Top 10 Films: Mickey Rooney
- Lindsay Blenkarn
- Sep 12, 2025
- 13 min read
Updated: Mar 9
Mickey Rooney entertained audiences with his infectious spunk and energy for over 80 years, making him currently the actor with the longest career in film history. In fact, Mickey continued to work consistently right up until his death at the age of 93. His final tally included over 300 acting credits, including feature films, TV work, and voice-overs. In short, it’s nearly impossible for a person to have never seen (or heard) a Mickey Rooney performance.
Mickey literally lived most of his life on film, first starring in shorts as the impish “Mickey McGuire” as early as 1927. Appearing in over 50 of these shorts, it's even been said that Mickey Mouse might have been named after Rooney. (Rooney even voiced Mickey's predecessor Oswald the Lucky Rabbit for a short time). But it was the part of Andy Hardy in the Hardy Family film series that really catapulted Rooney to stardom. The films quickly became better known as the Andy Hardy series and made Mickey the nation's top box office draw four years in a row.
Mickey was one of the very first teenage stars in film history (along with his friend Judy Garland), long before the term “teenager” even existed. He succeeded in continuing that successful career much longer than any child star could possibly dream of. But, what Mickey Rooney movies have remained the most popular in 2025?? Given Mickey's extremely long and varied career, the results of this top 10 were a bit surprising, but hopefully both old and new fans alike will discover some new favorites...
10. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1939)
Based on the groundbreaking novel by Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn stars Mickey Rooney as the titular "Huck" Finn. While Twain's original novel was a sequel to his earlier novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, this film version was entirely made to stand on its own. Actually, the rights to the book were bought specifically to adapt the story into a Mickey Rooney vehicle and, appropriately enough, Mickey is perfectly cast as the free-spirited Huck.
Set in 1840s Missouri, the film introduces us to mischievous young teenager Huckleberry Finn, as well as his kindly guardian, the Widow Douglas, who does her best to "civilize" the unruly Huck despite his tendency to skip school to go fishing. But, Huck's carefree lifestyle is soon upended when his alcoholic father reappears into his life. In order to escape his drunk and abusive "Pap", Huck fakes his own death and runs away. While making his escape, he runs into Jim (Rex Ingram), a slave and fellow runaway. Together, the two allies decide to attempt traveling up the Mississippi River on a raft towards freedom.
Fans of the book will notice that quite a few liberties are taken with the novel's plot, the biggest change being an extra bit of intrigue/adrenaline added to the story's climax. Granted, some of the film's changes were partly motivated to lessen the involvement of Tom Sawyer, as well as any references to the events of the previous book. But while this film version certainly has its faults, it does manage to capture the spirit of Huckleberry Finn as a character and is, arguably, still the most popular film adaptation of the novel. Special attention, also, has to be given to the marvelous Rex Ingram, who gives a lovely and dignified performance as Jim.
9. Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938)
Generally considered to be the best of the Andy Hardy film series, Love Finds Andy Hardy solidified Mickey Rooney’s on-screen persona as the excitable and slightly immature Andy Hardy. In the film, Andy is forced to rethink his plans for the big Christmas dance when he learns that his girlfriend, Polly, is going out of town with her family. But, things start looking up for Andy when his friend Beezy (who is also going out of town for the holidays) offers to pay good money to Andy to “keep an eye” on his girlfriend, Cynthia (Lana Turner). That arrangement not only secures Andy a date for the dance, but also the right amount of money to buy the car he’s had his eye on.
Andy happily agrees and immediately puts a down payment on his dream car with the assumption that he’ll be able to pay off the rest once Beezy sends him his "fee."But Andy’s plans get ruined when Beezy goes back on their agreement and Polly comes home early. Now Andy has two girls expecting him to take them to the dance, and no way to pay for the car he needs to get them there. Andy’s only hope may come from his younger neighbor, Betsy Booth (Judy Garland), who tries to help him through his crisis even as she secretly pines over him.
Love Finds Andy Hardy was extremely successful during its first release and resulted in Mickey securing star billing for the rest of the Hardy series, as well as most of his studio era career. Of course, this particular Hardy film is bolstered tremendously by the introduction of a charismatic pre-Wizard of Oz Judy Garland in the role of Betsy. Her song, “In Between,”, in particular, is a major highlight.
8. Young Tom Edison (1940)
Based on the early life of famed inventor Thomas Edison, Young Tom Edison stars Mickey Rooney as the teenage Tom. The movie was originally intended as a companion piece for its sequel, Edison, the Man, starring Spencer Tracy as the adult Thomas Edison. However, this first film seems to have remained the more popular out of the two and is easily enjoyed on its own.
While it would be understandable to assume that this movie is merely a heavily fictionalized imagining of Edison's boyhood, the early life of Tom Edison actually required much less exaggeration than most. In reality, this film is a true blend of fact and fiction. Some fictional embellishments are added, while a surprising number of events depicted in the film really did take place, including a memorable incident involving Edison saving a young boy from an oncoming train. One of the more notable changes is Tom's birth order shifting from him being the Edisons' youngest child into him becoming the misunderstood middle child.
Despite the use of some creative license, one does get the sense that the spirit of the real Tom Edison has, nonetheless, been preserved within the film. For example, some modern-day medical professionals have surmised that the real Edison might have had ADHD and that diagnosis would line up perfectly with Rooney's portrayal of the curious young inventor. Young Tom Edison was quite successful when it was first released and Rooney was praised for his more restrained performance, creating a clear distinction from his more manic teenage characters.
7. Strike Up the Band (1940)
Directed by Busby Berkeley, Strike Up the Band was the fifth movie to pair Mickey Rooney opposite his close friend Judy Garland. The film was intended to capitalize on the success of their earlier pairing, Babes in Arms, which started a trend of so-called “backyard musical” films that the teenage stars would continue to appear in for a few more years.
Strike Up the Band features Rooney in the role of Jimmy Connors, a high school drummer who is tired of playing the same old boring songs in the high school band. So, with help from his best friend, Mary Holden (Judy), Jimmy manages to convince the principal to let them form a dance band to perform at a school fundraiser. If the event is a success, Jimmy and Mary’s band might get booked at other events, bringing Jimmy one step closer to his dream of becoming a famous bandleader like Cab Calloway. However, he may have trouble breaking this news to his mother, who still dreams of her son growing up to become a doctor. Meanwhile, Mary has her own dreams of becoming the lead singer of a successful band but, at the moment, she’d be just as happy if she could get the clueless Jimmy to start thinking of her as his girlfriend, rather than his “pal.”
Although this film’s title is taken from the title song from the 1927 Gershwin musical Strike Up the Band, it was never meant to be an adaptation of the Broadway play at all. At the time, the song “Strike Up the Band” had become significantly more popular than the musical it had originated from so, quite confusingly, this movie’s title is merely a reference to the song (which is sung in the film) and not the original musical. Strike Up the Band contains a number of memorable musical sequences (most of which are sung by Judy Garland), including the now-standard “Our Love Affair.” But, the most ambitious was the huge “La Conga” number. In order to prepare for it, Busby Berkeley actually had the entire cast rehearse for 13 days straight before filming even began.
6. The Human Comedy (1943)
This beautiful, bittersweet film follows a year in the life of teenager Homer Macauley (Mickey Rooney), who takes a job as a telegram messenger to help sustain his family's finances while his older brother, Marcus (Van Johnson), is fighting in World War II. Narrated by Homer's recently deceased father, Matthew Macauley, The Human Comedy is a sentimental coming of age tale that provides a window into small town life during the early 1940s.
Although it would be easy to assume that this film was based on William Saroyan's novel The Human Comedy, it was technically the other way around. Saroyan, actually, wrote the first draft of the screenplay and had, also, hoped to be the film's director. However, his initial draft was deemed much too long and the directing job was given to the more experienced Clarence Brown instead. Frustrated by this turn of events, Saroyan adapted his original script into a novel and published it shortly before the film version was released. This novelization of the film quickly became a bestseller and Saroyan, actually, ended up winning an Oscar for Best Story for the film version as well.
Fans of the Classics and/or Greek mythology will likely notice that The Human Comedy is full of references to Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey. This can be seen in not only Homer Macauley's first name but, also, in the name of his little brother, Ulysses (Odysseus' Latin name), and even in the name of the very town the film takes place: Ithaca, California (Ithaca was, also, the name of Odysseus' island home). It's been said that The Human Comedy was, actually, the favorite film of MGM studio head Louis B. Mayer and its gentle patriotism certainly lines up with the kinds of films L.B. Mayer was known for championing. While not a musical in any sense, traditional folk songs and church hymns are woven throughout the narrative and the film noticeably goes out of its way to highlight the diversity of America as well. A remake of this film, called Ithaca, was attempted in 2015 but, it failed to capture the sincerity of the original. In many ways this slice-of-life film crystallizes a very distinct moment in American history and really shouldn't be missed.
5. Boys Town (1938)
This inspiring film is based on (and dedicated to) the life’s work of the real-life Father Flanagan. Starring Spencer Tracy as Flanagan, the movie follows the story of the priest’s unlikely establishment of a charitable organization known as Boys Town (an organization which still exists to this very day). Mickey Rooney plays Whitey Marsh, a tough, street-smart kid determined to live life by his own rules. Whitey is sent to Boys Town against his will at the request of his jailbird brother, Joe, who hopes to prevent Whitey from following in his footsteps. Put simply, Boys Town is a home for homeless and delinquent boys. However, it is much more than that. Boys Town is actually an entire town for young boys; a sanctuary from the outside world, complete with a mayor and judicial system set up and run by the children who live there. Impressive as it is, Whitey wants nothing to do with Boys Town, threatening Father Flanagan’s theory that “there are no bad boys.”
Rooney gives a memorable and impressive performance as the arrogant and tough-talking Whitey, but it's Tracy’s quietly powerful performance as Father Flanagan that provides the movie’s strong moral center. Spencer Tracy won an Oscar for the role, and a duplicate statue was sent to the real-life Boys Town, dedicated to the real Father Flanagan. The Oscar can still be seen on display at the organization’s Hall of History in Boys Town, Nebraska.
4. Drive A Crooked Road (1954)
Drive A Crooked Road is one of a small number of film noirs that Mickey Rooney appeared in throughout his career and is, arguably, the best. Based on the short story "The Wheel Man" by James Benson Nablo, the story was adapted for the screen by screenwriters Richard Quine and (future Pink Panther director) Blake Edwards.
Rooney stars as Eddie Shannon, an introverted auto mechanic who moonlights as a race car driver on the weekends. One day, the extremely attractive Barbara Mathews starts flirting with Eddie while he's working on her car. Eddie is thrown by the unexpected attention but, he soon finds himself spending more time with Barbara and the two start dating. However, Barbara's original incentive for getting involved with Eddie may not be as genuine or as innocent as it seems.
The character of Eddie was a big departure for Mickey Rooney, who was more well-known for playing confident extroverts, many of them even bordering on arrogant. The shy and insecure Eddie was the exact opposite of the characters he would normally play and that, actually, was the point. Screenwriters Edwards and Quine were both friends with Mickey and essentially wrote this film with the aim of helping Rooney expand his film persona. They certainly succeeded for Mickey gives a brilliant performance as the gentle Eddie and when the film was first released, critics praised his understated performance. Though lesser known than some other classics, this solid film noir continues to gain more fans as the years go by.
3. National Velvet (1944)
Of course, a Mickey Rooney Top 10 would not be complete without mentioning this beautiful family film. However, National Velvet really belongs to 12-year-old Elizabeth Taylor, who appears in her star-making role as Velvet Brown.
Set in 1920s England and based on the novel of the same name, this film follows the titular Velvet as she wins a spirited young horse in a raffle and trains it for the Grand National steeplechase. Mickey plays Mi Taylor, a young drifter and former jockey who finds his way to Velvet’s home after mysteriously finding the address amongst his deceased father’s things. After hearing Velvet’s aspirations for her horse (known as “The Pie”), he reluctantly agrees to help her train him. But it turns out Mi has his own issues with horses.
Although the movie is set in England, most of National Velvet was filmed in Pebble Beach, California. However, the filmmakers managed to get many of the details correct: the racecourse map shown in the film is an accurate portrait of the real Grand National course in Aintree, England and the track really does include a Becher’s Brook jump and a Canal Turn jump much like the ones portrayed in the film. Mickey would end up appearing in many equestrian films throughout his career but, National Velvet is the movie that really solidified his lifelong association with horse racing. If you know a little girl who loves horses, this is definitely the one she needs to see.
2. The Black Stallion (1979)
Produced by Francis Ford Coppola and based on the classic children’s novel by Walter Farley, The Black Stallion is probably best described as a visual poem. Set in the 1940s, it tells the story of Alec Ramsey, a young boy who survives a massive shipwreck thanks to the appearance of a fierce black stallion. The two lone survivors wash up on a deserted island and an invaluable friendship develops between Alec and the beautiful horse (whom the boy dubs “The Black”). When the two are finally rescued, Alec and The Black have a hard time readjusting to “normal” life. But, once Alec meets Henry Dailey (Mickey Rooney), a former jockey and horse trainer, he makes it his purpose to prove that The Black is the fastest horse alive. But turning an undocumented stallion into a racehorse may be more difficult than Alec imagines.
Considered a masterpiece by many, the screenplay of The Black Stallion was written by Melissa Mathison, who would pen another family classic, ET: The Extra-Terrestrial, just a few years later. Much of the film is told visually with little to no dialogue, resulting in some truly magnificent sequences. Particularly the movie’s most famous scene: Alec riding The Black bareback along the island's shoreline. Although Mickey doesn’t appear until almost an hour into the film, his role as Henry Dailey couldn’t be more important. He brings a warm, down-to-earth element to this otherwise atmospheric film and was rewarded with an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance. The film even ended up spawning a television series (The Adventures of the Black Stallion) that allowed Mickey Rooney to reprise the role of Henry Dailey for three complete seasons.
1. Girl Crazy (1943)
Girl Crazy was the last of the so-called “backyard musicals” that Mickey Rooney made with Judy Garland and is generally considered to be the very best. Based on the popular stage musical of the same name, this movie certainly has the most substantial plot in the film series. The film retains most of the original Gershwin score and although the film does include Mickey and Judy putting on a show, the only piece of the show we actually see is the movie’s famous “I Got Rhythm” finale. What Girl Crazy's plot actually focuses on is the plight of spoiled rich kid Danny Churchill (Mickey). After spending one too many nights partying at New York City nightclubs rather than studying at Yale, Danny’s father ships his son off to an all-boys college in the Western desert, hoping to force Danny into finally focusing on his studies. Naturally, Danny despises the rural Cody College, but his mood improves once he meets Ginger Gray (Garland). Ginger is the Dean’s granddaughter and also happens to be the lone female for miles. She works as the school’s postmistress and is (understandably) very popular with the male students, but she wants nothing to do with spoiled city boy Danny.
Filmed partly on location in Palm Springs, California (or, more accurately, the desert next to Palm Springs), Girl Crazy gave Rooney a chance to showcase his many talents. Not only does Mickey act, sing, and dance in this film, he also demonstrates his proficiency at the piano by backing up Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra in a performance of the challenging “Fascinating Rhythm.” Possibly the most mature of the Mickey and Judy musicals, if you only want to watch one film in the "backyard musical" series, this is the one to choose.
Honorable Mention: Quicksand (1950)
Mickey Rooney gives one of the best performances of his career in this lesser known film noir. Quicksand tells the cautionary tale of auto mechanic Dan Brady (Mickey). Although usually a law-abiding citizen, Danny takes $20 from the cash register at work one day to pay for a lavish date with the beautiful Vera (Jeanne Cagney). He fully intends to replace the money later, but this little indiscretion has an unexpected domino effect on his life. In fact, it soon seems like this one choice could ruin Danny’s life forever. Or possibly even end it. The plot of this movie moves at breakneck speed as Danny’s situation snowballs to a point from which he may never be able to return.
Obviously one of Rooney's darker roles, this gritty morality tale was shot mostly on location in Santa Monica and the Santa Monica Pier, with Mickey performing all of his own stunts. That’s right, he actually has stunts! This film, also, features some really nice camera work with a couple of very interesting compositions thrown in along the way. Another odd bit of trivia is that Quicksand is notable for being one of the earliest examples of product placement on film, with Bit-O-Honey candy and Coca-Cola both making cameo appearances.
To see this list on Letterboxd: https://boxd.it/Bgsxe$oTjUkYz0atfrEzAY
Which Mickey Rooney Movie Is Your Favorite?
Quicksand
Drive a Crooked Road
National Velvet
The Human Comedy
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