The Story of Will Rogers

Both Michael Curtiz and his longtime employer, Warner Brothers, showed a flair for biographies, and this one has been somewhat underrated. The story is the familiar one of the rise of a young man from obscurity to worldwide fame, and there are really no surprises here. Audiences at the time the movie came out (1952) probably knew much about Rogers' life anyway, though he is nowadays an almost forgotten figure. This movie is solid entertainment, nicely photographed in color, and Will Rogers, Jr. gives an excellent, engaging performance as his father. It is basically a series of cliches, which, once once accepts the premise, one can thoroughly delight in, as I did, as the skill with which such material is handled constitutes the pleasure of watching such a predictable movie as this.

Rogers was a huge star in vaudeville on Broadway and in the movies. He was also a newspaper columnist and radio commentator, and hugely popular in his day. His homespun humor has dated badly, but the rough and tumble world he came out of is fascinating to see recreated on screen. There are nice ironies in the movie, among them, Rogers' move from the "real west" (Oklahoma) to the "false west" (Hollywood). I also like the casting of the refined, almost patrician actor, Carl Benton Reid, as Rogers' father. The arrival of barnstorming aviator who lands literally in Rogers' backyard, is stunningly filmed, and one can't help get a lump in one's throat as soon as one learns his name: Wiley Post.

This one is now out on DVD in the Warner Archives Collection. I saw this picture when it first came out - I was 11 at the time and I wanted to see if it held up in the ensuing 58 years, and I'm pleased to report it is just as entertaining and absorbing the second time around.

Such is not always the case. I did the same thing with "The High And The Mighty", and was disappointed at how trite and stagey the picture seemed when I saw it recently. But "Will Rogers" holds up, probably because it is a biography of a very famous American from the early part of the last century. Then as now, I was fascinated by what a dead ringer for his dad Will Rogers, Jr. was. I also think the movie benefited from a superior direction job.

Can I make one criticism? I didn't think Jane Wyman fit the part of a girlfriend/ wife from Oologah, Okla. She was too sophisticated, like a society chick from Riverside Drive who wouldn't bother with a bumpkin from Oologah. But that's just me.

In any case, this is worth buying and watching. I don't think it will be on TV any time soon as there are two scenes of Eddie Cantor and Al Jolson performing in blackface. Can't upset the PC crowd, you know.

I agree with the previous commenter about how good this movie is and would love to see it available on video. This movie was made in 1952 and starred Will Rogers Jr. It showed Will Rogers Jr, as his father, doing some performance on Broadway as well as some of the fund-raisers he did during the depression and more of the movies he made in Hollywood. However this website is showing a picture of a movie made in 1961, narrated by Bob Hope, and it is NOT the same movie that they are describing. The one narrated by Bob Hope, is available on video (dvd), and although it is a good biographical movie of Will Rogers, it is NOT the one starring Will Rogers Jr, or any of the other stars listed on this web site. They need to remove that picture as it can cause some confusion for some people.

This is an amazing tale of a person who lived and made his claim to fame in the early decades of the 20th century. There were so many apt points he made about politics that are spot on about our current political world. We could sure use someone like him now to take a bite out of the polarization we have now about political issues. He maintained that we all care about each other and that as long as we have that the U.S. will never go down. We could definitely benefit from such ideas today. Great movie, great cast. Will Rogers Jr. portraying his dad. Jane Wyman as the love of his life. Great family and feel good movie. I viewed it on TCM, if you get the chance, don't miss it!

This is an excellent film with an outstanding cast, and a very authentic feel to the overall presentation. Will Rogers, Jr. becomes Will Rogers, Sr. This is a good story about an outstanding "American" personality, and it should definitely be made available on video for all "Americans" to see, especially during these trying times when patriotism, honesty and goodwill could use a shot-in-the-arm. Hopefully it will be make the step to video in the very near future.