Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire;
September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the silent-film era.
He was the top box-office attraction from 1939 to 1941,
and one of the best-paid actors of that era.
At the height of a career marked by declines and comebacks, Rooney performed the role of
Andy Hardy
Andrew "Andy" Hardy is a fictional character best known for the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer series of 16 films in which he was played by Mickey Rooney. The films were released from 1937 to 1946, except for a final one made in 1958 in an unsuccessful att ...
in a series of 16 films in the 1930s and 1940s that epitomized mainstream America's self-image.
At the peak of his career between ages 15 and 25, he made 43 films, and was one of
MGM's most consistently successful actors. A versatile performer, he became a celebrated character actor later in his career.
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage ...
once said he considered Rooney "the best there has ever been".
Clarence Brown, who directed him in two of his earliest dramatic roles in ''
National Velvet'' and ''
The Human Comedy'', said Rooney was "the closest thing to a genius" with whom he had ever worked. He won a
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...
in
1982 and an
Emmy Award in the
same year for the
title role in a television movie
''Bill'' and was awarded
Academy Honorary Award in
1982.
Rooney first performed in
vaudeville
Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...
as a child actor, and made his film debut at the age of 6. He played the title character in the "
Mickey McGuire" series of 78 short films, from age 7 to 13. At 14 and 15, he played
Puck in the play and subsequent
film adaptation of ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream''. At the age of 16, he began playing Andy Hardy, and gained first recognition at 17 as Whitey Marsh in ''
Boys Town.''
At only 19, Rooney became the
second-youngest Best Actor in a Leading Role
Best or The Best may refer to:
People
* Best (surname), people with the surname Best
* Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer
Companies and organizations
* Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain
* Best Lock Corporation ...
nominee and the first teenager to be nominated for an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
for his performance as Mickey Moran in
1939 film adaptation of
coming-of-age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can be ...
Broadway musical ''
Babes in Arms''; he was awarded a special
Academy Juvenile Award in
1939. Rooney received his second Academy Award nomination in the same category for his role as Homer Macauley in ''The Human Comedy''.
Drafted into the military during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, Rooney served nearly two years entertaining over two million troops on stage and radio, and was awarded a
Bronze Star
The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone.
W ...
for performing in combat zones. Returning in 1945, he was too old for juvenile roles, but too short at for most adult roles, and was unable to gain as many starring roles. However, numerous low-budget, but critically well-received
films noir had Rooney playing the lead during this period and the 1950s. Rooney's career was renewed with well-received supporting roles in films such as ''
The Bold and the Brave'' (1956), ''
Requiem for a Heavyweight
"Requiem for a Heavyweight" is a teleplay written by Rod Serling and produced for the live television show ''Playhouse 90'' on 11 October 1956. Six years later, it was adapted as a 1962 feature film starring Anthony Quinn, Jackie Gleason, Mickey R ...
'' (1962), ''
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'' (1963), ''
Pete's Dragon'' (1977), and ''
The Black Stallion
The Black Stallion, known as the Black or Shêtân, is the title character from author Walter Farley's bestselling series about the Arab stallion and his young owner, Alec Ramsay. The series chronicles the story of a Sheikh's prized stallion a ...
'' (1979). For his roles in ''The Bold and the Brave'' and ''The Black Stallion'', Rooney received Academy Award nominations for
Best Actor in a Supporting Role in
1957 and
1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC.
* January 9 – In ...
respectively. In the early 1980s, he returned to Broadway in ''
Sugar Babies'', a role that earned him nominations for
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...
and
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. F ...
for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical. He made hundreds of appearances on TV, including dramas, variety programs, and talk shows.
Early life and acting background
Rooney was born Joseph Yule Jr.
in the
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
borough of New York City on September 23, 1920, the only child of Nellie W. Carter and
Joe Yule. His mother was an American former chorus girl and
burlesque performer from
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the List of United States cities by populat ...
, while his father was a Scottish-born
vaudevillian, who had emigrated to New York from
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popu ...
with his family at the age of three months.
They lived in the
Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn.
When Rooney was born, his parents were appearing together in a Brooklyn production of ''
A Gaiety Girl''. He later recounted in his memoirs that he began performing at the age of 17 months as part of his parents' routine, wearing a specially tailored tuxedo.
[ ]
Career
1924–1926: Career beginnings as a child actor
Rooney's parents separated when he was four years old in 1924, and he and his mother moved to Hollywood the following year. He made his first film appearance at age six in 1926, in the short ''Not to be Trusted''.
Rooney got bit parts in films such as ''
The Beast of the City'' (1932) and ''
The Life of Jimmy Dolan'' (1933), which allowed him to work alongside stars such as
Joel McCrea,
Colleen Moore,
Clark Gable
William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...
,
Douglas Fairbanks Jr.,
John Wayne
Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Go ...
, and
Jean Harlow. He enrolled in the
Hollywood Professional School and later attended
Fairfax High School.
1927–1936: Mickey McGuire
His mother saw an advertisement for a child to play the role of "Mickey McGuire" in a
series of short films.
[''Current Biography 1942''. H.W. Wilson Co. (January 1942). pp. 704–06. .] Rooney got the role and became "Mickey" for 78 of the films, running from 1927 to 1936, starting with ''Mickey's Circus'' (1927), his first starring role. During this period, he also briefly voiced
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit for
Walter Lantz Productions. He made other films in his adolescence, including several more of the McGuire films. At age 14, he played the role of Puck in the Warner Bros. all-star adaptation of
''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' in 1935. Critic
David Thomson hailed his performance as "one of the cinema's most arresting pieces of magic". Rooney then moved to
MGM, where he befriended
Judy Garland
Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...
, with whom he began making a series of musicals that propelled both of them to stardom.
[Krantz, Les. ''Their First Time in the Movies'', The Overlook Press N.Y. (2001) p. 45]
1937–1944: Andy Hardy films and Hollywood stardom
In 1937, Rooney was selected to portray
Andy Hardy
Andrew "Andy" Hardy is a fictional character best known for the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer series of 16 films in which he was played by Mickey Rooney. The films were released from 1937 to 1946, except for a final one made in 1958 in an unsuccessful att ...
in ''
A Family Affair'', which MGM had planned as a
B-movie.
Rooney provided comic relief as the son of Judge James K. Hardy, portrayed by
Lionel Barrymore (although former silent-film leading man
Lewis Stone played the role of Judge Hardy in subsequent pictures). The film was an unexpected success, and led to 13 more ''Andy Hardy'' films between 1937 and 1946, and a final film in 1958.
According to author Barry Monush, MGM wanted the Andy Hardy films to appeal to all family members. Rooney's character portrayed a typical "anxious, hyperactive, girl-crazy teenager", and he soon became the unintended main star of the films. Although some critics describe the series of films as "sweet, overly idealized, and pretty much interchangeable," their ultimate success was because they gave viewers a "comforting portrait of small-town America that seemed suited for the times", with Rooney instilling "a lasting image of what every parent wished their teen could be like".
Behind the scenes, however, Rooney was like the "hyperactive girl-crazy teenager" he portrayed on the screen.
Wallace Beery, his co-star in ''
Stablemates'', described him as a "brat", but a "fine actor". MGM head
Louis B. Mayer found it necessary to manage Rooney's public image, explains historian Jane Ellen Wayne:
Fifty years later, Rooney realized in hindsight that these early confrontations with Mayer were necessary for him to develop into a leading film star: "Everybody butted heads with him, but he listened and you listened. And then you'd come to an agreement you could both live with. ... He visited the sets, he gave people talks ... What he wanted was something that was ''American'', presented in a
cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan may refer to:
Food and drink
* Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo"
History
* Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953
Hotels and resorts
* Cosmopoli ...
manner."
In 1937, Rooney made his first film alongside Judy Garland with ''
Thoroughbreds Don't Cry
''Thoroughbreds Don't Cry'' is a 1937 American musical comedy film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland in their first film together.
Plot
Cricket West is a hopeful actress with a pair of vocal cords that bring ...
''. Garland and Rooney became close friends as they co-starred in future films and became a successful song-and-dance team. Audiences delighted in seeing the "playful interactions between the two stars showcase a wonderful chemistry". Along with three of the ''Andy Hardy'' films, where she portrayed a girl attracted to Andy, they appeared together in a string of successful musicals, including
coming-of-age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can be ...
musical ''
Babes in Arms
''Babes in Arms'' is a 1937 coming-of-age musical comedy with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart and book by Rodgers and Hart. It concerns a group of small-town Long Island teenagers who put on a show to avoid being sent to a wor ...
'' (1939). For his performance as Mickey Moran,
19-year-old Mickey Rooney was nominated for an
Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, becoming the
second-youngest Best Actor nominee. During an interview in the 1992 documentary film ''MGM: When the Lion Roars'', Rooney describes their friendship:
In 1937, Rooney received top billing as Shockey Carter in ''
Hoosier Schoolboy
''Hoosier Schoolboy'' is a 1937 American film directed by William Nigh and starring Mickey Rooney, Anne Nagel and Frank Shields.Halliwell p.480
Plot
Mary Evans (Anne Nagel) moves to a small town in Indiana to take a teaching job in the local sc ...
'', but his breakthrough role as a dramatic actor came in 1938's ''
Boys Town'' opposite
Spencer Tracy
Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...
as Father Flanagan, who runs a home for wayward and homeless boys. 18-year-old Rooney and 17-year-old
Deanna Durbin
Edna Mae Durbin (December 4, 1921 – April 17, 2013), known professionally as Deanna Durbin, was a Canadian-born actress and singer, who moved to the USA with her family in infancy. She appeared in musical films in the 1930s and 1940s. With t ...
were awarded a special
Juvenile Academy Award in
1939, for "significant contribution in bringing to the screen the spirit and personification of youth".
Jane Ellen Wayne describes one of the "most famous scenes" in the film, where tough young Rooney is playing poker with a cigarette in his mouth, his hat is cocked, and his feet are up on the table. "Tracy grabs him by the lapels, throws the cigarette away, and pushes him into a chair. 'That's better,' he tells Mickey."
Louis B. Mayer said ''Boys Town'' was his favorite film during his years at MGM.
Rooney was the biggest box-office draw in 1939, 1940, and 1941.
For their roles in ''Boys Town'', Rooney and Tracy won first and second place in the ''
Motion Picture Herald The ''Motion Picture Herald'' was an American film industry trade paper published from 1931 to December 1972.Anthony Slide, ed. (1985)''International Film, Radio, and Television Journals'' Greenwood Press. p. 242. It was replaced by the ''QP Heral ...
'' 1940 National Poll of Exhibitors, based on the box-office appeal of 200 players. A contributor to ''
Boys' Life
''Scout Life'' (formerly ''Boys' Life'') is the monthly magazine of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Its target readers are boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 18. The magazine‘s headquarters are in Irving, Texas.
''Scout Life'' is pub ...
'' magazine wrote, "Congratulations to Messrs. Rooney and Tracy! Also to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer we extend a hearty thanks for their very considerable part in this outstanding achievement." Actor
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage ...
once called Rooney "the greatest actor of them all".
He appeared on the cover of ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...
'' magazine in 1940, timed to coincide with the release of ''
Young Tom Edison''; the
cover story began:
During his long career, Rooney also worked with many of the screen's female stars, including
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...
in
''National Velvet'' (1944) and
Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn (born Audrey Kathleen Ruston; 4 May 1929 – 20 January 1993) was a British actress and humanitarian. Recognised as both a film and fashion icon, she was ranked by the American Film Institute as the third-greatest female screen ...
in
''Breakfast at Tiffany's'' (1961)."
With his appearing with
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...
in ''
The Fireball'' (1950) and with
Grace Kelly
Grace Patricia Kelly (November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982) was an American actress who, after starring in several significant films in the early to mid-1950s, became Princess of Monaco by marrying Prince Rainier III in April 1956.
Kelly ...
in ''
The Bridges at Toko-Ri'' (1954), Rooney is the only actor ever co-starring with four of the greatest female screen legends ever. Rooney's "bumptiousness and boyish charm" as an actor developed more "smoothness and polish" over the years, writes biographer
Scott Eyman. The fact that Rooney fully enjoyed his life as an actor played a large role in those changes:
Clarence Brown, who directed Rooney in his Oscar-nominated performance in
''The Human Comedy'' (1943) and again in ''
National Velvet'' (1944), enjoyed working with Rooney in films:
Military service and later film career
In June 1944, Rooney was inducted into the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...
, where he served more than 21 months (until shortly after the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
) entertaining the troops in America and Europe in
Special Services. He spent part of the time as a radio personality on the
American Forces Network
The American Forces Network (AFN) is a government television and radio broadcast service the U.S. military provides to those stationed or assigned overseas. Headquartered at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland, AFN's broadcast operations, which ...
, and was awarded the
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone.
W ...
for entertaining troops in combat zones. In addition to the Bronze Star, Rooney also received the
Army Good Conduct Medal,
American Campaign Medal
The American Campaign Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was first created on November 6, 1942, by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was intended to recognize those military members who had perfo ...
,
European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, and
World War II Victory Medal
The World War II Victory Medal is a service medal of the United States military which was established by an Act of Congress on 6 July 1945 (Public Law 135, 79th Congress) and promulgated by Section V, War Department Bulletin 12, 1945.
The Wo ...
, for his military service.
Rooney's career declined after his return to civilian life. He was now an adult with a height of only ( according to his 1942 draft registration) and he could no longer play the role of a teenager, but he also lacked the stature of most leading men. He appeared in the film ''
Words and Music'' in 1948, which paired him for the last time with Garland on film (he appeared with her on one episode as a guest on ''
The Judy Garland Show''). He briefly starred in a CBS radio series, ''Shorty Bell'', in the summer of 1948, and reprised his role as Andy Hardy, with most of the original cast, in a syndicated radio version of ''The Hardy Family'' in 1949 and 1950 (repeated on
Mutual during 1952).
In 1949, ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' reported a renegotiation of Rooney's deal with MGM. He agreed to make one film a year for them for five years at $25,000 a movie (his fee until then had been $100,000, but Rooney wanted to enter independent production.) Rooney claimed he was unhappy with the billing MGM gave him for ''Words and Music'', but his career was at a low point. His ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' obituary reported, "at one point in 1950, the only job he could get was touring Southern states with the
Hadacol
Hadacol was a patent medicine marketed as a vitamin supplement. Its principal attraction, however, was that it contained 12 percent alcohol (listed on the tonic bottle's label as a "preservative"), which made it quite popular in the dry counties o ...
Caravan," promoting a patent medicine that was later forced off the market.
His first television series, ''
The Mickey Rooney Show'', also known as ''Hey, Mulligan'', was created by
Blake Edwards
Blake Edwards (born William Blake Crump; July 26, 1922 – December 15, 2010) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor.
Edwards began his career in the 1940s as an actor, but he soon began writing screenplays and radio s ...
with Rooney as his own producer, and appeared on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
television for 32 episodes from August 1954 to June 1955. In 1951, he made his directorial debut with ''
My True Story
"My True Story" is a 1961 single recorded by The Jive Five and co-written by the group's lead singer Eugene Pitt, along with Oscar Waltzer and Joe Rene.
Chart performance
The single was the biggest hit for the group on both the R&B and pop cha ...
'', starring
Helen Walker. Rooney also starred as a ragingly egomaniacal television comedian, loosely based on
Red Buttons
Red Buttons (born Aaron Chwatt; February 5, 1919 – July 13, 2006) was an American actor and comedian. He won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his supporting role in the 1957 film '' Sayonara''. He was nominated for awards for his acting work ...
, in the live 90-minute television drama ''
The Comedian'', in the ''
Playhouse 90
''Playhouse 90'' was an American television anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of th ...
'' series on the evening of
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, thr ...
in 1957, and as himself in a 1960
revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own dur ...
called ''The Musical Revue of 1959'', based on the 1929 film ''
The Hollywood Revue of 1929''. In May 1956,
Sequoia University
Sequoia University was an educational accreditation, unaccredited higher education institution in Los Angeles, California, which acquired a reputation as a prolific "degree mill" selling degree certificates. Although it was shut down in 1984 by a c ...
awarded Rooney an
honorary degree
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad h ...
of PhD in Fine Arts for his work.
In 1958, Rooney joined
Dean Martin
Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...
and
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...
in hosting an episode of NBC's short-lived ''
Club Oasis'' comedy and variety show. In 1960, Rooney directed and starred in ''
The Private Lives of Adam and Eve'', an ambitious comedy known for its multiple flashbacks and many cameos. In the 1960s, Rooney returned to theatrical entertainment. He accepted film roles in undistinguished films, but still appeared in better works, such as ''
Requiem for a Heavyweight
"Requiem for a Heavyweight" is a teleplay written by Rod Serling and produced for the live television show ''Playhouse 90'' on 11 October 1956. Six years later, it was adapted as a 1962 feature film starring Anthony Quinn, Jackie Gleason, Mickey R ...
'' (1962) and ''
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'' (1963).
He portrayed a Japanese character,
Mr. Yunioshi, in the
1961 film version of
Truman Capote
Truman Garcia Capote ( ; born Truman Streckfus Persons; September 30, 1924 – August 25, 1984) was an American novelist, screenwriter, playwright and actor. Several of his short stories, novels, and plays have been praised as literary classics, ...
's novella ''
Breakfast at Tiffany's''. His performance was criticized by some in subsequent years as a racist caricature. Rooney later said that he would not have taken the role if he had known it would offend people.
In 1961, Rooney appeared on television's ''
What's My Line?
''What's My Line?'' is a panel game show that originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, originally in black and white and later in color, with subsequent U.S. revivals. The game uses celebrity panelis ...
'', and mentioned that he had already started enrolling students in the Mickey Rooney School of Entertainment. His school venture never came to fruition. This was a period of professional distress for Rooney; as a childhood friend, director
Richard Quine
Richard Quine (November 12, 1920June 10, 1989) was an American director, actor, and singer.
He began acting as a child in radio, vaudeville, and stage productions before being signed to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in his early twenties. When his acting ...
put it: "Let's face it. It wasn't all that easy to find roles for a 5-foot-3 man who'd passed the age of Andy Hardy." In 1962, although he had earned $12 million by that point, his debts had forced him into filing for bankruptcy.
In 1966, Rooney was working on the film ''
Ambush Bay
''Ambush Bay'' is a 1966 American war film directed by Ron Winston and starring Hugh O'Brian, Mickey Rooney and James Mitchum. It was filmed on location in the Philippines.
Plot
Prior to the 1944 American invasion of the Philippines a hand-pic ...
'' in the Philippines when his wife Barbara Ann Thomason—a former model and aspiring actress who had won 17 straight beauty contests in Southern California—was found dead in her bed. Her lover,
Milos Milos
Milos Milos ( sr, Милош Милошевић; born Miloš Milošević; 1 July 1941 – 30 January 1966) was a Serbian-born American actor, stunt double and bodyguard for actor Alain Delon.
Early life
Milos came from an influential family ...
—who was one of Rooney's actor-friends—was found dead beside her. Detectives ruled it a
murder-suicide, which was committed with Rooney's own gun.
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five ...
had bought the rights to make ''
The Black Stallion
The Black Stallion, known as the Black or Shêtân, is the title character from author Walter Farley's bestselling series about the Arab stallion and his young owner, Alec Ramsay. The series chronicles the story of a Sheikh's prized stallion a ...
'' (1979), and when casting it, he called Rooney and asked him if he thought he could play a jockey. Rooney replied saying, "Gee, I don't know. I never played a jockey before." He was kidding, he said, since he had played a jockey in at least three past films, including ''
Down the Stretch'', ''Thoroughbreds Don't Cry'', and ''National Velvet''. The film garnered excellent reviews and earned $40 million in its first run, which gave Coppola's struggling studio,
American Zoetrope
American Zoetrope (also known as Omni Zoetrope from 1977 to 1980 and Zoetrope Studios from 1980 until 1990) is a privately run American film production company, centered in San Francisco, California and founded by Francis Ford Coppola and Georg ...
, a significant boost. It also gave Rooney newfound recognition, along with an Academy Award nomination for
Best Supporting Actor.
In 1983, the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motion ...
gave Rooney their
Academy Honorary Award for his lifetime of achievement.
Character roles and Broadway comeback
Television roles
In addition to his movie roles, Rooney made numerous guest-starring roles as a television
character actor
A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...
for nearly six decades, beginning with an episode of ''Celanese Theatre''. The part led to other roles on such television series as ''
Schlitz Playhouse'', ''
Playhouse 90
''Playhouse 90'' was an American television anthology drama series that aired on CBS from 1956 to 1960 for a total of 133 episodes. The show was produced at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California. Since live anthology drama series of th ...
'', ''Producers' Showcase'', ''
Alcoa Theatre
''Alcoa Theatre'' is a half-hour American anthology series telecast on NBC at 9:30 pm on Monday nights from September 30, 1957 to May 23, 1960. The program also aired under the title ''Turn of Fate''. ''Alcoa Theatre'' was syndicated together ...
'', ''
The Soldiers'', ''
Wagon Train
''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings ...
'', ''
General Electric Theater
''General Electric Theater'' was an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations.
Radio
After an audition show ...
'', ''
Hennesey
''Hennesey'' is an American military comedy-drama television series that aired on CBS from 1959 to 1962, starring Jackie Cooper and Abby Dalton.
Cooper played a United States Navy physician, Lt. Charles W. "Chick" Hennesey, with Abby Dalt ...
'', ''The
Dick Powell
Richard Ewing Powell (November 14, 1904 – January 2, 1963) was an American actor, musician, producer, director, and studio head. Though he came to stardom as a musical comedy performer, he showed versatility, and successfully transformed into ...
Theatre'', ''
Arrest and Trial'' (1964), ''
Burke's Law'' (1963), ''
Combat!'' (1964), ''
The Fugitive'', ''
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
''Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre'' is an American anthology series, sponsored by Chrysler Corporation, which ran on NBC from 1963 through 1967. The show was hosted by Bob Hope, but it had a variety of formats, including musical, dramatic ...
'', ''
The Jean Arthur Show
''The Jean Arthur Show'' is an American situation comedy that aired on CBS from September 12 to December 5, 1966. The series was sponsored by General Foods.
Cast
*Jean Arthur as Patricia, a lawyer who works alongside her son Paul
* Ron Harper a ...
'' (1966), ''
The Name of the Game'' (1970), ''
Dan August'' (1970), ''
Night Gallery
''Night Gallery'' is an American anthology television series that aired on NBC from December 16, 1970, to May 27, 1973, featuring stories of horror and the macabre. Rod Serling, who had gained fame from an earlier series, ''The Twilight Zone ...
'' (1970), ''
The Love Boat
''The Love Boat'' is an American romantic comedy/drama television series that aired on ABC from 1977 to 1986; in addition, four three-hour specials aired in 1986, 1987, and 1990. The series was set on the luxury passenger cruise ship MS ''Pa ...
'', ''
Kung Fu: The Legend Continues'' (1995), ''
Murder, She Wrote
''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The seri ...
'' (1992), and ''
The Golden Girls
''The Golden Girls'' is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Bea Arthur, Betty Wh ...
'' (1988) among many others.
In 1961, he guest-starred in the 13-week
James Franciscus
James Grover Franciscus (January 31, 1934 – July 8, 1991) was an American actor, known for his roles in feature films and in six television series: '' Mr. Novak'', '' The Naked City'', '' The Investigators'', '' Longstreet'', '' Doc Elliot'', ...
adventure–drama CBS television series ''
The Investigators''. In 1962, he was cast as himself in the episode "The Top Banana" of the CBS sitcom, ''
Pete and Gladys
''Pete and Gladys'' is an American sitcom television series starring Harry Morgan and Cara Williams that aired on CBS on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific time for two seasons, beginning on September 19, 1960. The last episode was ...
'', starring
Harry Morgan and
Cara Williams
Cara Williams (born Bernice Kamiat; June 29, 1925 – December 9, 2021) was an American film and television actress. She was best known for her role as Billy's Mother in ''The Defiant Ones'' (1958), for which she was nominated for the Academy A ...
.
In 1963, he entered CBS's ''
The Twilight Zone
''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, sup ...
'', giving a one-man performance in the episode "
The Last Night of a Jockey" (1963). Also in 1963, in 'The Hunt' for ''
Suspense Theater'', he played the sadistic sheriff hunting the young surfer played by
James Caan
James Edmund Caan ( ; March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022) was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in ''The Godfather'' (1972) – a performance which earned him Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Suppo ...
. In 1964, he launched another half-hour sitcom, ''
Mickey''. The story line had "Mickey" operating a resort hotel in Southern California. His own son
Tim Rooney appeared as his character's teenaged son on this program, and
Emmaline Henry starred as Rooney's wife. The program lasted for 17 episodes.
When
Norman Lear
Norman Milton Lear (born July 27, 1922) is an American producer and screenwriter, who has produced, written, created, or developed over 100 shows. Lear is known for many popular 1970s sitcoms, including the multi-award winning '' All in the Fami ...
was developing ''
All in the Family
''All in the Family'' is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS for nine seasons, from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. Afterwards, it was continued with the spin-off series ''Archie Bunker's Place'', which picked up where ''All in ...
'' in 1970, he wanted Rooney for the lead role of
Archie Bunker
Archie is a masculine given name, a diminutive of Archibald. It may refer to:
People Given name or nickname
*Archie Alexander (1888–1958), African-American mathematician, engineer and governor of the US Virgin Islands
* Archie Blake (mathemati ...
. Rooney turned Lear down, and the role eventually went to
Carroll O'Connor
John Carroll O'Connor (August 2, 1924 – June 21, 2001) was an American actor, producer, and director whose television career spanned over four decades. He became a lifelong member of the Actors Studio in 1971. O'Connor found widespread fame a ...
.
Rooney garnered a
Golden Globe
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...
and an
Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
for
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Special for his role in 1981's ''
Bill
Bill(s) may refer to:
Common meanings
* Banknote, paper cash (especially in the United States)
* Bill (law), a proposed law put before a legislature
* Invoice, commercial document issued by a seller to a buyer
* Bill, a bird or animal's beak
Pla ...
''. Playing opposite
Dennis Quaid
Dennis William Quaid (born April 9, 1954) is an American actor known for a wide variety of dramatic and comedic roles. First gaining widespread attention in the late 1970s, some of his notable credits include '' Breaking Away'' (1979), '' The ...
, Rooney's character was a mentally handicapped man attempting to live on his own after leaving an institution. His acting quality in the film has been favorably compared to other actors who took on similar roles, including
Sean Penn
Sean Justin Penn (born August 17, 1960) is an American actor and film director. He has won two Academy Awards, for his roles in the mystery drama ''Mystic River'' (2003) and the biopic ''Milk'' (2008).
Penn began his acting career in televisi ...
,
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable characters. He is th ...
, and
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...
. He reprised his role in 1983's ''Bill: On His Own'', earning an Emmy nomination for the turn.
Rooney did voice acting from time to time. He provided the voice of
Santa Claus
Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...
in four
stop-motion
Stop motion is an animated filmmaking technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exhibit independent motion or change when the series of frames ...
animated Christmas TV specials: ''
Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town'' (1970), ''
The Year Without a Santa Claus
''The Year Without a Santa Claus'' is a 1974 stop motion animated Christmas television special produced by Rankin/Bass Productions. The story is based on Phyllis McGinley's 1956 book of the same name. It is narrated by Shirley Booth (her final a ...
'' (1974), ''
Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July'' (1979) and ''
A Miser Brothers' Christmas
''A Miser Brothers’ Christmas'' is a stop motion spin-off special based on some of the characters from the 1974 Rankin-Bass special '' The Year Without a Santa Claus''. Distributed by Warner Bros. Animation under their Warner Premiere label (the ...
'' (2008). In 1995, he appeared as himself on ''
The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, ...
'' episode "
Radioactive Man".
After starring in one unsuccessful TV series and turning down an offer for a huge TV series, Rooney, now 70, starred in
the Family Channel's ''
The Adventures of the Black Stallion'', where he reprised his role as Henry Dailey in the film of the same name, 11 years earlier. The series ran for three years and was an international hit.
Rooney appeared in television commercials for
Garden State Life Insurance Company
Garden State Life Insurance Company is a small direct life insurance company located in League City, Texas. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Galveston, Texas based American National Insurance Company.
The company celebrated its 50-year an ...
in 2002.
Broadway shows
A major turning point came in 1979, when Rooney made his
Broadway debut in the acclaimed stage play ''Sugar Babies'', a
musical revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own duri ...
tribute to the
burlesque era co-starring former MGM dancing star
Ann Miller
Ann Miller (born Johnnie Lucille Collier; April 12, 1923 – January 22, 2004) was an American retired actress and former dancer. She is best remembered for her work in the Classical Hollywood cinema musicals of the 1940s and 1950s. Her early ...
.
Aljean Harmetz noted, "Mr. Rooney fought over every skit and argued over every song and almost always got things done his way. The show opened on Broadway on October 8, 1979, to rave reviews, and this time he did not throw success away.
Rooney and Miller performed the show 1,208 times in New York and then toured with it for five years, including eight months in London. Co-star Miller recalls that Rooney "never missed a performance or a chance to ad-lib or read the lines the same way twice, if he even stuck to the script".
Biographer Alvin Marill states, "at 59, Mickey Rooney was reincarnated as a baggy-pants comedian—back as a top banana in show biz in his belated Broadway debut."
For his performance, Rooney received nominations for
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual c ...
and
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. F ...
for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical.
Following this, he toured as Pseudelous in Stephen Sondheim's ''
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart.
Inspired by the farces of the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman playwright Plautu ...
''. In the 1990s, he returned to Broadway for the final months of ''
Will Rogers Follies'', playing the ghost of Will's father. On television, he starred in the short-lived sitcom, ''
One of the Boys'', along with two unfamiliar young stars,
Dana Carvey
Dana Thomas Carvey (born June 2, 1955) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, impressionist, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for his seven seasons as a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1986 to 1993, which earned him fiv ...
and
Nathan Lane
Nathan Lane (born Joseph Lane; February 3, 1956) is an American actor. In a career spanning over 40 years he has been seen on stage and screen in roles both comedic and dramatic. Lane has received numerous awards including three Tony Awards, ...
, in 1982.
He toured Canada in a
dinner theatre production of ''The Mind with the Naughty Man'' in the mid-1990s. He played The Wizard in a stage production of ''
The Wizard of Oz'' with
Eartha Kitt
Eartha Kitt (born Eartha Mae Keith; January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer and actress known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "C'est si bon" and the Christmas novelty song " Santa ...
at
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylv ...
. Kitt was later replaced by
Jo Anne Worley.
Final years
Rooney wrote a memoir titled ''Life is too Short'', published by
Villard Books
Villard, also known as Villard Books, is a publishing imprint of Random House, one of the largest publishing companies in the world, owned by Bertelsmann since 1998 and grouped in Penguin Random House since 2013. It was founded in 1983. Villard be ...
in 1991. A ''
Library Journal
''Library Journal'' is an American trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey. It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional pract ...
'' review said, "From title to the last line, 'I'll have a short bier', Rooney's self-deprecating humor powers this book." He wrote a novel about a child star, published in 1994, ''The Search for Sunny Skies''.
On November 10, 2000, he starred in the Disney Channel original movie ''
Phantom of the Megaplex
''Phantom of the Megaplex'' is a 2000 American comedy mystery film and Disney Channel original movie, produced by the Disney Channel. With a title and concept very loosely based on Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel ''The Phantom of the Opera'', the film ...
''.
Despite the millions of dollars that he earned over the years, such as his $65,000-a-week earnings from ''Sugar Babies'', Rooney was plagued by financial problems late in life. His longtime gambling habit caused him to "gamble away his fortune again and again". He declared bankruptcy for the second time in 1996 and described himself as "broke" in 2005. He kept performing on stage and in the movies, but his personal property was valued at only $18,000 when he died in 2014.
Rooney and his wife Jan toured the country in 2005 through 2011 in a musical
revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own dur ...
called ''Let's Put on a Show''. ''Vanity Fair'' called it "a homespun affair full of dog-eared jokes" that featured Rooney singing
George Gershwin
George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...
songs.
In 2006, Rooney played Gus in ''
Night at the Museum
''Night at the Museum'' is a 2006 fantasy comedy film directed by Shawn Levy and written by Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon. It is based on the 1993 children's book of the same name by Croatian illustrator Milan Trenc. The film had an ense ...
''.
He returned to play the role again in the sequel ''
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian'' in 2009, in a scene that was deleted from the final film.
On May 26, 2007, Rooney was grand marshal at the Garden Grove Strawberry Festival. He made his British
pantomime
Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speakin ...
debut, playing Baron Hardup in ''
Cinderella
"Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...
'', at the
Sunderland Empire Theatre
The Sunderland Empire Theatre is a large theatre venue located in High Street West in Sunderland, North East England. The theatre, which opened in 1907, is owned by City of Sunderland Council and operated by Ambassador Theatre Group Ltd, on be ...
over the 2007 Christmas period,
a role he reprised at Bristol Hippodrome in 2008 and at the Milton Keynes theatre in 2009.
In 2011, Rooney made a cameo appearance in ''
The Muppets
The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an absurdist, burlesque, and self-referential style of variety- sketch comedy. Created by Jim Henson in 1955, they are the focus of a media franchise that encompas ...
'', and in 2014, at age 93, six weeks before his death, he reprised his role as Gus in ''
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb'', which was dedicated to
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and come ...
, who also died that year, and to him. Although confined to a wheelchair, he was described by director
Shawn Levy
Shawn Adam Levy (born July 23, 1968) is a Canadian film director, film producer, actor, and founder of 21 Laps Entertainment. He has worked across genres and is perhaps best known as the director of the '' Night at the Museum'' film franchise an ...
as "energetic and so pleased to be there. He was just happy to be invited to the party."
An October 2015 article in ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...
'' maintained that Rooney was frequently abused and financially depleted by his closest relatives in the last years of his life. The article said that it was clear that "one of the biggest stars of all time, who remained aloft longer than anyone in Hollywood history, was in the end brought down by those closest to him. He died humiliated and betrayed, nearly broke, and often broken."
[ Rooney suffered from ]bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of Depression (mood), depression and periods of abnormally elevated Mood (psychology), mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevat ...
and had attempted suicide two or three times over the years, with resulting hospitalizations reported as "nervous breakdowns".[
]
Personal life
At the time of his death (April 6, 2014), Rooney was married to Jan Chamberlin Rooney, although they had separated in June 2012. He had nine children and two stepchildren, as well as 19 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. Rooney had been addicted to sleeping pills, and overcame the addiction in 2000 when he was in his late 70s. In 1997, he was arrested on suspicion of beating his wife, Jan, but the charges were dropped due to lack of evidence.
In the late 1970s, Rooney became a born-again Christian and was a fan of Pat Robertson
Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson (born March 22, 1930) is an American media mogul, religious broadcaster, political commentator, former presidential candidate, and former Southern Baptist minister. Robertson advocates a conservative Christian ...
.
On February 16, 2011, Rooney was granted a temporary restraining order against his stepson Christopher Aber and Aber's wife Christina, and they were ordered to stay 100 yards from Rooney, his stepson Mark Rooney, and Mark's wife Charlene. Rooney claimed that he was a victim of elder abuse
Elder abuse (also called "elder mistreatment", "senior abuse", "abuse in later life", "abuse of older adults", "abuse of older women", and "abuse of older men") is "a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any rela ...
. On March 2, 2011, Rooney appeared before a special U.S. Senate committee that was considering legislation to curb elder abuse, testifying about the abuse he claimed to have suffered at the hands of family members. In 2011, all of Rooney's finances were permanently handed over to a conservator, who called Rooney "completely competent".
In April 2011, the temporary restraining order that Rooney was previously granted was replaced by a confidential settlement between Rooney and Aber. Aber and Jan Rooney denied all the allegations.
In May 2013, Rooney sold his home of many years, reportedly for $1.3 million, and split the proceeds with his wife, Jan.
Marriages
Rooney was married eight times, with six of the marriages ending in divorce. In 1942, he married his first wife, actress Ava Gardner
Ava Lavinia Gardner (December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990) was an American actress. She first signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1941 and appeared mainly in small roles until she drew critics' attention in 1946 with her perform ...
, who at that time was still an obscure teenaged starlet. They divorced the following year, partly because he had apparently been unfaithful. While stationed in the military in Alabama in 1944, Rooney met and married Betty Jane Phillips, who later became a singer under the name B. J. Baker. They had two sons together. This marriage ended in divorce after he returned from Europe at the end of World War II. His marriage to actress Martha Vickers
Martha Vickers (born Martha MacVicar; May 28, 1925 – November 2, 1971) was an American model and actress.
Early life
Vickers was born Martha MacVicar in Ann Arbor, Michigan; her father was an automobile dealer. She began her career as a mo ...
in 1949 produced one son, but ended in divorce in 1951. He married actress Elaine Mahnken in 1952, and they divorced in 1958.
In 1958, Rooney married model and actress Barbara Ann Thomason (stage name Carolyn Mitchell). She was murdered in 1966 by stuntman and actor Milos Milos
Milos Milos ( sr, Милош Милошевић; born Miloš Milošević; 1 July 1941 – 30 January 1966) was a Serbian-born American actor, stunt double and bodyguard for actor Alain Delon.
Early life
Milos came from an influential family ...
, who then shot himself. Thomason and Milos had an affair while Rooney was traveling, and police theorized that Milos had shot her after she wanted to end it. Rooney then married Barbara's best friend, Marge Lane, though the marriage lasted only 100 days. He was married to Carolyn Hockett from 1969 to 1975. In 1978, he married his eighth and final wife, Jan Chamberlin. Their marriage lasted until his death, a total of 34 years (longer than his seven previous unions combined). However, they separated in 2012.
Death
Rooney died of natural causes
In many legal jurisdictions, the manner of death is a determination, typically made by the coroner, medical examiner, police, or similar officials, and recorded as a vital statistic. Within the United States and the United Kingdom, a distin ...
(including complications from diabetes
Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...
) in Studio City, on April 6, 2014, at the age of 93. A group of family members and friends, including Mickey Rourke
Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke Jr. (; born September 16, 1952) is an American actor and former boxer who has appeared primarily as a leading man in drama, action, and thriller films.
During the star of the 1980s, Rourke played supporting roles i ...
, held a memorial service on April 18. A private funeral, organized by another set of family members, was held at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Hollywood Forever Cemetery is a full-service cemetery, funeral home, crematory, and cultural events center which regularly hosts community events such as live music and summer movie screenings. It is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angel ...
, where he was buried, on April 19. His eight surviving children said in a statement that they were barred from seeing Rooney during his final years.
At his death, ''Vanity Fair Vanity Fair may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Literature
* Vanity Fair, a location in '' The Pilgrim's Progress'' (1678), by John Bunyan
* ''Vanity Fair'' (novel), 1848, by William Makepeace Thackeray
* ''Vanity Fair'' (magazines), the ...
'' called Rooney "the original Hollywood train wreck". Despite earning millions during his career, he had to file for bankruptcy in 1962 due to mismanagement of his finances. In his later years, Rooney had entrusted his finances to his stepson, who funneled Rooney's earnings to pay for his own lavish lifestyle. His millions in earnings had dwindled to an estate that was valued at only $18,000. He died owing medical bills and back taxes, and contributions were solicited from the public.
Legacy
Rooney was one of the last surviving actors of the silent-film era. His film career spanned 88 years, from 1926 to 2014, continuing until shortly before his death. During his peak years from the late 1930s to the early 1940s, Rooney was among the top box-office stars in the United States, and in 1939 was ''the'' biggest box-office draw, followed immediately by Tyrone Power
Tyrone Edmund Power III (May 5, 1914 – November 15, 1958) was an American actor. From the 1930s to the 1950s, Power appeared in dozens of films, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads. His better-known films include ''Jesse James (193 ...
.
He made 43 films between the ages of 15 and 25. Among those, his role as Andy Hardy became one of "Hollywood's best-loved characters," with Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...
calling him "the best actor in films".
"There was nothing he couldn't do," said actress Margaret O'Brien
Angela Maxine O'Brien (born January 15, 1937) is an American film, radio, television, and stage actress, and is one of the last surviving stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema. Beginning a prolific career as a child actress in feature ...
. MGM boss Louis B. Mayer treated him like a son and saw in Rooney "the embodiment of the amiable American boy who stands for family, humbug, and sentiment," wrote critic and author David Thomson.
By the time Rooney was 20, his consistent portrayals of characters with youth and energy suggested that his future success was unlimited. Thomson also explains that Rooney's characters were able to cover a wide range of emotional types, and gives three examples where "Rooney is not just an actor of genius, but an artist able to maintain a stylized commentary on the demon impulse of the small, belligerent man:"
By the end of the 1940s, Rooney was no longer in demand, and his career declined. "In 1938," he said, "I starred in eight pictures. In 1948 and 1949 together, I starred in only three." Film historian Jeanine Basinger Jeanine Basinger (born 3 February 1936, in Ravenden, AR), a film historian, retired in 2020 as the Corwin-Fuller Professor of Film Studies and Founder and Curator of The Cinema Archives at Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut.
Education
B ...
observed while his career "reached the heights and plunged to the depths, Rooney kept on working and growing, the mark of a professional." Some of the films that reinvigorated his profile were ''Requiem for a Heavyweight'' (1962), ''It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World'' (1963), and ''The Black Stallion'' (1979). In the early 1980s, he returned to Broadway in ''Sugar Babies'', and "found himself once more back on top".
Basinger tries to encapsulate Rooney's career:
Though not talked about openly, many fellow actors, directors and producers considered Rooney one of the most arrogant and self-centered actors in Hollywood, and he was considered very difficult to work with.
Acting credits and awards
One of the most enduring performers in show business history, Rooney appeared in over 300 films in 88 years.
See also
* List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees – Youngest nominees for Best Actor in a Leading Role
* List of actors with Academy Award nominations
* List of actors with two or more Academy Award nominations in acting categories
* List of members of the American Legion
Notes
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
"Mickey Rooney on America, Christ and Judy Garland: The Hollywood Legend Speaks Out."
''Montreal Mirror
''Montreal Mirror'' or just ''Mirror'' was a free English language alternative newsweekly based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada which was distributed every Thursday. It had a circulation of 70,000 and reached a quarter of a million readers per week.
...
'' interview 1998. Republished on a blog as ''Montreal Mirror'' has dissolved.
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rooney, Mickey
1920 births
2014 deaths
20th-century American male actors
20th-century American male writers
20th-century American novelists
21st-century American male actors
21st-century American male writers
21st-century American novelists
Academy Honorary Award recipients
Academy Juvenile Award winners
American male child actors
American male comedians
American male dancers
American male film actors
American male musical theatre actors
American male novelists
American male silent film actors
American male singers
American male stage actors
American male television actors
American male voice actors
American people of Scottish descent
American television directors
Best Miniseries or Television Movie Actor Golden Globe winners
Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
California Republicans
Comedians from California
Comedians from New York City
Dancers from California
Dancers from New York (state)
Deaths from diabetes
Male actors from California
Male actors from Los Angeles
Male actors from New York City
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players
Military personnel from New York City
Musicians from Brooklyn
Novelists from California
Novelists from New York (state)
Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners
People from Greenpoint, Brooklyn
Singers from Los Angeles
Singers from New York City
Television personalities from California
Television personalities from New York City
Television producers from California
Television producers from New York City
United States Army personnel of World War II
United States Army soldiers
United Service Organizations entertainers
Vaudeville performers
Walter Lantz Productions people
Writers from Brooklyn
Writers from Los Angeles