Treasure Island’s Bobby Driscoll

Treasure Island’s Bobby Driscoll.

Treasure Island’s Bobby Driscoll

Unlike most of his contemporaries, child actor Bobby Driscoll did not come up through the ranks to stardom trailing after parents in the film industry or who migrated from Vaudeville. His father was in the insulation business in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and on the advice of the family physician, moved his family to Los Angeles to alleviate his breathing problems related to asbestos. The son of the family’s barber there, himself a part-time actor, arranged a screen test for young Bobby, and he was subsequently cast as one of the five brothers in The Fighting Sullivans (1944), opposite Thomas Mitchell and Anne Baxter. Significant film roles followed thanks to the young actor’s charm and ability to memorize dialogue quickly.

These included Song of the South (1946) opposite beloved African-American actor James Baskett who played Uncle Remus in this seldom-aired motion picture. This appearance was followed by So Dear to My Heart (1948), opposite Burl Ives and Beulah Bondi. By now, he was cultivated by Walt Disney who cast him as the voice for the animated feature, Peter Pan, and ultimately as Jim Hawkins in Treasure Island (1950), the role for which he is likely best remembered, playing opposite the lovable villain, Long John Silver, portrayed by Robert Newton.

He reportedly nearly stole scene after scene from veterans Myrna Loy and Don Ameche in So Goes My Love.  He is cited by some critics as carrying the film noir The Window for his compelling performance as a boy who witnesses a murder.

At the height of his film career he was awarded a juvenile Academy Award in 1950, accepting his Oscar from Donald O’Connor, shown below.

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The Yearling’s Publicity

 

Jody and The Yearling plus Claude Jarman, Jr. were often profiled in the screen and popular magazines of the era, during the film’s general release in 1947.

Planting “tobaccy” in The Yearling

 

 

The family hopes for better fortunes were riding on planting tobacco seedlings for a much-needed cash crop. Here are Claude Jarman, Jr. and Gregory Peck as Penny Baxter, “Pa,” discussing what a successful crop might mean to them and “Ma” Baxter.  Below, Jody tells Ma as played by Jane Wyman, “twert Flag, Ma,” when the tender crop is destroyed by the logical suspect, Flag, Jody’s pet fawn.

 

When Ol’ Slewfoot came callin’

This studio still depicts Claude Jarman, jr., Jane Wyman, and Gregory Peck and their resolve after the region’s black bear raided the homestead and killed the family calf. The bear scene is remarkably realistic and required a trained bear, a bear suit, and reportedly much in the way of skilled cinematography plus days to complete as can be imagined. Quite significant for its time and achieved without today’s special effects.

Early scene from The Yearling

This scene is among the earliest shot for The Yearling and introduced filmgoers to Jody  Baxter, played by Claude Jarman, Jr. This motion is reported to have cost $4 million to produce and was first released in December of 1946. The bulk of the outdoor scenes were filmed in Florida at Juniper Wilderness Park.