Mickey Rooney (1920–2014) was an American actor of stage, film, television,

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, radio, and

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 ...

. Beginning as a child actor, his career extended over 88 years, making him one of the most enduring performers in show business history. He appeared in more than 300 films and was one of the last surviving stars of the silent film era, having one of the longest careers in the medium's history.

Film

Stage

* 1935: '' A Midsummer Night's Dream'' * 1951: '' Sailor Beware'' * 1963: ''

The Tunnel of Love ''The Tunnel of Love'' is a 1958 romantic comedy film directed by Gene Kelly and starring Doris Day and Richard Widmark. The film follows a married suburban couple who, for reasons unknown, are unable to conceive a child and soon endure endless ...

'' * 1965: '' A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' * 1967: ''

The Odd Couple Odd Couple may refer to: Neil Simon play and its adaptations * ''The Odd Couple'' (play), a 1965 stage play by Neil Simon ** ''The Odd Couple'' (film), a 1968 film based on the play *** ''The Odd Couple'' (1970 TV series), a 1970–1975 televisi ...

'' * 1969–70: ''

George M! ''George M!'' is a Broadway musical based on the life of George M. Cohan, the biggest Broadway star of his day who was known as "The Man Who Owned Broadway." The book for the musical was written by Michael Stewart, John Pascal, and Francine ...

'' * 1971: ''Three Goats and a Blanket'' * 1971: ''Hide and Seek'' * 1971: ''W.C.'' (closed on the road) * 1972: ''

Pulp Pulp may refer to: * Pulp (fruit), the inner flesh of fruit Engineering * Dissolving pulp, highly purified cellulose used in fibre and film manufacture * Pulp (paper), the fibrous material used to make paper * Molded pulp, a packaging material ...

'' * 1972–74: '' See How They Run'' * 1973: ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' * 1975: ''Goodnight Ladies'' * 1975: '' Sugar'' * 1976: ''Alimony'' * 1979–82, 1983–88: '' Sugar Babies'' * 1983: ''

Show Boat ''Show Boat'' is a musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the performers, stagehands and dock worke ...

'' * 1986: ''The Laugh's On Me'' * 1987: ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' * 1989: ''Two for the Show'' * 1990: ''

The Sunshine Boys ''The Sunshine Boys'' is an original two-act play written by Neil Simon that premiered December 20, 1972 on Broadway starring Jack Albertson as Willie Clark and Sam Levene as Al Lewis and later adapted for film and television. Plot The pla ...

'' * 1991–93: ''

The Will Rogers Follies ''The Will Rogers Follies'' is a musical with a book by Peter Stone, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and music by Cy Coleman. It focuses on the life and career of famed humorist and performer Will Rogers, using as a backdrop the Ziegfeld ...

'' * 1993: ''

Lend Me a Tenor ''Lend Me a Tenor'' is a comedy by Ken Ludwig. The play was produced on both the West End (1986) and Broadway (1989). It received nine Tony Award nominations and won for Best Actor (Philip Bosco) and Best Director (Jerry Zaks). A Broadway re ...

'' * 1994: ''The Mind with the Naughty Man'' * 1995: '' Crazy for You'' * 1997–99: '' The Wizard of Oz'' * 2000: ''Hollywood Goes Classical'' * 2003: ''Singular Sensations'' * 2000–11: ''Let's Put On A Show''

Short subjects

Box-office ranking

For a number of years, film exhibitors regularly voted Rooney as one of the top money making stars in the country in the annual ''Quigley'' Poll: *1938 – 4th *1939 – 1st, 2nd (UK) *1940 – 1st, 1st (UK) *1941 – 1st, 1st (UK) *1942 – 4th, 1st (UK) *1943 – 9th, 6th (UK) *1944 – 18th *1945 - 25th

Television

Rooney made countless appearances in TV sitcoms and television films. He also lent his voice to many animation films. Only his most important work is listed in this section.

Awards and honors

Honors

In May 1956, Rooney received an honorary PhD in Fine Arts from both Fremont College and

degree mill A diploma mill (also known as a degree mill) is a company or organization that claims to be a higher education institution but provides illegitimate academic degrees and diplomas for a fee. The degrees can be fabricated (made-up), falsified (fake ...

Sequoia University for his work in the entertainment field. On February 8, 1960, Rooney was initiated into the Hollywood Walk of Fame with a star heralding his work in motion pictures, located at 1718

Vine Street Vine Street is a street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California that runs north–south between Franklin Avenue and Melrose Avenue. The intersection with Hollywood Boulevard was once a symbol of Hollywood itself. The famed intersection fell into d ...

, one for his television career located at 6541

Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It begins in the east at Sunset Boulevard in the Los Feliz district and proceeds to the west as a major thoroughfare through Little Armenia and Thai Town, Hollywoo ...

, and a third dedicated to his work in radio, located at 6372 Hollywood Boulevard. On March 29, 1984, he received a fourth star, this one for his live performances, located at 6211 Hollywood Boulevard. He was the subject of a '' This Is Your Life'' programme in 1988, when he was surprised by Michael Aspel while appearing in

Sugar Babies (musical) ''Sugar Babies'' is a musical revue conceived by Ralph G. Allen and Harry Rigby, with music by Jimmy McHugh, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and Al Dubin and various others. The show is a tribute to the old burlesque era. (The show's name is taken fr ...

at London's Savoy Theatre. In 1996, a Golden Palm Star on the

Palm Springs Walk of Stars The Palm Springs Walk of Stars is a walk of fame in downtown Palm Springs, California, where "Golden Palm Stars", honoring various people who have lived in the greater Palm Springs area, are embedded in the sidewalk pavement. The walk includes po ...

was dedicated to Rooney.

References

{{reflist Rooney, Mickey Rooney Mickey