"I have this Forrest Gump-ian way of touching something and it becomes a hit!" Facts Verse No one seems to know how the then 31-year-old Driscoll spent his final days in New York City and why he ended up in an abandoned apartment where those kids found his body. 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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). A household name at the age of 9. When it was released in May 1949, it became a surprise hit. The cause of death for the penniless 31-year-old was hardening of the arteries, a common side effect of longtime heroin use, Entertainment Weekly reported. In some special star-focusing series, Driscoll appeared with Loretta Young, Gloria Swanson, and Jane Wyman. And while Williams sadly is no longer with us, Pam Dawber is still alive and well. Prison sentences were the kiss of death for Hollywood actors in those days, so after briefly working as a carpenter, Driscoll left his young children behind and moved to New York City in 1965,. ", "Memories are not very useful," he later reflected about his child stardom. 30/30 1 /30 14 Ratings 8,604 Views 5 Comments 1 Favorites Flag ", Trying to forge a new path, Driscoll left his parents' home at 16 and made trips to New York City to study acting. The public didn't learn about Driscoll's death for a few years, as word of his passing only came to light during the 1972 re-release of Song of the South. A post mortem examination determined that he had died from heart failure caused by advanced atherosclerosis[57] from his drug use. Moves from Des Monies, Iowa to Los Angeles. 2,517, This story has been shared 2,243 times. "I do remember living in Pacific Palisades in a house that my dad owned andseeing a bunch of pot on the table. I talked to a priest at the prison that he was in, and I got Bobby's prison records. Bobby Driscoll with pen in mouth in a scene from the film 'When I Grow Up', 1951. 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. By the time Bobby Driscoll voiced Peter Pan at 16, however, he no longer had the adorable looks that kept him in demand. Bobby Driscoll (left) with Hedda Hopper (right) and Luana Patten (center), circa 1947. July 2, 2021, 6:38 am, by The show followed widowed aeronautical engineer named Steven Douglas and his three sons. When it comes time to declare Bobby Driscolls cause of death, authorities mention the hardening of the arteries. How can a former child star who works with Hollywood greats like Alan Ladd, Roy Rogers, and Joan Fontaine fall so far from the bright lights and big screen? Alcohol abuse, drug overdose, violent fits, and severe depression. Throughout Monroe and Kennedys alleged affair, Lawford supposedly acted as a liaison for the President. [17], Treasure Island was an international hit, and several other film projects involving Driscoll were under discussion, but none materialized. Biography - A Short Wiki. The famed Disney animator Mary Blair, for instance, reportedly died from complications related to alcoholism, but that did not stop her from being inducted in 1991. Stream It Or Skip It: 'Love at First Kiss' on Netflix, a Spanish Rom-Com About a Man Gifted with 'Romantic Clairvoyance', Stream It Or Skip It: Tonight Youre Sleeping With Me on Netflix, a Dull, Passionless Polish Rom-Dram, Stream It Or Skip It: 'Disconnect: The Wedding Planner' on Netflix, A Nollywood Rom-Com, Stream It Or Skip It: 'A Sunday Affair' on Netflix, a Lukewarm Nollywood Love-Triangle Drama, Stream It Or Skip It: 'Marlon Wayans: God Loves Me' On HBO Max, Making The Oscars Slap All About Him, Stream It Or Skip It: 'Triangle of Sadness' on Hulu, Ruben Ostlund's Skewering of the Moneyed Elite. "If we weren't at Disneyland, we were at collectible stores looking for vintage antiques," says Allender of himself and his dad, who used to write for Tomart's Disneyana Update magazine. ", 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. Its an unambiguously tragic story. But trouble was never far away. And somewherealthough nobody is sure exactly whereon that island that once housed a woman's psychiatric asylum, a men's prison, and patients quarantined during an outbreak of yellow fever in the 1870s, is the final resting place of Peter Pan. He wanted to be just the reverse. 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. Death was due to hardening of the arteries, a condition common in long-term heroin addicts. When Will 'Attack on Titan' Season 4, Part 4 Air? "It hit him hard. The agent starts working, landing Bobby Driscoll a bit role opposite Margaret OBrien in the 1943 film Lost Angel. At one point, Bobby became part of The Factory, Andy Warhol's art collective in Greenwich Village, New York. [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. Someone who becomes friends with Driscoll later says: He didnt really recover from abandoning by Hollywoodit hit him hard. "He got into heroin. "Before he went on narcotics he almost never cried. When Howard Hughes bought RKO, he essentially became head of Disney. January 27, 2023, 6:25 pm, Trending While Robert Urich was famous for doing battle with tough foes on the screen. A child actors childhood is not a normal one. This story reads more like a Hollywood murder mystery than an uplifting Disney fairytale. 1,686, This story has been shared 1,509 times. Keep watching to learn more about Bobby Driscolls untimely death. Since its release, Song of the South has been a lightning rod for controversy none of it is Driscolls fault. Bobby Driscoll wasnt really part of the hip New York City underground crowd. Bobby Driscoll AKA Robert Cletus Driscoll Born: 3-Mar - 1937 Birthplace: Cedar Rapids, IA Died: 30-Mar - 1968 Location of death: Greenwich Village, NY Cause of death: Heart Failure Remains: Buried, Potter's Field, Hart Island, NY Gender: Male Race or Ethnicity: White Sexual orientation: Straight Occupation: Actor Nationality: United States Bobby Driscoll American actor (1937-1968) . No one knows exactly how the then 31-year-old Driscoll spent his final days in New York City and why he ended up in the slum where his body was found. He died at the age of thirty-one from drugs and misery. Four years later, a 31-year-old Driscoll was found dead on a New York City park bench, surrounded by beer bottles. Still perceived as "Disney's kid actor",[28] he was unable to get movie roles as a serious character actor. 6,086, This story has been shared 5,366 times. Here is all you want to know, and more! He had no residence, and kept his clothes at his parents. I later heard he was discovered overdosed in an abandoned building. Date Of Death: March 30, 1968 Cause Of Death: N/A Ethnicity: White Nationality: American Bobby Driscoll was born on the 3rd of March, 1937. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, . In 1968, Driscoll's body was discovered in Greenwich Village by children playing in an abandoned tenement building. Now nicknamed by the American press as Walt Disney's "Sweetheart Team",[8] Driscoll and Patten starred together in So Dear to My Heart (1948) with Burl Ives and Beulah Bondi. 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That's the real story of Hollywood. He became addicted to narcotics, and was sentenced to prison for illicit drug use. He was just 17 when he first experimented with heroin, and soon after was using whatever he could get his hands onmostly heroin, because he had the money to pay for it. Bobby Driscoll suffered a tragic life after Disney dropped him. Bobby Driscoll - Wikipedia The MCUs tiniest heroes are kicking off its biggest phase yet, setting up the next several years of storytelling. Bobby Driscoll pictured in 1949. In addition to Peter Pan, he also had roles in Song of the South (1946), So Dear to My Heart (1949), and Treasure Island (1950). I made lots of money, so I recruited other toons to star in more movies. He received an Academy Juvenile Award for outstanding performances in So Dear to My Heart and The Window. But Warhol loved having him as part of his scene. Bobby's body, as noted, was found on March 30, 1968 in an abandoned tenement in Greenwich Village. 4,151, This story has been shared 3,489 times. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. EXCLUSIVE: Billy Gray still has fond memories of his beloved pal Bobby Driscoll. 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. [1] Scala is interred in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. A severe case of acne accompanying the onset of puberty,[27] explaining why it was necessary for Driscoll to use heavy makeup for his performances on dozens of TV shows, was officially provided as the final reason for the termination of his connection with the Disney Studios. 'Next In Fashion' Season 2 on Netflix: Follow the Designers on Instagram, Is 'Yellowstone' On Tonight? Dawber has married to NCIS star Mark Harmon for more than three [] More, Jan Smithers is a former television actress that is best known for her portrayal of the character Bailey Quarters on the television series WKRP in Cincinnati. "[36][37] At his request, Driscoll's parents returned him the next year to Hollywood Professional School, where in May 1955 he graduated.[38]. There were no obvious signs of foul play. And guess what? Its given me so much joy throughout my life. He thought they were precocious, werent real, and were incredibly annoying. Alcohol abuse, drug overdose, violent fits, and severe depression. This resulted in a fingerprint match at the New York City Police Department, which located his burial on Hart Island. Offers may be subject to change without notice. It was planned as Disney's first all-live-action movie, with production beginning immediately after Song of the South,[9] but its release was delayed until late 1948 to meet the demands of Disney's co-producer and longtime distributor RKO Radio Pictures for animated content in the film. 2,789, This story has been shared 2,517 times. In March of 1968, a pair of children playing in an abandoned, Greenwich Village tenement in New York City discovered a young man dead on a cot, surrounded by beer bottles and religious handouts. He had an extremely high I.Q., but the narcotics affected his brain. Driscoll encountered increasing indifference from the other Hollywood studios. CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER REMEMBERED BY SOUND OF MUSIC CO-STAR JULIE ANDREWS: I HAVE LOST A CHERISHED FRIEND, Bobby Driscoll with pen in mouth in a scene from the film 'When I Grow Up', 1951. The award was presented as a special miniature Oscar statuette for "the outstanding juvenile actor of 1949" for his roles in So Dear to My Heart and The Window, both released that year. 'Yellowstone' Return Date Info, Savannah Guthrie Rushed Out Of 'Today' After Testing Positive For COVID-19 During Live Broadcast, Where Is Hoda Kotb? At one point, Bobby became part of The Factory, Andy Warhol's art collective in Greenwich Village, New York. Im not really sure why I started using narcotics. ", Eliot has a far more sobering rationale. 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. So I decided to take the power back and make my own bootleg movie. Bobby Driscoll then became, in his own words, a beatnik and a bum. Who becomes the first male actor to secure a contract with the studio. Apparently, they arent subscribers to the old adage that too much of a good thing can actually be a bad thing. Then I started putting all my spare time in my arm. The couple was later rewed in a ceremony that took place in Los Angeles in March 1957. Bobby Driscoll's Friend Billy Gray Reveals What Led to the Former Id never been so happy in my entire life. And they threw me away like I was nothing. I was scared, desperate, and all alone, says Sweet Pete. He was 19 before we knew. But that was a choice he made, and you couldn't talk him out of it. It was tragic and there wasn't much you could do about it. Some theorists even [] More, Are you a fan of sitcom My Three Sons? Facts Verse Bobby Driscoll: Date of birth: 3 March 1937 Cedar Rapids Robert Cletus Driscoll: Date of death: 30 March 1968 East Village: Manner of death: natural causes; Cause of death: heart failure; Place of burial: Hart Island; Work period (start) 1943; Work period (end) 1965; Country of citizenship: Join Fact Verse to learn more about bobby driscoll cause of death. It would take even longer for word to reach the public at large, as news of the Disney star's passing only surfaced four years after the fact, during the rerelease of Song of the South in 1972.