Young and Dapper

Our handsome young guy, on the cover of an Israeli magazine I'd never seen before. Forever love the merry crinkle at the corner of those eyes!

Bobby and Not-So-Sweet Sixteen

This is rather a random post.  But the topic presented itself when I was taking a good look at this picture, which most of us have seen at least a handful of times:

This was taken at the 25th Academy Awards on March 19, 1953.  Bobby, shortest and youngest, is the last one on the left. 

It struck me how everyone else seems to be wearing a pleasant expression, but Bobby... not so much.  So I zoomed in.

This picture seems to be in original color, which is a treat as it pertains to Bobby.  We rarely see him NOT in black and white... and this close-up does not disappoint.  We're able to gather a little more information about his coloring, all things we've heard before... that he had about medium brown hair, for instance... and it's interesting to see him wearing the ring on his left hand.  I've seen Bobby wear rings on a few different occasions, however, so the appearance of this one isn't surprising except that it's on the ring finger of his left hand, which makes him look married.  Of course, this pops up a whole new string of questions in my mind, such as, was the ring there because it's the finger it fit the best?  Was he trying to look older and thought a ring on his wedding finger might make him look twenty as opposed to just sixteen?  We know he married young, so was he already wondering about married life in his mid-teens?  Am I overthinking this much?  Probably so.  So we'll leave the ring alone for now.

What I most want to draw attention to, though, was what struck me about the expression on his face and in his eyes.  There seems to be a certain level of irritation, boredom, or tiredness.  He had been grinning pretty big for the camera during the actual awards ceremony, but the exuberance seems to have melted away by the time this photo was taken.  When I think about what Bobby's life might have been like at that point, though, I can fully imagine he might have been experiencing all three of those emotions.

From everything I've read, Bob didn't start experimenting with drugs until he was about seventeen, so if that's true, his very biggest troubles hadn't started yet.  However... he was sixteen.  He loved spending time on his hot rods, playing music, being with his friends, dating girls... all the things.  Yet, here he was at another award ceremony with these older, perhaps intimidating film stars.  Was he unhappy to be there? 

We have to also remember this would have been around the time he was let go from Disney.  I'm not sure exactly when that happened other than that it was sometime after Peter Pan was released, and Peter Pan was released in February.  If this had happened prior to the ceremony, he may still have been smarting from that rejection.

As for his social life, Bobby himself has said he "became belligerent and cocky" in high school, and we can probably blame the brunt of this on his switch to University High for tenth and eleventh grades.  It's a generally agreed-upon fact that he was bullied mercilessly at University, so I'm sure that that added to his angst. 

It made me sad, really, that the happy-go-lucky, lively, fun young man that everyone loved was probably emotionally tormented by March of 1953.  This picture may be showing us a candid moment when Bobby didn't feel like smiling for any more cameras.  He might have been tired; irritated; dreading school the next day, or after the weekend.  If that was so, did anyone notice or ask if he was okay?  Or did most people overlook it, chalking it up to the moodiness of adolescence?

I just can't help but think that if Bobby had had more emotional support during that period of his life, things might have turned out very differently.  I don't think it's anything we can really blame anybody for though, because we have to remember the time period.  The 2010's has been a great decade full of buzzwords like mindfulness, mental health days, holistic balance, etc. but none of that had societal value in the 50's.  It was about putting on a good show -- and who better to perfect that art than a young actor who had more experience at that than most his age? 

Of course, this conjecture could just as possibly be false.  Bobby may have simply been between smiles when this specific picture was taken.  Obviously, that's the explanation I would prefer.  But I still feel haunted by the flat look in his usually-soulful eyes.  I really do think he was hiding deep hurt.

Talking Hart Island Podcast

Hi, Guys!

This isn't entirely a Bobby-specific announcement, necessarily, but it is exciting to me, because of the special place Hart Island holds in my heart since learning it is where Bobby rests.

There's going to be a new podcast coming out on September 15th called "Talking Hart Island."  The host is history author Michael Keene, and co-hosting will be voice actress Norma Jean Gradsky.  What the podcast intends to do is tell the personal stories of Hart Island -- those who ended up buried in the potter's field in New York.  There will be a spotlight on Bobby, as well as other people who rest there, so it should be a pretty educational and heartfelt tribute.

If you don't know much about Hart Island, or if you do know about it but are eager to learn more, be sure to tune in!  The hosts will be interviewing a whole panel of people with relevant perspectives on the island and those who are buried there.

Here's the promo video!  Go watch!

Lost Boy: The Bobby Driscoll Story -- My Thoughts

So it's been a week and a half since the release of Jordan Allender's documentary that I have so been looking forward to, "The Lost Boy."  And finally, after taking a bit to collect my thoughts, here I am to discuss it!  As we know, I may not post alot of exclusive content on this blog, but I do love discussing Bobby's life about better than anything.

Overall, I think Jordan did well.  Given the fact that he'd been working on this project for years and gathering as much as possible, I have to admit I had hoped for 1) a longer feature length, and 2) more exclusive pictures and facts.  The fact that we didn't get that, however, probably has nothing to do with the producer not trying his best.  I have a yen that, due to licensing and copyright issues maybe not going as smoothly expected, alot had to be cut out.  Mind you, I have no proof of this, nor has Jordan alluded to anything of the sort.  I'm just wondering, and maybe some of you were, too.  Perhaps knowing this, Jordan ended up having to abandon plans to shop to more elite networks such as PBS, etc. (which he had previously mentioned considering on the film's Facebook page) and just releasing it on YouTube.

BUT.  It was a noble, wonderful effort, especially given the fact that he might not have been well-compensated.  This was a young man fresh out of film school who could have done a documentary about anybody else, including persons who are better known and would have raked in more of an audience -- but he chose to focus on Bobby, and that means something to me.  By the way, I don't know Jordan from Adam's housecat, as they say here in the South, so I'm not saying any of this out of loyalty.  I just truly do believe he did his best.

Also:  the point behind this project, he's always said, was to get Bobby enshrined in the Disney Hall of Fame.  This means telling his overall story to people who might not know it, and generating more awareness.  Those of us who are hardcore admirers probably ought to look somewhere else for the little personal details, new pictures, etc.  At this point I'm not sure when and if this will ever come, but oh well.  Thus is the plight of being a Bobby Driscoll aficionado.  The unpleasantness of his story coupled with his fall from fame, adding in the aging out of most of his peers, means alot will always be left to our imaginations.

Things I LOVED about this film:

• The re-enactment footage, though I wish it could have been utilized even more.  It added some much-needed personalization, as we have no actual footage of Bobby living his life as it was toward the end.
• The artwork of Bobby's we got to see that we'd never seen before!  Now folks, I've got to be honest here and say, I don't necessarily "get" Bobby's art.  I'd love to say I do, for that and his poetry also... but they go a little over my head, and I even love symbolism.  But what made me the happiest was hearing no less than George Herms comment that by the standards of the time, Bobby's collages are as good as it gets.  
• Connie Stevens' interview clips were my favorite.  I would have loved to have heard more about her working on the set with Bobby, but it was still good to know she seemed to genuinely care for him and look out for him when they worked together.  What I adored, though, was her last segment, talking to us fans and expressing how meaningful the love of "other people" is in the lives of stars.  As we all know, being a fan is something not often understood.  Alot of people don't understand being so invested in the life of someone you've never met, particular when the person has passed away.  It's something I find I cannot easily explain when others ask me what Bobby means to me and why.  It was refreshing to hear from someone who seemed to understand.  Equally poignant to me were her final remarks, telling us that Bobby was most definitely a "wonderful person," despite the turn his life took.
• Hearing from Dan, Bobby's son.  Even though I would have loved to have heard any stories he did have about his dad from when he was a child (if he remembered any), I enjoyed hearing about Marilyn.  She had a truly difficult time of it, and I'm glad she was memorialized well by one of her children.
• Finally, my favorite thing ever was the song during the ending credits.  It was absolutely perfect for Bobby and his life, the lyrics sounding for all the world like something he might actually say.  "Say you love me... say you do. 'Cause there are so many things in this world that I couldn't do."  

I think in the end, Bob wanted to be loved and admired for who he was as a person -- not necessarily for what he'd accomplished as a kid.  He seemed to seek this admiration in his artwork and through other means, but it was hard to come by because he was steeped in addiction.  I speak as someone who worked with those suffering from substance abuse for eight years, and let me assure you -- the life of an addict isn't pretty, and it isn't glamorous.  When it was spoken in the documentary that Bobby in New York was "a very difficult person," I could well imagine this.  At that point, Bobby's natural sweetness, optimism and fun nature were consumed by the need for a fix, which equaled, to him, a need for survival.  We weren't told exactly what this meant by way of anecdotes, but imagine the worst.  I imagine Bobby could have shown up to a few Broadway auditions badly in need of a shower, perhaps even attempting to hide it with loud, cheap cologne, ending the whole ordeal by asking whomever would listen if he could borrow money... then becoming angry when it was denied him.  It might have gone this way, or worse.  He could have dozed off every few minutes in the middle of conversations.  By no means was he his true self, and might even have been unrecognizable to those he'd known previously.  Connie Stevens alludes to this fact by saying that when she saw him once after an Ed Sullivan show she starred on, he was a very different person.

But he was sick, and alone.  The things we might learn about Bobby in his final years should not be a measuring stick of who he was as a man.  He was known as a good, loyal friend by the friends he left behind in California.  He was obviously a great romantic.  He was intelligent.  He was kind -- it was cited in an article by Fred Brown that his friends had told of times he would help neighbors clean their yards and help them move for free.  I believe that underneath the layers of heartache and illness, Bob never stopped being that man.

And that's why I love him -- and respect him.  I believe this documentary did a good job of being honest about Bobby's life, yet also keeping it kind.  If you haven't seen it yet, please do.  I highly recommend it.

Now, I'd love to make this post interactive!  If you've seen the film and would like to comment, please tell us the following:

• What did you learn about Bobby's life that you didn't already know?
• What would you have wanted to know if any part could have been added?
• What part of the film do you feel was executed the best?
• If anyone else could have been interviewed, who would you have liked to hear from?
• Overall, what did you think of this film?

Please keep in mind that any post that carries hateful remarks or slamming of anyone will be deleted.  Honesty is always welcome, but keep it classy!

Petition for Bobby to be Enshrined in the Disney Hall of Fame

Go go go!

The goal is 100. Let's try to make this happen during our lifetime, Guys. Bobby deserves it.

Change.org Petition for Bobby Driscoll

Next, go see Lost Boy: the Bobby Driscoll on YouTube on August 1st!  The time has finally come!  Kudos to Jordan for staying committed and gettin' it done.

Check In

Hi you all!

Just wanted to say, for those of you who don't know, that Aaren (Bob's daughter) has a page out on Facebook specifically dedicated to her writing and her parents.  She hasn't posted since sometime in April, but she's put some really great poetry on there about her Mom, plus tells the story of finding out about her dad's death.  It's really very poignant.

I'd love to know more about Marilyn.  She sounds like a lively, fun, and loving woman who was plagued by mental illness.  In our generation, just about every other person is in some form or another, from depression to anxiety to PTSD to all kinds of things in between.... but back in Marilyn's day, it would have carried a far worse stigma.  Furthermore, she was apparently institutionalized most of her life.  It makes me very sad, both for her and for her children.

Anyway, you can find Aaren's public page here.

I don't really have anything else to share at the moment about Bobby -- no news I'm afraid.  :(  I'm constantly combing for it, but haven't unearthed much.  This pic was on ebay not too long ago, and I'll repost it here!  I love his quirky, impish smile for these stills from The Happy Time.

Hart Island documentary, and news!

I come bearing pictures!

...After a fashion.

I finally had the chance to watch the Diamond Edition features for Peter Pan, and managed to grab a couple of OLD SCHOOL screenshots the way we millennials did them in the early 00's when camera phones came out.  This is because the BluRay won't work on our dinosaur laptop and all's I could manage was to play the disc on the BluRay player and take snapshots.

This process really took me back a few years, man.  I'm sorry they aren't great quality as a result, but for those who haven't had the chance to see the features, something is better than nothing!

As we all probably kind of figured, these new Peter Pan features were as devoid of Bobby's mention as all the rest have been.  It's so frustrating, because I assume that what's Disney's unwillingness to be associated with such an unhappy story has caused Bobby's legacy to suffer further.  It's like they refuse to give him any heartfelt credit for the work he did...

Anyway, don't even get me started there.  Let me next tell you guys about something you have to watch:  One Million American Dreams, a documentary about Hart Island that was recently released.  It's available now on Hulu, and for about $2.99 on Google Play, just to name a couple places. 

I will go ahead and tell you Bobby isn't mentioned.  This didn't bother me, though, because I'm sure the creators knew alot of people are already familiar with Bobby's death and burial on Hart Island, even if they know nothing else about him.  Probably what they were going for this time around was to tell the unknown stories of people we hadn't heard of before.  And let me tell you... it packs an emotional punch.  I had an interest in the topic of Hart Island burial anyway, but even if you don't, you should watch for the fact that it will certainly make you think about Bobby.  One of the heart-rending stories told centered around a young woman and her father, who had left home as an addict years earlier and ended up buried on the island.  The things she says about the hopes she once had to be reunited with him and the sorrow she carries around as an adult made me think so much about Bobby's children and what they must have been going through emotionally for years.  It really puts you right there in family members' shoes.  So please watch it.

One more thing!

On May 30th, there will be a hearing in New York regarding the bill to pass off jurisdiction of Hart Island from the Department of Corrections to Parks and Recreation (among other bills regarding the city's burial process).  I can't wait to hear the results, even if changes will probably be a year or two in the making allowing the public to access the island freely.  If you want to read more about this, go to this page.

We won't ever know exactly where Bobby is buried because of the record-destroying fire that happened years ago... but we can get closer.  And I think something about that would make him happy.

Bobby's 1956 Drug Arrest

EDIT: Below, you will read my thoughts and feelings about Bobby's arrests and his legal representatives. They are just that -- my thoughts and feelings. I was recently subjected to a guy who thought I was throwing shade on his father--the attorney you see below--because I raised the speculation most people would raise about Hollywood lawyers. Of course, instead of just having a civil conversation with me asking if I could reword what I said because he felt it dishonored his dad, he put my "malicious, damning post" on blast on his LinkdIn page. Mr. H, I'm sorry you felt you had to do this, but I hope your overblown reaction gave you some satisfaction. This is a blog about Bobby Driscoll's life. I have personal thoughts and feelings about some of the characters he encountered, which I am always very sure to disclaim as MY opinions, not facts. I never name call, or say anything just to be mean-spirited, but I'm not willing to apologize for having my own thoughts. That's what this blog is. Viewership of this one blog post jumped quite a bit since this man--apparently a high-profile somebody in the world--attempted to shame me and bully me into taking it down. So this is my response. 

************************************************************************

Hi all!  I almost skipped posting this month because I couldn't find alot to say, and I've just had major surgery so I was pretty preoccupied for most of April, but then eBay delivered this to us:

And I wanted to talk about it.

This Harrison Hertzberg was, upon my research, apparently a popular lawyer at the time for Hollywood folk.  We can guess by this that he was probably pretty adept at using crooked means to get his clients off the hook.  After all, he was paid by America's wealthiest to keep them out of trouble -- and stars so often do find trouble.  As far as I can tell, he was Bobby's lawyer the entire time pre-Chino, and it's probably owed to him that most of Bobby's legal charges didn't stick or were downgraded.  Not that that's a good thing.  If Bobby had been held more sharply accountable at an earlier age for his drug problem, maybe he would have hit a rock bottom he didn't seem to hit until New York, and could have therefore been more motivated to find help sooner and get straightened out.  Maybe.  At the same time, there weren't as many people willing or knowledgeable enough to help an addict back then as there are now, so things might have ended up just as tragic. 

Some more light-hearted observations about this picture are the fact that Bobby's wearing his most impish face here.  I'm not sure if he's talking to the press, the judge, or joking with someone off-camera, but he seems to be very relieved he got the upper hand this time.  I love how Bobby's eyes always managed to mirror his every emotion.  They could light up with mischief and excitement just as quickly as they could turn soulful and melancholy.  And I like that snazzy tie!

The Final New York Years Playlist

So, once again, we are approaching the blue day that March 30th is for those of us who love Bobby.  I have something to share as a tribute to him, but as usual, I want to talk a bit first.

I was actually speaking to someone with alot of knowledge about some things a couple of weeks ago, and as much as I have argued for Bobby having likely been found very soon after his death on that cot in NYC, this person presented a good case for it to have perhaps been longer.  It was cold in New York in March of 1968.  Might he have lain for days?  Weeks?  And actually, despite the fact that I wanted to debunk everything he said, I realized...

... I can't.  I have no hard evidence for him having been found quickly.  Nobody really knows.

At least, not yet.  It could be possible that the documentary might reveal more, if Jordan Allender happened to gain access to the actual autopsy report and TOD was approximated.  But unless that happens, Bobby's thirty-first March will remain a mystery.

By the way, am I the only person who wonders whatever happened to those kids who found him?  Did they sustain any trauma from having come across a dead body as children?  Did they block it from their memories?  Better yet, did they ever, as adults, wander around online and come to learn who they'd actually discovered?  If so, what was that like?

Andy Warhol and his entourage left for New Tucson to go make another of his movies in January of 1968, leaving Bobby behind.  Not that Bobby was ever entirely "in" with Warhol in the way alot of others were.  But also, if his health was suffering, that may have been even more of a reason for him to stay behind.  It breaks my heart, though, to realize that the people he may have been "closest" to then were out of town when he most needed them.  It's also been said by an unnamed source who did some research on Bobby at one point that he'd helped an older lady in the neighborhood by carrying her groceries that winter, and the last time she saw him was in mid- to late-March.  Was it pride that kept him from telling her he was sick and might be in trouble?  Did he really even know for sure that he was, though?

I think I go through this thing every year of asking the same questions, throwing them around and around my head.  I never really get anywhere, and I guess none of the answers would even matter.  The fact is, Bobby was definitely gone by March 30 -- a young man zapped of his strength.  As I reached my mid-30's, I came to realize just how young thirty-one is.

Anyway, now that I've done my somber musing about this day, I want to share what I have comprised, and hopefully at least one other person will enjoy it!  I made a playlist especially for Bobby's final years -- calling it "The Final New York Years" to soften the morbid tone -- pulling out songs primarily from 1967 and up until March of 1968... plus a couple from 1966.  I have no idea what Bobby's favorite 60's songs or bands were.  I only know he loved the Platters in the 50's, and their style was romantic, light, and upbeat.  I'm not sure if that same sound appealed to Bob in his later life, so what I did was just pick some songs that were popular during that couple years with lyrics and melodies that are thoughtful and might have served as songs Bobby could relate to in some way.  I can't say I wasn't trying for a certain ambiance, though I honestly don't know what I would call it.  Reflective?  But with enough fun thrown in that it should definitely not be somber.

I pretty much went in order chronologically, because I couldn't seem to satisfy myself with any other order.  "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" was the chart-topper the week Bobby was found, and the lyrics really fit the tone of what might have been going on in his life and mind during that final stretch.  But "Beautiful Morning" was a hit around that same time, and I thought it good to end things on a happy note.  There's nothing happy about Bobby's demise, of course, but those of us who are spiritual see a silver lining.  I hear this and think of the Place he woke up in after closing his eyes on this side of eternity. 

You kids who have never listened to 60's music other than the Beatles, well... get ready.  Your entire world is about to be blown up by this awesome ear candy.  You can thank me later for introducing you to a little culture.  ;)

Feel free to comment and tell us any songs you think should have been included.  I used YouTube because it would be free for everyone to access.  I thought about Spotify, but it shuffles your songs unless you're a paid user.

Nightmare Life of an Ex-Child Star Photoshoot

So... here's the hard thing about being a poor girl from a backwater with no actual connections.

Things exist that you never see.  Then, there are things that have existed for awhile that you could have seen, but for some reason, you didn't.  It is exactly this kind of thing that happened to me yesterday.

I have deleted my former post about the "new" photo I found of Bobby on Facebook, because I'm going to repost it here, but having found said photo... I started wondering, "What other pictures have I not seen?"  I try to semi-regularly do an image sweep for Bobby pictures, knowing that every so often, one or two pops up that I haven't seen before.

WELL.  This time, boy did it ever.  I went into Google, typed his name, and ran across not one... not two...  but FIVE PHOTOS I had never seen before from that gorgeous photoshoot I mentioned in the subject line. 

And of all places, they were on iMDB.  I mean, really?  Someplace easily accessible to the pubic, on the most basic of Hollywood information sites.  How long had they been there?  I honestly have no idea.  They were credited back to Photo12, which is basically partners with the Alamy photo site, but I combed Alamy for new Bobby pictures not so long ago and did not find these.

So... I don't know who put them up, how long they've been there, or where they came from, but I bring them to you now.  Even though some of you may have actually seen them before me, pretend you haven't and humor me here.

Oh my gosh, this one's my fave.  Bobby looks both serious here, yet pleasant.  The first things that caught me about each of these, by the way, are the expressions in his eyes.  I know I've said something like this before, but this photoshoot speaks to me so much because it's as though Bobby is, with those eyes, trying to reach beyond the camera and ask to be truly seen -- as an adult, a professional, a good guy.  Not the troubled "junkie" he had become known as.  What crunches my heart most of all, though, is the realization that he was actually a hot mess the entire time.

In the interview, which you can find over on bobbydriscoll.net, he seems to coyly accept that there's been trouble, yet gives other reasons for it, never actually confirming that he has a drug problem.  Most of the blame he and Suzanne put back on him hanging around the wrong people.  Oh the irony, when we all know from later accounts that he and Suzanne were using substances together, and may have been going directly home after this interview to get a fix.  It would only be just a little while later that he would admit to the press that he was a narcotics addict going into treatment at Chino.  So we can safely assume he was working hard to keep a very big secret on this day, all the while trying to look capable and well put-together. 

This one seems to have been taken just a shutter later (or before), this time with wider eyes and a little more of a smile.  Everything about Bobby's face says "soft" to me.  I wonder if this was something that bothered him?  Did he want to appear more rugged than he did?  This may have been the reason he often let his brow line become a little unruly, as he had in this photoshoot, yet still had neatly trimmed and polished nails (you can see from some of the photos that have already been released from this set).  Maybe he didn't want to overdo it.  Of course again, this is all just conjecture...

Definitely my second favorite.  Such a sweet, quirky expression...

We get more of a direct look here, with a more unreadable expression.  But such crystal clear eyes.

So this one is very clearly a candid shot, and he was in the middle of talking.  I have this yen that even though Bobby knew how to have good eye contact, he may have also let his eyes wander when he got really deep into a conversation.  Two of the other pictures from this set that most of us have seen before -- the one where he's sitting there looking up, and the other where he's glancing off to the side -- have made this seem possible.  However, he could just as likely have been looking at other people in both those instances.  We know Suzanne was with him at this interview.

Enjoy these!  And comment!  Which do you feel best conveys Bobby's personality?

Happiest, Happiest [Early] 82nd to our Sweet Bobby

I'm a day early, but I'm out of town and won't be able to post tomorrow.  Plus, truth be told, it was hard to wait to show this off....

Aris Kesidis of Etsy colored this picture with a vintage cast in honor of Bobby's 82nd.  I absolutely love it and thought he did an amazing job, using the reference of the couple of color pictures of Bobby we have as an adult, plus word of mouth regarding things such as eye color.  What I love the best, though, is that he didn't cover up the blemishes on Bob's face -- keeping him as lifelike and authentic as possible.

Happy Birthday, Bobby.  Know, where you are now, that you are still so loved.

For Peter Pan's Sixty-Sixth Anniversary...

Sixty-six years ago Peter Pan was released, featuring our talented, smart, light-up-the-sky boy in what would turn out to be his final major role. 

In honor of this, I went to find a good rendition of "Second Star to the Right," and got my whole mind blown by this version by Sam Yung.  It's so beautiful it made me cry. 

I post it now in honor of Bobby's youth and innocence... and ours, too.  For a lot of us, this movie was the epitome of childhood exuberance and adventure.

Entertainment Weekly article! And a Thank You...

UPDATE:  I now have a picture!  Thank you, Nina, for mailing me the hard copy of this article so I can share this!!

Thanks to a tip from a sweet lady on the coast, I knew this was due to come out about any time -- so you can best believe I was ON IT when it hit the internet last night.  Some of you may have read it, but if not, please do!

Oscars flashback: The tragic life and death of former Disney star Bobby Driscoll

The above photo can only be seen in the hard copy of the article in the January 25th edition of Entertainment Weekly.  Go to Barnes & Noble and grab it! 

This is a really great read, and gives a really raw depiction of how all-consuming addiction is.  You can see the denial with which Bobby carried out his addiction, probably thinking he could get back on his feet AND keep the heroin at the same time.  It was so good to read a little about him from some of his contemporaries...

I was also pleased to see the Bobbydriscoll.net site owner finally receiving high-level credit for all her work, and Jordan's documentary discussed.

I would, however, like to look into the claims that RKO and Howard Hughes were the real reasons Bobby was dismissed from Disney.  From the things I've read over the years, it sounds as though HH DID dislike child actors and wasn't too hip on Bobby starring in The Window, yet really came to eat his words after he saw what a brilliant actor he was in the movie once it was released.  Therefore, I was surprised to read Marc Eliot's theory that Hefner was behind Bobby being let go.  If anyone has more information for us they'd like to share, please feel free.

I also cringed to see Dan Driscoll's name being cited as "Don."  But heck, I guess magazine editors are allowed to make mistakes too...

Finally!  I was so pleased to see it confirmed that Bobby is buried in the northern part of Hart Island.  I had always suspected this, and it was good to see someone finally solidify a general location.

So we see, Bobby hasn't been forgotten by everyone in the media.  It broke my heart to be reminded yet again that part of the legacy he left behind was probably not at all what he'd hoped it would be -- his drug use -- but I think he knows there are those of us who accept that humanity is flawed, and this was simply Bobby's particular demon.  His bad decisions couldn't smother the true person the rest of us are able to see underneath all the brokenness.

Oh and one more thing...

On a personal note, I want to thank those of you who come here to read my blog.  Reading that amazing article last night and seeing the other people out there doing much more impressive things for Bobby's memory, such as the website owner and Jordan with the documentary, made me feel a little insignificant about my own contribution at first.  I never started this blog to get attention, necessarily... I just did it because I love writing about Bobby.  But I realize that compared to alot of the other things you could be reading out there, I'm pretty colloquial and informal in my writing style.  I'm "fluffy," not very professional... and that could lead alot of people to dismissing me as just some hack, some lovesick fan.  I also might go way off base in my musings and ponderings.  Thing is though, I have to be at peace with the fact that some people might think those things, just as we ALL have to come to terms with the unflattering pictures other people have of us... and know that this is just me.  The fact that some of you still come here and read the things I have to say, and find them important, means alot to me.  Believe me, if I thought I had the talents for it, I'd be writing my own book about Bobby.  But it goes without saying that some of us just aren't biographers.  We do what we can, in our own way.

So... thanks for hanging with me.  It helps me feel at least a little validated in my more emotion and creativity-based postings.  I know things have been slow the past few months, but hopefully I will always come up with a few interesting things to say!