The Ropin' Fool on AllMovie

Because he was unable to give voice to his earthy wit, Will Rogers' on-film appeal was a bit limited during the silent era. Producers often didn't know what to do with him and, in fact, when Rogers began producing his own films, he didn't know what to do with himself, either. That's about the only explanation for this two-reel feature which is pretty much just a display of his lariat skills. Rogers' ropin' is shown every which way, including slow motion. He lassos a galloping horse. He lassos a rat with a piece of string. He lassos a caterwauling cat. Somewhere in the midst of all this ropin' there's the skimpiest of stories featuring Irene Rich as the girl, John Ince as the stranger, and Guinn "Big Boy" Williams as the inevitable foreman. But none of them get much screen time -- it's all Rogers' show. After losing quite a bit of money trying to produce and direct himself, Rogers eventually found his screen niche during the sound era.