Mickey Rooney

b. Joseph Yule Jnr., 23 September 1920, Brooklyn, New York, USA, d. 6 April 2014, North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA. A five feet three-high bundle of dynamite - an actor, singer, comedian, dancer, songwriter - and much else. The son of vaudevillian parents, Rooney made his stage debut when he was 18 months old, and was taken to Hollywood by his mother soon afterwards. He got his big break at the age of six when he made the first of over 50 two-reel comedies featuring the comic-strip character Mickey McGuire. For most of the 30s he was cast in mainly minor roles, bu...