Will Rogers (William Penn Adair Rogers, 1879-1935) by Alexander Paul Kahle (1886-1968)
Rogers started out as a trick roper in a circus in South Africa; over the course of the next fifteen years he gradually added ad-libbed speech to his act. In 1915, he joined the ZIEGFELD MIDNIGHT FROLIC cast — atop the New Amsterdam Theatre — extending his run into 1916. He moved on to the FOLLIES in 1917, becoming a regular (1917-18 and 1921-25); he also continued to appear from time to time at the MIDNIGHT FROLIC as well as Ziegfeld’s NINE O’CLOCK REVIEW.
He could make films during the day, in New Jersey, before reporting to the theater in Manhattan. Sam Goldwyn brought him out west, and Rogers later worked for Hal Roach. In all he made 71 films, most of them silent: with sound he became a superstar.
His dry wit managed to be sharp without alienating his listeners. His newspaper columns, like his live performances, radio shows, and film work, turned him into a beloved American sage. It was Will Rogers who said “I am not a member of an organized political party. I am a Democrat.” He also wanted his gravestone to read “I never met a man I didn’t like.”
He was committed to promoting American aviation, and died in Alaska on an aerial surveying trip with Wiley Post.
