The Essential Mickey Rooney

James L. Neibaur

Mickey Rooney is a cinematic icon whose career lasted from the silent era into the twenty-first century. From the shorts he made as Mickey McGuire to supporting roles in such films as Night at the Museum, Rooney had more than 300 film appearances to his credit. Mickey Rooney was not just a movie star, he was the most popular film performer for several years in a row in the 1930s. In addition to his four Academy Award nominations, Rooney received two special Oscars, including an honorary award for his variety of memorable performances spanning several decades.

In The Essential Mickey Rooney, James L. Neibaur examines more than sixty feature films in which the actor appeared, from starring roles in Boys Town, Babes in Arms, and The Human Comedy to acclaimed supporting performances in The Bold and the Brave and The Black Stallion. In addition to familiar works like the Andy Hardy comedies or musicals opposite Judy Garland, lesser known films like Quicksand and Drive a Crooked Road are discussed as examples of the masterful performances he offered again and again.

An actor of rare talent and unrestrained exuberance, Rooney appeared so often on film that it probably is impossible to view every performance of his career—one that lasted longer than any other actor in Hollywood. While minor roles are not discussed here, all of his vintage works are, making The Essential Mickey Rooney an indispensable resource for anyone wanting to learn more about the best work of this film icon.

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 312 • Trim: 6⅜ x 9⅜

978-1-4422-6095-5 • Hardback • April 2016 • $53.00 • (£41.00)

978-1-4422-6096-2 • eBook • April 2016 • $50.00 • (£38.00)

Subjects: Performing Arts / Film / History & Criticism, Performing Arts / Film & Video / Biography, Performing Arts / General, Performing Arts / Film / Reference

The Essential Mickey Rooney

Hardback

eBook

Summary

Mickey Rooney is a cinematic icon whose career lasted from the silent era into the twenty-first century. From the shorts he made as Mickey McGuire to supporting roles in such films as Night at the Museum, Rooney had more than 300 film appearances to his credit. Mickey Rooney was not just a movie star, he was the most popular film performer for several years in a row in the 1930s. In addition to his four Academy Award nominations, Rooney received two special Oscars, including an honorary award for his variety of memorable performances spanning several decades.

In The Essential Mickey Rooney, James L. Neibaur examines more than sixty feature films in which the actor appeared, from starring roles in Boys Town, Babes in Arms, and The Human Comedy to acclaimed supporting performances in The Bold and the Brave and The Black Stallion. In addition to familiar works like the Andy Hardy comedies or musicals opposite Judy Garland, lesser known films like Quicksand and Drive a Crooked Road are discussed as examples of the masterful performances he offered again and again.

An actor of rare talent and unrestrained exuberance, Rooney appeared so often on film that it probably is impossible to view every performance of his career—one that lasted longer than any other actor in Hollywood. While minor roles are not discussed here, all of his vintage works are, making The Essential Mickey Rooney an indispensable resource for anyone wanting to learn more about the best work of this film icon.

Details

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 312 • Trim: 6⅜ x 9⅜

978-1-4422-6095-5 • Hardback • April 2016 • $53.00 • (£41.00)

978-1-4422-6096-2 • eBook • April 2016 • $50.00 • (£38.00)

Subjects: Performing Arts / Film / History & Criticism, Performing Arts / Film & Video / Biography, Performing Arts / General, Performing Arts / Film / Reference

Author

James L. Neibaur is a film historian and educator who has written hundreds of articles, including more than forty essays in the Encyclopedia Britannica. He is the author of several books on film, including The Elvis Movies (2014) and The Clint Eastwood Westerns (2015), bothpublished by Rowman & Littlefield.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Introduction
From Joe Yule to Mickey Mcguire
The Early Appearances
The Devil is a Sissy
Down the Stretch
A Family Affair
Slave Ship
Captains Courageous
Hoosier Schoolboy
Thoroughbreds Don’t Cry
You’re only Young Once
Love Is a Headache
Judge Hardy’s Children
Hold That Kiss
Lord Jeff
Love Finds Andy Hardy
Boys Town
Stablemates
Out West with the Hardys
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
The Hardy’s Ride High
Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever
Babes in Arms
Judge Hardy and Son
Young Tom Edison
Andy Hardy Meets a Debutante
Strike up the Band
Andy Hardy’s Private Secretary
Men of Boys Town
Life Begins for Andy Hardy
Babes on Broadway
The Courtship of Andy Hardy
A Yank at Eton
Andy Hardy’s Double Life
The Human Comedy
Girl crazy
Andy Hardy’s Blonde Trouble
National Velvet
Love Laughs at Andy Har
Killer McCoy
Words and Music
The Big Wheel
Quicksand
The Fireball
He’s a Cockeyed Wonder
The Strip
Sound off
All ashore
A Slight Case of Larceny
Drive a Crooked Road
The Atomic Kid
The Bridges at Toko Ri
Francis in the Haunted House
Baby Face Nelson
Andy Hardy Comes Home
Everything’s Ducky
Requiem for a Heavyweig
It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
Ambush Bay
The Comic
Pulp
Pete’s Dragon
The Black Stallion
The “Bill” TV Movies, The Honorary Osc
Mickey Rooney in the 80s and 90s
The “Night in the Museum” Films, The 21^st Century
Bibliography

Reviews

[T]hroughout the book Neibaur’s respect and admiration for Rooney’s talent, even if he appeared in a bad film, is evident in his writing. Neibaur often draws on material gathered from personal interviews with Rooney as well, lending further depth to his discussions of his films. Each chapter is incredibly thorough in terms of plot summary, background info, critique and analysis, whether he is discussing another cookie cutter Andy Hardy movie or a large-scale comedy like 'It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.' Production stills, movie posters, and other photos are sprinkled throughout the book, adding more context to each chapter . . . The Essential Mickey Rooney lives up to its title, proving to be the definitive book on the actor who had one of the longest, most prolific careers in Hollywood. Even film fans already familiar with Rooney’s body of work will likely discover new information within its pages. Rooney’s personal life and relationships were notoriously tumultuous and may not have had the happiest of endings, but his boundless talent and enthusiasm on the screen lives on, and Neibaur perfectly captures it here.
— Examiner.com

The Essential Mickey Rooney

James L. Neibaur

The Essential Mickey Rooney

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