The Best Mickey Rooney Movies

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Updated August 15, 2023 2.3K votes 284 voters 29.2K views
Over 200 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Mickey Rooney Movies
Voting Rules
Vote for your favorite Mickey Rooney movies, regardless of critic reviews or how big the role was.

With more than 280 movie fans casting their votes, this list of the best Mickey Rooney movies is a testament to his enduring legacy as one of Hollywood's most beloved stars. From his early days in silent films like Orchids and Ermine to his later roles in classics like Breakfast at Tiffany's and The Black Stallion, Mickey Rooney had an impressive career that spanned eight decades.

His signature roles often featured him playing precocious youngsters with an abundance of energy and enthusiasm - characters that he brought to life with great skill and charm. But it was his versatility that truly set him apart; one moment he'd be starring as a lovable scoundrel in Baby Face Nelson, and the next he'd win audiences over as a kindly old man in Night at the Museum.

In short, Mickey Rooney was able to portray virtually any character imaginable, making it difficult for fans to narrow down which ones are truly deserving of a spot on this list. No matter if you're new to Mickey Rooney or if you've been following him since day one, take some time now to browse through these must-see movies featuring one of Hollywood's all-time greats. Be sure also to vote up your favorites so they can climb higher on the rankings.

Most divisive: Phantom of the Megaplex
Ranked by
  • Boys Town
    1

    Boys Town

    Spencer Tracy, Mickey Rooney, Henry Hull
    39 votes
    • Released: 1938
    • Directed by: Norman Taurog
    The devout but iron-willed Father Flanagan (Spencer Tracy) leads a community called Boys Town, a different sort of juvenile detention facility where, instead of being treated as underage criminals, the boys are shepherded into making themselves better people. But hard-nosed petty thief and pool shark Whitey Marsh (Mickey Rooney), the impulsive and violent younger brother of an imprisoned murderer, might be too much for the good father's tough-love system.

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  • Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town
    2

    Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town

    Mickey Rooney, Fred Astaire, Keenan Wynn
    23 votes
    • Released: 1970
    • Directed by: Arthur Rankin, Jr., Jules Bass
    A lanky mailman (voiced by Fred Astaire) tells the story of Santa Claus. Adopted by an elf family named Kringle, young Kris longs to restore the Kringle reputation as toymakers to the king, but the evil Burgermeister Meisterburger has outlawed toys in Sombertown. Overcoming the opposition of both the Burgermeister and the Winter Warlock, Kris begins delivering toys not only to the children on Sombertown, but all around the world as well.
  • Men of Boys Town
    3

    Men of Boys Town

    Spencer Tracy, Mickey Rooney, Bobs Watson
    23 votes
    • Released: 1941
    • Directed by: Norman Taurog
    Father Edward Flanagan (Spencer Tracy), head of the Boys Town home for troubled boys, attends the trial of young Ted Martley (Larry Nunn), a paraplegic charged with murdering a guard at the Marysport reformatory. When Ted confides that Marysport is corrupt and brutal, the priest takes him to Boys Town, where he places him with his protégé, Whitey Marsh (Mickey Rooney). Later visiting Marysport, Whitey gets involved with a young delinquent and witnesses how bad the conditions are there.

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  • Love Finds Andy Hardy
    4

    Love Finds Andy Hardy

    Lewis Stone, Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland
    25 votes
    • Released: 1938
    • Directed by: George B. Seitz
    Young Andy (Mickey Rooney) expects a somewhat less than merry Christmas when he discovers his girlfriend, Polly (Ann Rutherford), is leaving town for the holiday. Prospects improve after Andy's best friend pays him to squire his girlfriend, Cynthia (Lana Turner), around while he is away. But when Polly returns earlier than expected, and Andy's neighbor Betsy (Judy Garland) shows up claiming to have a crush on him, Andy realizes that he has more girls than he can handle.

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  • The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
    5

    The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

    Mickey Rooney, Walter Connolly, William Frawley
    20 votes
    • Released: 1939
    • Directed by: Richard Thorpe
    Huckleberry Finn (Mickey Rooney) is a boy tired of society's rules. To avoid his abusive father, Huck escapes with Jim (Rex Ingram), a slave running away to avoid being sold down the river. The two unlikely friends raft the Mississippi River, dodging the authorities and meeting many wild characters along the way, including two con men (Walter Connolly, William Frawley). Throughout their adventures, Huck learns that friendship is the most important virtue of all.

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  • Pete's Dragon
    6

    Pete's Dragon

    Helen Reddy, Sean Marshall, Mickey Rooney
    29 votes
    • Released: 1977
    • Directed by: Don Chaffey
    In the heartwarming adventure film Pete's Dragon, a young boy named Pete (Oakes Fegley) lives in the forests of the Pacific Northwest with his unusual, gargantuan friend, Elliot, a dragon. The film explores their unique bond and Pete's struggle to stay hidden from civilization. However, when a local forest ranger Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard) discovers Pete, their secret life is threatened. As authorities close in on them, it becomes clear that Elliot is more than just a figment of Pete's imagination. This movie, replete with thrilling moments and captivating special effects, offers an enchanting take on friendship and courage.

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