DVDizzy Forum

I am writing a book about Bobby Driscoll, the Disney Child Star who won an Oscar when he was 13 for a movie he made when he was 11.
The Certificate Bobby received with his Academy Award said that his Oscar was for the Disney film "So Dear To My Heart" and the RKO Thriller "The Window". Well, not quite...
"The Window" exterior scenes were filmed in New York City in November 1947. Interiors scenes were filmed at RKO Studios(later Desilu Studios) in December 1947. Billionaire Howard Hughes bought RKO Studios in the spring of 1948. One of his first actions was to fire studio head Dore Schary. Schary went on to take over MGM Studios.
Then Howard Hughes took a look at all of the films in production or ready for release. After viewing "The Window," Howard Hughes ordered it 'shelved' because it was junk. "The Window" sat on the shelf for nearly two years.
In 1949, RKO was short of films to release and several executives (mostly those who had worked for Dore Schary) lobbied to have "The Window" released, since it was done and paid for. Finally, Howard Hughes relented in the summer of 1949.
"The Window" became a huge success. A B Movie, which was expected to make back expenses and a little profit, "The Window" became the smash hit of that summer.
Bosley Crowther, film critic of The New York Times, said that Bobby Driscoll was a brilliant, remarkable actor. He also said that "The Window" was Bobby's film.
Bobby was seriously considered for a Best Actor Oscar, but like Judy Garland in "The Wizard of OZ" was awarded a Juvenile Oscar instead. Bobby's Oscar came with an interesting footnote. His Oscar would be awarded for two of his films: the sweet, gentle Disney film "So Dear To My Heart" and the gritty, grim RKO film noir "The Window".
But it was even more interesting than that. "The Window" received one other award: Best Mystery by the Mystery Writers Guild. Only problem was, much like an episode of Columbo, there was no mystery. But few films have ever better captured the ominous ambience of a mystery film than "The Window".
"So Dear To My Heart" was one of Walt Disney's favorite films, but is almost totally unknown today. "So Dear To My Heart" is a nostalgic story of an idyllic childhood in Indiana. It remains one of Disney's most unpretentious stories.
If you ever get a chance watch to watch, don't miss the opportunity. Bobby's Oscar was awarded because he could handle the starring role in a gritty, grim film noir and a sweet, gentle Disney film and pull both roles off flawlessly. He was a very good actor.
Unfortunately, Bobby was fired at age 16 because he developed a serious case of acne. From Academy Award Winning Actor at age 13, for a film he made at age 11, to a has been at age 16, Bobby's story is one of the most poignant and saddest chapters in the history of Hollywood.


I would be interested in anyone's opinions or reflections about Bobby and his roles at Disney. Please feel free to write me
bkohatl@hotmail.com
I will be interested in reading your opinions.

Thanks,
Brian Keith O'Hara

Hello Brian Keith O'Hara. Welcome to Ultimate Disney. I hope you have a good time here. I found a couple of links that give more info on Bobby Driscoll:


http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0237985/

more info about the Window movie:

http://www.barthsburgery.com/fanpages/window49.htm

more info on Bobby Driscoll

http://nebrot.tripod.com/driscoll.html

Bobby Driscoll was a talented young fellow who went bad. His end is a sad story, but his work with Disney in the '40s and '50s remains fresh. The endearing image I see is Bobby having to wear the frilly shirt in <i><b>Song of the South</b></i>. Poor Bobby.

Do you know that in the late 60's. Bobby commited suicide ? He found out that nobody would hire him anymore. He was a young adult. He was Broke and he was depressed.

Yeah, and I think I read that he was dead in his home for a long time before anyone found him. Very sad.

-Aaron

Yes, I think to write a comprehensive book you need to look at the dark side. How Hollywood and Disney in particular treated child stars. Using them in the "cute years" and then discarding them.

I am not sure the death story is correct as it is being told here.

He died of drug related complications and not a drug overdose(Hepititus I believe is the official cause of death). Driscoll did not die in his home because he didnt have one. He died in an abandoned tenament. He was buried as a John Doe and was not positively ID'd until two years after death by fingerprints(I guess no computer databases like their our today).

I hope I got the story straight, it is from memory.

Never seen So Dear to My Heart but he was good in Song of the South and Treasure Island.

Yeah, that was it, they didn't ID him for a long time. Very tragic.

-Aaron