California

Will Rogers moved to California in 1918 to take on a new role as an actor in the infant medium of movies. His eventual success in the movies made him the #1 movie star in 1934 and he purchased a ranch in Santa Monica, where he lived with his family. He was named honorary mayor of Beverly Hills in 1926 and there is a park in Beverly Hills that bears his name (pictured) as well as a stretch of beach. His ranch is now Will Rogers State Park (pictured) and has a beautiful view of Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean.

“Just addressed the California State Legislature and helped them pass a bill to form a lawyers’ association to regulate their conduct. Personally I don’t think you can make a lawyer honest by an act of the Legislature. You’ve got to work on his conscience. And his lack of conscience is what makes him a lawyer. Met the Governor. He tried to sell me a lot. So California has a typical Californian as Governor.” – Daily Telegrams, March 15, 1927

“Well, you take a Southern Californian and put him in a snow drift, or anywhere else where he can’t see a filling station or a cafeteria, and he is ready to write out his will.” – Daily Telegrams, January 31, 1933

“California is happy today. It’s raining! It’s raining!

That might mean just another mud hole to some places, but brother, when you haven’t seen a drop of water that hasn’t come through a faucet in ten months, why rain looks like a miracle from the Democrats. May it keep up as long as Huey Long. Long live the Democrats! Give California two months of rain in the year, and nothing can stop us but lack of adjectives.

So, look out Florida. California is “all wet” and when she is all wet” she is hard to compete with.” - Daily Telegrams, January 16, 1933