A difficult man in real life as his biographies state, but Mickey Rooney had a knack for really grabbing the heart in his movie and stage appearances. As professional clown Jack Thum, Rooney travels from hospital to hospital to visit Children's wards painting the kitties, and along with wife Anne Jackson has adopted a bunch of Orphans. They lead a happy life, that is until Thum learns that he needs an operation to remove a bad lung. Dealing with his mortality has him despondent,and he begins to visit old friends, dealing with memories and trying to create new friends, especially with crabby, quiet hospital roommate Red Buttons. Through it all, wife Jackson remains at his side, especially after the news that he only has a limited time left, giving him hope for just a few more audiences to share his joy of giving laughter to.
This is the Rooney that really grabs your heart, a far cry from the gregarious Andy Hardy or the entertainer putting on the shows in the barn with Judy. This is not the Mickey Rooney of the B movies of the 50's and 60's, taking pretty much everything to get a paycheck. He didn't have many credits between 1970 and 1977, catching a nice comeback with the Disney musical "Pete's Dragon" and on Broadway two years later with "Sugar Babies", scoring highly with "The Black Stalliibs" and the two "Bill" movies for TV. His was the comeback of the century, and he's at his height here, better than ever because he's finally creating real characters rather than just running on youthful energy. It's truly amazing to watch him here in all his middhe aged glory.
Good support from Jackson and Buttons, as well as William Windom as the veteran clown Rooney visits one of his adopted charges who doesn't talk and who roommate keep trying to break out of his shell. It's a very good teleplay, touching and sweet, although some of the clown acts aren't very funny. It's also a reference to a song parody that I had heard years ago and oft repeated: "Pardon me Boys, is that the fat that ate your new shoes?" Well worth seeing, and one of Rooney's best screen moments ever.
This is the Rooney that really grabs your heart, a far cry from the gregarious Andy Hardy or the entertainer putting on the shows in the barn with Judy. This is not the Mickey Rooney of the B movies of the 50's and 60's, taking pretty much everything to get a paycheck. He didn't have many credits between 1970 and 1977, catching a nice comeback with the Disney musical "Pete's Dragon" and on Broadway two years later with "Sugar Babies", scoring highly with "The Black Stalliibs" and the two "Bill" movies for TV. His was the comeback of the century, and he's at his height here, better than ever because he's finally creating real characters rather than just running on youthful energy. It's truly amazing to watch him here in all his middhe aged glory.
Good support from Jackson and Buttons, as well as William Windom as the veteran clown Rooney visits one of his adopted charges who doesn't talk and who roommate keep trying to break out of his shell. It's a very good teleplay, touching and sweet, although some of the clown acts aren't very funny. It's also a reference to a song parody that I had heard years ago and oft repeated: "Pardon me Boys, is that the fat that ate your new shoes?" Well worth seeing, and one of Rooney's best screen moments ever.
