Will Rogers: ambassador of good will, prince of wit and wisdom (1935)

Page scan 000171 from Will Rogers: ambassador of good will, prince of wit and wisdom

Record Details:

Title:
Will Rogers: ambassador of good will, prince of wit and wisdom
Date:
1935
Publisher:
Chicago : The John C. Winston Company
Volume:
Will Rogers: ambassador of good will, prince of wit and wisdom
Leaf #:
000171
Language:
English
Subjects:
Motion Pictures, Motion pictures--Biography
Collection:
Books
Format:
Books
Contributor:
Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum
Sponsor:
Media History Digital Library
Coordinator:
Media History Digital Library
Date Added:
September 26, 2024
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ROGERS AND POLITICS 153 scheduled for one of the most important speeches of the campaign. Mayor John Porter was a Republican and he declared that he would not welcome in an official capacity a candidate who believed in the repeal of prohibition. Roosevelt backers feared Porter's decision would be detrimental to their nominee and they were in a quandary. Rogers, a lifelong Democrat, heard of the difficulty and offered to make the welcoming speech. The Roosevelt rally was held in the Coliseum and every one of the 100,000 seats in the place was sold at prices ranging from one to five dollars each. Rogers himself bought $1,800 worth of tickets and gave them away to stenographers, stage hands, and extras on the movie lot. The night of the rally, Rogers was never in better form, and of course his principal target was Mayor Porter. He bombarded the Republicans with good-natured barbs of humor and the gathering proved to be the turning point in the campaign in California. When the final returns were counted, it was found that Mayor Porter's action had turned into a boomerang and California had gone Democrat for the first time in sixteen years. POLITICS ROGERS' TARGET On the movie lot at Movietone City, fellow actors used to say that when Will Rogers met anyone for the first time he would ask whether the visitor was a Democrat or a Republican. It was said that he put this question to a famous, wealthy Easterner who had sought an introduction to Rogers. " Republican/' replied the Easterner.