Drama (1948)

During its short three month stint, Shorty Bell became one of the most memorable characters of 1948. Played expertly by Mickey Rooney, Shorty Bell was a boisterous cocky fellow who wanted to break into the newspaper game. While Shorty’s job was really “drivin’ a truck that delivers the bundles hot off the presses,” he still got tangled in the action, trying to prove himself worthy of a journalistic career.

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His weakness was his temper, willing to fight over the slightest insult. Sadly, Shorty Bell didn’t get much of a chance as a old time radio show, as the network only scheduled it for three months airtime. After which, Mickey Rooney went on to star in the replacement show, a talent contest titled Hollywood Showcase. Mickey also went on to star in The Hardy Family

For more newspaper-crime reporting, see also: Big Town, Big Story, Casey Crime Photographer, and Front Page Farrell.