Editing Mickey Rooney (section)

== Career ==
=== 1924–1926: Career beginnings as a child actor ===
Rooney's parents separated when he was four years old in 1924, and he and his mother moved to Hollywood the following year. He made his first film appearance at age six in 1926, in the short ''Not to be Trusted''.<ref name="THR">{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/mickey-rooneys-final-years-833325|title=Tears and Terror: The Disturbing Final Years of Mickey Rooney|first1=Gary|last1=Baum|first2=Scott|last2=Feinberg|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=October 21, 2015|access-date=October 22, 2015}}</ref><ref name=CNN-4-7-14>{{cite news|title=Legendary actor Mickey Rooney dies at 93|url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/07/showbiz/mickey-rooney-obit|publisher=CNN|date=April 7, 2014|access-date=November 16, 2015|author=Duke, Alan|author2=Leopold, Todd}}</ref> Rooney got bit parts in films such as ''[[The Beast of the City]]'' (1932) and ''[[The Life of Jimmy Dolan]]'' (1933), which allowed him to work alongside stars such as [[Joel McCrea]], [[Colleen Moore]], [[Clark Gable]], [[Douglas Fairbanks Jr.]], [[John Wayne]], and [[Jean Harlow]]. He enrolled in the [[Hollywood Professional School]] and later attended [[Fairfax High School (Los Angeles)|Fairfax High School]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.seeing-stars.com/Schools/HPS.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007103339/http://www.seeing-stars.com/schools/hps.shtml|url-status=dead|title=Hollywood Professional School|archive-date=October 7, 2008|website=seeing-stars.com}}</ref>

=== 1927–1936: Mickey McGuire ===
His mother saw an advertisement for a child to play the role of "Mickey McGuire" in a [[Mickey McGuire (film series)|series of short films]].<ref name="current">''Current Biography 1942''. H.W. Wilson Co. (January 1942). pp. 704–06. {{ISBN|99903-960-3-5}}.</ref> Rooney got the role and became "Mickey" for 78 of the films, running from 1927 to 1936, starting with ''Mickey's Circus'' (1927), his first starring role.{{efn|The film was long believed lost, but in 2014 was reported found in the Netherlands.<ref name="Hollywood Reporter-3-30-14">{{cite news|last=Barnes|first=Mike|title=Lost Mickey Rooney Film Is Found and Set for Preservation|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/lost-mickey-rooney-film-found-692160|access-date=April 4, 2014|newspaper=The Hollywood Reporter|date=March 30, 2014}}</ref>}}{{efn|The Mickey McGuire films were adapted from the ''[[Toonerville Folks|Toonerville Trolley]]'' comic strip, which contained a character named Mickey McGuire. Joe Yule briefly became Mickey McGuire legally to "trump an attempted copyright lawsuit so the film producer Larry Darmour would not have to pay the comic-strip writers royalties". His mother also changed her surname to McGuire in an attempt to bolster the argument, but the film producers lost. The litigation settlement awarded damages to the owners of the cartoon character, compelling the 12-year-old actor to refrain from calling himself Mickey McGuire on- and off-screen.<ref>{{cite book|last=Server|first=Lee|title=Ava Gardner: "Love Is Nothing"|url=https://archive.org/details/avagardnerloveis00serv|url-access=registration|year=2007|publisher=St. Martin's Press|isbn=978-1-4299-0874-0}}</ref><ref name="name change – 1930">{{cite news|last1=Coons|first1=Robbin|title=Mother of Mickey McGuire Seeks to Change Her Name|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/4009258/the_evening_review/|via = [[Newspapers.com]]|access-date=January 10, 2016|work=The Evening Review|date=August 29, 1930|location=East Liverpool, Ohio}}</ref><br />During an interruption in the series in 1932, Mrs. Yule made plans to take her son on a 10-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. He altered this to Rooney, which did not infringe upon the copyright of [[Warner Bros.]]' animation series called ''[[Looney Tunes]]''.<ref name="current" />}} During this period, he also briefly voiced [[Oswald the Lucky Rabbit]] for [[Walter Lantz Productions]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The Walter Lantz Cartune Encyclopedia : 1931 |url=http://www.intanibase.com/gac/lantz/1931.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240222112701/https://www.intanibase.com/gac/lantz/1931.aspx |archive-date=February 22, 2024 |access-date=May 9, 2024 |website=The Internet Animation Database}}</ref> He made other films in his adolescence, including several more of the McGuire films. At age 14, he played the role of Puck in the Warner Bros. all-star adaptation of [[A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935 film)|''A Midsummer Night's Dream'']] in 1935. Critic [[David Thomson (film critic)|David Thomson]] hailed his performance as "one of the cinema's most arresting pieces of magic". Rooney then moved to [[MGM]], where he befriended [[Judy Garland]], with whom he began making a series of musicals that propelled both of them to stardom.<ref name=Krantz>Krantz, Les. ''Their First Time in the Movies'', The Overlook Press N.Y. (2001) p. 45</ref><ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/_vK0GxT9z9k Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20120905012035/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vK0GxT9z9k&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vK0GxT9z9k |title=Puck's Soliloquy |via=YouTube |date=September 6, 2011 |access-date=June 18, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/vjSg2BVeCMs Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20130619022557/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjSg2BVeCMs Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite news |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjSg2BVeCMs |title=A Midsummer Night's Dream – 1935 "Puck, Oberon's Servant" |via=YouTube |last=BravuraK |date=February 12, 2011 |access-date=June 18, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

=== 1937–1944: Andy Hardy films and Hollywood stardom ===
[[File:Rooney-Garland-ebay-1938.jpg|thumb|Rooney with [[Judy Garland]] in ''[[Love Finds Andy Hardy]]'' (1938)]]
In 1937, Rooney was selected to portray [[Andy Hardy]] in ''[[A Family Affair (1937 film)|A Family Affair]]'', which MGM had planned as a [[B-movie]].<ref name="current" /> Rooney provided comic relief as the son of Judge James K. Hardy, portrayed by [[Lionel Barrymore]] (although former silent-film leading man [[Lewis Stone]] played the role of Judge Hardy in subsequent pictures). The film was an unexpected success, and led to 13 more ''Andy Hardy'' films between 1937 and 1946, and a final film in 1958.

According to author Barry Monush, MGM wanted the Andy Hardy films to appeal to all family members. Rooney's character portrayed a typical "anxious, hyperactive, girl-crazy teenager", and he soon became the unintended main star of the films. Although some critics describe the series of films as "sweet, overly idealized, and pretty much interchangeable," their ultimate success was because they gave viewers a "comforting portrait of small-town America that seemed suited for the times", with Rooney instilling "a lasting image of what every parent wished their teen could be like".<ref name=Monush />

Behind the scenes, however, Rooney was like the "hyperactive girl-crazy teenager" he portrayed on the screen. [[Wallace Beery]], his co-star in ''[[Stablemates]]'', described him as a "brat", but a "fine actor".{{sfn | Marx | 1986 | p=68}} MGM head [[Louis B. Mayer]] found it necessary to manage Rooney's public image, explains historian Jane Ellen Wayne:

{{cquote|Mayer naturally tried to keep all his child actors in line, like any father figure. After one such episode, Mickey Rooney replied, "I won't do it. You're asking the impossible." Mayer then grabbed young Rooney by his lapels and said, "Listen to me! I don't care what you do in private. Just don't do it in public. In public, behave. Your fans expect it. You're Andy Hardy! You're the United States! You're the Stars and Stripes. Behave yourself! You're a symbol!" Mickey nodded. "I'll be good, Mr. Mayer. I promise you that." Mayer let go of his lapels, "All right," he said.<ref name=Wayne>{{cite book|last=Wayne|first=Jane Ellen|title=The Leading Men of MGM|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780786714759|url-access=registration|year=2005|publisher=Carroll & Graf Publishers|isbn=978-0-7867-1475-9|page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780786714759/page/246 246]}}</ref>}}

Fifty years later, Rooney realized in hindsight that these early confrontations with Mayer were necessary for him to develop into a leading film star: "Everybody butted heads with him, but he listened and you listened. And then you'd come to an agreement you could both live with.&nbsp;... He visited the sets, he gave people talks&nbsp;... What he wanted was something that was ''American'', presented in a [[Cosmopolitanism|cosmopolitan]] manner."<ref>{{cite book|last=Eyman|first=Scott|title=Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Legend of Louis B. Mayer|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q0ldNR7gZ1oC|year=2005|publisher=Pavilion Books|isbn=978-1-86105-892-8|page=323}}</ref>

[[File:Mickey Rooney and Spencer Tracy.jpg|thumb|[[Spencer Tracy]] and Rooney in a scene from ''[[Boys Town (film)|Boys Town]]'' (1938)]]
[[File:Lionel Barrymore 61st birthday 1939.jpg|right|thumb|Lionel Barrymore's 61st birthday in 1939, standing: Mickey Rooney, [[Robert Montgomery (actor)|Robert Montgomery]], [[Clark Gable]], [[Louis B. Mayer]], [[William Powell]], [[Robert Taylor (American actor)|Robert Taylor]], seated: [[Norma Shearer]], [[Lionel Barrymore]], and [[Rosalind Russell]]]]
In 1937, Rooney made his first film alongside Judy Garland with ''[[Thoroughbreds Don't Cry]]''.<ref>{{cite web | access-date=September 3, 2019 | url=https://slate.com/culture/2015/10/the-mgm-history-of-judy-garland-and-mickey-rooney.html | title=The Long, Fruitful, and Tortured Relationships Between Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, and MGM | date=October 30, 2015 | last=Longworth | first=Karina | website=Slate}}</ref> Garland and Rooney became close friends as they co-starred in future films and became a successful song-and-dance team. Audiences delighted in seeing the "playful interactions between the two stars showcase a wonderful chemistry".<ref>{{cite web | access-date=September 3, 2019 | url=https://slate.com/culture/2014/04/mickey-rooney-dead-at-93-remembering-the-star-with-some-of-his-best-musical-performances-video.html | title=Remembering Mickey Rooney With a Few of His Greatest Musical Performances | date=April 7, 2014 | last=Harris | first=Aisha | website=Slate}}</ref> Along with three of the ''Andy Hardy'' films, where she portrayed a girl attracted to Andy, they appeared together in a string of successful musicals, including [[Coming-of-age story|coming-of-age]] musical ''[[Babes in Arms (film)|Babes in Arms]]'' (1939). For his performance as Mickey Moran, [[12th Academy Awards|19-year-old Mickey Rooney]] was nominated for an [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role]], becoming the [[List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees#Youngest nominees 2|second-youngest]] Best Actor nominee. During an interview in the 1992 documentary film ''MGM: When the Lion Roars'', Rooney describes their friendship:<ref name="mgmrooneyquote">{{cite episode | title=The Lion Reigns Supreme |year=1992 | last=Rooney | first=Mickey | series=MGM: When the Lion Roars}}</ref>

{{cquote|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 died. She's always with me in every heartbeat of my body.}}

In 1937, Rooney received top billing as Shockey Carter in ''[[Hoosier Schoolboy]]'', but his breakthrough role as a dramatic actor came in 1938's ''[[Boys Town (1938 film)|Boys Town]]'' opposite [[Spencer Tracy]] as Father Flanagan, who runs a home for wayward and homeless boys. 18-year-old Rooney and 17-year-old [[Deanna Durbin]] were awarded a special [[Academy Juvenile Award|Juvenile Academy Award]] in [[11th Academy Awards|1939]], for "significant contribution in bringing to the screen the spirit and personification of youth".{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=161}}<ref name="Oscars.org 2">{{cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/legacy/ceremony/11th.html|title=11th Academy Awards|access-date=July 6, 2011|publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences}}</ref> Jane Ellen Wayne describes one of the "most famous scenes" in the film, where tough young Rooney is playing poker with a cigarette in his mouth, his hat is cocked, and his feet are up on the table. "Tracy grabs him by the lapels, throws the cigarette away, and pushes him into a chair. 'That's better,' he tells Mickey."<ref name=Wayne /> Louis B. Mayer said ''Boys Town'' was his favorite film during his years at MGM.{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=161}}

Rooney was the biggest box-office draw in 1939, 1940, and 1941.<ref name="1939hgy">{{cite AV media | title=1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year | publisher=[[Turner Classic Movies]] |year=2009 | last=Branagh | first=Kenneth | type=Movie | quote=By 1939, [Rooney] was the top box-office star in the world, a title he held for three consecutive years.}}</ref> For their roles in ''Boys Town'', Rooney and Tracy won first and second place in the ''[[Motion Picture Herald]]'' 1940 National Poll of Exhibitors, based on the box-office appeal of 200 players. A contributor to ''[[Boys' Life]]'' magazine wrote, "Congratulations to Messrs. Rooney and Tracy! Also to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer we extend a hearty thanks for their very considerable part in this outstanding achievement."<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BfgNiM4xmDcC&pg=PA22 | title=Movies of the Month | date=April 1941 | last=Mathews | first=Franklin K | issn=0006-8608 | magazine=Boys' Life | page=22}}</ref> Actor [[Laurence Olivier]] once called Rooney "the greatest actor of them all".<ref name=USAToday>{{cite web | last=Freydkin | first=Donna | title=Hollywood legend Mickey Rooney dies | website=USA Today | date=April 6, 2014 | url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2014/04/06/mickey-rooney-dies/7404557/ | access-date=September 3, 2019}}</ref> He appeared on the cover of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine in 1940, timed to coincide with the release of ''[[Young Tom Edison]]'';<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/3201/young-tom-edison#articles-reviews|title=Young Tom Edison (1940)|publisher=[[Turner Classic Movies]]|access-date=September 16, 2013|quote=''Time'' put Rooney on the cover, noting that his movies had grossed a whopping $30&nbsp;million for MGM the previous year and praising him for 'his most sober and restrained performance to date' as young Edison, 'who (like himself) began at the bottom of the American heap, (like himself) had to struggle, (like himself) won, but a boy whose main activity (unlike Mickey's) was investigating, inventing, thinking.'}}</ref> the [[Article (publishing)|cover story]] began:<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,763693,00.html|title=Cinema: Success Story|date=March 18, 1940|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|access-date=September 16, 2013|quote=Hollywood's No. 1 box office bait in 1939 was not [[Clark Gable]], [[Errol Flynn]], or [[Tyrone Power]], but a rope-haired, kazoo-voiced kid with a comic-strip face, who until this week had never appeared in a picture without mugging or overacting it. His name (assumed) was Mickey Rooney, and to a large part of the more articulate U. S. cinema audience, his name was becoming a frequently used synonym for brat.}}</ref>

{{cquote|Hollywood's No. 1 box office bait in 1939 was not Clark Gable, Errol Flynn, or Tyrone Power, but a rope-haired, kazoo-voiced kid with a comic-strip face, who until this week had never appeared in a picture without mugging or overacting it. His name (assumed) was Mickey Rooney, and to a large part of the more articulate U.S. cinema audience, his name was becoming a frequently used synonym for brat.}}

During his long career, Rooney also worked with many of the screen's female stars, including [[Elizabeth Taylor]] in [[National Velvet (film)|''National Velvet'']] (1944), [[Marilyn Monroe]] in ''[[The Fireball]]'' (1950), [[Grace Kelly]] in ''[[The Bridges at Toko-Ri]]'' (1954) and [[Audrey Hepburn]] in [[Breakfast at Tiffany's (film)|''Breakfast at Tiffany's'']] (1961),.<ref name=Huffington>{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mickey-rooney-dead_n_5102575|title=Legendary Actor Mickey Rooney Dies|date=April 6, 2014|website=HuffPost|access-date=September 3, 2019}}</ref> Rooney's "bumptiousness and boyish charm" as an actor developed more "smoothness and polish" over the years, writes biographer [[Scott Eyman]]. The fact that Rooney fully enjoyed his life as an actor played a large role in those changes:

{{cquote|You weren't going to work, you were going to have fun. It was home, everybody was cohesive; it was family. One year I made nine pictures; I had to go from one set to another. It was like I was on a conveyor belt. You did not read a script and say, "I guess I'll do it." ''You did it.'' They had people that knew the kind of stories that were suited to you. It was a conveyor belt that made motion pictures.<ref name=Eyman>{{cite book|last=Eyman|first=Scott|title=Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Legend of Louis B. Mayer|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q0ldNR7gZ1oC|year=2005|publisher=Pavilion Books|isbn=978-1-86105-892-8|page=224}}</ref>}}
[[Clarence Brown]], who directed Rooney in his Oscar-nominated performance in [[The Human Comedy (film)|''The Human Comedy'']] (1943) and again in ''[[National Velvet (film)|National Velvet]]'' (1944), enjoyed working with Rooney in films:

{{cquote|Mickey Rooney is the closest thing to a genius that I ever worked with. There was Chaplin, then there was Rooney. The little bastard could do no wrong in my book&nbsp;... All you had to do with him was rehearse it once.<ref>{{cite book|last=Basinger|first=Jeanine|title=The Star Machine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yyXUTSkqeV4C|year=2007|publisher=A.A. Knopf|isbn=978-1-4000-4130-5|page=442}}</ref>}}

=== Military service and later film career ===
[[File:Mickey Rooney ww2 46.jpg|thumb|Rooney entertains American troops in Germany, April 1945]]
[[File:Mickey Rooney AFRS.jpg|right|thumb|Rooney with [[Tom Poston]] (right) circa 1940s]]
[[File:Mickey Rooney USO 1952.jpg|right|thumb|Rooney feeds the troops for the USO in 1952.]]
In June 1944, Rooney was inducted into the [[United States Army]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://army.togetherweserved.com/army/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApps?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=336424 |title= Rooney, Mickey, Pfc Deceased |work=TogetherWeServed |access-date=June 18, 2017}}</ref> He served more than 21 months (until shortly after the end of [[World War II]]), entertaining the troops in America and Europe in [[Special Services (entertainment)|Special Services]] [[Jeep Show]]s. He spent part of the time as a radio personality on the [[American Forces Network]], and was awarded the [[Bronze Star Medal]] for entertaining troops in combat zones. In addition, Rooney also received the [[Army Good Conduct Medal]], [[American Campaign Medal]], [[European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal]], and [[World War II Victory Medal]], for his military service.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h5WZOvH8VSUC&pg=PA37|page=37|title=Mickey Rooney: His Films, Television Appearances, Radio Work, Stage Shows, and Recordings|first=Alvin H.|last=Marill|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|year=2004|isbn=978-0-7864-2015-5}}</ref>{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=}}

Rooney's career declined after his return to civilian life. He was now an adult with a height of only {{convert|5|ft|1|in|m}} according to his 1942 draft registration<ref>"U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 for Mickey Rooney", February 15, 1942, Ancestry.com. [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011</ref> (popularly reported as {{convert|5|ft|2|in|m}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/apr/07/mickey-rooney-obituary|title=Mickey Rooney obituary |first1=Ronald |last1=Bergan |date=April 7, 2014|work=The Guardian|access-date=April 7, 2014}}</ref>), and he could no longer play the role of a teenager, but he also lacked the stature of a leading man. He appeared in the film ''[[Words and Music (1948 film)|Words and Music]]'' in 1948, which paired him for the last time with Garland on film (he appeared with her on one episode as a guest on ''[[The Judy Garland Show]]''). He briefly starred in a CBS radio series, ''Shorty Bell'', in the summer of 1948, and reprised his role as Andy Hardy, with most of the original cast, in a syndicated radio version of ''The Hardy Family'' in 1949 and 1950 (repeated on [[Mutual Broadcasting System|Mutual]] during 1952).<ref>{{cite book|last=Dunning|first=John|author-link=John Dunning (radio historian)|title=On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio|url=https://archive.org/details/onairencyclop00dunn|url-access=registration|year=1998|publisher=Oxford University Press, USA|isbn=978-0-19-507678-3|page=[https://archive.org/details/onairencyclop00dunn/page/n331/mode/1up 310]}}</ref>

In 1949, ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' reported a renegotiation of Rooney's deal with MGM. He agreed to make one film a year for them for five years at $25,000 a movie (his fee until then had been $100,000, but Rooney wanted to enter independent production.) Rooney claimed he was unhappy with the billing MGM gave him for ''Words and Music'',<ref>{{cite magazine | access-date=September 3, 2019 | title=Rooney's $25,000 Per Metro Picture; He's Out to Cash in on Own Prods. | date=April 13, 1949 | magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] | url=https://archive.org/stream/variety174-1949-04#page/n66/mode/1up | page=3}}</ref> but his career was at a low point. His ''[[New York Times]]'' obituary reported, "at one point in 1950, the only job he could get was touring Southern states with the [[Hadacol]] Caravan", promoting a patent medicine that was later forced off the market.<ref name="Harmetz-obit-4-7-14" />

His first television series, ''[[The Mickey Rooney Show]]'', also known as ''Hey, Mulligan'', was created by [[Blake Edwards]] with Rooney as his own producer, and appeared on [[NBC]] television for 32 episodes from August 1954 to June 1955.{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=317}} In 1951, he made his directorial debut with ''[[My True Story (film)|My True Story]]'', starring [[Helen Walker]].{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=413}} Rooney also starred as a ragingly egomaniacal television comedian, in the live 90-minute television drama ''[[The Comedian (1957 TV drama)|The Comedian]]'', in the ''[[Playhouse 90]]'' series on the evening of [[Valentine's Day]] in 1957, and as himself in a 1960 [[revue]] called ''The Musical Revue of 1959'', based on the 1929 film ''[[The Hollywood Revue of 1929]]''. In May 1956, [[Sequoia University]] awarded Rooney an honorary degree of PhD in Fine Arts for his work.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hopper |first1=Hedda |title=Altoona's Own Hedda Hopper Writes From Hollywood |work=The Altoona Mirror |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/altoona-mirror-jun-06-1956-p-17 |date=May 31, 1956 |page=17}}</ref>

In 1958, Rooney joined [[Dean Martin]] and [[Frank Sinatra]] in hosting an episode of NBC's short-lived ''[[Club Oasis]]'' comedy and variety show. In 1960, Rooney directed and starred in ''[[The Private Lives of Adam and Eve (film)|The Private Lives of Adam and Eve]]'', an ambitious comedy known for its multiple flashbacks and many cameos. In the 1960s, Rooney returned to theatrical entertainment. He accepted film roles in undistinguished films, but still appeared in better works, such as ''[[Requiem for a Heavyweight]]'' (1962) and ''[[It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World]]'' (1963).

He portrayed a Japanese character, [[I.Y. Yunioshi|Mr. Yunioshi]], in the [[Breakfast at Tiffany's (film)|1961 film version]] of [[Truman Capote]]'s novella ''[[Breakfast at Tiffany's (novella)|Breakfast at Tiffany's]]''. When his performance was criticized by some in subsequent years as a racist caricature,<ref>{{cite web|last=Durant|first=Yvonne|title=Where Holly Hung Her Ever-So-Stylish Hat|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/18/nyregion/thecity/18holl.html|date=June 18, 2006|work=[[The New York Times]]| access-date=October 3, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Dargis|first=Manohla| author-link= Manohla Dargis|title=Dude (Nyuck-Nyuck), I Love You (as If!)|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/20/movies/20pron.html|date=July 20, 2007|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=March 6, 2022}}</ref> Rooney contended that he would not have taken the role if he had known it would offend people.<ref name=Yang-4-8-14>{{cite news|last=Yang|first=Jeff|title=The Mickey Rooney Role Nobody Wants to Talk Much About|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2014/04/08/the-mickey-rooney-role-nobody-wants-to-talk-about|access-date=April 9, 2014|newspaper=The Wall Street Journal|date=April 8, 2014}}</ref>

In 1961, Rooney appeared on television's ''[[What's My Line?]]'', and mentioned that he had already started enrolling students in the Mickey Rooney School of Entertainment. His school venture never came to fruition. This was a period of professional distress for Rooney; as a childhood friend, director [[Richard Quine]] put it: "Let's face it. It wasn't all that easy to find roles for a 5-foot-3 man who'd passed the age of Andy Hardy."{{sfn | Marx | 1986 | p={{page needed|date=September 2019}} }} In 1962, although he had earned $12&nbsp;million by that point, his debts and multiple divorces had forced him into filing for bankruptcy.<ref name=marill>{{cite book|last=Marill|first=Alvin H.|title=Mickey Rooney: His Films, Television Appearances, Radio Work, Stage Shows, And Recordings|year=2005|publisher=McFarland|location=Jefferson NC|isbn=0-7864-2015-4|page=50|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h5WZOvH8VSUC}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=January 8, 1964|last=Green|first=Abel|author-link=Abel Green|title=A Year of Tragedy & Trifles|page=3}}</ref>

In 1966, Rooney was working on the film ''[[Ambush Bay]]'' in the Philippines when his wife Barbara Ann Thomason—a former model and aspiring actress who had won 17 straight beauty contests in Southern California—was found dead in her bed in Los Angeles. Her lover, [[Milos Milos]]—who was one of Rooney's actor-friends—was found dead beside her. Detectives ruled it a [[murder-suicide]], which was committed with Rooney's own gun.{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=362}}

[[Francis Ford Coppola]] had bought the rights to make ''[[The Black Stallion (film)|The Black Stallion]]'' (1979), and when casting it, he called Rooney and asked him if he thought he could play a jockey. Rooney replied saying, "Gee, I don't know. I never played a jockey before." He was kidding, he said, since he had played a jockey in at least three past films, including ''[[Down the Stretch (1936 film)|Down the Stretch]]'', ''Thoroughbreds Don't Cry'', and ''National Velvet''.{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=450}} The film garnered excellent reviews and earned $40&nbsp;million in its first run, which gave Coppola's struggling studio, [[American Zoetrope]], a significant boost. It also gave Rooney newfound recognition, along with an Academy Award nomination for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]].{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=452}}

In 1983, the [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] gave Rooney their [[Academy Honorary Award]] for his lifetime of achievement.{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=482}}<ref>{{cite web | title=Legendary Actor Mickey Rooney Dead at 93 | website=ABC News | url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/acting-legend-mickey-rooney-dead-age-93/story?id=23217449 | access-date=September 3, 2019}}</ref><ref name=Unterburger />

=== Character roles and Broadway comeback ===

==== Television roles ====
[[File:Mickey Rooney and James Dunn in Mr. Broadway (1957).jpg|right|thumb|Rooney and [[James Dunn (actor)|James Dunn]] in the television special ''Mr. Broadway'' (1957)]]
[[File:Mickey Rooney Sebastian Cabot Checkmate 1961.JPG|right|thumb|Rooney with [[Sebastian Cabot (actor)|Sebastian Cabot]] on ''[[Checkmate (American TV series)|Checkmate]]'' in 1961]]
[[File:Rooney Skelton 1962.JPG|thumb|Rooney and [[Red Skelton]] on ''[[The Red Skelton Show]]'' in 1962]]
[[File:Dick Powell Show Premiere Episode 1961.JPG|thumb|Guest stars for the 1961 premiere episode of [[The Dick Powell Show]], "Who Killed Julie Greer?". Standing, from left: [[Ronald Reagan]], [[Nick Adams (actor, born 1931)|Nick Adams]], [[Lloyd Bridges]], Mickey Rooney, [[Edgar Bergen]], [[Jack Carson]], [[Ralph Bellamy]], [[Kay Thompson]], [[Dean Jones (actor)|Dean Jones]]. Seated, from left, [[Carolyn Jones]] and [[Dick Powell]].]]
In addition to his movie roles, Rooney made numerous guest-starring roles as a television [[character actor]] for nearly six decades, beginning with an episode of ''Celanese Theatre''. The part led to other roles on such television series as ''[[Schlitz Playhouse]]'',{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=542}} ''[[Playhouse 90]]'',{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=542}} ''Producers' Showcase'', ''[[Alcoa Theatre]]'',{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=542}} ''[[The Soldiers (American TV series)|The Soldiers]]'', ''[[Wagon Train]]'', ''[[General Electric Theater]]'',{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=587}} ''[[Hennesey]]'',{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=486}} ''The [[Dick Powell]] Theatre'',{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=544}} ''[[Arrest and Trial]]'' (1964),{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=544}} ''[[Burke's Law (1963 TV series)|Burke's Law]]'' (1963),{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=542}} ''[[Combat!]]'' (1964),{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=544}} ''[[The Fugitive (1963 TV series)|The Fugitive]]'', ''[[Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre]]'', ''[[The Jean Arthur Show]]'' (1966),{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=544}} ''[[The Name of the Game (TV series)|The Name of the Game]]'' (1970),{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=542}} ''[[Dan August]]'' (1970),{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=545}} ''[[Night Gallery]]'' (1970),{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=545}} ''[[The Love Boat]]'',{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=594}} ''[[Kung Fu: The Legend Continues]]'' (1995),{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=545}} ''[[Murder, She Wrote]]'' (1992),{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=545}} and ''[[The Golden Girls]]'' (1988){{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=545}} among many others.

In 1961, he guest-starred in the 13-week [[James Franciscus]] adventure–drama CBS television series ''[[The Investigators (1961 TV series)|The Investigators]]''.{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=544}} In 1962, he was cast as himself in the episode "The Top Banana" of the CBS sitcom, ''[[Pete and Gladys]]'',{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=542}} starring [[Harry Morgan]] and [[Cara Williams]].

In 1963, he entered CBS's ''[[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]'',{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=595}} giving a one-man performance in the episode "[[The Last Night of a Jockey]]" (1963).{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=544}} Also in 1963, in 'The Hunt' for ''[[Kraft Suspense Theatre|Suspense Theater]]'',{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=544}} he played the sadistic sheriff hunting the young surfer played by [[James Caan]]. In 1964, he launched another half-hour sitcom, ''[[Mickey (TV series)|Mickey]]''. The story line had "Mickey" operating a resort hotel in Southern California. His own son [[Tim Rooney]] appeared as his character's teenaged son on this program, and [[Emmaline Henry]] starred as Rooney's wife. The program lasted for 17 episodes.{{sfn | Marx | 1986 | p={{page needed|date=September 2019}} }}

When [[Norman Lear]] was developing ''[[All in the Family]]'' in 1970, he wanted Rooney for the lead role of [[Archie Bunker]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Mell |first=Eila |date=2008 |title=Mickey Rooney as Archie Bunker |url=http://www.bearmanormedia.com/mickey-rooney-as-archie-bunker-and-other-tv-casting-almosts-by-eila-mell |publisher=BearManor Media |isbn=978-1593931452 |author-link=Eila Mell}}</ref>{{better source needed|reason=This is a bookseller website, not a publisher (or link either to the author or title).  It is also effectively a dead link.|date=January 2025}}{{dead link|reason=This is a bookseller website, not a publisher (or link either to the author or title).  It is also effectively a dead link.|date=January 2025}} Rooney turned Lear down, and the role eventually went to [[Carroll O'Connor]].

Rooney garnered a [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film|Golden Globe]] and an [[Primetime Emmy Award|Emmy Award]] for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie|Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Special]] for his role in 1981's ''[[Bill (1981 film)|Bill]]''. Playing opposite [[Dennis Quaid]], Rooney's character was a mentally handicapped man attempting to live on his own after leaving an institution. His acting quality in the film has been favorably compared to other actors who took on similar roles, including [[Sean Penn]], [[Dustin Hoffman]], and [[Tom Hanks]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/08/opinion/mickey-rooneys-quietest-role.html|title=Mickey Rooney's Quietest Role|last=Downes|first=Lawrence|date=April 7, 2014|work=The New York Times|access-date=September 3, 2019|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> He reprised his role in 1983's ''Bill: On His Own'', earning an Emmy nomination for the turn.  He appeared on "The Love Boat" S6 E11 "A Christmas Presence" as Angelorum Dominicus (a guardian angel character).  His wife Jan Rooney played Sister Bernadette, a nun with a beautiful singing voice. The episode aired on December 18, 1982.

Rooney did voice acting from time to time. He provided the voice of [[Santa Claus]] in four [[stop-motion]] animated Christmas TV specials: ''[[Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (TV special)|Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town]]'' (1970), ''[[The Year Without a Santa Claus]]'' (1974),{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=540}} ''[[Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July]]'' (1979){{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=540}} and ''[[A Miser Brothers' Christmas]]'' (2008). In 1995, he appeared as himself on ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "[[Radioactive Man (The Simpsons episode)|Radioactive Man]]".{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=545}}

After starring in one unsuccessful TV series and turning down an offer for a huge TV series, Rooney, now 70, starred in [[The Family Channel (American TV network, founded 1990)|the Family Channel]]'s ''[[The Adventures of the Black Stallion]]'', where he reprised his role as Henry Dailey in the film of the same name, 11 years earlier.{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=594}} The series ran for three years and was an international hit.{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=484}}

Rooney appeared in television commercials for Garden State Life Insurance Company in 2002.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/aEYSxh4ZdKk Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20170406062200/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEYSxh4ZdKk;t=1m18s Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEYSxh4ZdKk;t=1m18s |title=1/1/2002 Commercials Part 25 |via=YouTube |date=June 9, 2013 |access-date=June 18, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

==== Broadway shows ====
A major turning point came in 1979, when Rooney made his [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] debut in the acclaimed stage play ''Sugar Babies'', a [[musical revue]] tribute to the [[burlesque]] era co-starring former MGM dancing star [[Ann Miller]]. [[Aljean Harmetz]] noted, "Mr. Rooney fought over every skit and argued over every song and almost always got things done his way. The show opened on Broadway on October 8, 1979, to rave reviews, and this time he did not throw success away.<ref name="Harmetz-obit-4-7-14">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/07/arts/mickey-rooney-master-of-putting-on-a-show-dies-at-93.html?ref=obituaries&_r=0%20www.nytimes.com/2014/04/07%20Mickey%20Rooney%20master%20of%20putting%20on%20a%20show,%20dies%20at%2093|title=Mickey Rooney, Master of Putting On a Show, Dies at 93|work=The New York Times|date=April 7, 2014|access-date=April 9, 2014|author=Harmetz, Aljean|page=1}}</ref> Rooney and Miller performed the show 1,208 times in New York and then toured with it for five years, including eight months in London.<ref>Video: {{YouTube|TIrWvUYnbiA|"Ann Miller and Mickey Rooney at the Palladium, 1988"}} 8 min.</ref> Co-star Miller recalls that Rooney "never missed a performance or a chance to ad-lib or read the lines the same way twice, if he even stuck to the script".<ref name=marill /> Biographer Alvin Marill states, "at 59, Mickey Rooney was reincarnated as a baggy-pants comedian—back as a top banana in show biz in his belated Broadway debut."<ref name=marill /> For his performance, Rooney received nominations for [[Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical|Tony Award]] and [[Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical|Drama Desk Award]] for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical.

Following this, he toured as Pseudelous in Stephen Sondheim's ''[[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum]]''.{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=351}} In the 1990s, he returned to Broadway for the final months of ''[[Will Rogers Follies]]'', playing the ghost of Will's father.{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=547}} On television, he starred in the short-lived sitcom, ''[[One of the Boys (American TV series)|One of the Boys]]'',{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=539}} along with two unfamiliar young stars, [[Dana Carvey]] and [[Nathan Lane]], in 1982.

He toured Canada in a [[dinner theater]] production of ''The Mind with the Naughty Man'' in the mid-1990s.{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=548}} He played The Wizard in a stage production of ''[[The Wizard of Oz (1987 musical)|The Wizard of Oz]]'' with [[Eartha Kitt]] at [[Madison Square Garden]].{{sfn|Lertzman|Birnes|2015|p=489}} Kitt was later replaced by [[Jo Anne Worley]].

=== Final years ===
[[File:Uso-show-mickey-rooney.jpg|thumb|Mickey Rooney speaks at [[the Pentagon]] in 2000 during a ceremony honoring the [[United Service Organizations|USO]]]]

Rooney wrote a memoir titled ''Life Is too Short'', published by [[Villard Books]] in 1991. A ''[[Library Journal]]'' review said, "From title to the last line, 'I'll have a short bier', Rooney's self-deprecating humor powers this book." He wrote a novel about a child star, published in 1994, ''The Search for Sonny Skies''.<ref name="NPR-AP-4-7-14">{{cite news |title=Iconic Hollywood actor Mickey Rooney dies at 93 |publisher=NPR |date=April 7, 2014 |agency=Associated Press |type=obituary |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=300098513 |access-date=April 9, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413142323/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=300098513 |archive-date=April 13, 2014 |url-status=live }}</ref> On November 10, 2000, he starred in the Disney Channel original movie ''[[Phantom of the Megaplex]]''.

Despite the millions of dollars that he earned over the years, such as his $65,000-a-week earnings from ''Sugar Babies'', Rooney was plagued by financial problems late in life. His longtime gambling habit caused him to "gamble away his fortune again and again". He declared bankruptcy for the second time in 1996 and described himself as "broke" in 2005. He kept performing on stage and in the movies, but his personal property was valued at only $18,000 when he died in 2014.<ref>{{cite news |author=Duke, Alan |date=May 9, 2014 |title=Mickey Rooney's widow contests late actor's will |publisher=CNN |url=https://www.cnn.com/2014/05/08/showbiz/mickey-rooney-will/index.html}}</ref>

Rooney and his wife Jan toured the country in 2005 through 2011 in a musical [[revue]] called ''Let's Put on a Show''. ''Vanity Fair'' called it "a homespun affair full of dog-eared jokes" that featured Rooney singing [[George Gershwin]] songs.<ref name="Vanity Fair – April 7, 2014"/>

In 2006, Rooney played Gus in ''[[Night at the Museum]]''.<ref name="USA Today - 17 Dec 2014"/><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/the-films-of-mickey-rooney/33/ |title=The films of Mickey Rooney ''Night at the Museum'' |work=[[CBS News Sunday Morning]] |access-date=June 18, 2017}}</ref> He returned to play the role again in the sequel ''[[Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian]]'' in 2009, in a scene that was deleted from the final film.<ref name="USA Today - 17 Dec 2014"/>

[[File:คุณ โรเจอร์ สไตน์แมนน์ เป็นผู้กำกับภาพยนตร์เรื่อง Mickey Rooney ใน lllusion Infinity (2004).jpg|thumb|Rooney on the set of ''[[Illusion Infinity]]'' (2003) with director [[Roger Steinmann]]]]

On May 26, 2007, Rooney was grand marshal at the Garden Grove Strawberry Festival. He made his British [[pantomime]] debut, playing Baron Hardup in ''[[Cinderella]]'', at the [[Sunderland Empire Theatre]] over the 2007 Christmas period,<ref name="Panto">{{cite news |title=Mickey Rooney makes panto debut |website=Channel&nbsp;4 News |place=UK |url=http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/arts_entertainment/mickey+rooney+makes+panto+debut/1154447 |access-date=September 3, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Mickey Rooney: The Mickey show |date=December 14, 2008 |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |place=London, UK |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/mickey-rooney-the-mickey-show-1063838.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=January 16, 2012 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220514/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/mickey-rooney-the-mickey-show-1063838.html |archive-date=May 14, 2022}}</ref> a role he reprised at Bristol Hippodrome in 2008 and at the Milton Keynes theater in 2009.<ref>{{cite web |title=''Cinderella'' with Mickey Rooney, Milton Keynes Theatre |date=December 6, 2009 |type=review |website=West-End Whingers |via=wordpress.com |url=http://westendwhingers.wordpress.com/2009/12/06/review-cinderella-with-mickey-rooney-milton-keynes-theatre |access-date=January 16, 2012}}</ref>

In 2011, Rooney made a cameo appearance in ''[[The Muppets (2011 film)|The Muppets]]'', and in 2014, at age 93, six weeks before his death, he reprised his role as Gus in ''[[Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb]]'', which was dedicated to [[Robin Williams]], who also died that year, and to him.<ref>{{cite web | title=''Night at the Museum'' Mickey Rooney's highest paying job | website=2paragraphs | date=December 21, 2014 | url=https://2paragraphs.com/2014/12/night-at-the-museum-mickey-rooneys-highest-paying-job/ | access-date=September 3, 2019}}</ref> Although reliant on a wheelchair, he was described by director [[Shawn Levy]] as "energetic and so pleased to be there. He was just happy to be invited to the party."<ref name="USA Today - 17 Dec 2014">{{cite news |last=Alexander |first=Bryan |date=December 17, 2014 |title=Mickey Rooney gives one final ''Museum'' moment |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2014/12/17/mickey-rooney-night-at-the-museum/20522953/ |access-date=January 10, 2015}}</ref>

An October 2015 article in ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' maintained that Rooney was frequently abused and financially depleted by his closest relatives in the last years of his life. The article said that it was clear that "one of the biggest stars of all time, who remained aloft longer than anyone in Hollywood history, was in the end brought down by those closest to him. He died humiliated and betrayed, nearly broke, and often broken."<ref name=THR/>