The Nine Lives of Mickey Rooney (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Marx, author of Life with Groucho and Goldwyn, writes with a sympathy that doesn't preclude mention of Rooney's faults, in this biography of his boyhood friend. Born Joe Yule Jr. to a couple in a burlesque troupe, the future actor made his first hit a scant 15 months later, singing a solo on stage. From then on, his life has been a roller-coaster ride, personally and professionally. Divorcing Yule Sr., little Joe's mother took him to Hollywood, where he arrived at prominence and his new name. Critical and popular success came to Rooney with his performances as Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream, in the Andy Hardy series and in the musicals co-starring Judy Garland. At 21, Rooney wed the even younger Ava Gardner, who divorced him within a year. Since then he has had seven more wives, made fortunes andthrough drinking and gamblinglost them; he was considered a Hollywood has-been at age 30. Recently, however, the onetime bad boy rose to the heights again in the stage hit Sugar Babies and as an actor in serious drama. Photos.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Rooney has lived such a flamboyant life that one can empathize with the biographer in his attempt to bring some order to his story. Marx manages to write objectively, being both critical and sympathetic, as he catalogs the ups and downs of Rooney's career. His subject has been on stage since he was 15 months old, first in burlesque, later as a star of the immensely popular Andy Hardy movies and as a Broadway and Hollywood personality. There is perhaps to much emphasis on the squalid details of Rooney's eight marriages and not enough analysis of his stature as an entertainer. Still, this is for most public libraries. Samuel Simons, Memorial Hall Lib., Andover, Mass.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Stein & Day Pub; 1st Ed. edition (February 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812830563
• ISBN-13: 978-0812830569
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,671,266 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars An Absolutely Essential Biography, November 30, 2009

By	Theseus "theseus" (US of A) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Nine Lives of Mickey Rooney (Paperback)

Since no one has yet come along and written a comprehensive biography of Rooney, it is unfortunate that this has become a sort of "lost book." For this is a terrific piece of work and, for some periods of Rooney's life, is the authoritative record.

Rooney's life is one that is unparalleled in the history of 20th century performance. This remarkable career is made more interesting by his hyperbolic, troubling, and winning personality. And don't get me started on all his wives!

Yet all we have in terms of real biographical works are this one, Rooney's first autobiography, I.E., and his second, Life is Too Short. And Rooney -- even though he names names and tells tales -- is not a reliable reporter.

The early part of Rooney's life through his time with MGM is handled decently but there isn't much ground-breaking research. However, this book truly shines in capturing Rooney in the 1950's through this triumph in Sugar Babies in the late 1970's. These were some troubling times for Mickey Rooney and Marx takes us through these with finesse.

We get incredible disclosures from people important in Rooney's life. His 5th wife's wide-eyed and balanced perspective. Roger Kahn's hysterically troubled time trying to craft an autobiography with Rooney. Many reports from friends, managers, insiders. Marx's own experiences working with Rooney on one of his failed sitcoms.

Most importantly, we learn about the performer at work -- Rooney's methods of working on the set and on the stage -- some of them incredibly productive and individual, others sloppy and offhanded.

Rooney is inseparable from performing and this book captures the man in performance and the performance in the man.

1 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Nine Lives of Mickey Rooney, September 6, 2005

By	Brian G. Polanco - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The book arrived in the condition stated in the write-up.