When asked who the most talented actor in Hollywood was in the late 1930s and early ‘40s, many actors would say, “Mickey Rooney.” The child star grew up to be 5 feet, 2 inches of pure talent, displaying his many abilities in over 300 films throughout his long career. Due to his slight stature and limitless energy, he was a natural choice to play a jockey. In 1980, he earned his fourth and final Oscar nomination for his performance as a former jockey in “The Black Stallion.” However, four decades earlier, he played two equally memorable riders in 1937’s “Thoroughbreds Don’t Cry” and 1944’s “National Velvet.”
Henry Dailey (Mickey Rooney, C), in "The Black Station." United Artists
