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After Irving Thalberg’s death in 1936, Louis B. Mayer doubled down on "family entertainment" at MGM. To support this new wave of content, Mayer started signing younger and younger performers to groom into stars — training them in song and dance, creating a schoolhouse on the MGM lot to comply with state educational requirements, and keeping the kids chaperoned by publicists day and night. This episode will cover the differing experiences of Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland -- best friends and screen partners who grew up together within MGM’s stable of child stars.
Special thanks to this episode's special guests -- Craig Mazin returned as Louis B. Mayer, and we are honored to welcome Dana Carvey as Mickey Rooney.
This episode includes clips from the short film Every Sunday, and this segment from Broadway Melody of 1938.
This episode was edited by Henry Molofsky
Sources:
Clarke, Gerald. Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland. Delta, 2000
Eyman, Scott. Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Legend of Louis B. Mayer. Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition.
Luft, Lorna. Me and My Shadows: A Family Memoir. Gallery Books, 1999.
Rooney, Mickey. Life is Too Short. New York: Villard Books, 1991.
Wayne, Jane Ellen. The Golden Guys of MGM: Privilege, Power & Pain. Robson Books, 2004.
Zierold, Norman J. “The Mick” in The Child Stars. Coward-McCann, 1965.