Mickey Rooney; aged 93.
Mickey Rooney, the pint-sized actor who was one of MGMs giant box office attractions in the late 30s and early 40s, died on Sunday. He was 93.
http://variety.com/2014/film/news/mickey-rooney-golden-age-box-office-giant-dies-at-93-1201153308/
I'm ambivalent about his personality, especially in his later years, but I think there is one fact that's indisputable: he was, from the beginning, a great natural talent.
My most special memories of him as a young performer were in THE HUMAN COMEDY - a rather schmaltzy film at times, but Rooney was superb. The other was his performance in AH, WILDERNESS! He held his own in that against superb performances fromWallace Beery, Lionel Barrymore, and Aline McMahon, as well as the always-delightful Spring Byington. And in later years, he was wonderful in the TV movie, BILL, playing a mentally retarded man.
R.I.P. Mickey - you were one of a kind.
Edit: typo