Vale Mickey Rooney
Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2014 4:24 am
At 93 years of age this old trooper, Mickey Rooney, has died. Who could forget this magnificent star from the 'golden days' of Hollywood - from "Midsummer Night's Dream" in 1935 (here's a link to the whole film!)...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P39Fh8JwqPw
....right up to "Breakfast at Tiffany's" in 1962, where he played the grotesque "Japanese" tenant, Mr. Yunoishi, who couldn't stand Holly Golightly's noisy antics: Yelling, "Miss, er, Go-witewy; I call the pow-ice......(instant silence)........ah, that's-a more better"! Critics didn't like this racist stereotype, but I thought it was hilarious (and it was long before the tiresome phenonenon of political correctness). God bless the late Blake Edwards!!
In my (not-so-humble) opinion, Garland and Rooney were (mostly together) the most phenomenally gifted talents in US film history. Their on-screen chemistry was unforgettable. Some years ago I read Garland's biography "Get Happy" and I'm in no doubt that Judy loved Mickey more than a sister loves a brother. He said once in an interview, about his 8 marriages (hadn't he heard about 'dating'?) "Women liked me because I made them laugh". I think there's a lot of truth in that statement, but he was patently unsuitable for marriage, probably for a range of reasons which needn't concern us here. Yes, women love men with personality and Rooney made his remarkable career in a range of roles from "The Human Comedy" (which was anything but) through Andy Hardy and some demanding television films in recent years - all demonstrating his huge emotional range as an actor.
Here's a Wiki link about the stunning "The Human Comedy":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Human_ ... %28film%29
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P39Fh8JwqPw
....right up to "Breakfast at Tiffany's" in 1962, where he played the grotesque "Japanese" tenant, Mr. Yunoishi, who couldn't stand Holly Golightly's noisy antics: Yelling, "Miss, er, Go-witewy; I call the pow-ice......(instant silence)........ah, that's-a more better"! Critics didn't like this racist stereotype, but I thought it was hilarious (and it was long before the tiresome phenonenon of political correctness). God bless the late Blake Edwards!!
In my (not-so-humble) opinion, Garland and Rooney were (mostly together) the most phenomenally gifted talents in US film history. Their on-screen chemistry was unforgettable. Some years ago I read Garland's biography "Get Happy" and I'm in no doubt that Judy loved Mickey more than a sister loves a brother. He said once in an interview, about his 8 marriages (hadn't he heard about 'dating'?) "Women liked me because I made them laugh". I think there's a lot of truth in that statement, but he was patently unsuitable for marriage, probably for a range of reasons which needn't concern us here. Yes, women love men with personality and Rooney made his remarkable career in a range of roles from "The Human Comedy" (which was anything but) through Andy Hardy and some demanding television films in recent years - all demonstrating his huge emotional range as an actor.
Here's a Wiki link about the stunning "The Human Comedy":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Human_ ... %28film%29