He was a favorite growing up
RIP Andy Hardy

A consummate entertainer. If there's an afterlife, I think I know what he's doing:

He sang, danced, played piano,did comedy, and of course he acted. My favorite role of his was "Baby Face Nelson" ... yet it wasn't mentioned in his obits. He was almost ninety when he acted (very funny) in "Night at the Museum". Lynn

A great talent, quite underrated, in my opinion. Did you know that in the last few years, he was robbed and abused by his stepchildren, and almost starved to death?

I just know it's hard to grow up in in my generation and not have been touched by him in one way or another. And let's not forget when he was in his prime a lot of people didn't think he'd make it to 40 never mind 93. He went on to out live all his contemporaries he will be missed.

Just found a quote I never knew about: Sir Laurence Olivier once referred to Mickey Rooney as the greatest film actor America ever produced.

That is sad news. He was a strange sort of fellow but I liked him.

I don't quite know what to think of Sir Laurence's quote. Olivier himself was most famous as a stage actor, and was envious and less successful as a film actor, as portrayed most recently in the film about Marilyn Monroe. Nevertheless, it's food for thought (in this forum!). Mickey was of another era, when an entertainer was expected to dance, sing, etc as well as act. The closest thing we have to variety shows now are the late night talk spots. Not sure if I'm sad about it ... audiences change and so on; but as a youth I definitely was glued to Sunday night Ed Sullivan Show!!! Lynn