1879-11-03 Oologah, Indian Territory (now Oklahoma)
William "Will" Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer and actor and one of the best-known celebrities in the 1920s and 1930s. Known as Oklahoma's favorite son, Rogers was born to a prominent Cherokee Nation family in Indian Territory (now part of Oklahoma). He traveled around the world three times, made 71 movies (50 silent films and 21 "talkies"), wrote more than 4,000 nationally-syndicated newspaper columns, and became a world-famous figure. By the mid-1930s, Rogers was adored by the American people. He was the leading political wit of the Progressive Era, and was the top-paid Hollywood movie star at the time. Rogers died in 1935 with aviator Wiley Post, when their small airplane crashed near Barrow, Alaska. His vaudeville rope act led to success in the Ziegfeld Follies, which in turn led to the first of his many movie contracts. His 1920s syndicated newspaper column and his radio appearances increased his visibility and popularity. Rogers crusaded for aviation expansion, and provided Americans with first-hand accounts of his world travels. His earthy anecdotes and folksy style allowed him to poke fun at gangsters, prohibition, politicians, government programs, and a host of other controversial topics in a way that was readily appreciated by a national audience, with no one offended. His short aphorisms, couched in humorous terms, were widely quoted: "I am not a member of an organized political party. I am a Democrat." Rogers even provided an epigram on his most famous epigram: When I die, my epitaph, or whatever you call those signs on gravestones, is going to read: "I joked about every prominent man of my time, but I never met a man I dident like." I am so proud of that, I can hardly wait to die so it can be carved. Description above from the Wikipedia article Will Rogers, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
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Will Rogers and American Politics | Self (archive footage) | 2010-11-30 |
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Shirley Temple: America's Little Darling | Self (archive footage) | 1993-08-31 |
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Babe Ruth: The Man, the Myth, the Legend | himself | 1990-04-25 |
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Going Hollywood: The '30s | (archive footage) | 1984-01-01 |
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The Biggest Little Star of the 30's | Self(archive footage) | 1976-01-01 |
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Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? | Self (archive footage) | 1975-08-06 |
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The Legend of Rudolph Valentino | Self (archive footage) | 1961-05-24 |
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The Golden Age of Comedy | archive footage | 1957-12-26 |
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Screen Snapshots (Series 22, No. 10) | Self (archive footage) | 1942-01-01 |
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If I Forget You | Will Rogers (uncredited/archive footage) | 1940-05-01 |
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Life Begins at Forty | Keneshaw H. Clark | 1935-03-22 |
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In Old Kentucky | Steve Tapley | 1935-11-28 |
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Doubting Thomas | Thomas Brown | 1935-07-10 |
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The County Chairman | Jim Hackler | 1935-01-11 |
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Steamboat Round the Bend | Doctor John Pearly | 1935-09-06 |
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Handy Andy | Andrew Yates | 1934-07-19 |
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David Harum | David Harum | 1934-03-02 |
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Judge Priest | Judge William Pitman 'Billy' Priest | 1934-09-15 |
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Mr. Skitch | Ira Skitch | 1933-12-22 |
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Doctor Bull | Dr. George 'Doc' Bull | 1933-09-22 |
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State Fair | Abel Frake | 1933-02-10 |
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Too Busy to Work | Jubilo | 1932-12-02 |
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Business and Pleasure | Earl Tinker | 1932-02-24 |
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Down To Earth | Pike Peters | 1932-09-01 |
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Ambassador Bill | Bill Harper | 1931-11-13 |
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Voice of Hollywood (Series 2, No. 3) | Himself | 1931-12-31 |
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A Connecticut Yankee | Hank Martin | 1931-04-06 |
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Young as You Feel | Lemuel Morehouse | 1931-08-06 |
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So This Is London | Hiram Draper | 1930-05-23 |
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Lightnin' | Lightnin' Bill Jones | 1930-11-28 |
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Happy Days | Minstrel Show Performer | 1929-09-16 |
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They Had to See Paris | Pike Peters | 1929-09-18 |
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A Texas Steer | Cattle Brander | 1927-12-04 |
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Winging Around Europe with Will Rogers | Himself | 1927-11-20 |
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With Will Rogers in Dublin | Self | 1927-03-06 |
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Tiptoes | Uncle Hen Kaye | 1927-06-19 |
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Exploring England with Will Rogers | 1927-12-18 | |
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The Cake Eater | 1924-03-02 | |
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The Cowboy Sheik | 'Two Straw' Bill | 1924-02-03 |
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A Truthful Liar | Ambassador Alfalfa Doolittle | 1924-08-16 |
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Going to Congress | Alfalfa Doolittle | 1924-05-24 |
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Jubilo, Jr. | Jubilo / Himself | 1924-06-28 |
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Big Moments from Little Pictures | 1924-03-30 | |
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Don't Park There | 1924-06-22 | |
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Two Wagons Both Covered | Bill Bunian / Joe Jackson | 1924-01-05 |
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Jus' Passin' Through | Jubilo | 1923-10-14 |
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Uncensored Movies | Lem Skagwillow | 1923-12-09 |
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Hollywood | Will Rogers | 1923-08-19 |
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Hustlin' Hank | Hank | 1923-11-11 |
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The Headless Horseman | Ichabod crane | 1922-11-05 |
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One Glorious Day | Professor Ezra Botts | 1922-01-29 |
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The Ropin' Fool | 'Ropes' Reilly | 1922-10-29 |
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Screen Snapshots, Series 3, No. 12 | Self | 1922-11-05 |
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A Poor Relation | Noah Vale | 1921-12-30 |
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Doubling for Romeo | Sam Cody / Romeo | 1921-10-22 |
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Boys Will Be Boys | Peep O'Day | 1921-05-05 |
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Guile of Women | Hjalmar Maartens | 1921-01-01 |
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An Unwilling Hero | Dick | 1921-01-08 |
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The Strange Boarder | Sam Gardner | 1920-04-01 |
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Cupid the Cowpuncher | Alec Lloyd | 1920-07-25 |
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Water, Water, Everywhere | Billy Fortune | 1920-02-08 |
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Jes' Call Me Jim | Jim Fenton | 1920-05-23 |
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Honest Hutch | Hutch | 1920-09-19 |
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Almost a Husband | Sam Lyman | 1919-10-11 |
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Jubilo | Jubilo | 1919-12-07 |
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Laughing Bill Hyde | Bill Hyde | 1918-09-22 |
