Bobby Driscoll

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This excellent photo is of the world famous Oscar winning child actor Bobby Driscoll.  It was taken in San Francisco by Wallace Berman after Bobby had no career left.  Bobby is living in an abandoned house.  But maybe you might recognize this-

Bobby was the character model and voice of Peter Pan, Disney.


Peter killed off Lost Boys who grew up.


Kathryn Beaumont and Bobby Driscoll, live action shot.


 We see his image constantly.


James Baskett as Uncle Remus with Bobby Driscoll, 1947.  This was the first film where a black man received an Academy Award, albeit honorary.  So what?  I sure would take it.  Walt lobbied for him to get the award.  Both these guys have the Oscar.


Bobby and Robert Newton, who appears to be over the top hamming it up in this shot.  Treasure Island.


The Window.  He received a special Oscar for this and So Dear To My Heart, a title so sweet that I ain't putting up a still.


In court.

As he got older, Disney decided he was not the look they wanted and he was hit with bad acne.  Contract cancelled.  That's the story, but I don't believe it.  I think his parents and agent tried to shop him to another studio.  Walt would go ballistic at perceived disloyalty and that would explain him having Bobby escorted off the lot in tears.  Bobby turned to drugs and alcohol in a big way.  His marriage collapsed, and he was a major heroin and coke user.  He hooked up with Warhol's factory, and made one film with him, but it was over.  In 1968 some kids were playing in an abandoned building when they came upon a cadaver on a cot, surrounded by Christian pamphlets.  The body was buried in the big New York potter's field, and was not identified for almost two years.


The building he died in.  He had no drugs in his system when autopsied.  His body was put into a pine box and buried three deep at the giant Hart Island cemetery.  Riker's Island inmates did the honors.  What records there were burned a while back.


His cenotaph, Oceanside, California.  His body will probably never be recovered.


Robert Cletus Driscoll, genius child actor.  Last known photo.
(I found this under last known photo of.  I kinda doubt that this is right, and will update it when I can.  Below is the latest photo I could find, c. 1967.  It looks right for the time and place).


How could such a life end the way it did?  Here is a link with more:

https://youtu.be/yX-wnlKLwgY


Goodbye.

One last thing.  The gigantic potter's field where Bobby is buried is administered by the Department of Corrections.  The dead are treated as inmates and visitors are forbidden.  Even family, while allowed to visit the grave, are escorted by guards.  This is the world's largest taxpayer funded burial ground.  The only monument there was built by inmates, and simply reads "Peace".


So Dear To My Heart.


I had to put this in after saying I wouldn't.  Bill Peet, artist.
 
 

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