Will Rogers
William "Will" Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer and actor and one of the best-known celebrities in the 1920s and 1930s. Known as Oklahoma's favorite son, Rogers was born to a prominent Cherokee Nation family in Indian Territory (now part of Oklahoma). He traveled around the world three times, made 71 movies (50 silent films and 21 "talkies"), wrote more than 4,000 nationally-syndicated newspaper columns, and became a world-famous figure. By the mid-1930s, Rogers was adored by the American people. He was the leading political wit of the Progressive Era, and was the top-paid Hollywood movie star at the time. Rogers died in 1935 with aviator Wiley Post, when their small airplane crashed near Barrow, Alaska. His vaudeville rope act led to success in the Ziegfeld Follies, which in turn led to the first of his many movie contracts. His 1920s syndicated newspaper column and his radio appearances increased his visibility and popularity. Rogers crusaded for aviation expansion, and provided Americans with first-hand accounts of his world travels. His earthy anecdotes and folksy style allowed him to poke fun at gangsters, prohibition, politicians, government programs, and a host of other controversial topics in a way that was readily appreciated by a national audience, with no one offended. His short aphorisms, couched in humorous terms, were widely quoted: "I am not a member of an organized political party. I am a Democrat." Rogers even provided an epigram on his most famous epigram: When I die, my epitaph, or whatever you call those signs on gravestones, is going to read: "I joked about every prominent man of my time, but I never met a man I dident like." I am so proud of that, I can hardly wait to die so it can be carved. Description above from the Wikipedia article Will Rogers, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known For
Credits
- 2010 · Will Rogers and American Politics as
- 1993 · Shirley Temple: America's Little Darling as Self (archive footage)
- 1990 · Babe Ruth: The Man, the Myth, the Legend as himself
- 1984 · Going Hollywood: The '30s as (archive footage)
- 1976 · The Biggest Little Star of the 30's as Self(archive footage)
- 1975 · Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? as Self (archive footage)
- 1961 · The Legend of Rudolph Valentino as Self (archive footage)
- 1957 · The Golden Age of Comedy as archive footage
- 1948 · The Ed Sullivan Show as Self (archive footage)
- 1942 · Screen Snapshots (Series 22, No. 10) as Self (archive footage)
- 1940 · If I Forget You as Will Rogers (uncredited/archive footage)
- 1935 · In Old Kentucky as Steve Tapley
- 1935 · Steamboat Round the Bend as Doctor John Pearly
- 1935 · Doubting Thomas as Thomas Brown
- 1935 · Life Begins at Forty as Keneshaw H. Clark
- 1935 · The County Chairman as Jim Hackler
- 1934 · Judge Priest as Judge William Pitman 'Billy' Priest
- 1934 · Handy Andy as Andrew Yates
- 1934 · David Harum as David Harum
- 1933 · Mr. Skitch as Ira Skitch
- 1933 · Doctor Bull as Dr. George 'Doc' Bull
- 1933 · State Fair as Abel Frake
- 1932 · Too Busy to Work as Jubilo
- 1932 · Down To Earth as Pike Peters
- 1932 · Business and Pleasure as Earl Tinker
- 1931 · Ambassador Bill as Bill Harper
- 1931 · Young as You Feel as Lemuel Morehouse
- 1931 · A Connecticut Yankee as Hank Martin
- 1930 · Lightnin' as Lightnin' Bill Jones
- 1930 · So This Is London as Hiram Draper
- 1929 · They Had to See Paris as Pike Peters
- 1929 · Happy Days as Minstrel Show Performer
- 1927 · Exploring England with Will Rogers as
- 1927 · A Texas Steer as Cattle Brander
- 1927 · Winging Around Europe with Will Rogers as Himself
- 1927 · Tiptoes as Uncle Hen Kaye
- 1927 · With Will Rogers in Dublin as Self
- 1924 · A Truthful Liar as Ambassador Alfalfa Doolittle
- 1924 · Jubilo, Jr. as Jubilo / Himself
- 1924 · Don't Park There as
- 1924 · Going to Congress as Alfalfa Doolittle
- 1924 · Big Moments from Little Pictures as
- 1924 · The Cake Eater as
- 1924 · The Cowboy Sheik as 'Two Straw' Bill
- 1924 · Two Wagons Both Covered as Bill Bunian / Joe Jackson
- 1923 · Uncensored Movies as Lem Skagwillow
- 1923 · Hustlin' Hank as Hank
- 1923 · Jus' Passin' Through as Jubilo
- 1923 · Hollywood as Will Rogers
- 1922 · The Headless Horseman as Ichabod crane
- 1922 · Screen Snapshots, Series 3, No. 12 as Self
- 1922 · The Ropin' Fool as 'Ropes' Reilly
- 1922 · One Glorious Day as Professor Ezra Botts
- 1921 · A Poor Relation as Noah Vale
- 1921 · Doubling for Romeo as Sam Cody / Romeo
- 1921 · Boys Will Be Boys as Peep O'Day
- 1921 · An Unwilling Hero as Dick
- 1921 · Guile of Women as Hjalmar Maartens
- 1920 · Honest Hutch as Hutch
- 1920 · Cupid the Cowpuncher as Alec Lloyd
- 1920 · Jes' Call Me Jim as Jim Fenton
- 1920 · The Strange Boarder as Sam Gardner
- 1920 · Water, Water, Everywhere as Billy Fortune
- 1919 · Jubilo as Jubilo
- 1919 · Almost a Husband as Sam Lyman
- 1918 · Laughing Bill Hyde as Bill Hyde