. 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. Website about Disney child actor Bobby Driscoll. They managed to identify Driscoll through his fingerprints, which led them to Hart Island. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to Des Moines, where they stayed until early 1943. View the profiles of people named Bobby Driscoll. Bobby Driscoll. Driscoll was loaned to Horizon Pictures for When I Grow Up (1951) in which he played the double role of Danny/Josh Reed. He made a brief appearance in Disneys first TV Christmas show, One Hour in Wonderland (1950). 'Treasure Island became a worldwide hit and many new projects were planned with Driscoll as the lead, but somehow they didnt work-out. His parents had normal, respectable jobs. View Collection. The story of this child actor, who starred in films like Song of the South and Peter Pan, is a heart-wrenching one. This decision kept Driscolls career alivefor now. While on a tour across the studio lot, five-year-old Driscoll noticed a mock-up ship and asked where the water was. He appeared in a variety of anthology and drama series, such as Dragnet (a crime drama) and Medic (the OG medical drama). 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 American by birth. Also Known As: Robert Cletus Driscoll Died At Age: 31 Family: Spouse/Ex-: Marilyn Jean Rush (m. 1956 - div. 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. Remember Howard Hughes, the guy that initially dismissed Driscolls acting ability? After Disney turned its back on him, the budding actor was left to fend for himself, and it led to his early and tragic end. 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. Still perceived as "Disney's kid actor",[28] he was unable to get movie roles as a serious character actor. [29], In 1947, he recorded a special version of "So Dear to My Heart" at Capitol Records. [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). [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. [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. Ex-husband of Marilyn Verna Driscoll Driscolls dad was nearing the end of his life, and Driscolls mom wanted to reunite father and son one last time. 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. His parents again sent him to his earlier school, where he completed his graduation in 1955. On March 30, 1968, two boys playing in a deserted East Village apartment stumbled upon a gruesome discovery. 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. Advertisement 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. In 1950, Disney cast Driscoll as Jim Hawkins in Treasure Island, the studios first all live-action film. 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. 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. [23][24] Scenes were played on an almost empty sound stage, with only the most essential props, and filmed for use by the animators. Hughes dismissed Driscoll later in 1953, and he did so in a terrible manner by denying Driscoll entry into the studio. [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. Nothing about his early childhood indicated a future career with Walt Disney. The cause of the death was determined as heart failure due to advanced hardening of arteries, resulted from long-term drug abuse. He successfully continued acting on TV until 1957 and even managed to get two final screen roles; in The Scarlet Coat (1955) and opposite of Mark Damon and Connie Stevens in The Party Crashers (1958). Actor Bobby Driscoll at age12 in a studio portrait taken in 1950 | Source: Wikimedia Commons/ NBC Television Network, Bobby Driscoll 1950, marked as public domain, more details on Wikimedia Commons, It turned out the barber's son was in showbiz, which made it easy to get an appointment with his agent, who helped Driscoll land a small role opposite Margaret O'Brien in the 1943 film "Lost Angel.". 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. What Driscoll did was simple, but revealed a curiosity for the world around him which deeply impressed the director for Lost Angels. Driscoll was born on March 3, 1937, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Isabelle (ne Kratz), a former school teacher, and Cletus, an insulation salesman. As the years passed, Hughess disdain for Driscoll seemingly turned into downright hatred. Driscolls past as a child actor made him a prime target for ridicule from the other students, resulting in his grades dropping. In December 1956, Driscoll and his longtime girlfriend, Marilyn Jean Rush (occasionally misspelled as "Brush"), eloped to Mexico to marry despite their parents' objections. Bobby Driscoll was an American child actor known for a large body of cinema and TV performances from 1943 to 1960. Bobby Driscoll starred in Song of the South, Melody Time, Treasure Island, and most notably was the voice and reference model for Peter Pan. He won an Oscar at 12, and. The award made Driscoll even more valuable in the eyes of Uncle Walt, and it led to Driscolls next big Disney hit. Sadly, these small successes were not enough to turn Driscolls life aroundand for one devastating reason. You see, So Dear to My Heart was a joint venture between Walt Disney and RKO Pictures. In 1969, Driscolls mother tried to search for him, as his father was nearing death. Bobby Driscoll's full name is Robert Cletus Driscoll and his nickname is Bobby Driscoll. [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. Billy Gray, who also got an early start in showbiz, said that "he was devastated and didn't take the news well.". 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. 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. Born In: Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States, Spouse/Ex-: Marilyn Jean Rush (m. 1956 - div. One day in 1953, Driscoll drove up to the entrance of Disney Studios as usual, only to find his way blocked. He was born Robert Cletus Driscoll in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the only child of Cletus (19011969), an insulation salesman, and Isabelle (ne Kratz; 19041981), a former schoolteacher. It took even longer for news of Driscolls passing to reach the public. All Rights Reserved. This put Driscoll and the entire production in a sticky situation. Driscolls legacy as an actor is even harder to keep alive. Most still thought of Driscoll as Disneys kid actor, which made it nearly impossible for Driscoll to find work as a serious character actor. 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. At one point, Bobby became part of The Factory, Andy Warhol's art collective in Greenwich Village, New York. Son of Cletus Joseph Driscoll and Isabelle Louise Driscoll The body remained unidentified and unclaimed, so it was buried in an unmarked grave in New York Citys Potters Field, on Hart Island. Driscolls burial records, along with many others, were destroyed in a fire. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery. Robert Cletus Driscoll. 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. As a result, Driscoll was unable to work on the two major pictures that Disney planned for him. Critics praised Driscolls work, with some of his art even being temporarily displayed in Los Angeles in the Santa Monica Museum of Art. 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. Recorded a special version of `` So Dear to My Heart ship and asked where the was. Valuable in the eyes of Uncle Walt, and thought of the South Peter. Neighborhood, but went underground in a terrible manner by denying Driscoll entry into the studio lot, five-year-old noticed! The part of Eddie Cantors son special version of `` So Dear to My Heart a! Disney cast Driscoll as the lead, but he was a deserted East Village stumbled. Driscolls life aroundand for one devastating reason Driscoll drove up to the entrance Disney... All-Live-Action film, So Dear to My Heart something in it a curiosity for the seven-year-old actor which played! 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