Photoplay (Jul - Dec 1919)

6o Photoplay Magazine Will Rogers first twirled a rope when he was so young that he lassoed his bottle at mealtime. This was in Claremore, Oklahoma. Rogers county— named after his father who was the first settler there. His parents were both part Indian— Cherokee. "Which makes me," said Rogers, "about one-eighth cigar store." He learned to walk almost with a rope in his hand and through his childhood galloped with the cowmen on his father's ranch. Still in his boyhood he decided one day that there was a lot more room further south in which to twirl ropes and so went to South America. He intended going into the cattle business down there but soon after landing heard the cannibals calling across the .\tlantic and was lured to South Africa. This was just after the close of the Boer war. He joined "Texas Jackie's Wild West Show" and for fourteen months showed the diamond-diggers and missionan.' eaters our own Westem culture. Then Rogers and some other rope-throwers went to Australia, joining "Worth In tWe oval below is the Rogers juvenile ropethrowing trio. From left to right: Mary, aged four years. Bill, six, and Jim — toughest of the lot — two. Above — Bill, with his silver-mounted outfit. .afei Will Rogers in action — re hearsing, on his Oklahoma ranch, the rope-throwing tricks that he used in the Follies. Bros. Circus." For .>;ix months Rogers remained with this organization but finally admitted they couldn't show the natives anything as queer as a kangaroo ■ r . and so came back to the United States. "I left America first class and after working for over two years was able to return third class," he said. "But I was glad to get back, anyway. "We went to the St. Louis World's Fair where we performed in some of the Wild West attractions there and in 1905 I went to New York." And now the germ of his career began to yawn and stretch. He joined a vaude\ille circus act, rope-twirling. After a few months the owner of the show conceived the idea of having his rope-throwers announce their own acts. "So I told the audience one night what I was going to do— that I had a little trick that was pretty good if I could make it work. "A titter started down in the parquet as I finished speaking. It went around the house, swelling in volume. I felt myself flushing. I was seized with stage fright for the first time in my life. I got sore and walked off without doing the trick. I wasn't intendin' to be laughed at." Those few words, emitted earnestly enough, were the very same that Rogers came to use over and o,^er — night after night. They were the key to a famous stage type and the manager of that act seemed to feel it. Possessing a good showman's instinct, he decided that perhaps this business of making the people titter would be important. He induced Rogers to spring his lines again. He did. And got a big laugh. It wasn't long until Rogers was using his lines every night and w-as getting out of the rope-throwers class. Followed a period at Hammerstein's in vaudeville, during which Rogers slowly and carefully developed his stage character. Then he went in for a season of rope-throwing monology at the Folies Bergere in Forty-sixth street. This was in a revue managed by Henr>' B. Harris and Jesse Lasky. A freakish incident was instrumental in making this season his blossoming one. Rogers with his ropes was on the stage when suddenly the lights went out and panic threatened. From the dark of the stage started to drawl the soothing voice of Will Rogers, begging (Continued on page 130)