Mickey Rooney

[judydarling]

I am in the middle of reading an autobiography by Cliff Richard and he talks about being a born-again Christian and that started me thinking about the other famous people I know of who are born-again Christians, (surprisingly, there are not that many) and one that popped into my head was Mickey Rooney.

I'm sure I read somewhere that he found Jesus quite late in life and that he was interviewed once about it. I was quite surprised about this. Not many Hollywood stars are prepared to profess their faith to the press.

I don't know too much about Mickey Rooney to be honest. I know that his real name was Joe Yule, that he was a vaudevillan like Judy before he hit the big time in movies, that he had 8 wives one of whom was Ava Gardner. I know he starred in hundreds of movies and that after he was a box-office success he was a box-office flop and he dabbled in get-rich-quick schemes because he either squandered his fortune or had to pay heaps in alimony to his former wives...or maybe he couldn't get work playing Andy Hardy anymore.
I know he wrote a memoir called 'Life is too short' - I read it even, but all I remember was him bragging about all the ladies in his life and living the Hollywood lifestyle.

In all my years as a Judy fan I didn't think much about Mickey Rooney except that he was her co-star and loved Judy like a brother. And now I think about it a bit more it makes me wonder that maybe he was the only pal Judy ever really had. They grew up together, and surely he must know the real Judy more than anyone else in the world. Of course Judy changed as she grew older, and I wonder what memories of Judy he treasures. I know that Mickey was too distraught to attend her funeral and probably to this day probably hasn't gotten over her.

After all, he's alive and she isn't and they are practically the same age. They must have grown apart, and I wonder if Mickey feels despair that he could have saved her, and opened up Mickey and Judy comedy schools like he planned in one of his grand ideas.

hmm well enough of my musings. Mickey, if you are reading this, just want to say.. you were a good friend to Judy and I'm thinking of you.

[conwention]

Hi Judydarling
Something I've noticed about Mickey is that when Freddie Bartholomeo and Ronnie Sinclare act opposite Judy, they seem to have their character all worked out and would play their part the same even if they were all by themselves.Mickey on the other hand plays his character real loose and seems to respond to Judy from moment to moment and patiently waits for her to respond like he's really watching her and not acting.When they talk about a chemistry between them, this is what I could call a chemistry.

[bogart]

Yes, good observation Conwention, I totally agree. He was the perfect foil for Judy, they were a team.

I was watching one of their movies, can't remember which one, may have been 'Strike up the Band' in which he does this amazing drum session. What a talent he was and quite overlooked - he has a lovely singing voice and did some great duets with Judy.

I sometimes wonder if maybe he was a little envious of Judy's success and fandom compared to his own but in interviews he is always gracious about Judy and in awe of her. I think he counts himself lucky to have known and worked with her.

As for the born again part, I didn't know about that..but I'm sure that's what saved him from the excesses of Hollywood. I think Judy was quite swallowed up by it and do know now that she was more ambitious than Mickey but I don't know if it was partly because she was pushed or she had this great drive to be at the top.