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The Search for Sonny Skies

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Richards is a sleezy ex-alcoholic who got himself into a libel suit at his pornographic magazine, so he's currently out of a job. He spends most of his time meeting with the Backstabbers, his group of poker buddies. One day, his friend gets ahold of some old MGM footage, everything from naked ladies flirting with the camera to a little boy's screen test. The screen test interests him, and it takes him on a whirlwind ride. Elle McBrien is a reporter for HMO doing a story on Sonny Skies, the only American actor to die during WWII. She finds out that Richards is in possession of Sonny's screen test, and requests to use it. He weasels his way into working with her on the project, and the two slowly fall for each other. Along the way, they find out that there is a lot more to the Sonny Skies story than meets the eye, and what began as easy research becomes messy very fast.

It is obvious by the way he illustrates the fact that Sonny was used and abused by the studio system that Rooney feels he was taken advantage of too. As is typical of his ego, Rooney name-drops himself, a lot. It can be rather annoying, but one has to remember his reputation. It is likely that readers will be fans, because this book is not masterpiece of writing. It is certainly fun and entertaining, but it isn't challenging or terribly thought-provoking.

It is funny that there is so much sex in this book considering how outspoken Rooney is about the amount of sex in modern pop culture. Perhaps his inclusion is out of mockery; the ending certainly is off-putting. However, sex is sprinkled throughout the novel, and it is completely unneccesary. Sure, it is a fact of life, and certainly one that Rooney is no stranger to, but it in no way moves the plot along.

The Search for Sonny Skies is a novel where the readin' is easy. The Richards character is a sleezeball with a heart of gold.. Sonny Skies is a sympathetic, mentall,y traumatized former movie star. He thinks he's only eight years old. He's supposed to have died in World War II combat fifty years ago. The movie giants of those days knew how to make things happen or not happen. Mickey Rooney makes it all happen in his own burlesque and vaudeville way.