The Silver Screen Oasis

It's an end of a era, Mickey Rooney has died at age 93.

I have a theory about Mickey and his time at MGM. He was known for his classic musicals with Judy Garland like Babes In Arms, Babes On Broadway and Girl Grazy but while she was put into one musical after another with endless rehearsals (The Clock her only non-singing role at the studio), Micky at least got a breather to make the dramas like Young Edison, Boys Town and National Velvet. This maybe one reason why Judy died young and Mickey lasted into his 90s. Nonetheless Mickey and Judy together were arguebly the best leading man/lady team at MGM.

Sadly, despite his talent as a great all-round entertainer, his pk years where over by the time he was 25. Yet he produced many a fine performance right up until old age

A star who my grandparents, parents, myself AND my children all had films made in their lifetimes to enjoy watching. It's really quite remarkable.

He may not rest well with reporters making this mistake,

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I think those news anchors may have been mixing his name with that of the character he played so often, Andy Hardy, and coming up with 'Andy Rooney.' Ah well, at least he is fondly remembered -- very different from when his pal Judy died.

I think that is terrible. If they can't get something like that straight
how can you believe a word that comes out of their mouth.

Anyone can make a mistake, but for eleven people to make the same mistake about such a well known person is a disgrace.

Fossy wrote:Anyone can make a mistake, but for eleven people to make the same mistake about such a well known person is a disgrace.

Well said ... Fossy.

Professional Tourist wrote:I think those news anchors may have been mixing his name with that of the character he played so often, Andy Hardy, and coming up with 'Andy Rooney.' Ah well, at least he is fondly remembered -- very different from when his pal Judy died.

I think you are being too kind.

Chris, that clip compilation was one more reminder that those good looking people reading the news barely know what they are talking about. Jerks.

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On another note, I read elsewhere on the internet that someone believed that Mickey Rooney was not a good enough actor to transcend his early superstardom in the Andy Hardy movies and the musicals he made with Judy Garland at MGM.

Granted, being the biggest star in the world before he was 21 appears to have been a very mixed blessing. However, I have really enjoyed discovering his later appearances, particularly his work in B movies such as Quicksand & Drive a Crooked Road; good television work such as The Comedian as a Sid Caesar-type, and Bill, an 80s film about a mentally challenged man, along with really fine turns in films such as Requiem for a Heavyweight and The Black Stallion. Each of these roles revealed a good, believable character actor who was often startling and excellent. Okay, on occasion he had a tendency to be more bombastic than the material warranted in certain (ghastly) parts i.e. The Bridges at Toko-Ri, which I can't stand, as well as Breakfast at Tiffany's, which is awful in too many ways to mention (though I know others are very fond of these films). Still, few actors played such a range of characters. What do you think? Was Mickey Rooney a limited talent?

I think he was an excellent actor, but limited somewhat by his appearance (short, boyish well into middle age) in the type of roles he could believably play.

I liked his human interest features on 60 Minutes.

Lomm wrote:I think he was an excellent actor, but limited somewhat by his appearance (short, boyish well into middle age) in the type of roles he could believably play.

I agree, his physical stature did prevent him from playing certain heroic roles, but he sure did everything he could with what genetics gave him. He was never handsome enough to suggest a conventionally romantic figure.