Evening star., 1924-02-24
from Yesterdays Star.
CHAPTER XXX.
Good Old VIII Rogers.

one of the worlds most infec-
tious comedians. Yet, I have set
aside chronological considerations in
order to save for last my recoIlections
of man whose comedy touches
frightened the Goldwyn lot almost as
much as they did the Goldwyn screen.
1t was Rex Beach and 1 who
brought Will Rogers into pictures.
After our approach he confided to us
that he had been somewhat mystified
by the delayed recognition of his tai
ents on the part of the picture world.
Il used to think it was funny" said
he, in his own inimitable way. Here
motion pictures were booming along.
They were getting in trained dogs
singers and everybody in the world
but me. l couldn't make it out, and
now after all these years you fellows
have come to-"
Rogers still loves to dwell on these
fictitious pangs of sighted talent.
a movement on foot for making few
err and worse pictures and so they
hired me-"
Certainly If his coming into picture
activities was the result of any such
urge. we were woefully misled. For
uio JupltO was OHo Oh the DcSI PIC
lures ever produced by the Goldwyn
company.
Around his selection for the chief
character of this story Will weaves
one of his choicest monologues. "Sam
had bought a tramp story" he re-
lateS, "and he was looking around the
lot one day for sorheoody who could
play the tramp. Well, he happened
to see me in my street clothes, and he
said, There is the very fellow to
play the tramp" OF course, he
adds. Il love to play a tramp-you
can act so natural and never have to
dress for it,
Whether this story is historically
correct or not it does bring out one
of Wills claims to distinction in the
Hollywood community. An old slouch
hat pulled down over his eyes and
some kind of nondescript trousers,
increased as a child's brow-this is
his inveterate costume. Clad in this
wise, he used to stand around the
Goldwyn lawn, and, surrounded by a
crowd OF cowboys and extras, would
amuse himself by throwing the lariat
at our Keep off the grass" signs.
The reader may imagine what a
personality like this did for a studio
overcharged with the artis-
tic temperament. Temperament itself
seemed to find relief in those droll re-
marks with which Rogers meets al
CscIy fSSue ol the udy. NuHleT-
Gus times l saw Miss Farrar and Miss
Frederick talking with the comedian.
and both gave every sign of an un-
shadowed enjoyment in his conversa-
tion. 1t was one of the two, l think
who asked Will one day whether he
liked pictures as well as he did the
stage.
"Oh. sure" drawled he, with the
unsmiling face which always makes
his verbal twist the more Irresistible.
Why, up to the time I went into pic
lures l had never annoyed more than
one audience at a time. This is the
only business in the world where you
can sit out front and applaud your
self. Now, I was getting to that
place on the stage where that feature
appealed to me-"
incidentally. one of Rogers most
amusing memories of the stage impli-
Gates Miss Farrar. l shall let him
sketch this with his own pungency
of style. II made one picture, 'Dou-
bling for Romeo" he relates. "The
reason we made it was that we could
use the same costumes that Miss
Geraldine Farrar and friend of hers
Cat that time) had worn in some cos
tune pictures-all these Shak espear-
can tights and everything. don't
say this egotistically. but 1 wore
There may be those in the screen
tions. who are played upon by gusts
of alternate personal attraction and
repulsion. Not so Rogers. He is es-
sentially a home man, and the first
thing he did when he came to Holly
wood was to invest the savings of
years in house for his family. This
residence Of Bills is on Beverly hills,
and its location imposed upon its
owner heavy social responsibility.
You know" I heard him telling
pal occupation in California is not
making pictures-it is official guide
live on the same hill as Uncle Doug
and Aunt Mary-only I live much
lower down the hill than they do
in fact. I live at the foot of the hill
of two streets, and all 1 do all day
long is to tell tourists where Mary
Pickford lives. / will be out in the
yard going through my daily work
maybe licking my second kid-when
some Iowa car will drive up and say.
lives" So. 1 stand and point it out
just point and say. Mary Pickford
lives right UP there
You want to know why L came
back to the stage for a while-why,
Just to get a rest. was SO tired
every charity affair that was ever
held in Los Angeles. and their people
are very appreciative. so. when I die
they are going to give me a benefit
and take the money and erect a statue
OF me, with the arm pointing toward
ford lives right up there"
There is nothing waspish about
Rogers funmaking. Such a quality
OF humor as his implies, in fact,
true sense of life's values. a very
wise and mellow spirit. Nothing
b to ola 81,
munication 1 received from him not
very long ago.
Dear Sam" it read. when YOU
first announced that you were going
to write this book of memoirs must
say it didn't create much of a stir in
memoirs were. Then when they found
it meant truths. everybody, including
myself, commenced to get leery and
wondered If you were going to re-
member everything. Now, I don't
know what you are going to put into
for the salvation of the infant indus
try, you don't tell all-especially not
what some of my pictures crossed.
But if you've got to say something
about me, say this--they weres the
two happiest years Of my life that I
had some great troops there in those
days all of them good fellows.
There was Miss Frederick, whom
everybody that ever met her liked
Miss Madge Kennedy, than whom we
have no sweeter character of stage or
screen; Mabel Normand, the 'kidder'
and good fellow, friend of every soul
on earth, whose quiet and not-seen
charity has helped many a poor soul
in need; Tom Moore, as good an Irish
man as ever lived and not stuck on
his looks either
'Also say this: I made in the two
secutive pictures--all with one direc-
tor, Clarence Badger. That, 1 think,
is a record-to be with the same di-
rector. And if there is anything
worth while in any of them, it was
certainly due to his efforts, as I am
no actor. But he is patient, capable
and the finest mani ever met"
l have saved this communication
hecansa nothing else conld rauaa l