Jack & Will Rogers

[Michael]

This is a question that has been nagging me for some time... a while back I visited the Will Rogers memorial one of the items displayed there was a tribute signed by a great number of stars of the time.... including Jack. I also have a show where Will makes some rather nice comments about Jack as well. Anyway all this got me to thinking "While it must be obvious that they knew about each other; How well did Jack and Will actually know each other?"

[Roman]

I'm sure by the late 20s/early 30s, Jack knew everyone who was anybody in vaudeville. The fact that Jack and Will Rogers were two of the most successful and prominent vaudeville stars by the late 20s must have guaranteed they knew each other pretty well.

[Gerry O.]

When you stop to think about it, there was a certain similarity in the styles of Jack Benny and Will Rogers. Sure, Jack was more urbane than Rogers, and Jack didn't discuss topical or political subjects like Rogers did, but both men had a relaxed, personable quality about them.

Instead of standing on a stage and pelting the audience with rapid-fire jokes, both men stood up there and talked to the audience in an informal, intimate manner that was more like a living room discussion rather than a stage monologue.

[LLeff]

When you stop to think about it, there was a certain similarity in the styles of Jack Benny and Will Rogers. Sure, Jack was more urbane than Rogers, and Jack didn't discuss topical or political subjects like Rogers did, but both men had a relaxed, personable quality about them.

Instead of standing on a stage and pelting the audience with rapid-fire jokes, both men stood up there and talked to the audience in an informal, intimate manner that was more like a living room discussion rather than a stage monologue.

And when Jack was playing Buck Benny, he might tangle with a lasso.