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Mickey and Ann at the movies…
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Ann Rutherford, center, above, hovers over Mickey Rooney
On April 6, almost five months ago, Mickey Rooney, born Joe Yule Jr., on Sept.23, 1920, passed away at his stepson's home in Los Angeles while taking a nap after lunch.
His death ended the longest career of any show business personality in American history.
I first met Rooney in 1976 when he optioned a comedy-western screenplay.
“The Badmen” written by yours truly and Mark Morris. Rooney wasn't able to raise the funds to make the film. The project died. “The Badmen” went on the shelf.
I next saw Rooney almost a quarter-century later, at the funeral for Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in 2000. Proudly wearing his U.S. Army uniform, he stood at attention during the final moments of the service.
Rooney had appeared in the1932 film “The Life of Jimmy Dolan” with Fairbanks. John Wayne made a brief appearance as Dolan's assistant in the film.
In 2004, we created The Backlot Film Festival to call attention to the rich history of film and television production in Culver City. The initial festival honoring the Selznick family — David and his son Daniel — was held at West Los Angeles College. West had been the site of Walter Cameron's backlot headquarters where his covered wagons and stagecoaches were housed. Studios rented them for period films.
The Thomas H. Ince Award was given to the honorees with the express permission of the Ince family. Other Backlot Film Festival honorees included writer-producer Budd Schulberg, Charles Champlin, Syd Kronenthal, Carl Reiner, Jane Withers and Lilli Tomlin.
In 2009, the Backlot Film Festival honored Rooney and presented him with the Thomas Ince Award.
At MGM, Rooney's career spanned 26 years, beginning with “Beast of The City” in 1932 and ending with “Andy Hardy Comes Home” in 1958.
Ann Rutherford who portrayed Andy Polly Benedict. Hardy's girlfriend, from 1937 until 1942, was on hand to greet Rooney at the Backlot Film Festival.
Preceding Rooney's introduction, Rutherford told the audience that “he is so talented, it is absolutely outrageous. This young man virtually supported Metro-Goldwyn Mayer for five years, during the wartime.
“He also went to war, and he wears his decorations with pride.”
Rutherford read a letter to Rooney from Elizabeth Taylor who was unable to attend the celebration: “I was in awe of you on the set of ‘National Velvet’. You were truly an inspiration to me, and I will always love you for it.”
Culver City Mayor Andy Weissman presented Rooney with the fourth Thomas Ince Award.
“The mayor and the City Council of Culver City welcome Mickey Rooney back and thank him for the songs, the dances, the laughs, the tears that he has provided.”
The proclamation was written by former Mayor Steve Gourley.
Some of Rooney's later roles included “Drive a Crooked Road,” where he portrayed a former race car driver lured into driving the getaway car during a holdup, “Requiem for a Heavyweight,” “It's Aa Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World,” and “The Black Stallion.”
In the early 1980s, Rooney returned to Broadway with “Sugar Babies.”
Author Scott Eyman said of Rooney, that he fully enjoyed his work as an actor and that was a vital part of his longevity.
Mr. Hawkins may be contacted at rjhculvercity@aol.com
