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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Bobby Driscoll was a celebrated child actor who played Jim Hawkins in Treasure Island and voiced Peter Pan, but his early fame did not last into adulthood. He died at 31 in 1968. The Walt Disney Family Museum says the medical examiner attributed his death to coronary arteriosclerosis—not an overdose—and recounts how his family did not learn what had happened until the following year.
Who was Bobby Driscoll?
Robert Cletus “Bobby” Driscoll was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on March 3, 1937. He began acting as a child in 1943. The Walt Disney Family Museum recounts that a Pasadena barber who knew Driscoll’s family helped connect him to a film tryout; Driscoll later described the chain of introductions in a 1954 interview. It is a recollection reported by the Museum, rather than an independently verified account of how he entered the business.
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Disney cast Driscoll as Johnny in Song of the South and as Jeremiah “Jerry” Kincaid in So Dear to My Heart. He played Jim Hawkins in Treasure Island (1950), which the Museum describes as Disney’s first all-live-action feature, and voiced Peter Pan in the 1953 animated film. D23 also lists appearances in Melody Time and as Goofy Jr.
Why did Bobby Driscoll receive a juvenile Academy Award?
Driscoll received a special Academy Award as the outstanding juvenile actor of 1949. The award year and ceremony year differ: the presentation took place in 1950. His recognition was not for Disney work alone; it also honored his performance in RKO’s The Window.
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- Goofy finds himself up to his floppy ears in misadventure and is driven to distraction when he takes Max on a fishing trip in an effort to bridge the gap and spend some quality time bonding with his offspring. Max, who has nightmares about turning into a goof like his dad, would rather spend time with the lovely Roxanne--who has finally agreed to go out with him--but is dragged along for the ride
What happened to his acting career?
The Walt Disney Family Museum says the studio released Driscoll from his second contract in 1953, before it had run its course. The Museum suggests severe acne was likely a reason. His later screen work consisted mostly of smaller television roles, while he faced social ostracism and addiction. The available accounts establish the difficult trajectory, but do not establish one definitive explanation for why his career stalled.
The Museum’s history describes legal trouble as well as addiction, but the episodes should not be collapsed into a list of proven crimes: some arrests ended in acquittals or dropped charges. It says Driscoll pleaded guilty to later charges and served six months of treatment for drug addiction. The account also reports that he told a reporter he began experimenting with narcotics at 17.
Driscoll moved to New York and became associated with Andy Warhol’s Greenwich Village art community. He took part in the underground film Dirt, according to the Museum. In a statement reproduced there, he said, “I shall not return until I can be accepted as an actor again, not a freak exhibit.” The Museum’s account does not identify the original interview’s date or publication.
How did Bobby Driscoll die?
Driscoll died on March 30, 1968, at age 31. Two children found him dead in an East Village tenement. The Walt Disney Family Museum says he was initially classified as a John Doe and buried in an unmarked grave on Hart Island.
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Accounts differ in how they summarize the cause of death. D23 describes it as a “drug overdose.” The Walt Disney Family Museum gives the medical examiner’s finding as “socclusive coronary arteriosclerosis,” which it explains as hardening of the arteries. The Museum also says police reports noted no heroin traces, puncture marks or drug paraphernalia at the scene. The Bobby Driscoll Archive attributes heart failure to advanced hardening of the arteries associated with long-term drug abuse. Given those differences, an overdose should not be presented as an uncontested medical finding.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How did his family find out what happened?
By late 1967, the Museum says, Driscoll had lost contact with family and associates. In 1969, his mother contacted Disney while searching for him on behalf of his dying father. Fingerprint records eventually identified Driscoll. The Museum says the story became public in 1971, years after his death.
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