Bobby Driscoll's life was a short and sad story. Charming as a child actor, he made his mark in films like Song of the South and Treasure Island. Unfortunately, as he got older and acting offers became fewer, he got involved with hard drugs, which ultimately ruined his health and reduced him to poverty. Years of drug abuse severely weakened his heart, and he died of a heart attack alone in a vacant building in New York.


Treasure Island (1950): $1,750 a week
So Dear to My Heart (1948): $400 a week
Song of the South (1946): $300 a week
Lost Angel (1943): $500/week

Was the first actor to sign long-term deal with Walt Disney's animation dept. When found dead, his identity was unknown and he was buried as a "John Doe" in pauper's grave. A year later, fingerprints finally revealed his identity. His voice was used for Walt Disney's feature Peter Pan (1953) and an actual "acting" performance was filmed, then rotoscoped for the animated character. Even though his character was animated he was the first boy ever to play Peter Pan. Before then only women played Peter Pan. Even though he was the studio's first contract player, Disney terminated Driscoll's second long-term contract (covering seven years) three years early, in 1953, weeks after the theatrical release of Peter Pan. It is generally believed that his severe acne was the reason. This prevented him from playing other feature roles for the studio that would seem to be tailor-made for him, like Johnny Tremain and The Light in the Forest.