“The Mickey Rooney & Judy Garland Collection: Ultimate Collector’s Edition” DVD From Warner Home Video

(June 11, 2007 - Burbank, CA) — On September 25, Warner Home Video will “put on a show” like never before, celebrating the incomparable talents of the legendary dynamic entertainment duo, Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland. "The Mickey Rooney & Judy Garland Collection: Ultimate Collector’s Edition" features Mickey and Judy singing, dancing, clowning and lifting spirits in the four “backyard musical’ extravaganzas that forever cemented their reputation as one of Hollywood’s most beloved screen teams. The M-G-M musical classics in this collection, finally making their first appearance on DVD, are the duo’s most famous and successful teamings: "Babes in Arms," "Babes on Broadway," "Strike Up the Band" and "Girl Crazy." This new five-disc DVD collection also includes a separate Bonus Disc of special features, with nearly three hours of essential viewing for Rooney & Garland fans, including "Private Screenings" with Mickey Rooney, an in-depth, deeply personal interview hosted by TCM’s Robert Osborne, and "The Judy Garland Songbook," an unprecedented collection of 21 Garland movie musical numbers, both famous and rare, spanning nearly 20 years of her amazing screen career, with all songs presented in complete form. The bonus disc also features an extensive Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland trailer gallery. Each movie in the collection has a newly-filmed, exclusive introduction by Mickey Rooney as well as vintage comedy shorts, cartoons and radio promos. Memorabilia that no fan will be able to resist rounds out the set with a portfolio of 20 collectible rare behind-the-scenes photos and a collectable guide to the set, featuring vintage memorabilia, promotional advertisements, and other rarities, along with production notes written by noted film historian John Fricke. Fricke also provides commentary on two of the films. "The Mickey Rooney & Judy Garland Ultimate Collector’s Edition" will be sold as a complete set only, in beautiful keepsake packaging, for $49.92 SRP. Order due date is August 21. “Our 'Ultimate Collector's Edition' line is reserved for the crown jewels of the huge Warner library,” said George Feltenstein, WHV's Senior Vice President Theatrical Catalog Marketing “As we did for Fred & Ginger fans last year, we’re delighted to be doing the same for the timeless films Mickey and Judy made during M-G-M’s ‘golden age.’ We're especially thrilled that Mickey Rooney was kind enough to film new introductions. It adds a personal touch that makes this new collection all the more meaningful.” Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney first met at Mrs. Lawlor's School for Professional Children and were as close as brother and little sister. During their tenure among the galaxy of stars in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s heyday, the two appeared together in ten motion pictures. Their first was a light comedy called "Throughbreds Don’t Cry," made in 1937. Their next was "Love Finds Andy Hardy," a 1938 entry into the studio’s series starring Rooney. Judy would later appear in two subsequent Hardy movies with Rooney and Mickey got to introduce her jazzy appearance with Jose Iturbi in 1943’s "Thousands Cheer." Their last big-screen teaming was a delightful comic duet in the 1948 mega-musical "Words And Music." However it was the four films Mickey and Judy made together at Metro for producer Arthur Freed that sealed their status as America’s most beloved young star team. Each had a similar show-business plot and illustrated the enormous talent and versatility of both Rooney and Garland. Beginning with 1939’s "Babes in Arms" (for which Rooney earned a Best Actor Oscar nomination), followed by 1940’s "Strike Up The Band," 1941’s "Babes on Broadway," and climaxing with 1943’s remake of the Gershwin stage classic "Girl Crazy," the Mickey/Judy musicals were box-office smashes that still resonate with audiences of all ages nearly 70 years later. Garland was born Frances Gumm in 1922 and first charmed filmgoers in "Every Sunday," a 1936 M-G-M short subject in which she starred opposite Deanna Durbin. A year later she made a bigger impression in "Broadway Melody of 1938" (1937). Following "Thoroughbreds Don't Cry," Judy made three other musicals, while Rooney alternated between dramatic roles in films such as "Boys Town" or the "Andy Hardy" films. It was in 1938’s that the Rooney/Garland screen chemistry became immediately visible. Immediately "Love Finds Andy Hardy," Garland got her big break in the 1939 masterpiece "The Wizard of Oz," and was awarded the Oscar® for her outstanding performance as a screen juvenile that year. It was Mickey who presented Judy with her special award at the 1940 ceremonies. By that time, Arthur Freed had paired them in "Babes in Arms" and was already filming their second big musical "Strike Up The Band." There was nowhere for this team to go but up. As Garland reached adulthood, she easily became M-G-M’s most popular leading lady, starring in such hits as "For Me and My Gal," "Meet Me in St. Louis," "Easter Parade" and "In the Good Old Summer Stock." Garland left M-G-M and Hollywood for a series of triumphant concert appearances, most notably her legendary stint at New York’s Palace Theater in 1952. She returned to the big screen for her career-defining performance in 1954’s "A Star is Born," which earned her an Oscar nomination as Best Actress. Judy returned to concert performances for the next several years, but returned to the screen again in a strictly dramatic role for producer-director Stanley Kramer’s 1961 drama "Judgment at Nuremburg," which earned her yet another Oscar nomination. Garland made history on April 23rd of that year, with her triumphant Carnegie Hall concert, that went on to be recorded by Capitol Records, resulting in a best-selling album which earned a whopping five Grammy Awards. The “crowning glory” of her short-lived 1963-64 CBS-TV variety show was a knockout duet with a youthful Barbra Streisand. Garland continued to perform on television and in concert halls around the world, until her untimely death on June 22, 1969. So beloved was she that a record 22,000 people filed past her open coffin at Campbell’s Funeral Home in New York City. Today, nearly 40 years after her passing, Garland’s popularity remains indelible. To new generations of children, she is Dorothy Gale, the little girl who went to OZ, and as these generations discover the incredible body of work she left behind, through her recordings, and most importantly her motion pictures, it’s easy to see why she has been called “The World’s Greatest Entertainer.” Rooney, born Joe Yule, Jr. in 1920 to a vaudeville couple, began his screen career at the tender age of six, in a series of silent comedies, released from 1927 to 1933, based on a comic-strip character Mickey McGuire. Soon after, he changed his stage name, adding a different last name. Rooney first gained serious attention for playing Puck in Shakespeare’s "A Midsummer Night's Dream." In 1937, he launched the first of 15 "Andy Hardy" films and in 1938 his role in "Boys Town" earned him a Special Oscar. He was the number one box-office film star from 1939 to 1941. Rooney’s diminutive size allowed him to play boys until he was about 28 years old but he proved to be multi-talented as he moved from musicals to raucous comedy to serious drama. Among his most known movie roles were "Boys Town," "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and "National Velvet." In 1983, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented him with an Honorary Award recognizing “50 years of versatility in a variety of memorable film performances.” On television Rooney starred in Rod Serling’s 1957 drama, “Requiem for a Heavyweight” and in “Bill,” a 1981 made-for-TV film which earned him Emmy and Golden Globe Awards. He returned to his stage roots in 1979, co-starring with Ann Miller in the Broadway hit, "Sugar Babies." About the Films "Babes in Arms" (1939) "Babes in Arms," is considered the quintessential Mickey Rooney-Judy Garland musical. Freely adapted from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart Broadway hit of the same name, it marked the producing debut of Arthur Freed, who would go on to create some of the greatest musical films in motion picture history. To direct the film, Freed hired the legendary Busby Berkeley, who had recently migrated from Warner Bros. to Metro, and Berkeley neatly handled the film’s direction and choreography, with the results being a total sensation. The film went into production immediately after the completion (but before the release of) "The Wizard of Oz" (1939), and Oz fans will be amused to find “The Wicked Witch of the West” actress Margaret Hamilton, once again taking on the role of screen villainess. The semi-autobiographical plot features Rooney playing Mickey Moran, the talented son of a vaudeville team, who rounds up all his fellow child entertainers to stage a fund-raiser show to help out his financially-strapped folks. Variety called it “a topflight filmusical entertainment.” Warner Home Video’s new DVD presents the home video premiere of the film as originally released in 1939. Previous video incarnations represented the film as it was cut for reissue after the end of World War II, when M-G-M removed a charming sequence featuring Mickey and Judy impersonating Eleanor and Franklin D. Roosevelt. At the time, Metro felt the public would not want to see the recently deceased F.D.R. parodied on film, but unfortunately, the studio did not retain any film materials from this deleted number, as it had been cut out of all negatives and prints. Using a recently discovered collector’s print as source material, the sequence “Roosevelt” sequence (a/k/a “My Day”) has been permanently restored to the film. DVD Special Features • Introduction by Mickey Rooney
• Commentary by historian John Fricke
• Vintage Our Gang short "Duel Personalities"
• Classic cartoon "The Mad Maestro"
• 1939 Newsreel with Mickey and Judy • Audio-only bonuses:

• Theatrical Trailer "Strike up the Band" (1940) Mickey plays Jimmy Connors, the leader of his high school band hoping to compete in a nationwide radio contest. Judy is his girlfriend and chief vocalist. Famed orchestra leader Paul Whiteman appears in the film, which is highlighted by a massive Busbv Berkeley production number called “Do The La Conga” and Mickey shows off his percussive skills in the “Drummer Boy” sequence. The film also features the Oscar-nominated song “Our Love Affair” and a rousing finale with the Gershwins’ title tune. DVD Special Features • Introduction by Mickey Rooney
• Pete Smith specialty comedy short "Wedding Bills"
• Classic cartoon "Romeo in Rhythm"
• “Do the La Conga” stereo remix version
• Audio-only bonuses:

• Theatrical Trailer "Babes on Broadway" (1941) This musical treat showcases the teenage duo’s talents as they come up with the idea to produce a show to send orphaned children on a country holiday, as well as to promote their beginning careers. The film gave Mickey and Judy the opportunity to introduce the now-famous ballad “How About You,’ as well as Mickey’s unforgettable impersonation of Carmen Miranda. The film ends with a massive Busby Berkeley production extravaganza, which was one of the highlights of M-G-M’s hit musical compilation "That’s Entertainment!" in 1974. Special Features • Introduction by Mickey Rooney
• Pete Smith Specialty comedy short "How to Hold Your Husband Back"
• Classic cartoon "Dance of the Weed" • Audio-only bonuses:

• "Chin Up! Cheerio! Carry On" Song Demo performed by composer Burton Lane
• Theatrical Trailer "Girl Crazy" (1943) George and Ira Gershwin’s 1930 Broadway hit served as the basis for Mickey and Judy’s last starring picture together. The tunes are sublime -- "Embraceable You," "Fascinating Rhythm," “Bidin’ My Time,” and a beautiful Garland solo on "But Not for Me." The plot has rich playboy Rooney, sent away to an all-male college out West as a way of keeping him in check, and the only gal in town is Judy, the granddaughter of the school's dean. Busby Berkeley staged the colossal dude-ranch finale to the Gershwin standard, "I Got Rhythm,” with Mickey, Judy, and a cast of hundreds, all accompanied by Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra. Look for a special appearance by a very young June Allyson singing “Treat Me Rough.” Special Features • Introduction by Mickey Rooney
• Commentary by historian John Fricke
• Vintage short "Hollywood Daredevils"
• Classic cartoon "The Early Bird Dood It"
• "I Got Rhythm" stereo remix version
• Audio-only bonus: "Bronco Busters" Outtake
• Theatrical Trailer "The Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland Collection" - Bonus Disc • "Private Screenings with Mickey Rooney" - 1996 TCM special hosted by Robert Osborne
• "The Judy Garland Songbook" - A superb collection of 21 complete, magical Judy Garland musical numbers spanning her many films from 1936-1954
• Mickey and Judy Trailer Gallery With operations in 90 international territories, Warner Home Video, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, commands the largest distribution infrastructure in the global video marketplace. Warner Home Video's film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures, Turner Entertainment, Castle Rock Entertainment, HBO Home Video and New Line Home Entertainment.# # #