Mickey Rooney dies

Mickey Rooney

Mickey Rooney, who began his show business career as a 17-month-old, died in California on Sunday at the age of 93.

Brooklyn native Joseph Yule, Jr. made his first movie, “Not to Be Trusted,” in 1926.

Later came the “Andy Hardy” movie series, at times with Judy Garland.

Ott Gangl photo of Mickey Rooney
for John Kenley production in Akron,
either "Go Ahead and Laugh" in
1986 or "Show Boat" in 1978

Rooney had four Oscar nominations, got a special Oscar in 1939 and an honorary Oscar in 1983.

He received a Tony nomination for Broadway’s song-and-dance revue, “Sugar Babies.”

And an Emmy in 1981 for playing a mentally retarded man in “Bill.”

He married eight times, including to actress Ava Gardner, who later tied the knot with musician Artie Show and singer/actor Frank Sinatra.

To read more about Mickey, click on http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/07/showbiz/mickey-rooney-obit/

To read former BJ and current PD TV/movie critic Mark Dawidziak’s article on Rooney, including Mickey’s performances at the Civic Theater in John Kenley productions, click on http://www.cleveland.com/tv-blog/index.ssf/2014/04/mickey_rooney_was_a_movie_star_with_impressive_tv_credits.html#incart_river