Mickey Rooney (1920–2014) was an American actor of stage, film, television, Broadway, radio, and vaudeville. Beginning as a child actor, his career extended over 88 years, making him one of the most enduring performers in show business history. He appeared in more than 300 films and was one of the last surviving stars of the silent film era, having one of the longest careers in the medium's history."Mickey Rooney, an enduring star", The Boston Globe, April 7, 2014
Film
Year Title Role Notes 1927 Orchids and Ermine Mickey McGuire 1928 Mickey the Detective R.K.O. silent short October 1928 1932 The Beast of the City Mickey Fitzpatrick Uncredited Sin's Pay Day "Chubby" Dennis High Speed Buddy Whipple Uncredited Fast Companions Midge My Pal, the King King Charles V Officer Thirteen Buddy Malone 1933 The Big Cage Jimmy O'Hara The Life of Jimmy Dolan "Freckles" Uncredited, Alternate title: The Kid's Last Fight The Big Chance Arthur Wilson Broadway to Hollywood Ted Hackett III as a Child The Chief Willie The World Changes Otto Peterson, as a Child 1934 Beloved Tommy The Lost Jungle Mickey Serial, [Ch.1] I Like It That Way Messenger Boy Upperworld Jerry (scenes deleted) Manhattan Melodrama "Blackie" as a Boy Love Birds Gladwyn Tootle Half a Sinner Willie Clark Blind Date Freddie Hide-Out Willie Miller Chained Boy Shipboard Swimmer Uncredited Death on the Diamond Mickey 1935 The County Chairman "Freckles" West Point of the Air (scenes deleted) Reckless Eddie Alternate titles: Born Reckless and Hard to Handle The Healer Jimmy Alternate title: Little Pal A Midsummer Night's Dream Puck or Robin Goodfellow, a Fairy Rendezvous Country Boy Uncredited Ah, Wilderness! Tommy 1936 Riffraff Jimmy Little Lord Fauntleroy Dick Down the Stretch "Snapper" Sinclair The Devil Is a Sissy James "Gig" Stevens 1937 A Family Affair Andy Hardy Captains Courageous Dan Troop Slave Ship "Swifty" Hoosier Schoolboy "Shockey" Carter Live, Love and Learn Jerry Crump Thoroughbreds Don't Cry Timmie Donovan You're Only Young Once Andy Hardy 1938 Love Is a Headache Mike O'Toole Judge Hardy's Children Andy Hardy Hold That Kiss Chick Evans Lord Jeff Terry O'Mulvaney Love Finds Andy Hardy Andy Hardy Boys Town "Whitey" Marsh Stablemates Mickey Out West with the Hardys Andy Hardy 1939 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Huckleberry Finn The Hardys Ride High Andy Hardy Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever Babes in Arms Mickey Moran At age of only 19 years old, Mickey Rooney became the second-youngest Academy Award Best Actor nominee. Judge Hardy and Son Andy Hardy 1940 Young Tom Edison Thomas Edison Andy Hardy Meets Debutante Andy Hardy Strike Up the Band Jimmy Connors 1941 Andy Hardy's Private Secretary Andy Hardy Men of Boys Town "Whitey" Marsh Life Begins for Andy Hardy Andy Hardy Babes on Broadway Tommy Williams 1942 The Courtship of Andy Hardy Andy Hardy A Yank at Eton Timothy Dennis Andy Hardy's Double Life Andy Hardy 1943 The Human Comedy Homer MacAuleyAt age of 23, Rooney became the third-youngest Academy Award Best Actor nominee before he was surpassed by 22-year old Timothée Chalamet in Call Me by Your Name, 74 years later. Thousands Cheer Emcee At The Show Girl Crazy Danny Churchill Jr. 1944 Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble Andy Hardy 1945 National Velvet Michael "Mi" Taylor 1946 Love Laughs at Andy Hardy Andy Hardy 1947 Killer McCoy Tommy "Killer" McCoy 1948 Summer Holiday Richard Miller Words and Music Lorenz Hart 1949 The Big Wheel Billy Coy 1950 Quicksand Dan The Fireball Johnny Casar He's a Cockeyed Wonder Freddie Frisby 1951 My Outlaw Brother J. Dennis "Denny" O'Moore The Strip Stanley Maxton 1952 Sound Off Mike Donnelly 1953 Off Limits Herbert Tuttle All Ashore Francis "Moby" Dickerson A Slight Case of Larceny Augustus "Geechy" Cheevers 1954 Drive a Crooked Road Eddie Shannon The Atomic Kid Barnaby "Blix" Waterberry 1955 The Bridges at Toko-Ri Mike Forney The Twinkle in God's Eye Reverend William Macklin II 1956 The Bold and the Brave Willie Dooley Nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1956. Francis in the Haunted House David Prescott Magnificent Roughnecks Frank Sommers 1957 Operation Mad Ball Master Sergeant Yancy Skibo Baby Face Nelson Lester M. "Baby Face Nelson" Gillis 1958 A Nice Little Bank That Should Be Robbed Gustav "Gus" Harris Andy Hardy Comes Home Andy Hardy 1959 The Last Mile "Killer" Mears The Big Operator Joe "Little Joe" Braun Alternate title: Anatomy of the Syndicate 1960 The Private Lives of Adam and Eve Nick Lewis / The Devil Platinum High School Steven Conway 1961 The Big Bankroll Johnny Burke Alternate title: King of the Roaring 20s: The Story of Arnold Rothstein Breakfast at Tiffany's I.Y. Yunioshi Everything's Ducky Kermit "Beetle" McKay 1962 Requiem for a Heavyweight Army Follow that Dream 1963 It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World "Dingy" Bell 1964 The Secret Invasion Terence Scanlon 1965 Twenty-Four Hours to Kill Norman Jones How to Stuff a Wild Bikini "Peachy" Keane 1966 Ambush Bay Sergeant Ernest Wartell The Devil in Love Adramalek 1968 Skidoo George "Blue Chips" Packard 1969 The Extraordinary Seaman Cook #3 / C W. J. Oglethorpe The Comic Martin "Cockeye" Van Buren 80 Steps to Jonah Wilfred Bashford 1970 The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County Tom "Indian Tom" Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town Kris Kringle / Santa Claus Voice, TV movie 1971 Mooch Goes to Hollywood Himself The Manipulator B.J. Lang 1972 Evil Roy Slade Nelson Stool TV movie Richard Guardian Angel Pulp Preston Gilbert 1973 The Godmothers Rocky Mastrasso 1974 Thunder County Gas Station Attendant Journey Back to Oz Scarecrow Voice 1974 The Year Without a Santa Claus Santa Claus Voice 1975 Ace of Hearts Papa Joe From Hong Kong with Love Marty Alternate title: Bons Baisers de Hong Kong The Intruder Captain Jennings Rachel's Man Laban 1976 Find the Lady "Trigger" 1977 The Domino Principle Spiventa Pete's Dragon Lampie 1978 The Magic of Lassie Gus 1979 Arabian Adventure Daad El-Shur The Black Stallion Henry Dailey Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1979. Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July Santa Claus Voice, TV movie 1981 The Fox and the Hound Adult Tod Voice Bill Bill Sackter TV movie 1982 Odyssey of the Pacific The Railway Engineer Alternate titles: The Emperor of Peru and Treasure Train 1983 Bill: On His Own Bill Sackter TV movie 1984 It Came Upon the Midnight Clear Mike Halligan 1985 The Care Bears Movie Mr. Cherrywood Voice 1986 Lightning, the White Stallion Barney Ingram Little Spies Jimmie "The Hermit" 1988 Bluegrass John Paul Jones 1989 Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland Flip Voice Erik the Viking Erik's Grandfather 1990 Home For Christmas Elmer TV movie 1991 My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys Junion The Gambler Returns: The Luck of the Draw The Director TV movie Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker Joe Petto Direct-to-video 1992 The Magic Voyage The Narrator Voice Maximum Force Chief of Police The Legend of Wolf Mountain Pat Jensen Sweet Justice Zeke 1993 The Milky Life Barry Reilly 1994 Revenge of the Red Baron Grandpa Spencer Making Waves Gabriel 1995 Outlaws: The Legend of O.B. Taggart O.B. Taggart 1997 The Face on the Barroom Floor Short film 1998 Animals Tollkeeper Michael Kael vs. the World News Company Griffith Sinbad: The Battle of the Dark Knights Sage Internet Love Mickey Rooney Killing Midnight Professor Mort Sang Babe: Pig in the City Fugly Floom The First of May Ed "Boss Ed" 1999 Illusion Infinity, aka Paradise Simon / Henry Sr. Dual role 2000 Phantom of the Megaplex Mason "Movie Mason" TV movie 2001 Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure Sparkey Voice, Direct-to-video 2002 Topa Topa Bluffs The Prospector 2004 To Kill a Mockumentary Max Holy Hollywood Grandpa 2005 The Last Confederate: The Story of Robert Adams David McCord The Happy Elf Santa Voice 2006 Night at the Museum Gus The Thirsting Savy 2007 A Christmas Too Many Grandpa Direct-to-video The Yesterday Pool Trobadar Short Bamboo Shark Brooks TV movie 2008 Lost Stallions: The Journey Home Chief A Miser Brothers' Christmas Santa Claus Voice, TV movie Empire State Building Murders Paulie Genovese 2009 Saddle Up with Dick Wrangler & Injun Joe Owen Blumenkrantz Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian Gus Deleted scene only 2010 Now Here "Swifty" Gerald The Doctor 2011 Night Club Jerry Sherman The Muppets Elderly Smalltown Resident Bamboo Shark Brooks 2012 Last Will and Embezzlement Himself The Voices from Beyond Johnny O'Hara The Woods Lester Driving Me Crazy Mr. Cohen 2014 Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb Gus Released posthumously 2017 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Mr. Louis Released posthumously2021Holy HollywoodGrandpaReleased posthumously (final film role)
Stage
1935: A Midsummer Night's Dream 1951: Sailor Beware 1963: The Tunnel of Love 1965: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum 1967: The Odd Couple 1969–70: George M! 1971: Three Goats and a Blanket 1971: Hide and Seek 1971: W.C. (closed on the road) 1972: Pulp 1972–74: See How They Run 1973: A Midsummer Night's Dream 1975: Goodnight Ladies 1975: Sugar 1976: Alimony 1979–82, 1983–88: Sugar Babies 1983: Show Boat 1986: The Laugh's On Me 1987: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum 1989: Two for the Show 1990: The Sunshine Boys 1991–93: The Will Rogers Follies 1993: Lend Me a Tenor 1994: The Mind with the Naughty Man 1995: Crazy for You 1997–99: The Wizard of Oz 2000: Hollywood Goes Classical 2003: Singular Sensations 2000–11: Let's Put On A Show
Short subjects Year Title RoleNotes 1926 Not to Be Trusted The Nephew 1927 Mickey's Circus Mickey McGuire Mickey's Pals Mickey's Eleven Mickey's Battles 1928 Mickey's Parade Mickey in School Mickey's Nine Mickey's Little Eva Mickey's Wild West Mickey in Love Mickey's Triumph Mickey's Babies Mickey's Movies Mickey's Rivals Mickey the Detective Mickey's Athletes Mickey's Big Game Hunt 1929 Mickey's Great Idea Mickey's Menagerie Mickey's Last Chance Mickey's Brown Derby Mickey's Northwest Mounted Mickey's Initiation Mickey's Midnite Follies Mickey's Surprise Mickey's Mix-Up Mickey's Big Moment Mickey's Strategy 1930 Mickey's Champs Mickey's Explorers Mickey's Master Mind Mickey's Luck Mickey's Whirlwinds Mickey's Warriors Mickey the Romeo Mickey's Merry Men Mickey's Winners Screen Snapshots Series 9, No. 24 Mickey's Musketeers Mickey's Bargain 1931 Mickey's Stampede Mickey's Crusaders Mickey's Rebellion Mickey's Diplomacy Mickey's Wildcats Mickey's Thrill Hunters The Hare Mail Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Voice role The Fisherman Mickey's Helping Hand Mickey McGuire Mickey's Sideline 1932 Mickey's Busy Day Mickey's Travels Mickey's Holiday Mickey's Big Business Mickey's Golden Rule Mickey's Charity 1933 Mickey's Ape Man Mickey's Race Mickey's Big Broadcast Mickey's Disguises Mickey's Touchdown Mickey's Tent Show Mickey's Covered Wagon 1934 Mickey's Minstrels Mickey's Rescue Mickey's Medicine Man 1935 Pirate Party on Catalina Isle Himself 1940 Andy Hardy's Dilemma Andy Hardy 1940 Rodeo Dough Himself 1941 Meet the Stars #4: Variety Reel #2 1943 Show Business at War 1947 Screen Snapshots: Out of This World Series 1953 Screen Snapshots: Mickey Rooney – Then and Now 1958 Screen Snapshots: Glamorous Hollywood 1968 Vienna Kidnapper 1974 Just One More Time Himself 1975 The Lion Roars Again 2008 Wreck the Halls Santa Claus
Box-office ranking For a number of years, film exhibitors regularly voted Rooney as one of the top money making stars in the country in the annual Quigley Poll: 1938 – 4th 1939 – 1st, 2nd (UK) 1940 – 1st, 1st (UK) 1941 – 1st, 1st (UK) 1942 – 4th, 1st (UK) 1943 – 9th, 6th (UK) 1944 – 18th 1945 - 25th
Television Rooney made countless appearances in TV sitcoms and television films. He also lent his voice to many animation films. Only his most important work is listed in this section.