Remembering Mickey Rooney

With a look back at their many films together, here is Mickey as Judy Garland’s guest on the first episode of ‘The Judy Garland Show’, taped June 24, 1963. I’ve started the video at the point where they reminisce about old MGM photos of them together. Here are two old friends doing what they do best.

Mickey Rooney first worked with Judy on October 21st 1933 as part of the lineup for the Lawlor’s Hollywood Professional School Recital, and by the end of that decade they were MGM’s main musical team (“Babes In Arms”; Strike Up The Band”; “Babes In Broadway”; “Girl Crazy” and the “Andy Hardy” films). Their movie magic was nothing compared to the amount of love and respect they felt for each other as the best of friends, and Judy knew “the Mick” would keep her relaxed and happy for the videotaping of Show #1.

The star-studded studio audience (including Lucille Ball, Clint Eastwood, Jack Benny, and Natalie Wood) cheered the team’s reunion, and by the time Judy closed the show with the “Born In A Trunk” segment’s “Old Man River” (one of the defining moments of both her career and of television history), everyone felt the series could be Garland’s greatest triumph yet.

The Los Angeles Times so agreed with this assessment, they didn’t wait for the series premiere and reviewed the videotaping of Show #1 : “Judy seemed so assured, so self-possessed, so happy in her work, that it sounds good for the shows.”

Show #1 was not chosen to air as the series premiere telecast, so two of it’s segments that had featured references as being such — Judy’s opening song, and a sketch were deleted, and new ones taped in their place, before the episode with Rooney finally aired months later on December 8th 1963.

“The Judy Garland Show” began videotaping it’s episodes in June 1963 at CBS Television City’s Studio 43, with the just-turned 41-year old superstar in a peak physical and emotional condition.

Having already moved the series out to the West Coast (it had originally been set to be taped in New York), the network began it’s creative tinkering with the very first show when they insisted Garland be given a “second banana” : a series regular, in the form of comedian Jerry Van Dyke (brother of Dick, one of CBS’ biggest stars). Nothing could dilute Judy’s magic though, thanks in part to the show’s personnel, headed by producer George Schlatter, who would later produce “Laugh-In”. It was the first show’s guest, however, who really brought out the best in Judy…her oldest friend and picture partner, Mickey Rooney.

Here is Jerry Van Dyke with a beautiful Marconi Mark IV on this first show. 

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