bobby driscoll family

An examination revealed that Driscoll passed from heart failure directly related to his drug usage. 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). 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). It took even longer for news of Driscolls passing to reach the public. In December of 1956, Driscoll made the decision to elope with his longtime girlfriend, Marilyn Jean Rush. By all accounts, he was your average little kid living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Born In: Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States, Spouse/Ex-: Marilyn Jean Rush (m. 1956 - div. Although Driscoll had a troubled life, he attempted to push forward. From there, Driscoll quickly became one of Disneys biggest money-makers. [35] He said later, "The other kids didn't accept me. He appeared in a variety of anthology and drama series, such as Dragnet (a crime drama) and Medic (the OG medical drama). 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. 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This resulted in a fingerprint match at the New York City Police Department, which located his burial on Hart Island. The first film they needed Driscoll for was If You Knew Susie, a comedy musical that was right up Driscolls alley. 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. 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. They were allowed to remain for six weeks to prepare an appeal, and director Byron Haskin hastily shot all of Driscoll's close-ups,[16] using his British stand-in to film missing location scenes after his parents and he had returned to California. with Alan Ladd (all 1946). Cast with Charles Boyer, Marsha Hunt, Louis Jourdan, and Kurt Kasznar, he played the juvenile offspring of a patriarch in Quebec of the 1920s, the character upon whom the plot centered. By all accounts, he was your average little kid living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 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). [17], Treasure Island was an international hit, and several other film projects involving Driscoll were under discussion, but none materialized. Disney had big plans for Driscoll too. A lot of pressure was on Driscoll to perform. Unfortunately, Driscoll's fans had no idea about his sad fate until 1972 when the Disney film "Song of the South," featured in, was re-released. Advertisement The teaser of the Pecos Bill section of Disneys 1948 cartoon collection Melody Time featured Driscoll and Patten. He won awards and also befriended his castmates along the way. Making distraction rewarding since 2017. His talent was discovered at the age of five purely by chance. He believed they were precocious, fake, and very annoying. Bobby Driscoll is American by birth. Robert Cletus Driscoll. At one point, Bobby became part of The Factory, Andy Warhol's art collective in Greenwich Village, New York. After taking one look at Driscolls adorable little freckled face, the barbers son got Driscoll an acting agent. At Factinate, were dedicated to getting things right. 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. 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. Three children: Dr. Daniel Abram Driscoll, Aaren Hope Driscoll Keely, and Katherine Ann Driscoll Grundmeier. Bobby Driscoll was a natural-born actor. Bobby Driscoll was born Robert Cletus Driscoll on March 3, 1937. 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. He starred in some of the Walt Disney Studios' best-known live-action pictures of that period: Song of the South (1946), So Dear to My Heart (1949), and Treasure Island (1950), as well as RKO's The Window (1949). He was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on 1937-03-03. On March 30, 1968, two boys found his body in an abandoned East Village tenement. Perhaps Driscoll hoped that Rush would change him for the better, but what actually happened was far, far worse. Bobby Driscoll Age & Birthday. 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. 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. and then convincing in anything he ever undertook on the movie screen and on television throughout his career spanning 17 years (1943-1960). He had reportedly been on a cot surrounded by beer bottles and religious handouts. Hoping to revive his career on the stage after his parole had expired in 1964, he eventually traveled to New York, only to learn that his reputation had preceded him, and no one wanted to hire him there, either. Driscolls past as a child actor made him a prime target for ridicule from the other students, resulting in his grades dropping. Son of Cletus Joseph Driscoll and Isabelle Louise Driscoll The courtroom is packed with Henon's family and supporters, with more . Robert Cletus Driscoll was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1937. 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. By early 1962, Driscolls prison sentence ended, but it utterly destroyed his chances of becoming an actor ever again. This decision kept Driscolls career alivefor now. 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. The heartbreaking fate of BOBBY "Peter Pan" DRISCOLL, Disney's FIRST child star, whose road to ruin ended with heroin. It mustve felt like one huge adventure for Driscoll, but a huge issue ended Driscolls journey almost as soon as it began. Although Catherine's successor Queen Anne Boleyn suffered an infamously dark fate, Aragon's own life was somehow even more tragic. 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. However, this wasnt the end of the humiliation that Driscoll had to face. -. Still, Walt Disney had a lot of affection for Driscoll and signed the boy on for a second contract regardless. I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. "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 . They managed to identify Driscoll through his fingerprints, which led them to Hart Island. Driscolls dad was nearing the end of his life, and Driscolls mom wanted to reunite father and son one last time. When a doctor . 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. 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. 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. 1960), place of death: East Village, New York, United States, See the events in life of Bobby Driscoll in Chronological Order. 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. Well, not exactly. EXCLUSIVE: Billy Gray still has fond memories of his beloved pal Bobby Driscoll. 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. Disney still kept Driscoll on their payroll, but it was clear that they were losing interest in their once-favorite kid actor. His parents again sent him to his earlier school, where he completed his graduation in 1955. In the few short years he became a star, Driscoll never quite found his way or regained his footing. Bobby Driscoll was born Robert Cletus Driscoll on March 3, 1937. My mom never told me how her best friend died. Other studios quickly saw Driscolls potential too, and the boy soon had more roles than he knew what to do with. 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. Full Real Name. . In 1956, Driscoll eloped with his long-time girlfriend, Marilyn Jeanne Rush, to Mexico, in the hopes of avoiding their parents' objection, but this marriage was later annulled. The story of this child actor, who starred in films like Song of the South and Peter Pan, is a heart-wrenching one. BobbyDriscoll.com. By Julie Miller May 23, 2022 "This. They treated me as one apart. At the time, Disneys finances were in shambles thanks to WWII and desperately needed the film to do well. 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. During production, the big wigs of RKO pictures were so impressed by Driscolls talent that they borrowed him for two vastly different films. Includes such notable movie screen appearances as The Fighting Sullivans (1944), Song of the . While the film received mixed critical reactions and was rather controversial upon release, Song of the South netted Walt Disney $226,000, which is the equivalent of over $3 million in todays dollars. In 1954, he was awarded a Milky Way Gold Star Award, chosen in a nationwide poll for his work on television and radio. His performance won him an Oscar at 12, and by 16, he was given a chance to voice "Peter Pan," an animated film about a boy who never wants to grow up. 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. Hughes was not a big fan of Driscoll and Hollywood kids in general. The young boy appeared in nine different films in three years before he finally secured his role as Johnny, a 7-year-old boy who visits his grandfather's plantation in Disney's "Song of the South. Remember Howard Hughes, the guy that initially dismissed Driscolls acting ability? Shortly after his birth, the family moved to Des Moines, where they stayed until early 1943. 'Treasure Island became a worldwide hit and many new projects were planned with Driscoll as the lead, but somehow they didnt work-out. 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. This revelation comes from a friend of the late voice actor, Billy Gray. On top of that, the head honchos at Disney planned more film projects involving Driscoll. For Driscoll, this was easier said than done. Bobby Driscoll's full name is Robert Cletus Driscoll and his nickname is Bobby Driscoll. To make matters worse, Disney distanced itself from Song of the South, as well as Peter Pan to a lesser degree, both films in which Driscoll played a pivotal role. From 1944 to 1946, Driscoll found work in films that needed a cute, gifted little boy. Driscoll's parents were encouraged to help their son become a child performer in films. He tried to seek serious acting roles. Both were originally aired on November 5, 1960. Driscolls new acting agent put out the feelers for roles that suited little Driscoll, and soon found the perfect part for him in an upcoming MGM Studios film called Lost Angels. We want our readers to trust us. I tried desperately to be one of the gang. As a result, the city buried Driscolls unclaimed body in an unmarked paupers grave on Hart Island. 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. Around that time, Howard Hughes bought RKO, effectively making him the owner of the Disney studio. News of Driscolls end finally went public, four years after tragedy took the young mans life. Driscolls time with Disney was running out. He briefly worked as a carpenter and cared for the young children he had with his ex-wife. Most still thought of Driscoll as Disneys kid actor, which made it nearly impossible for Driscoll to find work as a serious character actor. Instead, they sent Driscoll to West Los Angeles University High School. 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. [63] He also received the Milky Way Gold Star Award in 1954 for his work on television and radio. Voice of 1953 Disney's Peter Pan. According to him, his personality took a turn for the worse during his marriage, and his dwindling career soon followed suit. The role was minor, but it was the start of many movies that capitalized on Driscoll's features, including his pert nose and freckled face. Advertisement At just five and a half, Robert Cletus Driscoll was discovered in a Los Angeles barbershop as he was getting his haircut. 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. Copyright 2023 by Factinate.com. Spring inspires lessons in love and life for a French family in 1920s Ottawa, especially for teenage Robert, who's blind to the attentions of an American neighbor girl, because he's infatuated with the beautiful new maid, fleeing life as a magician's assistant. 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