Disney's Golden Boy Gone Wrong

The success of child star Tommy Kirk made a fortune for Disney-and then he simply disappeared. What happened to him? And what made him leave the entertainment world behind?
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[@BarARanchMason]

Tommy is beloved here in Mason Texas….home of Ole Yeller. RIP

[@franklinherrera8573]

My sister and some of her high school friends went to Disneyland for Seniors Day . She and her best friends broke off from the main group to explore on their own. It wasn't long before they met up with none other than Tommy Kirk. They of course were besides themselves. Mr. Kirk (as they told me, was very nice and seemed kind). They took pictures with him. I still have have those pics. This was in the early sixties.

[@sandymwest1606]

Watching him in movies and on tv was part of my youth.

[@cathymartin6085]

Me toooo my childhood memories

[@CATNAPREAL1188]

I don't know how anyone could only remember him from the movie "Old Yeller " because HE WAS EVERYWHERE in Disney movies for a few year's the way I remember it. I'm not even 2 minutes into this video and if I type cast this kid from the knowledge we had at that time, well everything spells Gay. So I will finish watching the video but from the looks of him, the time it was in History Tommy was Gay & back then it was a Sin to be gay & if you were found out, you LOST YOUR CARRER! So that's my guess at less than 2 minutes into this video.

[@cathymartin6085]

@ loved him anyways, he was part of my childhood and was a great actor! Nothing should matter once they go home after portraying a part♥️RIP Tommy ♥️

[@jamestrotter3162]

@@CATNAPREAL1188 God says that it's still a sin.

[@user-wl8wl8lp9r]

The public is now finding out about the abuse so many child actors endured, no wonder so many turned to substance abuse and other poor choices in an attempt to cope with what no child should have to deal with. Heart breaking.

[@christineweaver3090]

Yeah I felt bad hearing about Shirley temple her mom made her work nonstop even when she was sick. Then that guy flashed her in his dressing room. She was losing parts not being that little girl anymore. Then Judy garland being picked on during the wizard of oz.calling her fat then the munchkins kept looking under her dress.pigs!

[@6HauntedDays]

Well in his case it was coz he was gay,......you people are so.....weird....so obsessed with pedos & you see THEM EVERYWHERE. According to you people even democrats eat babies. It's creepy & gross. I get that yea Hollywood treats kid stars awful abc horrible....it's not ALWAYS a pedo 🙄🤬

[@MarionBeyl]

I was thinking the same thing. Given the horrible abuse stories and pedo stories? It’s not surprising he believed himself to be gay! He was groomed by the industry 😢

[@AmbientShades]

@@MarionBeyl He was gay before he ever set foot in hollywood

[@Only_In_America_SY]

The studios drugged many stars! Disney wasn’t one of those studios! Many walked a good line! These stars had internal demons! You don’t need to be a star many people have more problems. Look at how many Americans born here were every opportunity are on the streets doing drugs! They are human no different then these stars!

[@23gizmo32]

Thank you for this wonderful telling of Tommy Kirk's story. When I was a kid, he had been one of my favorite movie stars. It's quite sad how many individuals have been badly hurt by hate and prejudice. Your work has motivated me to look again at his movies.

[@marshabearnson8048]

I LOVED Tommy Kirk!❤️

[@susanmazei1834]

Gay or not in the time period he was a star attraction in movies, Hollywood is cruel to child actors then and now. Swiss Family Robinson and the Hayley Mills film The Moon-Spinners were my favorite Disney movies as a child. RIP Tommy Kirk.

[@cathymartin6085]

I loved him and didn’t care that he was gay! Still love him and cried during this video. Feel so bad for Disney kids/adult’s :(

[@andyvanm1]

Bingo !

[@patmarkham519]

Loved those Disney films & also liked Tommy kirk too.(He was a very good actor!)

[@leslieschott754]

The Moon Spinners was a wonderful movie!

[@naty2530]

Being gay in Hollywood isn’t developed organically, but through childhood abuse by other men.

[@tikitavi7120]

Nice little tribute to Tommy, he certainly deserves it. That guy really did have some acting chops and given the right roles could have had a fantastic career.

[@lizleague7084]

What I find most tragic is that many of these talented actors from that era died as paupers, having no agents to protect their assets and ensure they would receive royalties. Today we have many talentless people making an obscene amount of money.

[@skullbleu8166]

You nailed that!

[@blainerudy2255]

Also, many young actors were the bread earners of the familiy,and and so most had other people spending their money.

[@secretpoo]

But they deserve to get paid for EVERY SECOND that they wear that dress.....lol. But I agree that there is a stark contrast between someone talented like Tommy Kirk and... other... current Disney actors.

[@teel714]

Unless I'm mistaken, Tommy's friend is former actor and child actors advocate, Paul Petersen (whose best-known role was as Donna Reed's son in "The Donna Reed Show").

[@dianedupree-dempsey2402]

I believe you are correct. Paul Petersen advocated for child actors in some way, as I recall.

[@lesliegmn3927]

If it’s Paul Petersen, the former child star has devoted years to advocating on behalf of young performers. Petersen runs A Minor Consideration, an advocacy group.

[@jcbulldog533]

I had a crush on Paul Petersen when I was a teenager.. I thought he was so DAMN,cute 🥰🥰

[@lifechanges557]

I still watch the Donna Reed Show on Tubi TV, Love that show and Paul as Jeff.

[@pamelasimone5084]

@@lesliegmn3927While Paul does not dwell on his own on his personal experience with a dysfunctional family, he is honest about it. Along with abuse, his family misused his earnings and when he reached 18, he found his earnings had been squandered.

[@Only_In_America_SY]

It’s crazy for some reason I randomly remembered Tommy Kirk 3 days ago! Then. I got this video. Old yellar killed me as a child!! 😢 I didn’t even know he had died! RIP Tommy!! You are a true legend!! I don’t care about your private life. It’s none of my business. However, you brought so much joy and happiness to the childhood of many!!

[@cathyann1601]

I also remember him from when I was a kid. I really liked him, and liked everything he appeared in, a real fan. I also don't care about his private life - none of my business. For me, it was his roles on TV and in movies that I remember and admired.

[@larrysingleton2864]

"Old yellar killed me as a child" Yeah. There's this mild kick in the gut whenever I think about this movie that few thing do. They hang with you for years. Robert Penn Warren's book All the Kings Men does the same thing.

[@tharris3601]

He was part of that Beach Blanket Bingo crowd. He did some stuff with Deborah Walley 🎉🎉

[@JenniferManning-yb2nm]

Nicely said ❤

[@SundraTanakoh]

Any Tommy Kirk movie is worth watching as far as I am concerned. He was ALWAYS GREAT!

[@hollyshippy7417]

Thank you for not being empty click-bait. This was a marvelous telling of a gifted, talented actor who worked hard at his profession ... and was a fine human being. So glad to hear that his fellow actors thought so highly of him. His resilience in the light of so many unnecessary hurts and slights is inspiring.

[@David-lg2dv]

So he was dating a 15 year old and there were so many unnecessary hurts and slights of him? Ummm. Ok.

[@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc]

Annette Funicello enjoyed working with him.

[@CornishJanet]

Sanewashing at its best. He molested a 15 year old....and who molested him. Nobody seems to care

[@Lylo-mj8ek]

Thank You, For portraying Mr. Kirk for his Amazing skills and abilities not to mention resilient personality. May he rest in peace knowing he is still Loved and Respected to this day. ❤

[@buckshot_V]

Wait a minute, what are we doing here? I get it he was a beloved actor, but are we feeling sorry for a guy who was molesting a 15 year-old boy in a public swimming pool??? 👀 That is what he was doing in public! Lord knows what happened to him or what else he did in Private! 🤢

[@SandraBrooks-m5q]

Too bad Tommy Kirk lost the role in John Wayne's "The Sons of Katie Elder." I think he would have knocked it out of the park as the youngest brother because of his persona.

[@impishsongster333]

Oh that would've been much better! The actor who played the youngest Elder brother, was awful. He managed to overact & yell every line, at the same time. To do both takes skill. Yikes😬

[@VictorTucker-o6h]

He may have not been in the shadow of the other actors. This could have been a problem for them.

[@lonayork591]

He was arrested for Marijuana in Mexico just before shooting for The Sons of Katie Elder started. The studios didn't want any scandals and that is why he was let go and his understudy got the part. I am his cousin and I was told this by his half brother Johnny Kirk.

[@DavidRansom]

I was excited when I met Tommy Kirk at a Disney fan event about 7 years ago (can’t remember if it was a D23 Convention or a Disneyana Fan Club event). I saw a man quietly sitting by a sign that said, “Tommy Kirk”, almost invisible. I could hardly believe that I was standing in the presence of one of Disney’s biggest film stars of all time, and I told him so. I was astonished by his reaction to what I said. He told me that he wasn’t all that good actor, and that he barely knew what he was doing! He was painfully modest! Well, I do know great acting when I see it, and I chalked his self-deprecation to being uneasy about receiving praise. I felt sorry for him that he felt this way, and for the fact that at that moment, I was the only one there that seemed to notice him. I remembered him being in all the films mentioned in this video, and the fact that he acted opposite Disney’s biggest star, Annette. I’m glad that I got to meet him!

[@AmandathePandaBooks]

I saw old yeller once. I'll never see it again.

[@Sarah-s4z]

I agree with you! It broke my heart as I was only a child at the time. I will walk out of a movie if any animal is abused or killed in it. 😢

[@thunderroad7289]

I was a young child when I seen it in the theaters . Loved the movie but the ended made me cry like crazy. I can never watch it again

[@grbenway]

@@Sarah-s4z Spoilers!!!!!!!!

[@PRR5406]

Never watch the movie where the dog dies. Horrible to put before kids.

[@beadyeye2312]

Same here, saw it as a kid and couldn't get it out of my mind for a long time.

[@artful59dodger59]

I knew Tommy Kirk for a brief period when he stayed with a friend on the North Side of Youngstown Ohio. He was dirt poor and had shared a room at my friends grandmothers house. My friend Jim drove a taxi and this is how he became acquainted with Tommy. My friend Jim was known for being a bullshitter so anything he said I questioned. He said, "no this time i am telling you the truth" but I still didn't believe him. He stopped over with a studio actor guild card and several Polaroid pictures of Tommy and Disney together. I still wasn't convinced so he invited my friend Frank and I to his place to prove he wasn't lying. When we got there there was absolutely no mistaken that it definitely was Tommy Kirk. Back in 74 i use to sell weed for $15 an ounce and Tommy use to buy his weed and pay for it in quarters and small change. He worked sweeping up a local club called the Tomorrow club and most of the money he paid me with was the money he found sweeping up the club. He disappeared one day and the only thing i found out is that he had left for Tennessee. All i can say is knowing him for the 2-3 months that i did was an experience. He was nice, but strange.

[@wonderrob3225]

15 bucks an ounce !? I wish I could get that deal today. Its better today though, I can get Amsterdam quality weed at my local, legal dispensary. I think it's a shame that so many people went to prison just for smokin weed back in the old days. Thanks for your interesting recollections about Tommy Kirk

[@lonayork591]

I believe you. Tommy was my cousin and I know that being caught with weed was why he lost the part in The Sons of Katie Elder. His half brother Johnny Kirk told me that Tommy just liked being reclusive and reading poetry aloud in his later years.

[@artful59dodger59]

@@wonderrob3225 Yeah back then it was kinda dirt weed but it got you a buzz. One thing that stuck in my mind was that he said that Shelley Winters smoked weed with him and she was like a mother to him. He talked a bit about Annette Funicello but I won't get in to that, LOL Sad that he is gone. He certainly brought a lot of joy in to my life through his great acting.

[@ivanbrewski]

He was cleaning carpets way back in 1987 , we lived in Tulare county back then and he cleaned our houses carpeting as we were putting our house on the market. He was skinny as a rail back then

[@lonayork591]

Tommy Kirk was my cousin, and what pretty much ended his career was he got busted for marijuana in Mexico when he was there for the filming of 'The Sons Of Katie Elder'. He was cast as the youngest son, but his understudy ended up playing the role instead. It would have been his breakthrough role into being a major star. After that he did some voice acting, and theater and stage work, but never any major acting roles. He became reclusive and very private with his life. His father Louie Kirk lived in Swamp Branch, KY and was a lovely man with shocking blue eyes, and his half brother Johnny Kirk lived outside of Louisa, KY and was the 1st person in 60 years to be arrested for moonshining in Lawrence Co. KY. (Some of the best shine I have ever had. ) The Kirk's were prominent in Prestonsburg, KY and Tommy's grandfather was a judge there.

[@jeffbrinkerhoff5121]

Thanks for humanizing this sad story. Best to all

[@spectrumlocalb191]

IT WAS PAUL PETERSON NOT PETER PETERSON.

[@debbie5792]

It was PAUL PEDERSON, no T

[@mattskustomkreations]

@@debbie5792It was PETE D. PAULSON

[@debbie5792]

@@mattskustomkreations Hold on I’ll check I’m friends with him

[@debbie5792]

Paul Peterson no middle initial.

[@debbie5792]

Excuse me PEDERSON

[@surrealistgirlx]

Loved Tommy Kirk. I had the biggest crush on him. He brought so much to peoples' life. He deserved better.

[@eaglelubricants]

Tommy Kirk will always be remembered, and he inspired generations of young actors.

[@dtnetlurker]

Yeah he was "so inspiring"🥱

[@Ha66y-yb3yr]

One of my early crushes along with Tommy Rettig and Johnny Crawford

[@amberspaulding]

I hear you!

[@TurquoiseRhino]

Disney has destroyed more child stars than him. The only thing of his than I can recall is Old Yeller. A truly traumatizing film, no way I could watch it again and I’m 56.

[@Lakridza67]

Bobby Driscoll comes to mind! Disgusting what happened to him. Disney should be forced to pay compensation to his family💯

[@DemonKingBadger]

When we watched Old Yeller at school in 3rd grade. I got made fun ofby the other kids, for crying at the ending.

[@bethweeks5943]

My mother believed Disney was cruel to children. I’ll never forget that I got down on the floor of the car and sobbed dreadfully when Bambi’s mother got killed.

[@fernandoalegria4240]

I'm 77 and can't watch it again.

[@chrisbacos]

The more I learn about Disney the more I despise it. I will never attend their theme parks again

[@faithcastillo9597]

I remember having a big crush on him when I was a grade schooler. I loved him in Old Yeller and Savage Sam. How sad he was used by Hollywood and Disney, then thrown away.

[@ColeenAbrams-m3g]

I’ll always remember old yeller and Tommy!! Cried like a baby over that scene!! 😭

[@steelmagnolia474]

Rest in peace Tommy Kirk! You were and still are loved and missed dearly! 💔

[@jameswahnee-vn5nt]

There are those such as you and I who will never forget him. Ever.

[@margiecarol2944]

I loved his Disney movies; but, sorry to say, pretty sure he was not a Christian. Jesus said that you must repent of your sin and be born again spiritually. John chapter 1. John 14:6 Jesus said that He is the way, and the truth, and the life and no one comes to the Father except through Him. And if you have not repented of your sin and accepted Christ as Savior and Lord, then, since He is the Lamb of God, and if your name is not written in the Lamb's book of life, Revelation 20:15 says that you will be thrown into the lake of fire at the final judgment. Can't change that fact. Very sad. 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉😢

[@patk3601]

This is so sad. He was part of my childhood. Sadly, he was his own worst enemy. Disney and his family let him down. It's too bad that many actors are so selfish that they can't see beyond the edge of their noses. McMurray should have been ashamed of himself. A boy was crying for help and he ignored him. Shame on him.

[@capt.rickenbacker6539]

MacMurry was known to be a nasty, snobbish SOB who thought he was better than anyone else.

[@jcbulldog533]

I agree,with your statement about Fred McMurray could've of been a little more considerate or even helped him get counseling with the appropriate people..He was definitely reaching out it's a shame his family was useless to him Very sad indeed

[@leslieschott754]

Yes, that surprised me, too, that McMurray was so harsh and uncaring toward him. He always seemed to play the role of a caring and concerned dad!

[@sarahleach9997]

Shame Tommy Kirk was such a great actor.🎉

[@jcbulldog533]

@@leslieschott754 That's just it obviously just actually acting & doesn't sound like a very compassionate person

[@Stuff_And_Things]

After watching Old Yeller once I have never had any desire to watch it again. Beyond that, you couldn't pay me to watch it again. That ending is incredibly disturbing. It cuts right through the heart of any boy who's best friend was their dog. Tommy Kirk though, was one of my first crushes back when I was still uncertain why I was different that the people around me.

[@capt.rickenbacker6539]

Same here.

[@hyacinth4368]

It's a wonderful movie I have seen many times and could watch many more! I love movies that make me cry! And I love the theme song! Here, Yeller! Come back, Yeller! Best darn dog in the West.

[@wonderrob3225]

My sister recommended to my niece a movie that deeply moved her as a child "Where the Red Fern Grows." I told my niece that the movie is terrible and not to watch it. The red fern grows over the grave of his beloved pet. 😆

[@LabyrinthMole]

My mom met Tommy a few times when he visited his uncle, who was a county judge. This was around '58 or '59 when she was a just a kid. His uncle happened to live close by to my grandparents.

[@lonayork591]

Prestonsburg, KY. It was his Grandfather who was the judge. Tommy was my cousin.

[@PeaceLoveDolls]

Thank you for making this video celebrating his life.

[@marilynmckenzie2111]

I remember Tommy Kirk fondly! 👍🏻👩🏻‍🦰🇨🇦

[@Rocketjay12]

The person this video refers to is Paul Peterson, not Peter. Paul was the actor that was on the Donna Reed show as her son, Jeff . He's been a sort of an advocate for people who began in show business as very young actors.

[@FallenAngel9979]

I’ve only seen Old Yeller as a kid. I haven’t seen it since. Not sure I can. It’s just so bloody sad. I admire Kirk for coming out in that time period. Sad he lost his career, and his family disowning him.

[@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc]

His family disowned him because he wasn't the breadwinner anymore.

[@cathymartin6085]

I cried while watching this, I’m 61 and Tommy Kirk was part of my childhood. Old Yeller is still my fav movie and book. I never cared that he was gay, he was an amazing actor and I feel bad that was caught up in that woke Disney/money machine. RIP you were amazing!

[@bkitteh6295]

I would say that Disney Studios were the very opposite of "woke."

[@lunchguy659]

He's the same age as my mom. I grew up watching all those 1960's Disney movies including his. All those live action Disney kid and nature movies were awesome back then. At least to me. I always looked forward to the WONDERFUL World of Disney every week on tv. I was in the 2nd generation of TV exposed kids. I have a whole TV heritage, lol. There were many classic shows that people my age and a little older grew up with. Disney cartoons, TV shows and movies and all movies and tv shows evolved as we grew and became parents. From Leave it to Beaver to Married, with children, from Payton Place to Soap, lol It was a unique time, I absolutely love that I grew up in the 1960's-70's and saw the beginnings of the computer/telecommunication/data driven age of emergent technology on the cusp of some kind of social/technological/existential singularity right around the corner. If we survive the next few years...

[@dancingfilly7355]

It was The Wonderful World of Disney.

[@lunchguy659]

@@dancingfilly7355 Ya I knew I got that wrong, it didn't look quite right, but I didn't bother looking it up because I'm not that worried about it in the grand scheme of things, probably I was mistaking the title with the WIDE World of Sports and got mixed up. and I just let it go. Thanks for correcting me since it is apparently important enough to you to post about it, so I hope you feel better now. I changed it just for you. lol

[@gregoryagogo]

He was always my favorite guy in the beach movies. He had a sweet smile.

[@panowa8319]

@15:39 That was Bobby Driscoll, another former Disney child star. Subsequently, he was later dropped by Disney and died homeless and penniless. Now he's buried in a paupers grave.

[@denisestinnett4414]

He was awesome. Just fell in love with him❤ you are held in our hearts dear one.

[@Nunofurdambiznez]

MARVELOUS video!!!! Thanks for the update about Tommy Kirk - I've always wondered what happened to him in his later years.

[@tracycraft2971]

I so loved Tommy Kirk! He was an amazing actor and an amazing man! Bravo Mr Kirk!!❤ you are remembered and loved!!

[@kamelhaj6850]

I do remember seeing this child actor in so many Disney films! I always wondered what happened to him and now I know.

[@barbaraedgley2634]

Loved him in The Shaggy Dog & The Hardy Boys.

[@fob1xxl]

They love to ride on your coat tails when you're a hot property, but they'll throw you to the curb if you're no longer viable.

[@dameTx]

Very sad. His only friend was his "brother" costar. May he rest in peace.

[@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc]

Annette Funicello was also his friend, too.

[@dameTx]

@ Good to know. Annette was a classy lady.

[@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc]

@@dameTx Tommy Kirk and Annette Funicello appeared together in 7 movies.

[@barbaramollmann5990]

I remember him as a kid. In some way he reminds me of Jim Parsons.

[@candicelitrenta8890]

While watching this video, Jim also popped into my mind before I saw you reply

[@twistoffate4791]

​@@candicelitrenta8890I must agree with you both. The resemblance is definitely there.

[@lavatube8060]

If they ever do a biography movie, Jim could play him.

[@galactusholmes]

This guy was in my favorite movies when I was a kid: Old Yeller, SFR, and an all-time favorite, The Shaggy Dog. Even the best show of all time, MST3K, honored a later movie of his. Man, those were good times.

[@GnomicMaster]

When I was a kid in the 1950s Tommy's aunt lived across the street from my grandma, and when Tommy would come to see his aunt my sister and I would go over and we'd play with Tommy in his aunt's backyard. Tommy didn't want other kids or adults to see him and bother him, but he liked my sister and me so we were always invited over.

[@robotnik77]

Career stagnation and career failure happen to not just a few actors, but most of them, so save what you can and have a back-up plan. He was lucky to have as many jobs as he got. Most are not as lucky as he.

[@t.b.1596]

Gosh..even in his older self he sure aged well. Boy do I remember old yeller! He was a great actor and part of my youth!

[@secretgoldfish]

Sex with a minor in public (with a complaining mum) could have ended him.....while hollyweird pretended to be morally outraged.

[@PatriciaMcNeill-mu5jy]

Should have been arrested.

[@QueenOfTheNorth65]

He said he was “showing affection.” No one said they were “having sex in public.”

[@secretgoldfish]

@@QueenOfTheNorth65 He was 21, the kid was 15 and he was clearly pretty shameless about it.....or perhaps just 'stunning and brave'.

[@Support_Ad_Blocker]

@@PatriciaMcNeill-mu5jy troll

[@alisaament2418]

One of my childhood crushes 🥰 such a great actor! So sad he's one of the child actors that Hollywood used & abused.

[@Quaerite_Verum]

Where are you getting abused from? I haven’t seen anything about him being abused

[@bwenluck9812]

​@@Quaerite_Verum What do you consider "abuse"? Only physical abuse???

[@Quaerite_Verum]

@@bwenluck9812 I haven’t seen anything about any of the forms of abuse in any bios about him.

[@carolwilliams8281]

Thats especially sad now since thats ALL Disney is about.

[@laurencresap603]

The irony is that we wish Disney would make these types of movies again.

[@Lakridza67]

Yep! The first Peter Pan actor wound up on Hart Island, NY! Rip Bobby Driscoll🙏🏼💔

[@mcclaynjazmyn9845]

The absolute HYPOCRICY of Disney is incredible, being they are now outed for their hidden agenda, Child Abuse & Trafficking and God knows what else, it sure is apparent in many of their production, right under the noses of the masses....Walt himself, what a evil empire Disney was and has become...

[@palopinto4065]

Hollywood ignoring an actor for the kind of behavior they themselves were involved in. Hollywood Hypocrits.

[@Bolanboogie10]

He was gorgeous.

[@michaelaldredge-greenwell1692]

Heck yeah

[@anitaschvitz9749]

I miss the time before I knew Disney and Hollywood were evil. So long ago, so stupid and innocent

[@Judy-z7z]

I loved Tommy and always will, no matter what. Jane Wyman was a very unhappy person who never got along with her costars, nor her many husbands. I am so glad Tommy got the recognition he deserved, being honored as a Disney legend.

[@deipso8147]

I admired Tommy Kirk in the Mickey Mouse Club on TV in Australia when I was a kid. He and Annette Funicello stood out as the stars.

[@trh2-f7v]

I still cant believe how the Major Movie Industries treated the girl stars when they were so very young...and I cant believe how Shirley Temples mother let her baby daughter of 6 be in the company of the set directors,producers and many known child predators . ALONE..... + her mom let them dress her in short short dresses etc...she did it all for the $ exploiting her daughter....no wonder this era of hollywood stars have had pitiful lives...sad!

[@joannharrington2279]

Great movies and great star.

[@michaelaregenfuss5968]

Rest in peace Tommy Kirk. I loved you in Old Yeller and Swiss Family Robinson.

[@philip2010]

I probably saw all his movies To me he looked alot like will wheaton

[@Oodb2]

I think correctly, Will Wheaton looked like him….

[@ShortCanuck]

I just loved Tommy Kirk - thanks for this.

[@gdcat777]

The thumbnail misled me to believe he'd died long ago and that it was somehow tragic. How deceptive and manipulating.

[@Troy-b1e]

Old Yeller was a great movie and taught kids a valuable lesson and I was one of them … kids nowadays couldn’t handle it

[@melaniew4354]

I'm 61 and Old Yeller, The Yearling, and Where the Red Fern Grows tore me up as a kid, but I understand the valuble lessons of those stories. I made sure both my sons, born in the 90s saw Old Yeller and The Yearling and read the books. I left off Where the Red Fern Grows, but we talked about that one. We still talk about all those stories to this day and they both acknowledge their value. I now have grandchildren and yep, they're gonna get hit with them too!

[@Troy-b1e]

@ you are spot on and I loved Where the Red Fern Grows and my grandfather had a farm in the Missouri Ozarks and my best childhood memories are from their

[@TimothyWiley-r2b]

One of my favorite young stars of my childhood, Kevin Corcoran was another, coming out when he did wrecked his career but I always admired his courage for doing that, Jane Wyman was a failure as an actress and divorced a future president, and I never really got Fred McMurray as an actor, to hear he was a jerk is not a surprise, Tommy was a major actor in my early days.... RIP Tommy...

[@peterpain6625]

When i saw Old Yeller when i was little that scene "behind the barn" broke me for a couple of weeks. Rest in please Tommy Kirk. Also waiting tables or driving people around is not rock bottom in Hollywood. It's pretty normal for actors to have "normal job" in between or during their career. Some people in the business even have one intentionally to go back to do "keep them grounded".

[@JStrike42]

Very well done. Well, if he was not a Disney Legend, who else could have been. Viva Tommy Kirk!

[@anthonytrapani383]

I met Tommy about 1973 at my house.A friend of mine was Andy Kirk he told us he was his uncle .And he proved it. I didn't know he passed.

[@H.G.Wells-ishWells-ish]

I grew up watching Disney in the 1980s. I had no brothers. But, watching Kirk and Corcoran in those films gave me an archetype for what a brother was supposed to be for my three younger sisters. Never met you, Tommy, but still love ya. RIP.

[@manitobaoutdoors7705]

good job here, mate.......interesting and kind portrayal, thank you

[@sharrigarvin3348]

I knew about. Bobby Driscoll had no idea about Kirk

[@JennetteHolmes]

I saw all those movies including following The Hardy Boys. Never knew this and I am sorry for him. He was a great actor and that shows how expendable people and animals were. Sht😢

[@annettev8362]

I grew up watching him & enjoyed his movies & TV programs....Swiss Family Robinson is my favorite...Hello 👋🏻 from Alhambra Southern California 🌴

[@hathi444]

Hello from an Alhambra High School graduate. 😊

[@DD-wx3ho]

WRONG name, PAUL Petersen broke the news.

[@jodyharnish9104]

When I was in grade school, a friend wanted to see Old Yeller for her birthday party. None of us knew how it ended. We left the theater crying our eyes out, and my friend's mom felt terrible!

[@geographicaloddity2]

Sad story - Wil Wheaton looks like Tommy's clone.

[@AlbertKundrat]

OK! Are they sort-of ALTER EGOS in Stardom?

[@alisaament2418]

Wow, never noticed

[@oliverbrownlow5615]

And Wil Wheaton is also estranged from his family.

[@tazmod7272]

I saw Old Yeller at a movie theater in Miami when it came out. We were living in Key West at the time and my folks wanted to go to Miami for sightseeing and shopping. I love dogs but only had one we had to give up because of our move to Key West. I didn’t know how the movie ended so it was heartbreaking to me. Over the years I have had dogs and it has always been difficult to have one die.

[@thomasallen5303]

I remember watching him when I was a kid in the '60s and '70s, so I enjoyed the commentary. However, it drove me crazy that the video clips and photos used in this video were just random with no effort to match the clips/photos to the narrative.

[@pg1171]

I would love to have been his friend. He was such a talented actor. I'm glad that he still had close friends and 'family' in his last days. I would be willing to bet money that I don't have, that Disney wished that they hadn't done him wrong in cancelling his contract. Thank you for posting this!

[@kvonzwild8979]

Seems 15 =minor. Not good regardless of his sexual orientation. Further his drug use? Seems Hollywood kids have a very hard time growing up without major issues. Sad. This guy needed help.

[@jimalancook3157]

Great video ! I know that people had to stay in the closet then or their careers were over . But He actually had protection from the studio . And was making big money . He made bad decisions one after the other with the drugs , and making out with teen underage kid in a a public pool , being high while working for Disney . And in that time period ! But I think he always owned up to that . Recovering addict of almost 23 yrs . We make bad decisions while messed up . Just loved him . And those early movies and the beach movies 🍿

[@jeffjeffjeff808]

This story is minor when you consider the story of a friend that I will not name. In nineteen eighty seven my friend was terminated after being employed by Disney for decades, even playing peter pan for more than ten years. They learned he was gay when he began needing medical treatment for H.I V./ AIDS. After being fired he was no longer eligible for his pension, medical, etc. Disney is full of hypocrites. Walt was THE WORST.

[@davidhenschel1990]

@jeffjeffjeff808 Walt Disney died more than fifteen years before Surgeon General C. Everett Koop began making public statements about AIDS. Whatever caused the termination of your friend’s employment involved people other than Mr. Disney. Also, your statement about your friend “playing Peter Pan for more than ten years” isn’t very convincing. Are you referring to voiceover work for cartoons or for TV commercials for peanut butter? If you are referring to an amusement park, your friend was better off searching for an opportunity other than that. By the mid-1980s, gravity-defying rides were the most fun experiences in amusement parks.

[@reginagiurintano366]

Why don't you check your research. His friend was Paul Peterson (of the Donna Reed show) not Peter Peterson.

[@AllenMurphy-le8sw]

All American boy, star and broken by Hollywood fame, and misfortune. 19:02

[@Catsclaw-ru6zw]

He wasn't the first & won't he be the last.

[@CynthiaCupler]

I love Tommy Kirk, good actor, R.I.P.. T.K.💖

[@tamaramcgill5820]

I’m 53 seen that movie one time.. and still react to the title

[@terr777]

That would be Paul Peterson.

[@IzehiOmoike]

It is a computer voice.

[@jansilverthorn777]

Ol’ Yeller traumatized me as a kid…

[@davidmcpherson7451]

He was great in so many movies.

[@SandyCheeks63564]

As a little kid I had a big crush on Tommy K. I didn't even know his name, but was always happy when he was in a movie I was watching.

[@zabadazidit]

The way Disney has changed nowadays, Tommy Kirk's sexuality would not have been considered an issue.

[@aubreyleonae4108]

People can be so cruel for the cruelest of motives. . .

[@gene4791]

He destroyed his career with drugs. Usually, it is not addressed because there are too many "Enablers" who do nothing.

[@ernestmac13]

People often turn to streak drugs to self medicated; we must remember mental healthcare back then was full of horror stories, such as LGBT folks being institutionalized and sterilized against their will. Let's also not forget how taboo it was to even mention mental health issues, and stigmatizing to even mention you were seeking mental health care. A lot of our vets resorted to using drugs and alcohol; to self medicated after their time fighting in the Gulf, because the VA system was so overwhelmed help was seldom available. Even worse; if the VA found out you were self medicating, they would falsely claim it was a preexisting condition, so they could deny you care. To make things worse; the symptoms of traumatic brain injuries, can mirror those of PTSD, and the military at that time didn't know you could be several feet or even yards from an explosion and still receive a traumatic brain injury. Being disowned and abandoned by your family; especially at a relatively young age, can cause someone to develop mental health issues, including the PTSD, being LGBT at that time could also put you in situations that are traumatizing. I am sure many other actors were also high all the time.

[@forcewielder2000]

Interestingly, I've read that Swiss Family Robinson remained his favorite movie.

[@thecaptain4829]

He and I are close to the same age, and I had such a crush on him when I was growing up, I though he was the most handsome guy in the world.

[@DemonKingBadger]

He was born same year as my parents.

[@singlewhitefemale1707]

I used to respect Disney. I was raised on Disney and Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom in the 60's and 70's . Olde Yeller was a staple in my house watched many times, still watched to this day. But Disney changed. I see Disney as a groomer, a pedofile in general. A sick coilition of sick men preying on innocent children. My parents are now gone, and I did take my children to Disney at least once before i knew what was going on. Disney should be ashamed victimizing children. Its NOTvwhat Walt Disney wanted. So sad to see such an iconic man trashed, as well as his legacy.💔💔💔💔

[@tlw1950]

Woke Disney is evil.

[@tarbhnathrac]

@singlewhitefemale1707. Sadly, you seem to be under the impression that W. Disney was a benevolent, lovely man and the evil was in the suits that surrounded him. WRONG. Disney was a wonderful family man, but an ASSHAT to his employees. It's possible he wasn't, BUT, if he was aware of this actor's homosexuality he for sure would have dumped him. In his business life he was greedy and controlling.

[@leslieschott754]

If Mr Walt Disney was in charge of Disney productions today, the productions and Disneyland wouldn’t be the trash it is today. It’s become a BIG COMPANY production that caters to sick ideologies! 😮😢

[@brendagroff8478]

Boy how Disney has changed.

[@stevenlarkin1706]

I remember him in Swiss Family Robinson. He was a natural talent.

[@jamesbutler3812]

Another Disney Mouseketeer who was gay and abandoned was Cubby .He also lived a tragic life and died broke and alone. IDK if his story translates as well as this one to a KZbin bio, but if you make it I'll watch it. You did a really good job on this one.

[@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc]

You got your information wrong. It was Mousketeer Dennis Day, who was gay and died broke, not Cubby O'Brien. Cubby is currently married to his third wife, Holly.

[@jamesbutler3812]

@@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc Thanks for the heads up, much appreciated! I'll try to retrace my steps and find out why I thought it was Cubby.

[@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc]

@@jamesbutler3812 Tragically, Dennis Day was murdered in 2018 by a handyman named James Burda. Dennis Day's disappearance and murder was featured in the TV show, Dateline, in February 2019.

[@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc]

Dennis Day was murdered by a handyman in 2018. The story was featured on the TV show, Dateline in February 2019.