He was Disney’s first child star. He died in oblivion. He was buried in an anonymous grave

Robert Driscoll, known as Bobby, made his debut in 1943 with a short, only two-minute, appearance in the film “Lost Angel”. He wasn’t six yet. Despite the short and episodic role, the charming freckled boy caught the attention of the producers.

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He was the first child Disney star. Peter Pan has his face

A year later, he appeared in the movie “The Fighting Sullivans”. He was one of the first child actors with whom Walt Disney signed an official contract. The other young star was a year younger than Bobby Luanda Patten. In 1946, he appeared in the production of “Song of the South” and became one of Disney’s biggest child stars.

More roles and awards soon began to flow into his account, including a special children’s Oscar in 1950. Driscoll appeared in in “Treasure Island”, he also appeared in productions outside the studio. In 1951, he became the face of the animated Peter Pan in Disney animation, also providing his voice.

Disney terminated the contract when Bobby began to mature. “I was carried on a silver platter and then thrown away”

Only two years later, Disney terminated the contract with Bobby Driscoll. The reason was childhood maturation. From a cute little boy, he turned into a teenager with acne. The label did not have any offers for him and decided to end cooperation with him. Driscoll found out about the release at the gate. – I found that memories are useless. I was once carried on a silver platter and then thrown away he recalled years later.

He tried unsuccessfully to revive his career. He died forgotten

For several years he tried to develop a career, but the patch of a child star did not help either in winning contracts or in relations with peers. The addiction was also a hindrance. He became addicted to drugs at the age of 17. His last big screen appearance was in 1958’s The Party Crashers. In 1960, he guest-starred in two series, but they were not successful. A year later, he was convicted of attempting to cash a stolen check and entered compulsory rehab. Although he tried to resurrect his career after his release, his efforts proved futile. He moved to New York and took part in several avant-garde projects. He also became increasingly addicted. Finally he disappeared.

On March 30, 1968, two boys playing in an abandoned building in New York’s East Village found the body of a young man. He was lying on a bunk, and two empty beer bottles lay next to him. He had no documents with him. Religious pamphlets were scattered on the floor. An autopsy revealed that the cause of death was drug-induced heart failure. The body of an anonymous man was buried in an unmarked grave in a New York cemetery. He was only identified in late 1969, when Driscoll’s mother turned to Disney for help in finding her son. Thanks to fingerprints, a body found in an abandoned building was linked to Bobby.