I finally got around to ordering Christmas in Connecticut (1945) with Barbara Stanwyck. Great film, don't miss it. The DVD package I ordered included the 1938 movies A Christmas Carol with Reginald Owen, and Boys Town starring Spencer Tracy. Little did I know that Boys Town was on a double sided DVD and Men of Boys Town (1941) was on the flip side.
Just to freshen your memory, Boys Town is the story of Father Flanagan (1886 - 1948) who started an orphanage in Nebraska. I guess that doesn't sound very exciting, does it? Mickey Rooney adds plenty of excitement. The movie depicts Rooney as a boy on his way to delinquency, and Flanagan's attempt to save him.
The energy that Rooney brought to the role is amazing. Tracy won the Oscar for Best Actor, and I believe he deserved it, but you should see the way Rooney handles his part. Boys Town also won the Oscar for Best Writing and was nominated for three others, including Best Picture and Best Director.
It is said that some of the residents of Boys Town were actors in the film. The main roles were played by actors, and Rooney wasn't the only standout. The real Boys Town A Cappella Choir does appear in concert.
I particularly liked Pee Wee played by Bobs Watson (1930 - 1999). Bobs was his father's nickname for him, so he wouldn't be confused with Bobby Watson (1888 - 1965) another actor of the era. Bobs has 54 titles on film and TV, and he eventually became a minister, while continuing to act. In 1941 he reprised his role as Pee Wee in the sequel, Men of Boys Town.
Rooney's older brother (and bank robber) Joe Marsh was played by veteran actor Edward Norris (1911 - 2002). Norris' first movie was Queen Christina (1933) starring Greta Garbo. Norris went on to play in 87 titles through the 1950s and on TV into the early 1960s. Most of his movie roles were in B pictures. He was a solid Bit Actor.
Another wonderful actor is Henry Hull (1890 - 1977) who played Flanagan's friend, Dave Morris. Hull has 111 titles on his list. I knew I had seen him before, and then I saw some of his titles; Stanley and Livingston (1939), Babes in Arms (1939), High Sierra (1941), and Lifeboat (1944). All great movies with great leading stars.
Maybe there was a little over acting in Boys Town, but it was made in 1938, when drama was very important and there were a lot of child actors to use. Tracy excels in his understated performance, a complete opposite to the frenetic performance by Rooney. No matter, you should see this film.
Boys Town is still in existence in Nebraska and other locations around the country, serving over 21,000 boys and girls directly, and helping over 1.4 million every year through their services. In 1984 the Village of Boys Town was designated a National Historic Landmark District.
Showing posts with label Mickey Rooney. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mickey Rooney. Show all posts
Monday, January 3, 2011
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Short People
I was thinking about Billy Barty a few days ago, so I looked up his filmography. His first film was Mickey's Eleven. Of course, I thought...an early version of the story of Ocean's Eleven, as the first thing through my mind. Maybe there was an early version and when Frank Sinatra got the script, he didn't like the name Mickey. WRONG!
Mickey's Eleven was a silent film made in 1927 starring a seven year old Mickey Rooney. It was his 5th film, and he made a total of 322 films and TV appearances. I counted 63 films in the Mickey McGuire series listed on IMDb. Mickey's Eleven was not about a gang of children robbing all the casinos in Las Vegas, but little Mickey was in a football game in the short film. I will have to look for that one. Amazon and Netflix don't list any DVDs in this series. Come to think of it, there weren't many casinos in Las Vegas in 1927!
Billy Barty lived from 1924 to 2000 and appeared in 172 roles. He made 36 of the Mickey McGuire series, so I guess short actors stuck together! Barty was tapped whenever they needed a baby or child to act in a movie, rather than just look cute.
His part in Gold Diggers of 1933 shows what I mean. He was nine years old in Gold Diggers, but he was dressed as a baby in a carriage who jumped out and evaded the police on roller skates. He was 11 years old when he played a little baby in The Bride of Frankenstein in 1935.
His face had a permanent grimace. His size (3' 9") and face made him perfect to play later roles as a kind of misfit in society who could was befriended by the hero of a movie or TV show. In the fifties and sixties, you had to show viewing kids that just because someone looks strange they are not necessarily bad.
On TV he was a regular on "The Spike Jones Show" and appeared in several episodes of "Peter Gunn." His sinister acting ability also showed in "Thriller" and "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour."
In 1978 he was a bible salesman in the comedy/mystery Foul Play with Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase. He needed to come across as a possible villain to Hawn, but he turned out to be innocent. The scene in the hospital with Goldie trying to apologize to Billy is a classic.
His career included many children's films, detective stories and fantasies, along with some musicals. Despite his short stature, he was a tall bit actor.
Mickey's Eleven was a silent film made in 1927 starring a seven year old Mickey Rooney. It was his 5th film, and he made a total of 322 films and TV appearances. I counted 63 films in the Mickey McGuire series listed on IMDb. Mickey's Eleven was not about a gang of children robbing all the casinos in Las Vegas, but little Mickey was in a football game in the short film. I will have to look for that one. Amazon and Netflix don't list any DVDs in this series. Come to think of it, there weren't many casinos in Las Vegas in 1927!
Billy Barty lived from 1924 to 2000 and appeared in 172 roles. He made 36 of the Mickey McGuire series, so I guess short actors stuck together! Barty was tapped whenever they needed a baby or child to act in a movie, rather than just look cute.
His part in Gold Diggers of 1933 shows what I mean. He was nine years old in Gold Diggers, but he was dressed as a baby in a carriage who jumped out and evaded the police on roller skates. He was 11 years old when he played a little baby in The Bride of Frankenstein in 1935.
His face had a permanent grimace. His size (3' 9") and face made him perfect to play later roles as a kind of misfit in society who could was befriended by the hero of a movie or TV show. In the fifties and sixties, you had to show viewing kids that just because someone looks strange they are not necessarily bad.
On TV he was a regular on "The Spike Jones Show" and appeared in several episodes of "Peter Gunn." His sinister acting ability also showed in "Thriller" and "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour."
In 1978 he was a bible salesman in the comedy/mystery Foul Play with Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase. He needed to come across as a possible villain to Hawn, but he turned out to be innocent. The scene in the hospital with Goldie trying to apologize to Billy is a classic.
His career included many children's films, detective stories and fantasies, along with some musicals. Despite his short stature, he was a tall bit actor.
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