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.
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.
As of a few years ago not all states had the Coogan law. The Gosselins were not covered until Paul Peterson from the Donna Reed show, who has made it his life work to support the children he calls the "formers, " had a law passed in Pennsylvania with the aide of Charlie Dent, a state representative.
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.
Thank you for filling in important part of the story Very good documentary and yes he would have been a great to play the part in, "The Sons of Katy Elder"!!!
And nowhere do you mention the fact he was gay. In those days it was still difficult to be LGBTQ. Perhaps you're not mentioning this fact, even in today's world, is the reason he felt abandoned by your family then and became reclusive. How sad.
@franksellers7858 No, I don't recall anyone even mentioning it, but he became reclusive in California and his Father's side lived in Kentucky. His Dad was very old and lived way back up a holler in Floyd Co KY. Why are you trying to blame family that he was never around for his life choices? His Dad and Mom were divorced before he was hired by Disney, and she raised him. 🤷♀️
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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 🙄🤬
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 😢
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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. ❤
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! 🤢
@@Lylo-mj8ek sooo many greedy stage mother’s that used their kids for money and left them without money when the parts dried up. Such selfish people and now the whole new breed of moms and dads are doing it online with their kids . It’s sad! 🥹
To many of us who were children in the 60's, Tommy was the face of Disney. The way his family, Disney and the movie industry abandoned him was unforgivable. He should have had his earnings protected but it looks like they weren't. Rest in peace Tommy. Your work brought joy to so many people and you will be remembered.
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").
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.
@@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.
I came here to say that too! The audible portion of the video refers correctly to "Paul" it's RUclips's editors that mistakenly refer to him as "Peter". (Oh well, they're probly young & can't tell the diff!
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!!
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.
"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.
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. 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉😢
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.
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😬
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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. 😆
Tommy was on my junior high crush list a little below David Stollery, Tim Considine, Johnny Crawford, and Tommy Rettig, And my best friend at 13 yo was not my dog but blond haired Malcolm. I was a busy guy!
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.
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.
It broke my heart and still does I have watched it many times over the years and it gets me every time I watch it but O’l Yeller is still the best dog gone dog in the west
Old Yeller is lovingly etched into my memory. All I have to do is think quickly about that one scene and tears come to my eyes. I have always Loved Dogs. Love dogs more than most people if I’m being honest.
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.
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.
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
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.
@@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.
So weird that Disney went from anti-gay back then to super gay these days. It's almost like they're a souless entity with no moral compass that only cater to whatever current social mores they think will make them bank. And by "almost" I mean absolutely.
"super gay"? 😂 You have no idea how many closeted gay artists were working there at that time. It was a societal expectation on a family friendly film company to not have employees be exposed publicly for sex or drug scandals. They still hold that standard, since it's still happening. The minute they went from gay innuendo to actually having a gay character, they got blow back.
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.
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 So, the judge's wife was Tommy's dad's sister, I believe. Her name was Alice Hall. They lived a couple blocks away from my grandparents in Ashland.
@LabyrinthMole Yes, Aunt Alice. Her son was an art dealer in Norway or something, but we had several of her paintings in our house in Louisa. She was a good artist.
@@lonayork591 OK. My grandfather grew up in Salyersville, KY. We used to have our family reunions at the Carriage House in Paintsville back in the mid to late '80s. It's a small world.
@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.
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.
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 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
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!
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.
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...
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.
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!
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".
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!
@ 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
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.
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...
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😢
I really loved his movies. As a child, I thought of Tommy Kirk as if he were my big brother. I, however, have never watched Old Yeller purely for the fact that I knew Tommy would shoot his dog, and I could not bring myself to watch him do that. Sorry to hear of his passing and how he was alienated by his family and the industry.
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!
Nothing unusual? "Kirk's career with Disney ended when news of his homosexuality threatened to become public. He struggled with drug addiction and depression for several years, appearing in a series of low-budget films before leaving the acting business in the mid-1970s. Kirk opened a carpet cleaning business and lived a mostly ordinary life, occasionally appearing at fan conventions. He died at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, in September 2021, aged 79."
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 🍿
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.
@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.
Anyone who thinks addiction isn't a disease should take heed...NO ONE would choose to throw away everything if they weren't acting insane. Once an addict reaches the point beyond choice, the depths of bad choices and depravity are truly immense. It seems he lived a full life, though, and I hope he found happiness.
I am 74 years old. Grew up with Tommy in movies and on TV. He was always great. The ending of Old Yeller was a kick in the gut. But he had other happy go lucky roles. Always a joy to see him. RIP Tommy.
This up lifting by the good attitude TK had. It's amazing he did ,as good.,as did .he just kept Plugging along. Looking, for the next break. God bless you. Tom.
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.💔💔💔💔
@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.
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! 😮😢
Old Yeller and Swiss Family are the films I think of when I think of Tommy. I remember seeing Old Yeller when I was about 6 or 7. I had just gotten a pup that looked like Yeller. So, it was even more traumatic when Tommy had to shoot him. I cried for a week.
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.
You nailed that!
Also, many young actors were the bread earners of the familiy,and and so most had other people spending their money.
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.
Or having parents that used their child's talents and pretended that it was their earnings 😢
As of a few years ago not all states had the Coogan law. The Gosselins were not covered until Paul Peterson from the Donna Reed show, who has made it his life work to support the children he calls the "formers, " had a law passed in Pennsylvania with the aide of Charlie Dent, a state representative.
Tommy is beloved here in Mason Texas….home of Ole Yeller. RIP
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.
Thanks for humanizing this sad story.
Best to all
Thank you for filling in important part of the story Very good documentary and yes he would have been a great to play the part in, "The Sons of Katy Elder"!!!
And did your family ostracize him for being gay or bi?
And nowhere do you mention the fact he was gay. In those days it was still difficult to be LGBTQ. Perhaps you're not mentioning this fact, even in today's world, is the reason he felt abandoned by your family then and became reclusive. How sad.
@franksellers7858 No, I don't recall anyone even mentioning it, but he became reclusive in California and his Father's side lived in Kentucky. His Dad was very old and lived way back up a holler in Floyd Co KY. Why are you trying to blame family that he was never around for his life choices? His Dad and Mom were divorced before he was hired by Disney, and she raised him. 🤷♀️
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.
So he was dating a 15 year old and there were so many unnecessary hurts and slights of him? Ummm. Ok.
Annette Funicello enjoyed working with him.
Sanewashing at its best. He molested a 15 year old....and who molested him. Nobody seems to care
Watching him in movies and on tv was part of my youth.
Me toooo my childhood memories
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.
@ 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 ♥️
@@CATNAPREAL1188 God says that it's still a sin.
I loved the Shaggy Dog I watched over and over again! Lol
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.
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.
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!
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 🙄🤬
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 😢
@@MarionBeyl He was gay before he ever set foot in hollywood
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!
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!
💔💔
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.
I LOVED Tommy Kirk!❤️
Me too! As far back as I can remember!@marshabearnson8048
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.
@@franklinherrera8573 awww love this!
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.
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 :(
Bingo !
Loved those Disney films & also liked Tommy kirk too.(He was a very good actor!)
The Moon Spinners was a wonderful movie!
Being gay in Hollywood isn’t developed organically, but through childhood abuse by other men.
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. ❤
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! 🤢
@@Lylo-mj8ek sooo many greedy stage mother’s that used their kids for money and left them without money when the parts dried up. Such selfish people and now the whole new breed of moms and dads are doing it online with their kids . It’s sad! 🥹
Any Tommy Kirk movie is worth watching as far as I am concerned. He was ALWAYS GREAT!
To many of us who were children in the 60's, Tommy was the face of Disney. The way his family, Disney and the movie industry abandoned him was unforgivable. He should have had his earnings protected but it looks like they weren't. Rest in peace Tommy. Your work brought joy to so many people and you will be remembered.
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").
I believe you are correct. Paul Petersen advocated for child actors in some way, as I recall.
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.
I had a crush on Paul Petersen when I was a teenager.. I thought he was so DAMN,cute 🥰🥰
@@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.
I came here to say that too! The audible portion of the video refers correctly to "Paul" it's RUclips's editors that mistakenly refer to him as "Peter". (Oh well, they're probly young & can't tell the diff!
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!!
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.
"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.
He was part of that Beach Blanket Bingo crowd. He did some stuff with Deborah Walley 🎉🎉
Nicely said ❤
@@Only_In_America_SY same👍
Rest in peace Tommy Kirk! You were and still are loved and missed dearly! 💔
There are those such as you and I who will never forget him. Ever.
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.
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉😢
Loved Tommy Kirk. I had the biggest crush on him. He brought so much to peoples' life. He deserved better.
Incredible job telling the tale of Tommy Kirk. No erroneous pictures of somwone else, no mis-identified information, spot-on, and not boring. 👍😊👍
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.
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😬
He may have not been in the shadow of the other actors. This could have been a problem for them.
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.
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
Tommy Kirk will always be remembered, and he inspired generations of young actors.
Yeah he was "so inspiring"🥱
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.
I’ll always remember old yeller and Tommy!! Cried like a baby over that scene!! 😭
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.
MacMurry was known to be a nasty, snobbish SOB who thought he was better than anyone else.
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
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!
Shame Tommy Kirk was such a great actor.🎉
@@leslieschott754 That's just it obviously just actually acting & doesn't sound like a very compassionate person
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.
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.
Same here.
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.
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. 😆
@@wonderrob3225The dead racoon count is through the roof!
Tommy was on my junior high crush list a little below David Stollery, Tim Considine, Johnny Crawford, and Tommy Rettig, And my best friend at 13 yo was not my dog but blond haired Malcolm. I was a busy guy!
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.
Bobby Driscoll comes to mind! Disgusting what happened to him. Disney should be forced to pay compensation to his family💯
When we watched Old Yeller at school in 3rd grade. I got made fun ofby the other kids, for crying at the ending.
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.
I'm 77 and can't watch it again.
The more I learn about Disney the more I despise it. I will never attend their theme parks again
I saw old yeller once. I'll never see it again.
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. 😢
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
@@Sarah-s4z Spoilers!!!!!!!!
Never watch the movie where the dog dies. Horrible to put before kids.
It broke my heart and still does I have watched it many times over the years and it gets me every time I watch it but O’l Yeller is still the best dog gone dog in the west
Thank you for making this video celebrating his life.
Old Yeller is lovingly etched into my memory. All I have to do is think quickly about that one scene and tears come to my eyes. I have always Loved
Dogs. Love dogs more than most people if I’m being honest.
Me too!!@@annamusgraves5975
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.
His family disowned him because he wasn't the breadwinner anymore.
He was awesome. Just fell in love with him❤ you are held in our hearts dear one.
MARVELOUS video!!!! Thanks for the update about Tommy Kirk - I've always wondered what happened to him in his later years.
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.
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
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.
@@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.
One of my early crushes along with Tommy Rettig and Johnny Crawford
I hear you!
I remember Tommy Kirk fondly! 👍🏻👩🏻🦰🇨🇦
So weird that Disney went from anti-gay back then to super gay these days. It's almost like they're a souless entity with no moral compass that only cater to whatever current social mores they think will make them bank. And by "almost" I mean absolutely.
A souless comment. You obviously didn’t get the empathy gene.
"super gay"? 😂 You have no idea how many closeted gay artists were working there at that time. It was a societal expectation on a family friendly film company to not have employees be exposed publicly for sex or drug scandals. They still hold that standard, since it's still happening. The minute they went from gay innuendo to actually having a gay character, they got blow back.
Yes. Disney is soulless.
I do remember seeing this child actor in so many Disney films! I always wondered what happened to him and now I know.
He was always my favorite guy in the beach movies. He had a sweet smile.
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.
One of my childhood crushes 🥰 such a great actor! So sad he's one of the child actors that Hollywood used & abused.
Where are you getting abused from? I haven’t seen anything about him being abused
@@Quaerite_Verum
What do you consider "abuse"? Only physical abuse???
@@bwenluck9812 I haven’t seen anything about any of the forms of abuse in any bios about him.
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.
Prestonsburg, KY. It was his Grandfather who was the judge. Tommy was my cousin.
@@lonayork591 So, the judge's wife was Tommy's dad's sister, I believe. Her name was Alice Hall. They lived a couple blocks away from my grandparents in Ashland.
@LabyrinthMole Yes, Aunt Alice. Her son was an art dealer in Norway or something, but we had several of her paintings in our house in Louisa. She was a good artist.
@LabyrinthMole My husband's grandmother was Ethel Kirk York. Married Charlie York from Louisa, Kentucky.
@@lonayork591 OK. My grandfather grew up in Salyersville, KY. We used to have our family reunions at the Carriage House in Paintsville back in the mid to late '80s. It's a small world.
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.
@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.
I so loved Tommy Kirk! He was an amazing actor and an amazing man! Bravo Mr Kirk!!❤ you are remembered and loved!!
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.
Great movies and great star.
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...
It was The Wonderful World of Disney.
@@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
@@lunchguy659awe! I just figured you were thinking on the fly and it just came out that way. Chuckles that you changed it just for me!!😂
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!
I would say that Disney Studios were the very opposite of "woke."
No one was back then!@@bkitteh6295
@ they pretended to be! They were not kind to the kids/actors that didn’t fit into their molds!
I always loved Tommy Kirk. It's a shame Disney did him so wrong. R.I.P Tommy. Your fans still love you❤❤❤
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.
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...
I remember him as a kid. In some way he reminds me of Jim Parsons.
While watching this video, Jim also popped into my mind before I saw you reply
@@candicelitrenta8890I must agree with you both. The resemblance is definitely there.
If they ever do a biography movie, Jim could play him.
IT WAS PAUL PETERSON NOT PETER PETERSON.
It was PAUL PEDERSON, no T
@@debbie5792It was PETE D. PAULSON
@@mattskustomkreations Hold on I’ll check I’m friends with him
Paul Peterson no middle initial.
Excuse me PEDERSON
Very sad. His only friend was his "brother" costar. May he rest in peace.
Annette Funicello was also his friend, too.
@ Good to know. Annette was a classy lady.
@@dameTx Tommy Kirk and Annette Funicello appeared together in 7 movies.
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.
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!
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".
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!
He was gorgeous.
Heck yeah
Rest in peace Tommy Kirk. I loved you in Old Yeller and Swiss Family Robinson.
I probably saw all his movies
To me he looked alot like will wheaton
I think correctly, Will Wheaton looked like him….
Old Yeller was a great movie and taught kids a valuable lesson and I was one of them … kids nowadays couldn’t handle it
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!
@ 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
Loved him in The Shaggy Dog & The Hardy Boys.
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.
Thats especially sad now since thats ALL Disney is about.
The irony is that we wish Disney would make these types of movies again.
Yep! The first Peter Pan actor wound up on Hart Island, NY! Rip Bobby Driscoll🙏🏼💔
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...
At the very least, he was never a bad person. Always treated people well, maybe just not himself, however.
Poor guy. If his real family had been more concerned about him, none of this would have happened.
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😢
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.
I grew up watching him & enjoyed his movies & TV programs....Swiss Family Robinson is my favorite...Hello 👋🏻 from Alhambra Southern California 🌴
Hello from an Alhambra High School graduate. 😊
Hollywood ignoring an actor for the kind of behavior they themselves were involved in. Hollywood Hypocrits.
I really loved his movies. As a child, I thought of Tommy Kirk as if he were my big brother. I, however, have never watched Old Yeller purely for the fact that I knew Tommy would shoot his dog, and I could not bring myself to watch him do that. Sorry to hear of his passing and how he was alienated by his family and the industry.
Great actor. Shame on everyone who turned on him.
Rest in peace Tommy Kirk…
I miss the time before I knew Disney and Hollywood were evil. So long ago, so stupid and innocent
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.
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!
Very well done. Well, if he was not a Disney Legend, who else could have been. Viva Tommy Kirk!
I just loved Tommy Kirk - thanks for this.
Love and Respect 🙏 Thank's and Bless you ❤️ for the information ❤️ RIP Tommy Kirk 😢
good job here, mate.......interesting and kind portrayal, thank you
I knew about. Bobby Driscoll had no idea about Kirk
A lot of things about Tommy Kirk that I didn’t even know. Wow ! I liked him in Old Yeller, really good actor .
Ol’ Yeller traumatized me as a kid…
Nothing unusual? "Kirk's career with Disney ended when news of his homosexuality threatened to become public. He struggled with drug addiction and depression for several years, appearing in a series of low-budget films before leaving the acting business in the mid-1970s. Kirk opened a carpet cleaning business and lived a mostly ordinary life, occasionally appearing at fan conventions. He died at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, in September 2021, aged 79."
I love Tommy Kirk, good actor, R.I.P.. T.K.💖
All American boy, star and broken by Hollywood fame, and misfortune. 19:02
He wasn't the first & won't he be the last.
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 🍿
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.
@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.
Old yeller traumatized me for life. Never forgotten this. I'm 60.
Anyone who thinks addiction isn't a disease should take heed...NO ONE would choose to throw away everything if they weren't acting insane. Once an addict reaches the point beyond choice, the depths of bad choices and depravity are truly immense. It seems he lived a full life, though, and I hope he found happiness.
I am 74 years old. Grew up with Tommy in movies and on TV. He was always great. The ending of Old Yeller was a kick in the gut. But he had other happy go lucky roles. Always a joy to see him. RIP Tommy.
This up lifting by the good attitude TK had.
It's amazing he did ,as good.,as did .he just kept
Plugging along. Looking, for the next break. God bless you. Tom.
As a kid, I saw Tommy Kirk in "Babes in Toyland," "Monkey's Uncle," and the Merlin Jones movies. He just lit up the screen.
That would be Paul Peterson.
It is a computer voice.
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.💔💔💔💔
Woke Disney is evil.
@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.
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! 😮😢
He was great in so many movies.
It was impossible to dislike Tommy Kirk !
Old Yeller and Swiss Family are the films I think of when I think of Tommy. I remember seeing Old Yeller when I was about 6 or 7. I had just gotten a pup that looked like Yeller. So, it was even more traumatic when Tommy had to shoot him. I cried for a week.
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.