Will Rogers Silent Comedy Classics (The Ropin' Fool / The Cowboy Sheik / Big Moments from Little Pictures)

Beloved humorist and political commentator William Penn Adair "Will" Rogers (1879-1935) was one of the most iconic American figures of the 20th century. Of Cherokee birth, Rogers got his start on the vaudeville stage, where his trick roping skills and homespun humor delighted audiences. Hollywood felt he was a natural for their burgeoning industry, and in 1918 Will signed a contract with Samuel Goldwyn. Though Rogers was happy to be in the movies, he was stymied by the lack of sound, since much of his appeal lay in his laconic delivery (he made up for it by writing the intertitles for most of his silent films.) Rogers was much better served by the talkie era, and became a top box-office draw starring in classics like A Connecticut Yankee (1931), Doctor Bull (1933) and Judge Priest (1935). With a syndicated newspaper column and a weekly radio show, Will was more popular than ever at the time of his death in 1935 in a tragic plane crash. Though lacking the famous Rogers drawl, these vintage silent two-reelers still demonstrate the heart and humor that cheered up countless Americans during tough times.

THE ROPIN' FOOL (1922): One of his earlier film appearances, The Ropin' Fool is mostly an excuse for Rogers to show off the expert roping tricks that were an important part of his vaudeville act, bookended with a slight love triangle story involving a young Irene Rich (Angel and the Badman).

THE COWBOY SHEIK (1924): Playing off Rudolph Valentino's hit The Sheik from three years prior, Will plays a shy cowboy who has to man up to win the girl of his dreams.

BIG MOMENTS FROM LITTLE PICTURES (1924): In this innovative early parody film, Rogers puts himself into the starring roles from Rudolph Valentino's Blood and Sand (1922), Douglas Fairbanks' Robin Hood (1922) and a typical Keystone Cops comedy short with hilarious results.