 Rooney's career slumped after his return to civilian life.He was now an adult with a height of only  and he could no longer play the role of a teenager, but he also lacked the stature of most leading men.He appeared in a number of films, including "Words and Music" in 1948, which paired him for the last time with Garland on film (he appeared with her on one episode as a guest on "The Judy Garland Show").