Mickey Rooney, actor, dead at 93

Rooney was among the last survivors of Hollywood's studio era, which his career predated. Rooney signed a contract with MGM in 1934 and landed his first big role as Clark Gable as a boy in "Manhattan Melodrama." A loanout to Warner Bros. brought him praise as an exuberant Puck in Max Reinhardt's 1935 production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," which also featured James Cagney and a young Olivia de Havilland.

Rooney was soon earning $300 a week with featured roles in such films as "Riff Raff," ''Little Lord Fauntleroy," ''Captains Courageous," ''The Devil Is a Sissy," and most notably, as a brat humbled by Spencer Tracy's Father Flanagan in "Boys Town."

His big break came with the wildly popular Andy Hardy series and he became the face of America's idealized teens with the “Andy Hardy” series, which began in 1937 with “A Family Affair.” His character appeared in almost 20 films, and made Rooney a top box-office draw.

"I knew 'A Family Affair' was a B picture, but that didn't stop me from putting my all in it," Rooney wrote. "A funny thing happened to this little programmer: released in April 1937, it ended up grossing more than half a million dollars nationwide."

At the same time, he made a series of musicals with Judy Garland, including “Babes in Arms,” in 1939.

“Strike up the Band” in 1940, “Babes on Broadway” in 1941, and “Girl Crazy” in 1943. He and Garland were friends, or as he once said,  "We weren't just a team, we were magic."

Rooney also starred with Elizabeth Taylor in “National Velvet,” a hit in 1944.

Rooney, who was five-foot-three inches tall, spent much of his career overcoming those red-cheeked roles. After joining the Army in 1943 — his service during World War II was entertaining troops — Rooney returned to Hollywood and disillusionment. His savings had been stolen by a manager and his career was in a dive. He made two films at MGM, then his contract was dropped. 

His movie career never regained its prewar eminence. "The Bold and the Brave," 1956 World War II drama, brought him an Oscar nomination as best supporting actor. In 1961, he appeared in “Breakfast at Tiffany's” with Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard. Rooney played Hepburn's Japanese neighbor, Mr. Yunioshi.

Rooney continued working, with leads in low-budget films such as "How to Stuff a Wild Bikini" and supporting roles. He played a horse trainer in the 1979 adaptation of Walter Farley's beloved children's book, "The Black Stallion" for which he received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

That same year, he returned the stage in a Broadway spectacle, "Sugar Babies," and earned a Tony nomination as did his co-star, Ann Miller. "I was a very famous has-been until this show," Rooney told the Associated Press in 1979. "I've been coming back like a rubber ball for years." 

Among his roles in recent years was a part as a guard in the smash 2006 comedy "A Night at the Museum."

Rooney married eight times. His first wife was Ava Gardner. He was 21 and she was 19 when they married in 1942. The marriage ended in a year.

In 2011, he testified before the Senate about being the victim of elder abuse, according to IMDB.

Al Jazeera and wire services