Mickey Rooney Receives an Honorary Award: 1983 Oscars

loves screen great comedians up talking pictures is going to present a special honorary Oscar tonight 30 years ago he got his own it was given to him by the president then Charles bracket on the 25th annual Wars I don't it was time to stretch huh thank you very much this is a unique role for me giving instead of accepting hasn't really been 30 years it's funny I looked the same but the cue cards are a little further away well when a man reaches my age which I intend to do shortly he realizes there's more to life than Awards there's the esteem of your fellow man the respect of your colleagues the admiration of your peers none of which I have but this was my most successful year at the movie box office they lowered the price for senior citizens and if you wonder why I didn't make a picture last year when et called home my agent answered the phone anyway just let me tell you I'm not here to talk about me as fascinating as the subject is I'm here to present an honorary Oscar to a star who has worked so long he's had to use three different names Joey jr. Mickey McGuire and Mickey Rooney there isn't a longer more luxurious or varied screen career than his from infancy to childhood through adolescent to manhood his powers as a performer have never diminished over the 60 years he can still sing dance tell a joke and tear your heart out yes this man never in the history of our theatre has so much astonishing talent been jammed into one compact package before his second birthday little Mick busted out of his bassinet cramped out onto the stage and stole his parents laudable act he's been guilty of grand theft ever since the Board of Governors and it's delightful wisdom has voted this honorary Oscar to the kid who eliminated all our yesterday's and to the man who brightens all our today's to you make with low ladies and gentlemen members of the Academy this is for sixty years of work so they tell me it's really only four six minutes of fun of love and joy of working with playing with like children the people that we all are on the screen I love every minute that God has given me to be an infinitesimal small part of this great business 60 years gosh I tonight for my being here and the responsibility really belongs to somebody that I'd love to put my arms around like Judy Garland and Lewis stone Faye Holden Spencer Tracy Wallace Beery memories I have a lot of memories as we all do when I was 19 years old I was the number one star of the world for two years when I was 40 nobody wanted me I couldn't get a job and then a professor from the University of Tennessee got a show together with Terry Allen Kramer and Harry Rigby called sugarbabyz and it resurrected my career last year God smiled upon me and I was given the Emmy for Bill and I won the Peabody Award in the Golden Globe and tonight you honor me beyond anything that a man should be given you honor me with the greatest and the highest tribute we can receive in our business my family all love you and they're all tingling inside because of this moment for me I'd love to even kiss Louie be mayor but it's it's wonderful the woman who put it all together was Ruth Webb my agent - who picked out the pieces picked up the pieces and put them back together Mickey jr. Timmy teddy Kelly Carey Kyle Kimmie sue Jimmy Joe Nell Chris and Mark and my grandchildren the my grandchildren Shannon and Nica they're home tonight looking and saying that's granddaddy up there and he's got the Oscar but the one that's responsible outside of God is my wife Jan who kept saying to me for the last seven years I know you can do it make get up off the canvas you can do it I want to thank you one and all for remembering me thank you for this glorious moment god bless you

Channel: Oscars

Views: 160,878

Rating: 4.9134469 out of 5

Keywords: Academy Honorary Award (Award Category), Mickey Rooney (TV Writer), Academy Award (Award), Bob Hope (Author), Richard Pryor (Comedian), 55th, Oscars, 1983

Id: KkoDZsx6rcw

Length: 7min 47sec (467 seconds)

Published: Wed Apr 09 2014