Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule, Jr. on September 23, 1920) is an American film actor and entertainer whose film, television, and stage appearances span nearly his entire lifetime. During his career he has won multiple awards, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award. Best known for his work as the Andy Hardy character, Rooney has had one of the longest careers of any actor.

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Early life

Rooney was born in Brooklyn, New York to a vaudeville family. His father, Joseph Yule, was from Scotland, and his mother, Nellie W. (née Carter), was from Kansas City, Missouri. Both parents were in vaudeville, and appearing in a Brooklyn production of A Gaiety Girl when Joseph, Jr. was born. He began performing at the age of 17 months as part of his parents' routine, wearing a specially tailored tuxedo. ^[1]

Career

Mickey McGuire

The Yules separated in 1924 during a slump in vaudeville, and in 1925, Nell Yule moved with her son to Hollywood, where she managed a tourist home. Fontaine Fox had placed a newspaper ad for a dark haired child to play the role of "Mickey McGuire" in a series of short films. Lacking the money to have her son's hair dyed, Mrs. Yule took her son to the audition after applying burnt cork to his scalp. ^[2] Joe got the role and became "Mickey" for 78 of the comedies, running from 1927 to 1936, starting with Mickey's Circus , released September 4, 1927. ^[3] These had been adapted from the Toonerville Trolley comic strip, which contained a character named Mickey McGuire. Joe Yule briefly legally became Mickey McGuire to trump an attempted copyright lawsuit (as it was his legal name, the movie producers did not owe the comic strip writers royalties).

Rooney later claimed that, during his Mickey McGuire days, he met cartoonist Walt Disney at the Warner Brothers studio, and that Disney was inspired to name Mickey Mouse after him, ^[4] although Disney always said that he had changed the name from "Mortimer Mouse" on the suggestion of his wife.

During an interruption in the series in 1932, Mrs. Yule made plans to take her son on a ten week vaudeville tour as McGuire, and Fox sued successfully to stop him from using the name. Mrs. Yule suggested the stage name of "Mickey Looney" for her comedian son, which he altered slightly to Rooney, a less frivolous version. Rooney did other films in his adolescence, including several more of the McGuire films, and signed with MGM in 1934. MGM cast Rooney as the teenage son of a judge in 1937's A Family Affair , setting Rooney on the way to another successful film series.

Andy Hardy and Judy Garland

In 1937, Rooney was selected to portray Andy Hardy in A Family Affair (1937), 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 Lewis Stone would play the role of Judge Hardy in later films). The film was an unexpected success, and led to thirteen more "Andy Hardy" films between 1937 and 1946, and a final film in 1958. Rooney also received top billing as Shockey Carter in Hoosier Schoolboy (1937).

The same year, he made his first film alongside Judy Garland with Thoroughbreds Don't Cry . Garland and Rooney became close friends ^[5] and a successful song and dance team. Besides three of the Andy Hardy films, where she portrayed Betsy Booth, a younger girl with a crush on Andy, they appeared together in a string of successful musicals, including the Oscar nominated Babes in Arms (1939).

Rooney's breakthrough role as a dramatic actor came in 1938's Boys Town opposite Spencer Tracy as Whitey Marsh, which opened shortly before his 18th birthday. Rooney was named the biggest box-office draw in 1939, 1940, and 1941. ^[6] Unquestionably a well known entertainer by the early 1940s Rooney, with Garland, was one of many celebrities caricatured in Tex Avery's 1941 Warner Bros. cartoon Hollywood Steps Out . s of 2008 ^[], Rooney and his wife, Jan Chamberlin, live in Westlake Village, California. Both are outspoken advocates for veterans and animal rights.

After battling drug addiction and a near bankruptcy caused by gambling and bad investments, ^[11] Rooney became a born-again Christian in the 1970s, reportedly after an angel appeared to him in a coffee shop. ^[4] Rooney shared his religious beliefs on Jim and Tammy Bakker's Christian television show The PTL Club . ^[13]

Rooney's son Mickey Rooney, Jr. is also a born-again Christian, and has an evangelical ministry in Hemet, California. ^[14]

Filmography

Feature films

Year Title 1927 Orchids and Ermine 1932 The Beast of the City Sin's Pay Day High Speed Fast Companions My Pal, the King Officer Thirteen 1933 The Big Cage The Life of Jimmy Dolan The Big Chance Broadway to Hollywood The Chief The World Changes 1934 Beloved The Lost Jungle I Like It That Way Manhattan Melodrama Love Birds Half a Sinner Hide-Out Chained Blind Date Death on the Diamond 1935 The County Chairman Reckless The Healer A Midsummer Night's Dream Rendezvous Ah, Wilderness! 1936 Riffraff Little Lord Fauntleroy Down the Stretch The Devil is a Sissy 1937 A Family Affair Captains Courageous Slave Ship Hoosier Schoolboy Live, Love and Learn Thoroughbreds Don't Cry You're Only Young Once 1938 Love Is a Headache Judge Hardy's Children Hold That Kiss Lord Jeff Love Finds Andy Hardy Boys Town Stablemates Out West with the Hardys 1939 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn The Hardys Ride High Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever Babes in Arms Judge Hardy and Son 1940 Young Tom Edison Andy Hardy Meets Debutante Strike Up the Band

Year Title 1941 Andy Hardy's Private Secretary Men of Boys Town Life Begins for Andy Hardy Babes on Broadway 1942 The Courtship of Andy Hardy A Yank at Eton Andy Hardy's Double Life 1943 The Human Comedy Thousands Cheer Girl Crazy 1944 Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble National Velvet 1946 Love Laughs at Andy Hardy 1947 Killer McCoy 1948 Summer Holiday Words and Music 1949 The Big Wheel 1950 Quicksand The Fireball He's a Cockeyed Wonder 1951 My Outlaw Brother The Strip 1952 Sound Off 1953 Off Limits All Ashore A Slight Case of Larceny 1954 Drive a Crooked Road The Atomic Kid 1955 The Bridges at Toko-Ri The Twinkle in God's Eye 1956 The Bold and the Brave Francis in the Haunted House Magnificent Roughnecks 1957 Operation Mad Ball Baby Face Nelson 1958 A Nice Little Bank That Should Be Robbed Andy Hardy Comes Home 1959 The Big Operator The Last Mile 1960 Platinum High School The Private Lives of Adam and Eve 1961 King of the Roaring 20's - The Story of Arnold Rothstein Breakfast at Tiffany's Everything's Ducky 1962 Requiem for a Heavyweight 1963 It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World 1964 The Secret Invasion 1965 Twenty-Four Hours to Kill How to Stuff a Wild Bikini 1966 The Devil In Love Ambush Bay 1968 Skidoo 1969 The Extraordinary Seaman The Comic 80 Steps to Jonah

Year Title 1970 Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County 1971 Mooch Goes to Hollywood The Manipulator 1972 Evil Roy Slade Richard Pulp 1973 The Godmothers 1974 Thunder County Rachel's Man 1975 Ace of Hearts From Hong Kong with Love 1976 Find the Lady 1977 The Domino Principle Pete's Dragon 1979 The Black Stallion Arabian Adventure 1981 The Fox and the Hound (voice) Odyssey of the Pacific 1982 The Emperor of Peru 1983 Bill: On his own 1984 It Came Upon the Midnight Clear 1985 The Care Bears Movie (voice) 1986 Lightning, the White Stallion 1988 Bluegrass 1989 Erik the Viking 1991 My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys 1992 The Milky Life Sweet Justice Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker Little Nemo: Adventures In Slumberland Maximum Force 1993 The Legend of Wolf Mountain 1994 Revenge of the Red Baron The Outlaws: The Legend of O.B. Taggart Making Waves 1995 A Goofy Movie (voice) (Canada) 1997 Killing Midnight 1998 The Face on the Barroom Floor Animals and the Tollkeeper Michael Kael vs. the World News Company Sinbad: The Battle of the Dark Knights Babe: Pig in the City 1999 Holy Hollywood The First of May 2000 Internet Love Phantom of the Megaplex 2001 Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure (voice) 2002 Topa Topa Bluffs 2003 Paradise 2005 Strike the Tent A Christmas Too Many 2006 The Thirsting To Kill a Mockumentary Night at the Museum 2007 The Yesterday Pool Bamboo Shark 2008 Lost Stallions: The Journey Home Driving Me Crazy

Short subjects

Year Title 1926 Not to Be Trusted 1927 Mickey's Circus Mickey's Pals Mickey's Eleven Mickey's Battles 1928 Mickey's Minstrels Mickey's Parade Mickey in School Mickey's Nine Mickey's Little Eva Mickey's Wild West Mickey in Love Mickey's Triumph Mickey's Babies Mickey's Movies Mickey's Rivals Mickey the Detective Mickey's Athletes Mickey's Big Game Hunt 1929 Mickey's Great Idea Mickey's Explorers Mickey's Menagerie Mickey's Last Chance Mickey's Brown Derby Mickey's Northwest Mounted

Year Title 1929 Mickey's Initiation Mickey's Midnite Follies Mickey's Surprise Mickey's Mix-Up Mickey's Big Moment Mickey's Strategy 1930 Mickey's Champs Mickey's Master Mind Mickey's Luck Mickey's Whirlwinds Mickey's Warriors Mickey the Romeo Mickey's Merry Men Mickey's Winners Screen Snapshots Series 9, No. 24 Mickey's Musketeers Mickey's Bargain 1931 Mickey's Stampede Mickey's Crusaders Mickey's Rebellion Mickey's Diplomacy Mickey's Wildcats Mickey's Thrill Hunters Mickey's Helping Hand Mickey's Sideline

Year Title 1932 Mickey's Busy Day Mickey's Travels Mickey's Holiday Mickey's Big Business Mickey's Golden Rule Mickey's Charity 1933 Mickey's Ape Man Mickey's Race Mickey's Big Broadcast Mickey's Touchdown Mickey's Tent Show Mickey's Covered Wagon 1934 Mickey's Medicine Man 1935 Pirate Party on Catalina Isle 1936 Mickey's Derby Day 1937 Cinema Circus 1938 Andy Hardy's Dilemma 1940 Rodeo Dough 1941 Meet the Stars #4 : Variety Reel #2 1943 Show Business at War 1947 Screen Snapshots: Out of This World Series 1953 Screen Snapshots: Mickey Rooney - Then and Now 1958 Screen Snapshots: Glamorous Hollywood 1968 Vienna 1974 Just One More Time 1975 The Lion Roars Again 2008 Wreck the Halls

Television

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

Year(s)	Title
1954-1955	The Mickey Rooney Show : Hey Mulligan
1964-1965	Mickey
1981	Bill (won Emmy, Golden Globe, and Peabody Award for role of Bill)
1982	One of the Boys (canceled after 13 episodes)
1983	Bill: On His Own (sequel to 1981's "Bill" nominated for Emmy)
1990-1993	The Adventures of the Black Stallion

Marriages

“	Always get married early in the morning. That way, if it doesn't work out, you haven't wasted a whole day.	”

Name	Years	Children
Ava Gardner	1942-1943
Betty Jane Rase	1944-1949	Mickey Rooney, Jr. (born July 3, 1945)
		Tim Rooney (January 4, 1947 - September 23, 2006)
Martha Vickers	1949-1951	Theodore Michael Rooney (born April 13, 1950)
Elaine Devry	1952-1958
Barbara Ann Thomason (Carolyn Mitchell)	1958-1966	Kelly Ann Rooney (born September 13, 1959)
		Kerry Rooney (born December 30, 1960)
		Michael Joseph Rooney (born April 2, 1962)
		Kimmy Sue Rooney (born September 13, 1963)
Marge Lane	1966-1967
Carolyn Hockett	1969-1974	Jimmy Rooney (adopted from Carolyn's previous marriage) (born 1966)
		Jonelle Rooney (born January 11, 1970)
Jan Chamberlin	1978-present

References

1. ''Life is too short''. Autobiography (1991). ISBN 9780679401957.
2. ''Current Biography 1942''. H.W. Wilson Co. (January 1942). pp704-06. ISBN 9990396035.
3. {{imdb name|id=0001682|name=Mickey Rooney}}
4. Albin, Kira. ''Mickey Rooney: Hollywood, Religion and His Latest Show''. GrandTimes.com Senior Magazine. 1995.
5. "Judy and I were so close we could've come from the same womb. We weren't like brothers or sisters but there was no love affair there; there was more than a love affair. It's very, very difficult to explain the depths of our love for each other. It was so special. It was a forever love. Judy, as we speak, has not passed away. She's always with me in every heartbeat of my body." -Mickey Rooney, "The Lion Reigns Supreme", ''MGM: When the Lion Roars'', 1992.
6. "In 1939 [1] became the top box-office star in the world, a title he held for three consecutive years." Branagh, Kenneth (narrator). ''1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year''. Turner Classic Movies, 2009.
7. Dunning, John, ''On The Air: The Encyclopedia Of Old-Time Radio'' (1998), Oxford University Press
8. Marx, Arthur, ''The Nine Lives Of Mickey Rooney'' (1986), Stein & Day
9. ''Mickey Rooney makes panto debut''. Channel4.com. 7 December 2007.
10. "Mickey Rooney: The Mickey show." ''The Independent''. 14 December 2008.
11. Wyatt, Petronella. "What's 5ft 3in, Has 7 Ex-Wives and a Temper Like a Volcano? Mickey Rooney." ''Daily Mail'' online, September 12, 2007
12. Albin, Kira. ''Mickey Rooney: Hollywood, Religion and His Latest Show''. GrandTimes.com Senior Magazine. 1995.
13. Albert, James A. ''Jim Bakker: Miscarriage of Justice?'' Open Court Publishing, 1998, p. 6
14. Sanderson, Nancy. "Legend's Son at Home in Hemet: Mickey Rooney Jr., in Show Business Since Childhood, Is Also Involved in Ministry."''The Press-Enterprise'' (Hemet, California) May 22, 2001
15. http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/23571.html