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Show WILL ROGERS USED HIS WITS WIN FAME Many and varied are the stories related re-lated of Will Rogers and especially as to how he came to do his talking act in vaudeville which, later, became of international interest and entertainment. entertain-ment. The real truth of the matter is that Will Rogers practically stumhled into it. When he left his native Oklahoma, where he enjoyed a tremendous reputation re-putation as a rider and roper, he essayed es-sayed vaudeville and his offering consisted con-sisted of roping, sans talk. His company com-pany included Buck McKee and a cow pony. The big punch in the act came near the finale when Buck rode his steed full tilt at Rogers and Will roped the horse's legs individually and collectively, collec-tively, winding up by dexteriously ty ing Buck to the pony's off front leg. Will had a clever way of getting out of a jam when he missed the trick, intentionally or by design, covering up by saying "that's the wrong way; now I'll show you the right way." This was always good for a laugh. Gradually, Will added a few asides and eventually . began to interject comment anent local and national topics top-ics which he gleaned from the press between shows. His witty drolleries soon made him one of the outstanding figures in vaudeville vau-deville and later he was induced to join Ziegfeld's Follies, with which he was featured season after season. Rogers portrays the character of Pike Peters in "They Had To See Paris," his first all talking picture for Fox Movietone, screen directed by Frank Borzage and stage directed by Bernard Steele. The production is being shown Friday and Saturday at the Victory Theatre. |