HEALTHWATCH: MICKEY ROONEY

Mickey Rooney has been a part of Hollywood history and  a legend since the 1920s. He not only was in a silent movie as a child star, but he was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood in the late 1930s. From his Andy Hardy film series to his Hollywood musicals at MGM, Rooney was one of the greatest actors of all-time. His acting ability was very underrated, but check him out in the film biography Words And Music (1948). The film was basically fluff to support musical numbers, but Rooney played doomed songwriter Lorenz Hart with great seriousness and drama. He was one of the best things in the movie. However, now in his 90s more and more reports are coming out that he is in failing health, and his best days are behind him.

In February of 2011, Rooney sued his step son accusing him of elder abuse. In a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles, actor said Chris Aber had spent his money ‘as if it were his own’. At the same time Rooney was made to believe he was almost bankrupt and ‘kept in poverty’ for ten years, he claimed. Mr Aber, his wife Christina and others are accused of crimes including breach of fiduciary trust, elder abuse and fraud. Rooney sought legal protection from his alleged abuser, the son of his eighth and current wife, Jan Chamberlin. Even though his wife is denying that any abuse took place, Mickey testified before the Senate on the fears and problems of elder abuse. in September of 2011. The court ended up appointing an outside conservator to handle the financial and health needs that Mickey needs addressed.

Surprisingly for a man of his age, Mickey continues to work. He appeared in a cameo in family film The Muppets in 2011, and since then he has made appearances in four more movies. Anyone over 90 unfortunately would start becoming frail. However, people who know Mickey Rooney say his health has failed rapidly in the past year. On November 12, 2012 Rooney appeared frail and confused at “An Evening with Mickey Rooney” performance at Lyons Eng­lish Grille in Palm Springs. It was a dinner event during which he was supposed to mingle with fans and speak about his storied Hollywood career.Instead of the meet-and-greet they’d paid for, fans instead saw a disoriented and frail shell of a man who didn’t even remember why he was at the event. Fans who paid nearly $65 a plate to hear the Oscar-, Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning actor speak choked up with tears as Mickey began “rambling on and on about nothing,” added the source.

From January 21 to January 26, 2013 Mickey Rooney was part of the Turner Classic Movies boat cruise. It was a five day event that not only took in the sights and sun, but also brought people together to share their love of classic movies with other fans as well as guest stars. This cruise passenger had this to say about Mickey Rooney:

"Mr. Rooney was on the trip but he was quite frail. I did see him the first day during the introductions and it appeared that he was traveling with a male attendant, probably a nurse. I never went to see him because honestly I could not bring myself to watch him. During the introductions he started rambling about politics and I heard that during his talk about Strike Up the Band (1940) he started off talking about unrelated stuff. Several of his films were shown but he had to cancel his last appearance due to feeling under the weather."

Mickey Rooney will be turning 93 this year, and no one that old should be working. However, the fans and the applause is probably the only thing keeping this great entertainer going. In the past years he has had a lot of stress with his family and finances, and Rooney deserves to enjoy his final years in peace and happiness. It is hard to see Rooney like this when I love to remember him as the ball of energy dancing around Judy Garland. Rooney is is a major part of the dying golden years of Hollywood, and he symbolizes a much more simpler time in our society...