Disney’s Forgotten Child Star

June 27, 2023 | Rebecca Wong

Disney’s Forgotten Child Star


Disney likes to believe it has a squeaky-clean image, but one look at Bobby Driscoll reveals a much darker truth.


1. He Was A Normal Kid

Bobby Driscoll was born Robert Cletus Driscoll on March 3, 1937. By all accounts, he was your average little kid living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His parents had normal, respectable jobs. Nothing about his early childhood indicated a future career with Walt Disney. In fact, Driscoll stumbled into acting purely by chance…and it was all thanks to a fateful encounter.

bobby driscoll

2. His Career Started Accidentally

Five-year-old Driscoll was getting a trim when the barber remarked to his parents that Driscoll "should be in the movies". The barber then connected them to his son, who was an actor himself. After taking one look at Driscoll’s adorable little freckled face, the barber’s son got Driscoll an acting agent. Just like that, precocious little Driscoll took his first steps toward a whole new life—but his road to stardom was not going to be an easy one.

Bobby Driscoll FactsWikimedia Commons

3. He Had A Rough Start

Driscoll’s 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. The part for Driscoll was a tiny one—he would only be on screen for a grand total of two minutes—but the competition was fierce. In fact, 40 other applicants wanted the role!

Driscoll needed to stand out to get the part, so he ended up doing something that completely won the director over.

Ava Gardner FactsPixabay

4. He Amazed The Director

What Driscoll did was simple, but revealed a curiosity for the world around him which deeply impressed the director for Lost Angels. While on a tour on the studio lot, Driscoll noticed a mock-up ship and curiously asked where the water was. Driscoll’s desire to learn dazzled the director, who ended up choosing Driscoll over the other 40 applicants.

Other studios quickly saw Driscoll’s potential too, and the boy soon had more roles than he knew what to do with.

Bobby Driscoll FactsWikimedia Commons

5. He Had A Winning Look

In 1944, 20th Century Fox offered Driscoll a role in their WWII drama, The Fighting Sullivans. He portrayed a young version of Al Sullivan, one of five close-knit brothers growing up in Iowa during the dark days of the Great Depression. Audiences warmly received Driscoll and his "pert nose and freckled face," leading to even more film roles for the seven-year-old actor. But that was only the tip of the iceberg.

Bobby Driscoll FactsThe Fighting Sullivans (1944), 20th Century Fox

6. He Had A Talent For Acting

From 1944 to 1946, Driscoll found work in films that needed a cute, gifted little boy. He portrayed a boy that could whistle while standing on his head in Sunday Dinner for a Soldier, acted across Richard Arlen as his kid brother in The Big Bonanza, and portrayed Percy Maxim—a trouble-making child—in So Goes My Love. While those roles got Driscoll’s acting career rolling, it was his next role that took the little boy’s career to the next level.

Bobby Driscoll FactsGetty Images

7. He Fell In With The House Of Mouse

After three years of taking on minor acting roles, Driscoll got the chance of a lifetime when he caught the eye of the one and only Walt Disney. Disney placed young Driscoll and an even younger Luana Patten under contract, making Driscoll one of the first actors to ever be placed under a contract to the House of Mouse. Disney had big plans for Driscoll too.

The young actor’s days of taking on small movie roles were officially over—but this new life would eventually lead him down a dark and dangerous path.

Stars gone too soonWikipedia

8. He Couldn’t Fail

The first Disney film that Driscoll ever acted in was Song of the South in 1946, in which Driscoll took on the starring role as Johnny. A lot of pressure was on Driscoll to perform. At the time, Disney’s finances were in shambles thanks to WWII and desperately needed the film to do well. Needless to say, Driscoll could not afford to fail.

Bobby Driscoll FactsSong of the South (1946), Walt Disney Productions

9. He Saved Disney Studios

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 today’s dollars. Both Driscoll and his co-star Patten received critical acclaim for their roles in the film, turning them both into child stars nearly overnight.

From there, Driscoll quickly became one of Disney’s biggest money-makers. But this was only the beginning.

Bobby Driscoll FactsGetty Images

10. He Became The Darling Of Disney

Following Driscoll’s runaway success in Song of the South, Disney immediately ordered for production on So Dear to My Heart to begin. While So Dear to My Heart didn’t put quite as much pressure on Driscoll to perform well, the plot of the film closely mirrored Walt Disney’s childhood, giving the film—and Driscoll’s role as young Jeremiah—a special meaning to Walt.

Disney put a lot of faith into Driscoll for the film, and it definitely paid off.

Bobby Driscoll FactsSo Dear to My Heart (1948), Walt Disney Productions

11. He Impressed The Right People

You see, So Dear to My Heart was a joint venture between Walt Disney and RKO Pictures. During production, the big wigs of RKO pictures were so impressed by Driscoll’s talent that they borrowed him for two vastly different films. The first film they needed Driscoll for was If You Knew Susie, a comedy musical that was right up Driscoll’s alley. The other film RKO had in mind for Driscoll, however, presented a whole new challenge for the child actor.

Bobby Driscoll FactsIf You Knew Susie (1948), RKO Pictures

12. He Took On A Dark Role

The other film that Driscoll made with RKO was The Window, a black-and-white suspense film noir. 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. The part was a far cry from Driscoll’s usual roles—there was no singing, wise-cracking, or cartoon animals involved.

And despite Driscoll’s acting talents, not everyone believed in Driscoll’s star power.

Bobby Driscoll FactsThe Window (1949), RKO Pictures

13. He Made A Terrible Enemy

After filming wrapped up for The Window, Driscoll’s career hit a major snag. 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, Driscoll’s film wasn’t released until the following year, in May of 1949.

Hughes probably didn’t expect much of a reaction, but he couldn’t have been more wrong.

Howard Hughes FactsGetty Images

14. Critics Loved Him

When The Window hit theaters, it—and more importantly, Driscoll’s performance—was a hit with audiences. The New York Times credited the film’s success wholly to Driscoll’s performance, stating that "The Window is Bobby Driscoll’s picture, make no mistake about it". At just ten years old, Driscoll proved to the world that he had what it took to be an exceptional actor, and it led to one of the biggest highlights of his career.

Bobby Driscoll FactsGetty Images

15. They Recognized His Talents

In 1950, Driscoll—at just 13 years old—received a very special Academy Award that recognized his work in So Dear to My Heart and The Window. The award Driscoll received was the Juvenile Academy Award, which is only awarded at the discretion of the Academy’s Board of Governors. The award made Driscoll even more valuable in the eyes of Uncle Walt, and it led to Driscoll’s next big Disney hit.

Bobby Driscoll FactsWikipedia

16. He Went On An Adventure

In 1950, Disney cast Driscoll as Jim Hawkins in Treasure Island, the studio’s first all live-action film. Not only did it give Driscoll another chance at a starring role, but Disney planned on filming in the United Kingdom. It must’ve felt like one huge adventure for Driscoll, but a huge issue ended Driscoll’s journey almost as soon as it began.

Bobby Driscoll FactsTreasure Island (1950), Walt Disney Productions

17. He Got Into Major Trouble

During the middle of production, authorities discovered that Driscoll did not have a valid British work permit. Both Driscoll’s family and Disney received hefty fines, and they ordered Driscoll out of the country. This put Driscoll and the entire production in a sticky situation. There was simply no way Disney could complete Treasure Island without Driscoll…Or so it seemed.

Bobby Driscoll FactsGetty Images

18. He Saved The Production

The authorities in the United Kingdom allowed Driscoll six weeks to prepare an appeal. 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. At the end of his six weeks, the authorities booted Driscoll and his family out of the country, and Disney filmed the rest of Driscoll’s scenes with a stand-in.

It certainly wasn’t the best experience Driscoll had with a production, but it barely put a dent in Driscoll’s success.

Bobby Driscoll FactsTreasure Island (1950), Walt Disney Productions

19. He Became A Child Star

Despite the obstacles presented to Driscoll during production, Treasure Island was an international smash hit. It was so popular that Driscoll reprised his role the following year for a radio adaption of the movie. On top of that, the head honchos at Disney planned more film projects involving Driscoll. The young boy had it all, but unfortunately, his snafu with the British authorities had a bigger impact on his career than Driscoll could’ve imagined.

Bobby Driscoll FactsGetty Images

20. His Career Slowed Down

Disney slated Driscoll for two more films: Tom Sawyer and Robin Hood. While Driscoll was the perfect age for the role of Tom Sawyer, court disputes over the Tom Sawyer story forced Disney to cancel the project altogether, leaving Driscoll high and dry. Driscoll still had Robin Hood to look forward to, at least…Right? Well, not exactly.

Gloria Grahame FactsFlickr, Marco Verch

21. He Lost His Chance

Disney wanted to film Robin Hood in the United Kingdom, but Driscoll’s run-in with British immigration made it impossible for the young actor to work in the UK. As a result, Driscoll was unable to work on the two major pictures that Disney planned for him. Still, Walt Disney had a lot of affection for Driscoll and signed the boy on for a second contract regardless. This decision kept Driscoll’s career alive…for now.

Paul Rudd FactsPixabay

22. He Kept Moving Forward

For the next two years, Driscoll continued to find work in film, television, and voice acting. He took on the double role of Danny/Josh Reed in When I Grow Up and made a brief guest appearance in Disney’s first televised Christmas show, One Hour in Wonderland. Driscoll even had the honor of voicing Goofy Jr. in two Disney cartoon shorts, Fathers are People and Father’s Lion. At the same time, Driscoll was working on another project—and it defined his entire career.

Bobby Driscoll FactsGetty Images

23. He Took On His Defining Role

Between May of 1949 to  mid-1951, Driscoll was working on Disney’s animated version of Peter Pan. His role for the production was enormously important: not only did he voice the titular Peter, but he also served as the reference model for the film’s close-ups. Even more amazingly, Driscoll became the first male to portray Peter on film.

The film was incredibly received—but in an ironic twist, its success ended up being Driscoll’s downfall.

The Legend of Zelda FactsPeter Pan, The Walt Disney Company

24. He Was Too Successful

Although Peter Pan was largely successful, Walt Disney himself didn’t like the film. He thought that Peter—and Driscoll, by extension—came off as cold and unlikeable in the movie. Ironically, critics of the film thought that Driscoll’s portrayal was a huge step up, as the original Peter Pan book portrayed the character as a complete sociopath.

Unfortunately for Driscoll, Walt’s affection seemed to run dry after the filming of Peter Pan, and it led to the young actor’s early decline.

Bobby Driscoll FactsFlickr, Tom Simpson

25. They Stopped Caring About Him

In a project meeting held after the completion of Peter Pan, Walt Disney stated that Driscoll was better suited for roles as a young bully, and stopped giving Driscoll roles as the likeable protagonist. As a result, Driscoll received very little work from 1952 onwards. Disney still kept Driscoll on their payroll, but it was clear that they were losing interest in their once-favorite kid actor. Driscoll’s time with Disney was running out.

Classic Kids’ Movies FactsWikimedia Commons

26. He Suffered A Humiliating Blow

Things came to a head when Driscoll hit puberty. With puberty came a severe case of acne, which—through no fault of his own—marred the boy’s flawless face. When Driscoll appeared on television, Disney Studios forced him to use heavy makeup to cover up his acne, which must've been humiliating for Driscoll. However, this wasn’t the end of the humiliation that Driscoll had to face.

Bobby Driscoll FactsGetty Images

27. He Hit The Curb

Remember Howard Hughes, the guy that initially dismissed Driscoll’s acting ability? As the years passed, Hughes’s disdain for Driscoll seemingly turned into downright hatred. You see, Hughes really had it out for child actors like Driscoll; he thought that kids like Driscoll were "incredibly annoying". As Driscoll’s acne grew worse, Hughes used his influence over Disney to get rid of Driscoll in the most mortifying fashion possible.

Hughes At CourtGetty Images

28. They Left Him High And Dry

One day in 1953, Driscoll drove up to the entrance of Disney Studios as usual, only to find his way blocked. The guards refused to let Driscoll enter, and informed him—rather abruptly and rudely—that he was no longer under the employ of Disney Studios. The news was absolutely devastating. After years of working for the studio, Disney dropped Driscoll like a hot coal, forcing the young man to find work elsewhere. For Driscoll, this was easier said than done.

Bobby Driscoll FactsFlickr, Ken Lund

29. Disney Overshadowed His Talent

After his dismissal, the now teenaged Driscoll looked to other Hollywood studios for work. In an incredibly sad twist, Driscoll’s work with Disney made it incredibly difficult for the young actor to find roles. Most still thought of Driscoll as "Disney’s kid actor," which made it nearly impossible for Driscoll to find work as a serious character actor. Outside of his career, Driscoll’s private life was going just as poorly.

Bobby Driscoll FactsGetty Images

30. He Didn’t Fit In

After Disney kicked Driscoll to the curb, his parents withdrew him from the Hollywood Professional School, an institution that served child actors. Instead, they sent Driscoll to West Los Angeles University High School. Driscoll’s past as a child actor made him a prime target for ridicule from the other students, resulting in his grades dropping. Driscoll wasn’t going to take that lying down, however.

Bobby Driscoll FactsWikipedia

31. He Tired To Move On

Still determined to become an actor, Driscoll left his parents’ home at 16. He made multiple trips to New York City to study acting, and even reportedly enrolled in UCLA and Stanford. Unfortunately, Driscoll could not escape the shadows of his past and ended up dropping out of both prestigious universities. With little choice, Driscoll tried to fit in with the other kids at the West Los Angeles University High School, and the results were utterly heartbreaking.

James Franco factsWikimedia Commons

32. He Acquired A Tragic Habit

According to Driscoll, "The other kids didn’t accept me…When they rejected me, I fought back, became belligerent and cocky—and was afraid all the time". Alone and friendless, Driscoll turned to illicit substances at the age of 17. Thanks to the money he saved up while working for Disney, Driscoll had the cash to experiment with a wide variety of substances, and his experiments led him down a dark path with no return.

The Fast And The Furious factsShutterstock

33. He Made Small Gains

Eventually, Driscoll convinced his parents to re-enroll him to the Hollywood Professional School, where his grades improved. In May of 1955, Driscoll graduated and even found work in television. He appeared in a variety of anthology and drama series, such as Dragnet (a crime drama) and Medic (the OG medical drama). Sadly, these small successes were not enough to turn Driscoll’s life around—and for one devastating reason.

Bobby Driscoll FactsMedic, NBC

34. Addiction Destroyed Him

After a few years of experimenting with illicit substances, Driscoll became a full-blown addict. Every cent he made went straight to fueling his addiction. Soon, Driscoll began butting heads with the law. In 1956, the authorities took him in and charged him with possession of marijuana. Although the charges were dismissed, this event marked the beginning of Driscoll’s many future encounters with the law.

Bobby Driscoll FactsMedic, NBC

35. He Married The Love Of His Life

Although Driscoll had a troubled life, he attempted to push forward. In December of 1956, Driscoll made the decision to elope with his longtime girlfriend, Marilyn Jean Rush. Driscoll and Rush eloped in Mexico, although both sets of parents objected to their union. Perhaps Driscoll hoped that Rush would change him for the better, but what actually happened was far, far worse.

Gloria Guinness FactsShutterstock

36. He Changed For The Worse

A year after the couple eloped, they re-wed in an official ceremony in Los Angeles in March of 1957. The two had two daughters and one son. On the surface, this sounded like an enormously successful marriage, but for Driscoll, this wasn’t the case. According to him, his personality took a turn for the worse during his marriage, and his dwindling career soon followed suit.

Bobby Driscoll FactsGetty Images

37. He Changed His Name

In a last-ditch attempt to distance himself from his Disney days, Driscoll began using the name "Robert Driscoll" when looking for acting jobs. This strategy was only mildly successful. 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. In 1960, Driscoll’s life fell apart all at once.

Bobby Driscoll FactsThe Party Crashers (1958), Paramount Pictures

38. His Life Came Crashing Down

As Driscoll’s personality deteriorated, his marriage suffered. Driscoll and his wife separated, then officially divorced in 1960. That same year, Driscoll got in trouble with the authorities once again when he hit a heckler that insulted him while he washed his girlfriend’s car. They charged him, but once again, the charges didn’t stick. Driscoll lucked out this time, but his luck ran out the following year.

Dinah Washington FactsPixabay

39. He Repeatedly Got Into Trouble

Over the next year, Driscoll ran into trouble with the authorities again and again. They took him in for drug possession, battery, burglary, check kiting, and more. It was clear that Driscoll’s drug addiction was destroying his life, and in 1961, everything came to a head when the authorities finally sentenced him as a drug addict.

This was the final nail in the coffin for Driscoll’s life and career.

Bobby Driscoll FactsMedic, NBC

40. He Lost It All

The State of California sent Driscoll to the Narcotic Rehabilitation Center of the California Institution for Men in Chino, California. By early 1962, Driscoll’s prison sentence ended, but it utterly destroyed his chances of becoming an actor ever again. The stigma that his prison sentence left on him made it impossible for Driscoll to find acting jobs, leaving the young man bitter…But not completely hopeless.

Bobby Driscoll FactsGetty Images

41. He Tried To Start Over

For a short time, Driscoll did everything he could to rehabilitate his image. He briefly worked as a carpenter and cared for the young children he had with his ex-wife. Driscoll never forgot about his dream of being an actor, though. In 1965, a year after his parole expired, Driscoll made the decision to relocate to New York City. Driscoll planned on starting over, but life had other plans for him.

Bobby Driscoll FactsWikimedia Commons

42. He Made An Unexpected Friend

In New York City, Driscoll attempted to revive his career through Broadway. He had the acting chops and the singing talent, but his Broadway career was largely unsuccessful. Instead, Driscoll found a place beside an extremely unlikely and eccentric individual: the artist Andy Warhol. Warhol welcomed Driscoll with open arms, but his reasons for doing so may have been sinister.

Andy Warhol FactsGetty Images

43. They Took Advantage Of Him

Driscoll found work as an artist in The Factory, Warhol’s New York City art studio. According to one Hollywood biographer, Warhol "loved having Bobby Driscoll as part of his scene". In particular, Warhol loved the idea of having a bitter, Hollywood ex-actor as a part of his crew. Whatever Warhol’s reasons were, Driscoll produced some outstanding pieces of art while working at The Factory, and for a short while, Driscoll’s life took a positive turn.

Andy Warhol FactsFlickr, Kristine

44. He Had A Surprising Gift

Critics praised Driscoll’s work, with some of his art even being temporarily displayed in Los Angeles in the Santa Monica Museum of Art. Driscoll even got a chance to act one last time in the movie Dirt, an experimental film directed by Piero Heliczer. Driscoll’s moment of peace was painfully brief. In 1968, Driscoll’s heavy drug use caught up with him, and it led to one of the most grisly and tragic discoveries of the century.

Bobby Driscoll FactsDirt (1965), Piero Heliczer

45. His End Was Tragic

On March 30, 1968, two boys playing in a deserted East Village apartment stumbled upon a gruesome discovery. What they found was the body of Bobby Driscoll in a cot, with two empty beer bottles nearby and surrounded by religious pamphlets. An examination revealed that Driscoll passed from heart failure directly related to his drug usage.

This was already sad enough, but it wasn’t even the most tragic fact about his end.

Bobby Driscoll FactsGetty Images

46. No One Knew Who He Was

The real tragedy of Bobby Driscoll was the fact that no one identified his body. The authorities showed photos of his body to people living in the neighborhood, but no one had any idea who he was. As a result, the city buried Driscoll’s unclaimed body in an unmarked pauper’s grave on Hart Island. It wasn’t until one year later that Driscoll’s family learned of his passing, and the results were agonizingly tragic.

Bobby Driscoll FactsPixabay

47. They Searched For Him

In late 1969, one year after the discovery of Driscoll’s body, Driscoll’s mother attempted to find her son. Driscoll’s dad was nearing the end of his life, and Driscoll’s mom wanted to reunite father and son one last time. She reached out to Disney for help, which eventually led her to the NYPD. They managed to identify Driscoll through his fingerprints, which led them to Hart Island.

It took even longer for news of Driscoll’s passing to reach the public.

Bobby Driscoll FactsShutterstock

48. The Public Finally Took Notice

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. Reporters looking into Driscoll discovered the ghastly tale of Driscoll’s career and his end. News of Driscoll’s end finally went public, four years after tragedy took the young man’s life.

Unfortunate circumstances made it difficult to keep Driscoll’s memory alive, however.

Bobby Driscoll FactsFlickr

49. His Final Resting Place Is A Mystery

First, the exact spot where the city buried Driscoll remains a mystery. Driscoll’s burial records, along with many others, were destroyed in a fire. All that is known is that Driscoll’s body is somewhere in the Northern part of the island, surrounded by deer, red raccoons, and a bird sanctuary. Driscoll’s legacy as an actor is even harder to keep alive.

Bobby Driscoll FactsGetty Images

50. They Forgot Him

Although Driscoll did much to bolster Disney during a time of crisis, he is still, to this day, not a part of Disney Legends, the Disney equivalent of a Hall of Fame. 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. Sadly, the story of Bobby Driscoll does not end with "happily ever after".

Bobby Driscoll FactsFlickr, Anna Fox

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8


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