MovieChat Forums > Treasure Island (1950) Discussion > The little boy in the movie.... very suc...

The little boy in the movie.... very successful until illegal drugs.

posted 16 years ago by bobsphotography2000
4 replies | jump to latest

I just read that he died really young due to complications of illegal drug use. They found him homeless and buried him as a "john doe" due to a failure to ID him right away.

We just never know whats going to happen next. Some of us fail early, some of us tread water through life, and some of us just charge out ahead.

I watched a really interesting movie from 1949 called the "Rocking Horse Winner." The little boy in THAT film went on to produce such well known talent as Monte Python, Bennie Hill, and "Mr. Bean."

[–] shandy8 16 years ago

Sad end for Bobby Driscoll. He is one of the reasons that the work Paul Peterson and his ilk is important. Children handle success differently than (many) adults do. They need an advocate.

"What do you want me to do, draw a picture? Spell it out!"

[–] DavidW1947 15 years ago

Whatever the official medical reason given for Bobby Driscoll's death, in my opinion what he really died from was a broken heart. That and the drugs lost him his will to live. His soul was very tired and weary and he just gave up.

[–] radioriot 15 years ago

He won a kids Oscar, then dear old Walt fired him when he developed a bad case of acne. Nice guy that Walt. He only made a few films and some TV after that. He died from effects of drugs on his body at age 31. Not sure if he was still using drugs or not. He was hanging around with Andy Warhol and his friends at the time. Today, a couple of things would be different. They have treatments for acne and they have the Disney Channel where these kids can work till they hit 19 or 20. They also watch the money earned by child actors closer now too. Bobby said he got into drugs at 17 cause he could afford them. Today he might be older before he got that kind of access to his money. I think they actually watch Disney actors much closer. Disney does not want that kind of publicity. But it's hard to say what might happen today. But the drugs came after Walt fired the kid for growing up.

[–] LadySailor1975 15 years ago

I had nothing personal against the kid. I just thought he was not a very good actor and in many scenes he looked like he was about to inhale his upper lip.

Hector Barbossa is King!!