Imperial Valley press., 1932-09-20
Highlights In The Interesting Life OF Will Rogers

tending Rogers simple moose throwing
feat that he was promptly booked into
Keith's Union Square theatre in the first
act of his own. Thus he lassoed fame.
For time his act consisted solely in
his sitting upon his pony in the middle
of the stage, chewing his gum and spin
ming his rope. He had already built
up following and Oscar Hammerstein
seemed content with this silent cowboy
whose only conversation was carried on
with his horse, Comanche.
About this time another lucky break
came Will Rogers way. He was doing
his act, complacently chewing his cud
and whispering sweet nothings into
Gpmanches ear, when one of the
gods high up in the gallery made
some sarcastic reference to the taciturn
cowboy on the horse Will looked up
at the shelf" Without hesitation he
made witty retort, which while il has
unfortunately been lost to posterity, was
clever enough to be understood and ap-
preciated by the audience. Will Rogers
first Joke got over with what has been
described as a bang.
For several years Will Rogers went
over the big time vaudeville circuits,
providing laughter from coast to coast.
In 1915 he returned to New York. Then
came the late Florenz Ziegfeld, who
featured Will in the "Follies," later
starring him. What Will had to say
and did say about political and social
events won him renown far beyond the
walls of the theatre.
Later in the "Follies'', where he ap.
peared without his pony, Will chewed
and drawled his way through twenty
minutes OF chatter. No less austere an
authority than the late Woodrow Will
son said he found Wills remarks
not only humorous but Illuminating.
From being a successful girl-show
comedian Rogers has since become by
degrees one of the most quoted, syndic
ated and banquetted of the country's
humorists.
In 1919, Will Rogers entered into G
contract to star in motion pictures fol
Goldwyn. For two years he made com
edies, including "Jubilo," Doubling
For Romeo" Just Call Me Jim,' anc
"Ichabod Crane" Rogers is now max
ing "Jubilo' as a talkie for Fox to fol
low his current vehicle for that com
pany, Down To Earth"
In 1921 Will Rogers returned to hi.
first love, the "Follies," but then ths
next year found him back in Hollywood
again. In 1924 he returned to the
call Of Florenz the Magnificent, Zieg.
field, who again starred him midst scores
of scantily clad coryphees, at a salary
reputed to be larger than that of any
performer on the stage.
Rogers has since been starred in in.
Vulnerable shows. not the least of which
was Three Cheers pinch-htting fol
his lifelong friend, Fred Stone, when
the latter was almost fatally injured ir
an airplane accident. Stones famous
recovery is now history.
A curious note in connection with
Three Cheers" is the fact that the
producer Charles Dillingham; alway.
sent Rogers his salary in the form of q
signed blank check, permitting Roger:
to fill in the amount.
What the amount was has alway.
been a secret.
1t was in 1919 that Rogers published
his first book, The Cowboy at tn,
Peace Conference" This book contain
his famous quip:
1T says here (The Peace Covenant)
There is to be no more wars And
then there is a paragraph further down
telling you where you can get your am
munition in case there is one"