Will Rogers

This page is about the humorist; for others with similar names see William Rogers. William Penn Adair "Will" Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American comedian, humorist, vaudeville performer and actor.

Beginnings

Will Rogers was born in Indian Territory in what would later become the state of Oklahoma. His father was Clement Vann Rogers (1839–1911) and his mother was Mary America Schrimsher, both of whom had Cherokee heritage. He used to quip that, "My ancestors didn't come over on the Mayflower, but they met the boat."

The teenage and young-adult Rogers loved the cowboy ways, yet had not settled into any definite career path. In March 1902, he traveled to England in a round-about way of securing passage for Argentina, where from May 1902 he spent five months seeking a career with the gauchos of the Argentine pampas. Later in 1902, the still-restless Rogers sailed for South Africa, where he took a job breaking in horses for the British Army. While in South Africa, he began his show business career as a trick roper in "Texas Jack's Wild West Circus", billed as "The Cherokee Kid".

Vaudeville and "The Follies"

Returning to the U.S. by continuing to perform as a 'Wild West' show performer and trick roper with the Wirth Brothers Circus, Rogers began to try his roping skills on the American Vaudeville circuits.

Although he began by doing only roping tricks (including roping live horses with 2 or more ropes on stage), his wry comments after missing a trick also found favor with audiences. He began working more jokes into his act, yet still concentrated on his top-notch roping abilities.

The key event in Rogers' stage career was his securing a one-week engagement in New York, in the fall of 1915, for showman Florenz Ziegfeld's "Midnight Frolic." This variety revue, beginning at midnight in the top-floor night club of Ziegfeld's New Amsterdam Theatre, drew many influential — and regular — customers. This meant that Rogers could not simply repeat his act each night, as he had done for years of 'one-nighters' in different cities. He made use of his appetite for reading the news of the day, by working up comic commentary on news and newsmakers.

The one-week spot ran on into 1916, and Rogers' obvious popularity resulted in an offer to be one of the comic acts on the more-famous "Ziegfeld Follies." Ziegfeld saw comedians as mere 'stage-fillers' who entertained the audience while the stage was reset for the next spectacle of beautiful girls in stunning costumes. Rogers managed to not only hold his own, but to achieve star status, with both his roping and his precise satire on the daily news. He did this while competing with fellow "Follies" acts such as W. C. Fields, Bert Williams, and Fanny Brice. Rogers would eventually appear in most of the "Follies" from 1916 to 1925.

Travels

From 1925 to 1928, Rogers traveled the length and breadth of the United States in a "lecture tour". (He would begin his lectures by pointing out that "A humorist entertains, and a lecturer annoys!") During this time he became the first civilian to fly from coast to coast with pilots flying the mail in early air mail flights. The National Press Club of Washington, DC, dubbed him "Ambassador at Large of the United States"; and, in 1927, he visited Mexico City with the transatlantic aviation pioneer Charles A. Lindbergh as a guest of Ambassador Dwight Morrow. In subsequent years, Rogers gave numerous after-dinner speeches; became a popular convention speaker; gave benefits for victims of floods, droughts, or earthquakes. After the Great Depression hit the United States, Rogers gave radio talks on unemployment with ex-President Calvin Coolidge, President of the United States Herbert Hoover, and former Presidential candidate Al Smith.

Middle career

Through Rogers' continuing series of columns between 1922 and 1935, as well as in his personal appearances and radio broadcasts, he won the loving admiration of the American people, poking jibes in witty ways at the issues of the day and prominent people — often politicians. He wrote from a non-partisan point of view and became a friend of presidents and a confidant of the great. Loved for his cool mind and warm heart, he was often considered the successor to such greats as Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) and Artemus Ward.

He made a trip to the Orient in 1931 and to Central and South America the following year. In 1934, he made a globe-girdling tour and returned to play the lead in Eugene O'Neill's stage play, Ah, Wilderness! He had tentatively agreed to go on loan from Fox to MGM to star in the 1935 movie version of the play; however, his concern over a fan's reaction to the 'facts-of-life' talk between his character and its son caused him to decline the role — and that freed his schedule to allow him to fly with Wiley Post that summer. He often touted the advantages of flying.

From 1930 to 1935, he made radio broadcasts for the Gulf Oil Company. Since he could easily ramble from one subject to another, reacting to his studio audience, he would lose track of the half-hour time limit in his earliest broadcasts, and was cut off in mid-sentence. To correct this, he brought in a wind-up alarm clock, and its on-air buzzing would alert him to begin wrapping up his comments. By 1935, his show was being announced as "Will Rogers and his famous Alarm Clock"!

The Movies, East Coast and Hollywood

His starring position in the "Ziegfeld Follies" resulted in an offer to star in the silent feature films of Samuel Goldwyn's company. He made his first one, Laughing Bill Hyde, in 1918. It was filmed in Fort Lee, New Jersey, since many early films were made near the major New York performing market; Rogers could make the film, yet still remain ready to rehearse and perform in the "Follies."

Rogers moved permanently to the West Coast in 1919, when the Goldwyn company moved to join the rise of film-making in California. He made 12 silent movies for Goldwyn until his contract ended in 1921. At this time, he was also making the "Illiterate Digest" film-strip series for Gaumont.

Inspired by the concept of the United Artists (the independent films of Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, and D.W. Griffith), Rogers tried his hand at making his own films, nearly bankrupting himself before returning to the Ziegfeld Follies to pay off his debts.

While Rogers enjoyed adding film acting to his entertainment experience, his time in silent movies suffered from the obvious restrictions of silence — not the strongest medium for him, having gained his fame as a commentator on stage. It helped somewhat that he wrote a good many of the 'title cards' appearing in his films.

In 1923, he began a one-year stint for Hal Roach, making twelve pictures for the up-and-coming movie comedy mogul. After twelve pictures, he ended the contract in 1924. He made two other feature silents and a travelogue series in 1927, and did not return to the screen until his time in the 'talkies' began in 1929.

From 1929 to 1935, Rogers became the star of the Fox Film lot (now 20th Century Fox). Far from being a "B-Movie" level performer, Rogers appeared in 21 feature films alongside the likes of Lew Ayres, Billie Burke, Jane Darwell, Andy Devine, Stepin Fetchit, Janet Gaynor, Boris Karloff, Myrna Loy, Joel McCrea, Hattie McDaniel, Ray Milland, Maureen O'Sullivan, ZaSu Pitts, Dick Powell, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Mickey Rooney, and Peggy Wood. He was directed three times by John Ford.

With his voice becoming increasingly familiar to audiences, he was able to basically play himself, without normal makeup, in each film, managing to 'ad-lib' and even work in his familiar commentaries on politics at times. The clean moral tone of his films led to an activity nearly unimaginable today: various public schools taking their classes, during the school day, to attend special showings of some of them.

His most unusual role may have been in the first talking version of Mark Twain's novel, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. His popularity soared to new heights with films including Young As You Feel, Judge Priest, and Life Begins at 40 with Richard Cromwell, and Rochelle Hudson.

In 1934, Will Rogers was chosen to host the 7th Annual Academy Awards Ceremony, held at the Fiesta Room of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California.

Writing

At the same time, he also began writing a popular syndicated short item called "Will Rogers Says". Literally a telegram which he composed daily to address each day's news, it often appeared on the front pages of its subscribing papers.

In it, he expressed his disappointment with big government and the effect it had on the nation, particularly during the Depression era. His wit was often caustic: as he explained, "There's no trick to being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you." Nevertheless, he identified with the Democratic Party, saying "I don't belong to any organized party. I'm a Democrat," and was a vocal supporter of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. At one point, he was even asked to run for governor of Oklahoma, the party hoping to benefit from his immense popularity.

Marriage and children

Rogers married Betty Blake (1879–1944) in 1908, and they had four children: Will Rogers, Jr. (1911–1993); Mary Amelia Rogers (1913–1989), who married Walter Brooks II; James Blake Rogers (1915–2000), who married Margeurite Astre Kemmler (1917–1987), and after her death married Judith Braun; and Fred Stone Rogers (1918–1920), who died of diphtheria as an infant.

Death

An avid booster of aviation, Rogers undertook a sightseeing trip to Alaska with a fellow Oklahoman, world-renowed aviator Wiley Post, in the summer of 1935. Post's plane, an experimental and top-heavy hybrid of Lockheed Explorer and Orion parts, crashed near Point Barrow, Alaska, on 15 August 1935, killing both men.

In 1944 his body was moved from a holding vault in California to the grounds of the Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma. The memorial is built on the site of land overlooking Claremore, which Rogers owned with the idea of living on it in retirement. Later in 1944, Mrs. Rogers was interred beside him.

On November 4, 1948, the United States Post Office commemorated Rogers with a first day cover of a 3-cent stamp with his image — the inscription reads, "In honor of Will Rogers, Humorist, Claremore, Oklahoma." He was also later honored on the centennial of his birth, in 1979, with the issue of a United States Postal Service 15-cent stamp as part of the "Performing Arts" series.

Legacy

It may be difficult for people today to comprehend the place Rogers held in the U.S.A. at the time of his death. He was its most widely read newspaper columnist, between his daily "Will Rogers Says" telegrams and his weekly column; his Sunday night half-hour radio show was the nation's most-listened-to weekly broadcast; and, he had been the nation's Number-Two movie 'Box Office Draw' in 1933 (behind Marie Dressler) and Number-One in 1934, ranking 2nd at the time of his death for 1935 only to Shirley Temple.

Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma was named after him, as was the U.S. Navy submarine the USS Will Rogers and Rogers State University, a four-year public university located in Claremore, Oklahoma. Rogers' home, stables, and polo fields are preserved today for public enjoyment at Will Rogers State Park in Pacific Palisades, California. Rogers' birthplace is open to the public and is located two miles east of Oologah, Oklahoma, on land overlooking his original ranch (now covered by the reservoir Lake Oologah).

A statue of Will Rogers on his horse was erected on the campus of Texas Tech University, with its rear end facing Texas A&M, a football rival.

At Epcot, an audio-animatronic Will Rogers is seen twirling his lasso and speaking in The American Adventure's 1930s sequence.

In Colorado Springs, Colorado, the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun was erected by Spencer Penrose in 1937. It is an 80-foot observation tower built near Cheyenne Mountain and includes a photographic exhibition of Rogers' life.

Rogers had the posthumous honor of having his eldest son, Will Jr., star as him in the 1948 biopic "The Will Rogers Story." Rogers also came to life for modern audiences in the Tony Award–winning musical, the Will Rogers Follies (played by Keith Carradine), and he was also portrayed by James Whitmore in the one-man show Will Rogers U.S.A.

Will Rogers has a beach named after him in Southern California.

The old US Route 66 is known as the Will Rogers Highway — "officially" named this by the US Highway 66 Association in 1952. A plaque dedicating the highway to the humorist is still located opposite the western terminus of Route 66 in Santa Monica, California. There were more plaques like this; one can be found in Galena, Kansas. It was originally located on the Kansas-Missouri state line, but moved to the Howard Litch Memorial Park in 2001.

A statue of Rogers stands outside the west anchor of the Vinita, Oklahoma McDonald's, which spans the lanes of the Will Rogers Turnpike.

For his contribution to the entertainment industry in motion pictures and radio, Will Rogers was awarded two stars on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame at the following locations:

6401 Hollywood Blvd. (motion pictures)
6608 Hollywood Blvd. (radio)

References

Writings of Rogers

Steven K. Gragert and M. Jane Johansson, eds. The Papers of Will Rogers (5 vol 1996-2006)
Steven K. Gragert, ed., Radio Broadcasts of Will Rogers (1983).
Rogers-isms: The Cowboy Philosopher On The Peace Conference, 1919
Rogers-isms: The Cowboy Philosopher On Prohibition, 1919
Will Rogers's Illiterate Digest, 1923
Letters Of A Self-Made Diplomat To His President, 1926
There's Not A Bathing Suit In Russia, 1927
Ether And Me, or "Just Relax", 1928

Secondary sources

Ben Yagoda. Will Rogers: A Biography (2000)

Filmography

Years are release dates.

SILENT FILMS:

Goldwyn Studios:

Laughing Bill Hyde, 1918; Almost A Husband, Jubilo, and Water, Water Everywhere, 1919; The Strange Boarder, Jes' Call Me Jim, Cupid The Cowpuncher, Honest Hutch, and Guile Of Women, 1920; Boys Will Be Boys, An Unwilling Hero, Doubling For Romeo, and A Poor Relation, 1921. (All but "Laughing Bill Hyde" directed by Clarence G. Badger)

Gaumont:

The Illiterate Digest, 1920 (film-strips with still photos and Rogers' quips and comments on current events).

Famous Players/Lasky:

One Glorious Day, 1922; Hollywood, 1923.

Sleepy Hollow Corp.:

The Headless Horseman, 1922.

Rogers/Pathé:

The Ropin' Fool, Fruits Of Faith, and One Day in 365 (unreleased), 1922.

Hal Roach/Pathé (2-Reelers):

Hustling Hank, Two Wagons Both Covered, Jes' Passin' Through, and Uncensored Movies, 1923; The Cake Eater, The Cowboy Sheik, Big Moments From Little Pictures, High Brow Stuff, Going to Congress, Don't Park There, Jubilo Jr. (as part of the "Our Gang" series), Our Congressman, A Truthful Liar, and Gee Whiz Genevieve, 1924.

British National:

Tip Toes, 1927.

Pathé ("With Will Rogers" travelog series):

In Dublin, In Paris, Hiking Through Holland, Roaming The Emerald Isle, Through Switzerland And Bavaria, In London, Hunting For Germans In Berlin, Prowling Around France, Winging Round Europe, Exploring England, and Reeling Down The Rhine, 1927; Over The Bounding Blue, 1928.

First National:

A Texas Steer, 1927.

SOUND FILMS:

Fox Film Corp:

They Had To See Paris and Happy Days, 1929; So This Is London and Lightnin' , 1930; A Connecticut Yankee, Young As You Feel, Ambassador Bill, and Business And Pleasure, 1931; Down To Earth and Too Busy To Work, 1932; State Fair, Doctor Bull, and Mr. Skitch, 1933; David Harum, Handy Andy, and Judge Priest, 1934; The County Chairman, Life Begins At Forty, Doubting Thomas, Steamboat Round The Bend, and In Old Kentucky, 1935.

External links

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