'I'd never heard of Darlington'

'I'M not a legend, I'm just a man," says 85-year-old Mickey Rooney. And this great survivor of Hollywood's 'let's do the show right here' silver screen era is most definitely a man on a mission... to ensure his first show tour of the UK for 15 years is a success.

The California-based star never lets the conversation drift far from his visit to Darlington's Civic Theatre on June 5, his desire to see England again and his best wishes for the millions who have followed his career from the 1926 film Not To Be Trusted, when he was five.

Eighty years and more than 200 movies later, one of the world's most energetic octogenarians even appears reticent to discuss his return to the big screen in A Night At The Museum, with Dick Van Dyke and Robin Williams, which is currently shooting in Canada and New York.

"It's due to be released around Christmas. They wanted me, so I was joyful about it. I play Gus, a security man, but, hey, can we talk about our show," he says.

Wife Jan Chamberlain Rooney, a Hollywood-born singer, steps in to explain her husband's reluctance to discuss the 20th Century Fox project, a family comedy centred on the exhibits in New York's Museum Of Natural History coming to life.

She says: "If he got a little abrupt about A Night At The Museum it's because he's not allowed to reveal the story and I think he was a little uncomfortable in case he got into trouble. Your questions scared the bejabbers out of him because he's sworn to secrecy.

'He read for the part in Los Angeles. It's an adorable movie and cute as heck. As far as stunts go, I'm not sure if he's going to be doing them or not. I'm pretty sure he is."

In fact her husband's decision to bare his backside in a comedy stunt for a commercial, due to be shown during the 2005 Super Bowl final, hit the headlines in the US when it was barred as indecent.

She laughs: "I had the towel waiting as he ran off stage. The bum was showing but it wasn't anything disgraceful. The advert has never been aired after being banned in Boston."

As for touring with Rooney, she says: "Most of the year we're away 250 to 280 days. Up to now the show's been keeping him young. It's a little embarrassing that I can hardly keep up with him sometimes."

"Don't retire... inspire, is what I say," he says in answer to a question about his stage tours taking up eight months of each year. "Why would I want to retire when I have things to do? Every day is a challenge for everybody, for you and for everybody in the world. But you meet them and you do the best you can. I'd never heard of Darlington before but we're anxious to be there, me and my wife Jan, because we love England," he says, expressing surprise that his visit to County Durham has sparked so much interest.

The couple's Let's Put On A Show tour features songs, dance, piano playing by Rooney, Hollywood anecdotes and film clips from his incredible career. He and Jan pay tribute to his co-star Judy Garland - who once described him as "the world's greatest talent" - with performances of songs she made famous, like Smile and You Made Me Love You.

There's also a comic comment on the state of their marriage with I Remember It Well, from the musical Gigi.

"She does a mean Patsy Kline and afterwards we look forward to meeting the audience," Rooney promises about the 15-date tour.

His official website biography lists financial instability - which pushed him into dinner theatre - for the reason behind the collapse of his seventh marriage in 1974 and his reluctance to take on the show Sugar Babies, which turned into a hit in the US and the UK. But Rooney challenges what is written on the website.

"I've never been in that position. You always read things that are wrong and I've never done anything I didn't want to do," he says.

There are no doubts that once his Vaudeville-performing parents - chorus girl Nell Carter and Glasgow-born comic Joe Yule Snr - divorced, when he was three, there were a few penniless years as Joe Jnr and his mother travelled between Kansas City and California in search of a career.

He almost legally became Mickey McGuire after a 1927 series of films based on a comic strip, but his mother decided on Mickey Rooney and an MGM contract shot him to number one box office actor in 1939-41 thanks to A Midsummer Night's Dream, Boys Town, Babes In Arms and the Andy Hardy series.

Rooney says: "Everybody has bad moments in their career, but that's normal. But most of them have been good and if you trust in the Lord then things happen for you. I've made 250 films but (out of his favourites) there's Boys Town with Spencer Tracy, National Velvet with Elizabeth Taylor, Requiem For A Heavyweight and The Black Stallion (which inspired a TV series).

"I never like to watch my films, not at all. It's like someone shouts 'next' and we move on," he says.

He agrees that being much married still forms part of his stage act, even though his union with Jan is approaching 30 years. Once he said: "Always get married early in the morning. That way, if it doesn't work out you haven't wasted a whole day."

Now Mickey claims that he and his wife never argue, but Jan is a little more measured. "It did cross my mind that I might have a few worries with becoming wife number eight. I never wanted to re-marry, but how can you resist the charm of this man. He's just so fascinating. All I wanted to be was friends but he's just irresistible. Sometimes we're like oil and water. They say 'why are you together after all these years?' and I always say 'I think it's because of separate bathrooms, you have to have that living with a man like this'."

Rooney, an honorary Oscar winner, Emmy recipient and Second World War Bronze Star with clusters recipient, has five sons, five daughters, two stepsons, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

"We can't seem to keep track of them all, but we try," he jokes.

And is it true that Walt Disney named Mickey Mouse as a result of seeing Mickey Rooney in action?

"Yes," replies this mighty atom. "But come and see the show and I'll tell you the whole story."

* Let's Put On A Show starring Mickey Rooney and his wife Jan Chamberlain Rooney plays Darlington Civic Theatre on June 5.

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