The Story of Will Rogers (1952)
(On Cable TV, September 2021) There is a paradox in biographical movies made to cash in on well-known celebrities that eventually become a way for future audiences to discover forgotten figures. Yes, I knew about Will Rogers before seeing The Story of Will Rogers — or at least I was aware of his better-known witticisms. But, as the film takes pain to highlight, Rogers was not a usual hero: he was a cowboy who became a humorist, and then a folk philosopher dabbling in newspaper columns, Hollywood acting and political activism. He was one of the foremost celebrities of the early 1930s, but few people remember him today, aside from political pundits looking for bon mots. The Story of Will Rogers is a biography very much of its time — it’s clearly maximized for dramatic impact over historical accuracy, is a bit in awe of its subject, and touches very lightly on things that the audience then knew but modern audiences don’t always. (The utmost example being the end of the film, which obliquely alludes to Rogers’ 1935 death by plane crash without quite saying it.) The figure of Will Rogers is played by none other than his son Will Rogers Jr. — adding authenticity, but perhaps not exceptional acting abilities. Still, from our perspective, the film can become a really good excuse to go and read more about Rogers — he comes across here, as much as the film will allow, as a decent, caring, funny man able to comment on humanity’s follies while being sympathetic to all. The Story of Will Rogers is an enjoyable film, even if not an exceptional one: its biggest asset is Rogers himself and rifling through the copious trove of material he left behind.
