The most scandalous liaison came to light years later in Rooney's autobiography, in which he claimed that in 1938, when he was just 18, he had a relationship with the A-list actress Norma Shearer, then 38, and the widow of MGM's "Boy Wonder" production chief, Irving Thalberg. As he became more famous, the actor became more reckless, known around Hollywood for his late night carousing and numerous affairs. Ironically Andy Hardy's squeaky-clean image was quite a contrast to the real-life Rooney. His portrayal of the all-American boy became an archetype of old-fashioned, Midwestern wholesomeness. The early movies were about the entire Hardy clan, but by the fourth film in the series, "Love Finds Andy Hardy" (1938), Rooney's exuberant personality had pushed his character to the top of the marquee. He played the same role in 13 more homespun "Andy Hardy" films produced between 19, giving venerable MGM one of its most profitable franchises. Hardy (Lionel Barrymore), Rooney helped MGM's little B-movie become a monster hit. Although he had received good reviews for his work in several features, most notably as Puck in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (1935), his appearance as Andy Hardy in "A Family Affair" (1937) changed his life forever. The "Mickey McGuire" movies made Mickey Rooney a star, but his next film series propelled him into the top tier of Hollywood actors. And it truly was a circus, as Rooney worked non-stop for the next 10 years until finally wrapping up the McGuire series with "Mickey's Derby Day" (1936). This cold-hearted ploy did not work, but Nell still had her son's name changed to the apparently more marquee-friendly "Mickey Rooney." Regardless, Rooney got the part and went on to star in dozens of shorts based on the McGuire character, starting with "Mickey's Circus" (1927). at this point, but Nell offered to legally change his name to Mickey McGuire so that the producers of the films could circumvent paying the writer of the comic strip royalties. Learning that the popular comic strip "Mickey McGuire" was going to be turned into a series of short films, she put her son up for the part. Nell used some old fashioned derring-do to land Rooney his next job. The movie "Not to Be Trusted" (1926) was not a film classic, but it jump-started Rooney's career. It was a grim existence until Rooney got his big break playing, ironically, a midget. She was not skilled at either, going broke and moving back and forth between Los Angeles and Kansas City to receive financial help from her family. She moved with her son out to California, where she balanced managing a tourist home and overseeing Rooney's growing career. Nell took custody of her son and, in the grand and often grotesque tradition of frustrated performers, channeled her hopes and dreams into her child. The vagaries of show business did not encourage domestic bliss, leading to Rooney's parents breaking up in 1924. Soon after his first birthday Rooney was appearing on stage with his parents and traveling around the country by train. Rooney's father, Joe Yule, was a Scottish-born vaudeville performer and his mother, Nell, was a chorus girl from Kansas City, MO. His name was plain but his family was colorful. And even though his career reached its peak in the 1930s with his onscreen partnership with Judy Garland, he continued to win awards and accolades until his death on April 6, 2014. Outliving most of his Golden Age contemporaries, he carved out a unique place in show business history that spanned generations of fans. He had a hunger for life and work that belied his small stature, marrying eight times, earning and losing millions of dollars on several occasions, and seemingly accepting any invitation to perform, whether it was a dinner theater or the Academy Awards. Born into a family of vaudeville performers, he was pushed on stage before he could talk and never let up, appearing in hundreds of movies, TV shows, plays, casinos and gossip columns. Mickey Rooney was a little man who enjoyed a big career and a larger-than-life persona.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |