His parents had normal, respectable jobs. On March 30, 1968, about three weeks after his 31st birthday, two boys playing in a deserted East Village tenement at 371 East 10th St. found his body. Check out what's clicking today in entertainment. (CBS via Getty Images) Gray said he and his pal lost touch when Driscoll headed to New York. You are nearing the transfer limit for memorials managed by Find a Grave. Sorry! At one point, Bobby became part of The Factory, Andy Warhol's art collective in Greenwich Village, New York. . He had an extremely high IQ but the narcotics affected his brain. . Failed to delete memorial. Nationality. Born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the only offspring of his father, Cletus Driscoll (1901-1969), an insulation salesman, and his mother, Isabelle Kratz Driscoll (1904-1981), a former schoolteacher, Bobby moved with his parents to Des Moines, Iowa, where the entire family stayed until 1943. From there on, his life turned into a shocking mess with neither fame nor money on his account. And he didnt take the news well.". I love discussion, so please feel free to contribute, comment, or contact me. Not only did Driscolls grades begin to drop, but he began to hang around the wrong crowd. Im not really sure why I started using narcotics. More than a year after his death, Bobby Driscolls family finally learned of his tragic fate. "He was devastated," Gray said. The heartbreaking fate of BOBBY Peter Pan DRISCOLL, Disneys FIRST child star, whose road to ruin ended with heroin. Bobby Driscolls story is a fascinating one, the kind of tale not generally associated with the polished image of Disney. Nov. 20 - Has interview test at the . It includes nearly 400 photos of and about Bobby. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. Drugs changed him. Filmography. Although he tried to find steady work on several television shows and guest appearances over the years, he never regained his fame. 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). 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February 19, 2023, 6:17 am, by Gray said Driscoll came to the studio one day, and they wouldn't let him in the gate, saying he was fired. cemeteries found within kilometers of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. Bobby Driscoll appeared in some of the most famous live-action films of the time from the Walt Disney Studios. Birthplace: Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. And unlike todays celebrity obsessed social media, Bobby Driscolls death was barely noticed by the many. January 19, 2022, 6:17 pm, by "A lovely guy, a dear friend. For Bobby Driscoll, an actor that never got a chance to grow old, that seems like a resting place right out of a Hollywood movie. Photo request sent successfully. Nineteen months after his demise, Driscoll's mother sought the support of Disney Studio officials to reach Bobby for a potential reunion with his dying father. This is a carousel with slides. Hassan Remembering Bobby. American Actor Bobby Driscoll was born Robert Cletus Driscoll on 3rd March, 1937 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA and passed away on 30th Mar 1968 New York City, New York, USA aged 31. Refering to his diffcult transition to teenage and adult years, Bobby Driscoll admitted that his childhood was not a normal one, with people continually praising him, creating an environment of innate conceit. The couple eloped to Mexico just five months after they met, and would eventually have one son and two daughters. To use this feature, use a newer browser. Someone who becomes friends with Driscoll later says: He didnt really recover from abandoning by Hollywoodit hit him hard. When did Bobby Driscoll die? In 1961, after several arrests for check forgery and drug possession he was sentenced to six months in the Narcotics Rehab Center at Chino State Penitentiary. 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 . "Before he went on narcotics he almost never cried. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. This led to a rapid succession of movies that highlighted Driscolls adorable freckled face and All-American looks. Bobby Driscoll (left) with Hedda Hopper (right) and Luana Patten (center), circa 1947. A system error has occurred. He was a wonderful and talented young actor who left us far too soon. It was at this time that Bobby Driscolls heroin addiction became much more obvious he did little to hide his use. The actor's life was gradually a roller coaster experience that involved multiple run-ins with the law, and his subsequent conviction in October 1961 as a drug abuser came as hardly a shock. Those included Song of the South (1946), So Dear to My Heart (1949) and Treasure Island (1950).. Driscoll provided the voice for the title role in the 1953 . 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Photos larger than 8Mb will be reduced. Gray said Driscoll never found his way and made up his mind to do that. March 3, 1937: Bobby Driscoll is born in Cedar Rapids, IA. By all accounts, he was your average little kid living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The only son of a salesman and a former schoolteacher, he simply went in for a haircut one day and ended up meeting an agent. The voice of Disneys animate Peter Pan at age 16 dead at the age of just 31. He was 19 before we knew. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Bobby Driscoll and Luana Patten were the first two actors thatWalt Disneyever placed under contract. Listen to music from Bobby Driscoll like You Can Fly! He was last seen in small roles in TV series 'The Best of the Post' and the crime series, 'The Brothers Brannagan,' in . Select from premium Bobby Driscoll of the highest quality. It was incredible. But the shows [] More, You might remember her as Mindy in the off-beat yet endearing 70s and 80s sitcom Mork and Mindy. Please try again later. Bobby Driscoll was a natural-born actor. (CBS via Getty Images). Throughout Monroe and Kennedys alleged affair, Lawford supposedly acted as a liaison for the President. Eventually finding her bearings, Wendy is next seen charging up a nearby hill, ostensibly in search of help. Bobby Driscoll. Thats how he found out he was fired. Facts Verse Learn more about managing a memorial . Go back and grow up. And it wouldnt be until four years later that the public learned of Driscolls grim fate in 1972 when his Disney film "Song of the South" was re-released. Bobby Driscoll was the voice of Peter Pan and an inspiration behind the character. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. Oak Island is a privately owned island that sits off the coast of Nova Scotia in Canada. Two kids discovered his body lyingonacot,dispersedtotheground withtwoemptybeerbottlesandreligiousbrochures. Driscoll would graduate from the private school in 1955. He didnt bathe, his teeth got loose. He had an extremely high I.Q., but the narcotics affected his brain. 1 Year-Later She Realizes Her Huge Mistake, Bebe Buell Reveals Everything About Her Rock Star Romances, The Real Reason Peter Lawford Got Kicked Out of the Rat Pack, Pam Dawber is Unrecognizable Today (Try Not to Gasp), Why Jan Smithers DISAPPEARED After WKRP in Cincinnati, Celebrities Who Died Due to Medical Malpractice, The ONE Time Dolly Parton Got Naked in Public, Rare Photos of Lynda Carter Not Suitable for All Ages, How Each Gilligans Island Cast Member Died, The Tragic Death of Robert Urich & His Wife, The Tragic Life and Demise of Angie Dickinson. Facts Verse cemeteries found within miles of your location will be saved to your photo volunteer list. On this date in 1951, The Walt Disney Christmas Show premiered as a promotion for Peter Pan (1953). Bobby also voiced Peter Pan and did the live action reference filming for animators on the Disney feature toon classic. A tragic end befell Bobby Driscoll in 1968. His zodiac sign is Pisces. Facts Verse Soon, the major studios were clamoring for his talent and Walt Disney personally signed Driscoll as the first live action star to be placed under contract to the animation kingpin. Please enter your email address and we will send you an email with a reset password code. 2.9k Views. Driscoll was teased and bullied at the public school for his previous film career. whether we knew it was him or not. It is a common side effect of habitual heroin abuse. In a radio interview in 1946, Driscoll revealed, "A barber in Pasadena told me I should be in the movies, so one Sunday he . March 28, 2021, 6:21 am, by However, it marks the start of a successful relationship between Disney Studios and Bobby Driscoll. In addition to several roles in live action films, he was the voice of Peter Pan. Dec 4, 2014 @ 10:08AM. He is commemorated at Eternal Hills Memorial Park in Oceanside, California, on his father's gravestone. 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. In 1953, at the age of sixteen, Driscoll began starring as Peter Pan as a voice actor and close-up model. Bobby died in a deserted house in 1968, soon after his 31st birthday, in poor health because of his drug misuse, along with his dwindling funds. Later, the couple exchanged vows at a ceremony in Los Angeles held on March 8, 1957. Bobby, whose movie and television career spanned 17 years (1943 to 1960), was born Robert Cletus Driscoll in Grand Rapids, Iowa on March 3, 1937. Try again later. But soon after he was dropped by Disney (at the direction of RKO Studios owner Howard Hughes) his life spiralled from coast to coast. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. He was devastated. Nothing about his early childhood indicated a future career with Walt Disney. I first became interested in the fate of Disney child stars when I unintentionally discovered that Bobby Driscoll, the first bonafide live Disney star, who was featured in "Song of the South" and "Treasure Island," met an untimely end as a transient mentally disturbed drug addict in New York City: dying at the age of 31 and buried in an unmarked grave as an unidentified person. brochures. . "We hung out before hemoved to New York City. The agent starts working, landing Bobby Driscoll a bit role opposite Margaret O'Brien in the 1943 film Lost Angel . There was a problem getting your location. But trouble was never far away. When Howard Hughes bought RKO, he essentially became head of Disney. Try again later . After this film he dropped out of sight altogether. Driscoll was born in Iowa on March 3, 1937. Then I started putting all my spare time in my arm. It really blew me away. Bobby Driscoll wasnt really part of the hip New York City underground crowd. Driscoll's death was not announced until his first Disney film, Song of the South, was re-released in 1971. Unfortunately, Driscoll's life was anything but a fairytale and instead embodies the consequences and hardships that can sometimes come from the harsh reality of the spotlight. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Once Driscoll's corpse went uncollected, he was placed in an abandoned pauper's grave in New York City'sPotter's Field on Hart Island. Second star to the right and straight on till morning. When did Bobby Driscoll die? "I was carried on a silver platter and then dumped into the garbage can. A web page about Bobby Driscoll is located at Yahoo Groups. And then I immersed myself into his extensive collection of work. However, many audience members didnt realize that. Discovered by chance at the age of five-and-a-half in a barber shop in Altadena, CA. He was 19 before we knew.. In fact, he did not have his health either as he was diagnosed with hepatitis following persistent substance abuse. January 27, 2023, 7:28 pm, by Never!"- Peter Pan. Bobby Driscoll was previously married to Marilyn Jean Rush (1957 - 1960).. About. Referring to the fates of these unfortunate performers as a "curse" is misleading, of course. The actor subsequently vanished into the shadows, completely demoralized with neither money nor fame. A 7-year-old boy visits his grandfathers plantation in Disneys Song of the South. He was a highly acclaimed child actor who won a special Oscar (Juvenile Academy Award) for his starring role in 1949's "The Window," and was the first child actor put under exclusive contract to Walt Disney Studios. . You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial. Gray said the news did not sit well with Driscoll. Unfortunately, he started putting that money into his veins. 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. Advertisement. Driscoll was an American actor who appeared in films and on television between 1943 and 1960. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. and then convincing in anything he ever undertook on the movie screen and on television throughout his career spanning 17 years (1943-1960). Voiced Peter Pan as a & quot ; - Peter Pan as a promotion for Peter Pan extensive... Send you an email with a reset password code 6:17 pm, by never! & quot ; is,... Have one son and two daughters in Los Angeles held on March,! He ever undertook on the movie screen and on television between 1943 and 1960 to. 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