The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-08-21
BY ROBERT BURKHARDT
Written for United Press
fConvreht 1898 bv United Pressl

fConvri9hf 1898. hv United Press
HOLLYWOOD, Aug. 81. - An
IL accident started VIII Rogers
on his way to fame.
1t was during A return engage
ment at Hammerstein's Roof Of
the vaudeville act Of viii Rogers
and Company" consisting Of viii.
a little show horse named Teddy
and Buck Mckee, horseman.
1t was Just 30 years ago" Will
recalled recently while visiting the
McKees. that We started out to-
gether at Hsmmerstein's and kept
gOin' for five solid years. Only lay
offs we had was on the ocean
making our two trips to Europe"
It was Buck Mckee. Will said,
who started him off talking TO
his audiences.
He used to make wisecracks to
me as I stood in the wings" Buck
explained. and sometimes the
first two or three rows of the or
chestra would hear them. They
always laughed. and I tried to get
Bill to talk louder, but he was
bashful.
one day a theater manager,
wondering what was going OIL.
stood beside me and he got lot
of laughs. too Why don't you
put that out TO the audience?' he
asked. and Bill. thinking he meant
the roping loop he was throwing
out over the audience. explained
1t was the longest he had, but
he'd try it some time"
MRS. ROGERS finally urged
WI Will to try talking to his
audience. With her moral sup
port, he remarked one night about
the management not allowing
cowboys to cuss freely when muff-
ing a rope trick. That was his
first crack and it went over.
His next was during the late
Theodore ROOsevelt's regime when
the country was split by partisan
ship. People either hated Teddy
or loved him. 1t gave Will an
idea, and he coupled it with the
fact that T. r. was then seeking
the River of Doubt in South
America.
viii would twirl his rope and
say, Il wonder whatever became
of that fellow?" The anti
RooSevelts would roar.
With laughter added 10 his
previously dumb" act. Will became
a headliner and bounded up the
ladder to fame and fortune.
Florenz Ziegfeld signed him for
his famous "FOllies" and for six
years. without a night of. Will
changed his stuff at every per-
Torrance; developing his tech
nique in finding laughs in the
days news.
LIE continued TO gravitate from
Il Il Ziegfeld shows to vaudeville
and back again. making several
trips abroad and scoring as big a
success IN London and Paris and
Berlin as he did in the larger
American cities.
A little more than 20 years ago,
V. v. McNitt, president of a news
paper syndicate. invited Will to
dinner after seeing him perform
at the New Amsterdam Theater
in New York. and proposed tn t
the cowboy comedian write daily
anecdote for Newspa perS.
"ShuckS. l can't write" re-
sponded Will. Blu Mr.. McNitt
was insistent and Will agreed to
try. Thus was born the daily Will
Rogers newspaper feature.
When Will left the stage in
1919 for Hollywood, Flo Ziegfeld
warned him to look out for those
movie cuties."
Heck" Will replied. IF your
gals couldn't break me down in all
these years. what chance has those
in Hollywood got?"
HE comedian made three ST
Il lent features. including Jul
bilo." One Glorious Day" and
The Texas Steer" and { number
of comedies. most famous of which
was his travesty on The Covered
Wagon which he titled. Two
WagonS-BOth Covered" His gag
about the Escrow Indians" from
Los Angeles is still repeated.
His silent pictures. minus his
familiar drawl and inimitable
wisecrackS. we're not successful
and he returned to the "Follies"
in 1922 remaining on Broadway
for another seven years.
With the development of talk
ing pictures. Winfield Sheehan
persuaded Will to try the movies
a second time. and with consider
able Skepticism he agreed to make
one picture as a tryout. 1t was
Homer Croy's They Had to See
Paris and it Immediately estab-
lished Will as a big box Office
favorite.
Before he could start his Sec
ond picture. Fred Stone. his
friend for many years, was badly
injured in an airplane crash.
breaking both legs. Mr.. Stone had
Just opened in Three Cheers, :"