Rooney, Mickey (1920-2014), was an energetic and versatile American motion-picture star who had one of the longest careers in movie history. Rooney began as a child star and maintained his popularity as an adult character actor. During the late 1930’s and 1940’s, he was one of the most popular movie stars in the world. Rooney received two honorary Academy Awards . He was given the 1938 award “for bringing to the screen the spirit and personification of youth.” He received the 1982 award “in recognition of his 60 years of versatility in a variety of memorable film performances.”
Rooney was born on Sept. 23, 1920, in the Brooklyn section of New York City. His real name was Ninian Joseph Yule, Jr. He became part of his family’s vaudeville act as an infant. From 1926 to 1932, he made nearly 80 short comedies as Mickey McGuire, a popular comic-strip character of the time. He performed under that name until he took the name of Mickey Rooney in 1932. Rooney’s first major feature role came as the fairy Puck in a film adaptation of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 1935. Rooney became a national institution for his performances as teenager Andy Hardy in a series of hugely popular family films beginning with A Family Affair (1937).
Rooney alternated between musicals and dramatic films through the 1950’s. His major musicals included Babes in Arms (1939), Strike Up the Band (1940), Babes on Broadway (1942), and Girl Crazy (1943). His co-star in these films was Judy Garland . The success of the movies made them a top romantic team in Hollywood. Rooney’s most important dramatic films during this period included Captains Courageous (1937), Boys Town (1938), The Human Comedy (1943), and National Velvet (1944). Among Rooney’s later films were The Bold and the Brave (1956), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), and The Black Stallion (1979).
Rooney starred in a hit vaudeville revue called Sugar Babies (1979), touring with the show for several years. He also wrote two autobiographies, I. E., an Autobiography (1965) and Life Is Too Short (1991). Rooney’s private life included several highly publicized marriages. He died on April 6, 2014.
