A veteran sportswriter (Matty, 1993, etc.) goes a bit afield with
still another biography of all-star entertainer Will Rogers. He was
simply a natural. With his vaunted wit, Rogers (1879 - 1935)
conquered stage, screen, print, airwaves - just about every
available medium of communication, with the possible exception of
semaphore. The genial, lariat-twirling philosopher roped in
everyone from Flo Ziegfeld to FDR with sly winks and pungent
topical observations. Rogers played the quintessential American
(that is, himself) to perfection Using basic pop history, starting
with Hernando de Soto, the Trail of Tears, and the Civil War,
Robinson quickly sketches Rogers's progenitors, some of whom would
now be called Native Americans, and his progress from the Indian
Territory that became Oklahoma to world traveler and national icon.
We learn that Rogers, though often seasick, was a reckless air
passenger (which led, of course, to the ultimate tragedy). There
are extensive quotations from his unlettered and remarkably inept,
unfunny letters of courtship and a gathering of opinion from fellow
actors. Withal, the text too often seems to be an amalgam of random
recollections, a few odd facts, and secondary source material.
There is little new and revealing about the man that urgently
demands another biography after Ben Yagoda's masterful 1993 work.
Clearly, Rogers was usually a man of remarkable native intelligence
and wit. What caused him, then, to offer words in support of Huey
Long, Benito Mussolini, and Father Coughlin? Robinson doesn't
enlighten us; the most natural and open of performers remains an
enigma as a man. Appended are several pages of Rogers's gags, but
no index, filmography, bibliography, or notes. A serviceable
account of a famous American, but not a prime example of the
biographers' art. (Kirkus Reviews)
Will Rogers played a prominent role in American culture and society in the 1920s and 1930s. Star of Broadway, radio, and film; political pundit and newpaper columnist - Rogers was one of the most successful and best loved figures in entertainment in this period.
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