Meeting Mickey Rooney
At the time Ava Gardner began her career at MGM, Mickey Rooney was one of America’s biggest performers. The child actor was 21 years old when he saw Ava Gardner on the studio lot. It was her first day there, and he was immediately interested in her. She was first hesitant to go out with him because she was young, inexperienced in Hollywood, and significantly taller than Rooney. However, it proved difficult to resist a movie star. When they first met, he was performing in drag as the Brazilian dancer Carmen Miranda, “complete with false eyelashes.” This obviously caught her eye.
Meeting Mickey Rooney
Mickey Rooney Courted Her, but MGM Got in the Way
Gardner did go out with Rooney, and he asked her to marry him. Just like when he asked her out, she objected at first, telling him she didn’t want to marry until she was 19. MGM also did not want Rooney and Gardner to be together. Rooney played boyish characters, which was not beneficial for his film image. Many of his female fans would have been heartbroken to learn that he was stolen. However, MGM eventually gave in to their star’s requests, and when the couple married, MGM made sure it was in Santa Barbara rather than Los Angeles, away from the media.
Mickey Rooney Courted Her, But MGM Got In The Way