Mickey's Movies Review: A Loud, Tiny Mickey Rooney Bosses Everyone Around

If you have about twenty minutes and want to see a very tiny Mickey Rooney acting like a middle-aged studio executive, this is worth a look. It is basically a time capsule of how kids played in the dirt back in 1933.

Most people will probably hate this if they can't stand high-pitched yelling. The audio is pretty crunchy and everyone seems to be competing to see who can scream their lines the loudest. 📢

I watched this because I was curious about the Mickey McGuire era. It’s weird to think that Rooney actually took his stage name from this specific character.

The premise is simple enough. Mickey decides the gang needs to start their own movie studio in a backyard.

He isn't exactly a fair boss. He wants to play all the lead roles and tell everyone where to stand.

Mickey wears this absurd wig that looks like it was made from a discarded floor mop. It makes his head look twice as big as his body when he gets angry.

The kids in this are actually pretty charming, even when the script isn't doing them any favors. Kendall McComas has this perpetually confused look on his face that I really related to.

Jimmy Robinson is there too, and he has some of the best reaction shots. He often looks like he would rather be doing literally anything else than being in Mickey's movie. 🎥

There is a lot of physical comedy that feels very "of the time." Lots of people falling over things and stuff getting knocked down.

One scene involves them trying to set up a shot and it just feels like total chaos. You can almost feel the real director behind the camera just giving up and letting the kids run wild.

I noticed a kid in the far background just staring directly into the lens for about ten seconds. Nobody bothered to edit that out or tell him to look away.

It has that same low-budget energy you see in The Life of Reilly. Just people making do with what they have in a backyard or a small set.

The costumes are hilarious because they look like they were stolen from a random laundry basket. One kid is wearing a hat that is clearly three sizes too big.

I liked the part where they try to build a "camera" out of junk. It reminds me of being a kid and pretending a cardboard box was a spaceship.

The pacing is a bit of a mess. It stops and starts without much warning. 🏃‍♂️

Sometimes a gag will happen and the movie just lingers on the silence afterward. It makes the joke feel a bit awkward, like the movie is waiting for you to laugh.

It’s not as polished as something like It's a Great Life. It feels much more raw and dusty.

There is a dog in the movie, because there is always a dog in these shorts. The dog is honestly the most professional actor on the screen most of the time.

The writing is credited to Fontaine Fox, who did the original comics. You can see the comic strip DNA in how the scenes are framed like little boxes.

Mickey Rooney has so much energy it’s actually a little exhausting to watch. He’s like a human spark plug that won't stop firing.

I found myself wondering how many takes they had to do to get the kids to stay in one spot. Probably dozens.

The movie gets a little better once they actually start "filming" their internal movie. The fake movie they are making is almost more interesting than the real one.

It reminded me slightly of the vibe in A Rare Bird, just with more childhood angst. Mickey really is a little dictator in this one.

There’s a strange moment where the audio just cuts out for a second and then pops back in. It’s these little imperfections that make me love watching these old reels.

You can tell they didn't have much of a budget for anything. The "studio" sign is just hand-painted and looks like it's about to fall over.

If you like seeing the early days of Hollywood stars, this is a neat artifact. Just don't expect a masterpiece of storytelling.

The ending feels very abrupt. It just kind of stops when they run out of things to yell about. 🔚

I think I enjoyed the background details more than the actual plot. Seeing the old cars and the way the houses looked back then is cool.

Mickey’s Movies isn't going to change your life. But it’s a fun, loud look at a kid who was clearly born to be in front of a camera, for better or worse.

It’s definitely better than some of the other shorts from that year. At least this one has a bit of personality, even if that personality is very loud.