The thing I remember about getting my picture take with midget actor Billy Barty was that I was it was just in the nick of time as he was on his way out of the Hollywood Collector’s Show during the Summer of 1995. And so was I. Bob wasn’t with me for some reason during a portion of our second day at the show, June 25, so I didn’t really have anyone to take pictures of me and the stars. I had actually already purchased a nice shot from him of The Mickey McGuire series. The so-named Mickey would eventually become Mickey Rooney and the little, tiny co-star was later better known as Billy Barty.
It was when Bob had returned to the show to pick me up, and Mr. Barty was on his way out, that we all converged near the front door. I thought “what the hell?” and had Bob snap a photo of us together. I’m certainly glad I did. I always liked Billy Barty in such films as Foul Play and Under the Rainbow.
Two years later, I would get Mickey Rooney to sign the photo as well. He took one look at it and said to me “do you know how much this is worth?…Five hundered dollars!” – as if trying to make me feel guilty that I had only paid him $20 to sign it. I made some idiotic crack that if he personalized it, the value would not be so great. To which he scribbled his name on it and handed it back. I agree that its a nice piece, but I’d have no qualms about selling it for $499.
Over a dozen years later, I finally got the opportunity to get a photo taken with Mickey Rooney. He was appearing at the Chicago Hollywood Celebrities Show on October 17, 2009. He was the first celeb I hit that day, as I had heard that he often leaves early in the show. Much to my surprise he had absolutely no line to see him. As I had been warned, Mickey’s wife Jan Chamberlain Rooney always tries to get her mug in the photos as well. Poor lighting dictated that my Mom took two photos, so one we included her and one we didn’t.
I didn’t purchase any additional autographs of him for myself, but I had an item signed for my friend Bob for $25. The fee to get a photo with him was just an additional $10 which I had no problem paying. Mickey didn’t display an of his typical outbursts that he is often famous for. In fact, he appeared quite nice for the 45 seconds I was with him.
With Mickey Rooney and his wife Jan Chamberlain Rooney
Just Mickey and me
Celebrity encounters from the 1995 HCS will continue…
Celebrity encounters from the 2009 Chicago HCS will continue…
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