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. My mom never told me how her best friend died. 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. 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. In no time at all I was using whatever was availablemostly heroin, because I had the money to pay for it., Driscoll estimated that he spent more than $100,000 of his earnings and confessed that he had damaged his most important relationships. We and our partners share information on your use of this website to help improve your experience. Bobby Driscoll, Peter Votrian and Claude Akins star in "Laughter is a Boy," 1954 medical drama about a boy who is bullied because of a speech defect. Bobby Driscoll was a natural-born actor. 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. Instead of doing that, however, Driscoll took the sneaky route: He used the six-week buffer he had to hastily film all his close-ups. In high school, he was teased by his peers and his grades declined. The medical examiner determined the cause of death as "socclusive coronary arteriosclerosis," or hardening of the arteries. 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). "[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. It's the first Sunday after Thanksgiving and a family is busy setting up chairs on the 1500 block of Vine Street in Hollywood. "It wasn't a secret," says Gray. Driscolls time with Disney was running out. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. He had an extremely high I.Q., but the narcotics affected his brain. This strategy was only mildly successful. Driscoll wasnt going to take that lying down, however. Dec 4, 2014 @ 10:08AM. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Driscoll and Luana Patten were the first two actors Walt Disney placed under contract. 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. His parents had normal, respectable jobs. The news was absolutely devastating. During the middle of production, authorities discovered that Driscoll did not have a valid British work permit. [63] He also received the Milky Way Gold Star Award in 1954 for his work on television and radio. The award Driscoll received was the Juvenile Academy Award, which is only awarded at the discretion of the Academys Board of Governors. Driscoll also engaged in a more dangerous form of recreationheroin. Format. It worked. That's how she lives all alone, estranged from her ex-daughter-in-law and the grandchildren, remembering Bobby, the way it was when . Disneys animated kids show is a great showcase for queer charactersand its cancellation could spell trouble for similarly themed series. Drugs changed him. 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. ", KIM NOVAK EXPLAINS WHY SHE LEFT HOLLYWOOD: 'I FELT LIKE I WAS LOSING MYSELF', Bobby Driscoll (left) with Hedda Hopper (right) and Luana Patten (center), circa 1947. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, Needless to say, Driscoll could not afford to fail. He hated Hollywood kids. If it weren't for the fact that the Walk of Fame isn't known for honoring athletic achievement, it would be a good enough guess. The director was impressed by the boy's curiosity and intelligence and chose him over 40 applicants.[2][3]. Although Driscoll had a troubled life, he attempted to push forward. While So Dear to My Heart didnt put quite as much pressure on Driscoll to perform well, the plot of the film closely mirrored Walt Disneys childhood, giving the filmand Driscolls role as young Jeremiaha special meaning to Walt. After years of working for the studio, Disney dropped Driscoll like a hot coal, forcing the young man to find work elsewhere. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. That's when reporters looked into the whereabouts of the main cast, and his mother revealed the tragic news. Driscoll was the animation model and lent the voice for the titular character in animated musical fantasy adventure-drama Peter Pan (1953), one of his most famous roles to date. He also reportedly enrolled in UCLA and Stanford but dropped out. 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. "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". But in 1953, the same year that Peter Pan was released, an adolescent Driscoll was suddenly dropped from his contracta cruel twist for the actor who just played a character who never wants to grow up for the studio. He was a heroin addict. Still, Walt Disney had a lot of affection for Driscoll and signed the boy on for a second contract regardless. These included live-action/animated musical Song of the South (1946), feature film So Dear to My Heart (1949), and live-action adventure Treasure Island(1950). All rights reserved. Netflixs Ada Twist Scientists Gay Character: Is Anyone Related to LGBTQ? Beside his body were two empty bottles of beer and a number of religious tracts. Husbands hiding things from wives, mothers from children, and generation from generation. Genre. Driscoll never forgot about his dream of being an actor, though. Every cent he made went straight to fueling his addiction. This was already sad enough, but it wasnt even the most tragic fact about his end. In the film, Driscoll portrayed Tommy Woodry, a boy that witnesses a murder, only to have no one believe him due to his reputation as a liar. Bobby Driscoll (voice of Peter Pan) fell into drug addiction when his acting career failed. By the end of 1967, Driscoll broke up with Didi. Chip certainly gets it, having sacrificed his Hollywood dreams to schlep insurance packages. [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. In late 1969, one year after the discovery of Driscolls body, Driscolls mother attempted to find her son. The actor continued to perform successfully on television until 1957 and even managed to secure two final screen roles on The Scarlet Coat (1955) and The Party Crashers (1958). During production, the big wigs of RKO pictures were so impressed by Driscolls talent that they borrowed him for two vastly different films. My daughter loves it. 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. Bobby Driscoll and Connie Stevens in The Party Crashers (1958) After his appearance in The Party Crashers, the party truly started crashing around Driscoll. For Driscoll, this was easier said than done. From petty paybacks to insane acts of karma, these bitter people somehow found the most ingenious ways. There were no obvious signs of foul play. 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. "We were buddies," said Gray. He didn't want Bobby Driscoll to be with Disney anymore. Discovered by chance at the age of five-and-a-half in a barber shop in Altadena, CA. Marilyn Jean Rush is best known as the ex-wife of Bobby Driscoll. 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. "We just don't know where." "What's the point of poking at it?" 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. Still perceived as "Disney's kid actor",[28] he was unable to get movie roles as a serious character actor. My clothes were at my parents' [house] but I didn't live anywhere. The young boy had it all, but unfortunately, his snafu with the British authorities had a bigger impact on his career than Driscoll couldve imagined. Historys most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. A Promising Beginning. He just never found his way and made that choice.". But Driscoll never found his way back to acting or the industry. Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. "He got into heroin. You see, So Dear to My Heart was a joint venture between Walt Disney and RKO Pictures. After taking one look at Driscolls adorable little freckled face, the barbers son got Driscoll an acting agent. "He was very lovely," adds Kathryn Beaumont, 82, who starred opposite Driscoll as the voice of Wendy in Peter Pan. "People make mistakes. He didnt want Bobby Driscoll to be with Disney anymore. 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. They treated me as one apart. A Writers Strike Might Grind Hollywood to a Halt: What You Need to Know. 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. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. By Julie Miller May 23, 2022 "This. "We loved him dearly," remembers Berman's wife Shirley, now 83. "My feeling is that it's not a shameful place to be buried," says Hunt, who hopes to someday see the cemetery accessible to the public. ", The most promising tribute to Driscoll is Lost Boy: The Bobby Driscoll Story, a long-gestating documentary in the works by Jordan Allender, a 30-year-old film-school graduate who was raised on Disney lore. Although Catherine's successor Queen Anne Boleyn suffered an infamously dark fate, Aragon's own life was somehow even more tragic. While on a tour on the studio lot, Driscoll noticed a mock-up ship and curiously asked where the water was. 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. Occasionally, the director overdoes things a bit in striving for shock effectsBut "The Window" is Bobby Driscoll's picture, make no mistake about that.
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