Legendary Hollywood child-star, TV and musicals actor (and husband of eight), passes away at 93.

Hollywood star Mickey Rooney has died at the age of 93 after being ill for a year or so. His stage, film (both silent and talkies) and TV career lasted a remarkable 92 years.

Rooney was born Joseph Yule, Jr. in Brooklyn on September 23, 1920. Both of his parents were in vaudeville and Rooney began performing at the age of 17 months as part of his parents’ act, wearing a specially tailored tuxedo.

Producer Hal Roach offered Jo Yule Jr. a part in the Hollwood series Our Gang and from that time on he began to get bit parts in films working with the likes of Clark Gable, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and Jean Harlow. In 1935 he appeared as Puck in the Hollywood version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream scored by Korngold after Mendelssohn. He graduated from Hollywood High School in 1938 by which time he had changed his name to Mickey Rooney.

In 1937, Rooney appeared in Thoroughbreds Don’t Cry, his first film alongside his friend Judy Garland. They went on to make a string of successful musicals, including 1939’s Oscar-nominated Babes in Arms. Other...