Mickey Rooney : Last silent-film actor?

Last silent-film actor?

Now that Mr. Rooney has passed, are there any other actors these days working who began in the silent era? It's stunning the history that he lived though.

Re: Last silent-film actor?

Living Silent Film Stars...


Name Date of birth and age
Manoel de Oliveira December 11, 1908 (age 105) Portuguese film director and screenwriter who appeared as an extra in the Portuguese silent film Fátima Milagrosa in 1928.[2]
Carla Laemmle October 20, 1909 (age 104) American actress and the niece of Universal Pictures founder Carl Laemmle; played a few small roles in the 1920s and 1930s, including the lead ballerina in the original Phantom of the Opera (1925).
Mary Carlisle February 3, 1914 (age 100) American actress who debuted in the 1923 silent film Long Live the King with Jackie Coogan.[3]
Fay McKenzie February 19, 1918 (age 96) American actress who appeared in her first film in 1918.[4]
Diana Serra Cary October 29, 1918 (age 95) American child star under the name "Baby Peggy". Her first movie was in 1921.
Dorothy Morrison January 3, 1919 (age 95) American child actress who appeared in several Our Gang silent films. Her first movie was in 1923.[5]
Louise Watson November 22, 1919 (age 94) American child actress who debuted at the age of 8; along with Billy and Garry, the last of nine Watson siblings.
Lassie Lou Ahern June 25, 1920 (age 93) American child actress who was in many silent Our Gang films.[6]
Jean Darling August 23, 1922 (age 91) American child actress who appeared in the Our Gang series from 1927 until 1929.[7]
Hanna Maron November 22, 1923 (age 90) Israeli actress who appeared as a child in German silent films, before appearing in talkies.[8]
Billy Watson December 25, 1923 (age 90) American child actor who debuted at age 4; along with his siblings, Louise and Garry; the last of nine Watson siblings.
Mildred Kornman July 10, 1925 (age 88) American child actress who appeared in several silent Our Gang films. Later became a fashion model under the name Ricki VanDusen.[9]
Dickie Moore September 12, 1925 (age 88) American child actor, best-known for appearing in the Our Gang talkie films and for his marriage to Jane Powell, but also appeared in a couple of silent films in 1927 and 1928.

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Re: Last silent-film actor?

His career really was remarkable. Look at all of the actors who were very popular as children but who 111c se careers were over by the time they graduated high school. Not many had the same kind of success as an adult that Rooney did. And as you indicated, his career spans the history of Hollywood.

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Re: Last silent-film actor?

I would never forget Mel Brooks...but what does he have to do with living silent film actors? Unless he starred in an uncredited one as an infant/toddler, he couldn't possibly have been in a silent film (he was born in the mid 1920s, IIRC).

Re: Last silent-film actor?

He's alive. He was in a silent movie.

The world economy will crash in 2016, so for now, have fun!

Re: Last silent-film actor?

that came out in (1976) that doesn't count, they are talking about people who started their career in the 1920's.

Re: Last silent-film actor?

OK. Never mind.

The world economy will crash in 2016, so for now, have fun!

Re: Last silent-film actor?

After reading his comment, I remembered Brooks had made the film "Silent Movie" back in the '70s...I knew the title, but hadn't ever seen it. But I'm pretty sure that list of living actors is concerned with the silent movie era, per se....kind of like saying, here's a list of veterans who fought in WWI who are still living....this is a list of movie actors who acted at some point in a film made during the silent movie era (1894-1929) and are still living...

Re: Last silent-film actor?

oh i love the film silent movie. it's a great film. in fact i dunno if i still have it but i used to have the soundtrack on LP! and yes that's what i did mean actors who acted in the 20's kinda like Bess Flowers, though she is now dead and has been for 31 years i believe. she started out in silents.


someone one posted somewhere i forget where i saw the list of people still alive who started out in the silent era. like i said Rooney was the only one who started out in that era and he continued to get work until he died. he never was a guy who would take 2 or 3 or 30 years off from making a film. kinda like how

Glora Stuart started out in the early 30's. and she quit film for awhle and than would come back to it every now and than. and after Titanic which was her 1st film in eons. she did a few other films before she died. Carla Lammale or however ya spell her name? may have started out in the silent era. but if you look at her filmography she really didn't do that many films. i dunno what she did do after she quit film. but she quit it. Anita Page was another that started out in the silent era. she's also dead now. but she would appear off & on in film

as well. Mickey stayed where he was pretty much nearly every year. kinda like Christopher Lee wh 5b4 o's also done a film nearly every year since his 1st film in (1948) i believe. he's never going to retire and bless his heart i don't want him to. even though Mickey looked better than he does now. but Christopher Lee is now going to be 92 this year so not everyone will be looking good at that age either.

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Re: Last silent-film actor?

Dear oh dear! Don't forget Ashalata Wabgaonkar! She'll be 100 in a couple of months She first appeared 5b4 in a movie in 1923 and is still working.

Re: Last silent-film actor?

I don't think that Billy Bowes has had a mention here either, but he should have.
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