Show ll How w I Broke Into The Movies Copyright by Hal C. C Herman By WILL ROGERS N NOW OW about this movie business ss and how I got my start To be behonest behonest honest about It I haven't yet got a u areal areal ureal real good start And the the- way I figure figure fig fig- ure things a fellow has to be a 11 success success success suc suc- cess before he goes lecturing and crowing about himself Out here In Hollywood they say youre you're not a success unless you owe fifty thousand dollars to somebody have lave five cars can develop temperament temperament tempera tempera- ment without notice or reason at atall atall atall all and been mixed up In four dIvorce divorce divorce di di- vorce cases and two breach of promIse cases Well WeIl as a success In Hollywood rm Pm a rank failure and I guess Im I'm too old to learn new tricks and bo bo- sides Im I'm pretty well off domestically ly speaking and aint yearning for a change Now about how I actually got started In this picture business Mrs Rex Hex Beach was really the one who helped me mo get started by sellIng soil sell Ing lug the Idea to Sam Goldwyn that he be ought to star me In the movies Mr Goldwyn was connected with the tho Eminent Authors Inc of which Rex Beach was president There were eight eminent authors In the outfit maybe that's where they got the name I guess Anyway Sam signed me up lV and I starred In a series of reel 0 comedy dramas for him during 1921 and 1022 The outstanding picture of this group was Jubilo based on the theme of the song of that name I also made Doubling for Romeo Romeo Ro Ro- meo for this company It was the fir s Ft F t v vA A w re NA i y c Will Ropers Rogers story of a cowhand who went t to sleep and dreamed he played Romeo Rome In Shakespeare's Immortal drama I like my work In this one a n lot but bu they had a sales convention at th the studio and showed ved the film to th the gang Although I thought the pIcture picture picture pic pIc- ture was very funny the boys boy seemed to think different and refused refused reused re re- fused used to laugh At the time I wa was was nearly heartbroken I felt that I Iwas Iwas was a flop and was about ready t to quit pictures Gosh It was awful I II iI I wasn't writing much In those thos days daj's although since then the papers pa pers seem to like ilke my stuff and pa pame pay me for making wise cracks which doesn't make me a bit sore For recreation Hon I used to kee keep some horses and goats on the lo loback lot lat back of the studio and I spent mos most of my time enjoying the companIonship companionship compan- compan of dumb but honest animals They couldn't laugh at me Which was encouraging I 1 From Goldwyn's I went to wor work for Hal Roach and made a series o of reel 2 comedies s there I remember when I was In th the Follies All I did was my rope ac act and I didn't say nothing But on one evening the manager asked me t to tomake tomake make an announcement t and foolishly foolish foolish- ly I did and everybody laughed a ame at me or with me and I was a success success suc- suc cess and they've kept me talking o or writing ever or since That's what wha comes of talking too much and tryIng tryIng try try- Ing lag to help some one ono out 2 ow ow I cant can't stop stoll But wise cracks and picture wor work pay better than the tho rope act and that saves my feelings a lot Sam Sain Rork who produced A Texas Texas Texas Tex Tex- as Steer Stearn In which I got the tho bl big comedy part of a congressman wh who was a Texas cowman says saya h he picked mo me out out of all aU the Hollywood actors because all the rest of them have haye morality clauses In their contracts contracts contracts con con- tracts and are afraid to act Ilk like congressmen I B But BILL I figured it out that Its It's because because because be be- cause I w was vas s In the tho Follies rm Tm an Follies ex graduate and If Barrymore Barrymore Barry Barry- I more had bad my legs he could still be beon j i jon ion on the stage I But Id I'd been In the movies before 1 I signed up for A Texas Steer Ive I've been In more punkIn seed I movies and most of tho the Job was wag handling the rope But that was wasa wasn a n smart movie a comedy special they called It and all I had to do was act the tho big comedy part of being being beIng be be- ing a congressman T Tints Tint's 1 tt's a cinch Any day In the week any congressman congress congress- man Ive I've known can give me a big laugh acting natural M My advise to aspiring movie- movie struck folk Is to buy a n good foot 12 rope practice with It and then If It you succeed why you OU can al always always al- al tl- tl ways stretch It over a nearby tree with one end around your neck w U So |