Synopses & Reviews
A definitive biography of the iconic actor and Hollywood legend Mickey Rooney (1920-2014) and his extravagant, sometimes tawdry life, drawing on never-before-seen excerpts from Rooneys diary and exclusive interviews with Mickey, and with those who knew him best, including his heretofore unknown mistress of sixty years.
“I lived like a rock star,” said Mickey Rooney. “I had all I ever wanted, from Lana Turner and Joan Crawford to every starlet in Hollywood, and then some. They were mine to have. Ava [Gardner] was the best. I screwed up my life. I pissed away millions. I was #1, the biggest star in the world.”
Mickey Rooney began his career almost a century ago as a one-year-old performer in burlesque and stamped his mark in vaudeville, silent films, talking films, Broadway, and television. He acted in his final motion picture just weeks before he died at age ninety-three. He was an iconic presence in movies, the poster boy for American youth in the idyllic small-town 1930s. Yet, by World War II, Mickey Rooney had become frozen in time. A perpetual teenager in an aging body, he was an anachronism by the time he hit his forties. His child-star status haunted him as the gilded safety net of Hollywood fell away, and he was forced to find support anywhere he could, including affairs with beautiful women, multiple marriages, alcohol, and drugs.
In The Life and Times of Mickey Rooney, authors Richard A. Lertzman and William J. Birnes present Mickeys nearly century-long career within the context of America's changing entertainment and social landscape. In addition to material from Mickeys own diary, they chronicle his life story using little-known interviews with the star himself, his children, his former coauthor Roger Kahn, collaborator Arthur Marx, and costar Margaret OBrien. This Old Hollywood biography presents Mickey Rooney from every angle, revealing the man Laurence Olivier once dubbed “the best there has ever been.”
Review
andlt;xmlandgt; andlt;/xmlandgt; "Lertzman and Birnesandnbsp;understand Rooney, presenting him as a colorful American guy who had it all, lost it all, regained it all, but no matter what, never gave up. Itand#8217;s the story of a true professional, and a great read by anyoneand#8217;s standards."
Review
"Mickey was not only an exceptional talent, he was a good friend and a great guy. I am fortunate to have known him, and I think people will agree that he led a fascinating, while at the same time somewhat tragic, life. This is a book that deserves attention!"
Donald Trump
Review
"Lertzman and Birnes understand Rooney, presenting him as a colorful American guy who had it all, lost it all, regained it all, but no matter what, never gave up. Its the story of a true professional, and a great read by anyones standards." Jeanine Basinger, Corwin-Fuller Professor of Film Studies, Wesleyan University
Synopsis
A definitive biography of the iconic actor and Hollywood legend Mickey Rooney (1920-2014) and his extravagant, sometimes tawdry life, drawing on exclusive interviews, and with those who knew him best, including his heretofore unknown mistress of sixty years.
"I lived like a rock star," said Mickey Rooney. "I had all I ever wanted, from Lana Turner and Joan Crawford to every starlet in Hollywood, and then some. They were mine to have. Ava Gardner] was the best. I screwed up my life. I pissed away millions. I was #1, the biggest star in the world."
Mickey Rooney began his career almost a century ago as a one-year-old performer in burlesque and stamped his mark in vaudeville, silent films, talking films, Broadway, and television. He acted in his final motion picture just weeks before he died at age ninety-three. He was an iconic presence in movies, the poster boy for American youth in the idyllic small-town 1930s. Yet, by World War II, Mickey Rooney had become frozen in time. A perpetual teenager in an aging body, he was an anachronism by the time he hit his forties. His child-star status haunted him as the gilded safety net of Hollywood fell away, and he was forced to find support anywhere he could, including affairs with beautiful women, multiple marriages, alcohol, and drugs.
In The Life and Times of Mickey Rooney, authors Richard A. Lertzman and William J. Birnes present Mickey's nearly century-long career within the context of America's changing entertainment and social landscape. They chronicle his life story using little-known interviews with the star himself, his children, his former coauthor Roger Kahn, collaborator Arthur Marx, and costar Margaret O'Brien. This Old Hollywood biography presents Mickey Rooney from every angle, revealing the man Laurence Olivier once dubbed "the best there has ever been."
About the Author
Richard A. Lertzman and William J. Birnes coauthored andlt;iandgt;Dr. Feelgoodandlt;/iandgt;, which garnered wide publicity in the United States, has been excerpted for second serial in the UK, and was translated into German. Lertzman is the former editor and publisher of andlt;iandgt;Screen Scene andlt;/iandgt;magazine. Birnes, a andlt;iandgt;New York Times andlt;/iandgt;bestselling author, has written more than forty books; produced, hosted, and written the History channel television series andlt;iandgt;UFO Huntersandlt;/iandgt;; was a National Endowment for the Humanities Fellow; and now hosts his own radio show, and#8220;Future Theaterand#8221; on the Dark Matter Radio Network.