An original 8x10" vintage photo (NOT a modern reprint) from a large collection of hundreds of original pre code Hollywood movie photos acquired from a collector's estate.
Photo Overview
This is a vintage 1932 Fox Film publicity still of humorist and screen star Will Rogers in character as Jubilo, the wandering tramp, in the pre-code comedy-drama Too Busy to Work. Rogers peeks cautiously around the edge of a wooden door frame, one hand gripping the jamb. He wears a battered fedora and a rumpled work coat, and his familiar tousled hair falls over his forehead. His wary sideways glance captures the gentle, hobo-philosopher humor that made him one of the most beloved entertainers in America.
The tightly cropped composition, with half of Rogers' face hidden behind the doorway, works as a character study and gives the image strong visual appeal. The printed Fox Film caption strip along the bottom margin identifies the star and the film. This still comes from a large collection of original pre-code Hollywood movie photos acquired from a collector's estate.
Historical Notes
Too Busy to Work was directed by John G. Blystone and released by Fox Film late in 1932. It was a sound remake of Jubilo, a 1919 silent Goldwyn film that had also starred Rogers in the same tramp role. The cast included Marian Nixon, Frederick Burton and a young Dick Powell, whose musical career was about to take off at Warner Bros. The picture came during the most successful stretch of Rogers' film career. Within two years he ranked as the number one box office star in America, carrying hits such as State Fair and Judge Priest for Fox. On August 15, 1935, Rogers and famed aviator Wiley Post were killed when their plane crashed near Point Barrow, Alaska, a loss that stunned the nation. That same year Fox Film merged with Twentieth Century Pictures to form 20th Century-Fox, making studio stills like this one among the last issued under the original Fox Film banner. Rogers is still remembered today through the Will Rogers Memorial Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma, and the Will Rogers State Historic Park in Pacific Palisades, California.
Text Present
Front, bottom margin (printed caption): FOX FILM PRESENTS WILL ROGERS in TOO BUSY TO WORK
Front, bottom right margin (printed): MADE IN U.S.A.
Front, lower left (negative code in image): B14-57-75
Front, top right (handwritten in pencil): 361
Print analysis
This is an original Type 1 vintage gelatin silver studio still, printed by Fox Film around 1932 when the film was released. Several features support this. The printed Fox Film Presents caption strip was used by the studio before the 1935 merger that created 20th Century-Fox. The negative production code is scratched into the emulsion at lower left, a standard studio practice. The MADE IN U.S.A. export notation and the soft warm tone of the image are both typical of early 1930s studio prints. The paper back carries the tape remnants and aging expected of a period still that was mounted or displayed by an early collector.
Condition
In fair to good vintage condition. Some of the photos in this collection have hole punches, creases, or tears from age.
Please see scans of the image we have provided for the most accurate and complete state of the photo.
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