Mickey Rooney's star is still shining
By Maureen Dezell, Globe Staff | September 23, 2005

Mickey Rooney celebrates his 85th birthday tonight at the Regent Theatre in Arlington, opening a weekend engagement of ''Let's Put on a Show," with his ''favorite collaborator" and wife of nearly 30 years, Jan.

A freckle-face boy comic with a famously ambitious mother, Rooney made his screen debut playing a midget in 1926; he went on to become one of America's first famous child actors and teenage screen stars in the ''Andy Hardy" series, ''Boys Town," and ''Babes in Arms." He was one of Hollywood's top box office draws before he turned 20.

Rooney has made more than 250 movies in his career. He can't recall what the latest, ''To Kill a Mockumentary," is about, he says over the phone from Los Angeles. And he doesn't much care. ''It'll be out next year, you can see it then," he says with a less than infectious chuckle.

Rooney played many of his standout film roles in classics such as ''National Velvet" and ''Breakfast at Tiffany's." In the '60s and '70s, he turned up less on the big screen and more often on the tube.

Then in 1979, Rooney was back on stage in a big way, as the star of ''Sugar Babies," a Broadway hit that ran for three years. As his theatrical career was re-blossoming, Rooney won on Oscar for lifetime achievement in 1983.

Sir Laurence Olivier once called Rooney America's most versatile actor, but the old pro is utterly unsentimental about his career, he claims.

''It's a calling, you do it, like any thing else -- being a doctor or a lawyer," Rooney says.

At the same time, he's instructed his staff to tell journalists that he prefers to be known as ''the legendary actor and Mayor of Girls and Boys Town," unofficial titles of which he is equally proud.

''There was no other choice" for the honorary position at the Nebraska-based program for homeless and struggling youths, says Rooney, whose performance as Whitey Marsh, ''a boy who was born to be hung," opposite Spencer Tracy's Father Flanagan in ''Boys Town" trained attention on the struggling village during the Depression. Today, it is thriving, operating programs in 15 states.

''Let's Put on a Show" is an evening of song, story, and Mickey's memories of Hollywood icons such as Judy Garland and Ava Gardner, and it revolves around his famous friends and the first seven of his eight wives.

Jan, his eighth, ''is the costar of this show," Rooney notes emphatically.

Jan Rooney is a former club singer, actress, and recording vocalist. A devoted Christian, she reportedly sings a rip-roaring version of ''Makin' Whoopee" in ''Let's Put on a Show."

Though she's been performing versions of the touring musical with her husband for nearly 30 years, Jan Rooney remains in his thrall. ''He's my leading man," she says, sounding girlish.

The affection seems to be mutual. ''The best things that ever happened to me are winning a bronze star [during World War II] and Jan," says Rooney.

''Let's Put on a Show" runs tonight, tomorrow, and Sunday at the Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington, 781-646-4849.

Notes
Local media scribes Dan Kennedy and Mark Jurkowitz led an audience discussion after last Sunday's performance of ''The Story" at Zeitgeist Stage. The play, which draws on the Janet Cooke and Charles Stuart cases, is set at a newspaper. But, says Kennedy, ''It's far more about race than the media, which put us in an odd position." On the other hand, Kennedy says, ''Mark and I were very impressed. I don't think either of us anticipated that the cast would be as good as it was." ''The Story" is at the Boston Center for the Arts Black Box Theater through tomorrow.

Pilgrim Theatre is offering special $10 ''Artist Rush" tickets Sunday at the 2 p.m. matinee performance of Laura Harrington's ''N (Bonaparte)" at the BCA Plaza Theatre. Pilgrim wants artists of all persuasions to see it. Tickets will be available on a first come, first served basis, from 1 p.m. up until curtain time Sunday. The BCA Box office is at 539 Tremont St., 617-933-8600.

The Lyric Stage Company of Boston has added a performance of ''Urinetown: The Musical" on Oct. 16 at 3 p.m. Tickets: 617-437-7172, www.lyricstage.com.

© Copyright 2005 Globe Newspaper Company.