Bobby Driscoll's Life

Robert Cletus “Bobby” Driscoll was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on March 3rd, 1937, to parents Cletus (1901-1969), an insulation salesman, and Isabelle (Kratz) (1897-1972), a former schoolteacher. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to Des Moines, where they stayed until early 1943. When a doctor advised Cletus to relocate to Altadena, California, due to pulmonary ailments brought about by his work-related handling of asbestos, the family moved to Los Angeles.

A few months after Bobby’s second movie was released in theaters, The Fighting Sullivans, in the fall of 1944, when Bobby was seven, he had two interviews at Disney Studios. This resulted in Bobby being contracted by Disney in early December of that year to play the leading role of Johnny in Song of the South. This contract would only be for 13 weeks but would be reinstated constantly until its early termination in 1953.

Bobby and Luana Patten became the first children Walt Disney put under contract. Now nicknamed by the American press as Walt Disney’s “Sweetheart Team,” Driscoll and Patten starred together in So Dear to My Heart. It was planned as Disney’s first live-action movie, with production beginning immediately after Song of the South.

By the fall of 1945, Bobby was loaned to RKO for From This Day Forward and Universal Studios for So Goes My Love. In 1946 Bobby was loaned out to Paramount for O.S.S. and appeared in the Disney film, So Dear to My Heart. In 1947 at ten years old, Bobby was loaned out to RKO for If You Knew Susie. Filming of The Window began in New York City that fall. In 1948, when Bobby was 11 years old, he began performing live radio.

One day in 1952, while Peter Pan was still in production, the Disney Board of Directors discussed future film projects, and Bobby’s name came up. At this meeting, it was decided by the Disney company for Bobby to have his 7-year contract terminated three years early, thus being let go by Disney. The Board of Directors decided that Bobby’s termination be kept confidential until Peter Pan was released and its publicity campaign was over (Feb 53’). This would be kept secret for almost a year.

Sometime in late March or early April, shortly after the release of Peter Pan, when Bobby was only 16 years old, Bobby heard one of the rumors about his termination. It has been said that Bobby went to the studio and asked to see an executive with whom he had been friendly but was told that the man was too busy to see him. Bobby asked the executive’s secretary to call and see if he could speak with Mr. Disney. As the secretary hung up the phone, she told Bobby Mr. Disney was too busy to see him. Just then, she excused herself and stepped out for a moment. When she came back, she told Bobby that The Disney Company no longer needed his services and he could leave. Bobby broke down and cried. The secretary called security and had Bobby escorted off the property.

Beginning in 1953 and for the next seven years, ending in 1960, most of his work was on television. His career in radio production continued until 1957.

By 1954 at age 17, Bobby began experimenting with harder drugs, mainly heroin, which caused him to develop an addiction to the substance. That summer, he appeared in Ah! Wilderness at the Pasadena Playhouse. In September, Bobby returned to Hollywood Professional School for his last year of high school at his request, where he graduated in 1955. By the fall, Bobby began to appear in more television roles.