Though not as well remembered today as he should be, Will Rogers was a major celebrity in the 1920's and 30's. He wrote humorous newspaper columns, appeared on stage as part of the Ziegfield Follies, spoke on radio and appeared in movies. However, it was his homespun personality and his down-to-earth commentary that made him so beloved. I am personally quite a fan of his movies from the 1930's (he appeared in some good silent films, but he was better suited for talkies), which are always quite a bit of unpretentious fun. During the 1930's he even appeared in some films by one of the greatest directors the movies ever had, John Ford. Not shockingly those movies (Doctor Bull (1933), Judge Priest (1934), Steamboat Round the Bend (1935)) remain the highlight of his screen career.
Here is an article from an issue of The New Movie Magazine (dated December 1933) where another movie great, Spencer Tracy, talks about his good friend Will Rogers. If you have trouble reading it click on the following pages and use your touch screen to zoom in. If you don't have a touch screen, click here.
Here is one of Will's best feature length movies.
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