Tommy Kirk: Clean-cut child star of Old Yeller
Although he was largely adored by critics and audiences for his role in the 1950s tearjerker, Kirk’s career eventually fell victim to the rampant homophobia of the time after coming out as gay
For a few years beginning in the late 1950s, Walt Disney’s busiest actor was a young man named Tommy Kirk, a clean-cut Kentucky native who came to personify the studio’s brand of wholesome family entertainment.
Frequently starring opposite Fred MacMurray or Annette Funicello, he befriended a scrappy dog on the Texas frontier in Old Yeller (1957), transformed into a sheepdog after trying on a cursed ring in The Shaggy Dog (1959), explored a remote island in Swiss Family Robinson (1960) and experimented with mind-reading while playing a teenage genius in The Misadventures of Merlin Jones (1964).
His movies were so popular that, according to Kirk, Disney once introduced him to Hollywood gossip columnist Hedda Hopper by saying, “This is my good-luck piece here.” Some three decades later, the comment still resonated. “I never forgot that,” Kirk told the Orlando Sentinel in 1991. “That’s the nicest compliment he ever paid me.”
For some reason, it seemed that Disney had a way of finding young males that looked good to me, back then. Lot of them, back then. This seemed to last into the 1980s, as I recall.
ReplyDeleteScott from Massachustts said.
ReplyDeleteI have to do some research on Tommy Kirk. The one that comes to mind for me from Disney is Kurt Russel. Who today is still a good-looking man, and I certainly thought back then he was a good-looking young man.
Who didn't see "Old Yeller"? This young man's life and career very much destroyed by the thinking and prejudices of the times but he found his way to live through it and I'm thankful to hear that. Too many of us chose or continue to choose suicide to end the pain. Thanks, Ricky for bringing his story to light.
ReplyDeleteMilleson - You are very welcome.
DeleteWatch Charlie the Lonesome Cougar. 1960 I think. The main actor (other than Charlie) is unbelievably handsome.
ReplyDeleteAnon@6:40am - I see what you mean.
DeleteUh, I still haven't seen Old Yelller. Damn.
ReplyDeleteHow many of the young Disney stars turned out to be queer? How many of the newer ones have posted selfies of themselves nude? Uncle Walt that old fascist must be spinning in his grave.
ReplyDelete