Rags Ragland (born John Lee Morgan Beauregard Ragland, August 23, 1905 – August 20, 1946) was an American comedian and

character actor A character actor is an actor known for playing unusual, eccentric, or interesting character (arts), characters in supporting roles, rather than leading ones.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrie ...

Personal life

Ragland was born on August 23, 1905, in

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the List of cities in Kentucky, most populous city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sixth-most populous city in the Southeastern United States, Southeast, and the list of United States cities by population, 27th-most-populous city ...

, to parents Adam Joseph Ragland and Stella Petty. As a youth, he worked as a truck driver,

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: *Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing * Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

, and movie projectionist in Kentucky. He was briefly married to Sabina Elizabeth Vanover and they had one child, a son named John Griffin Ragland (1925–1990), before they divorced in 1926. The following year, at the age of 22, Ragland moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

Career

Phil Silvers Betty Grable Rags Ragland Mail Call

Ragland made his show business reputation in

burlesque A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects.

. He quickly became known for his wild ad-libs, unpredictable intrusions into other comics' acts, and a "healthy off-stage libido". Eventually he worked his way up to "top banana" at

Minsky's ''Minsky's'' is a musical by Bob Martin (book), Charles Strouse (music), and Susan Birkenhead (lyrics), and is loosely based on the 1968 movie ''The Night They Raided Minsky's''. Set during the Great Depression era in Manhattan, the story cente ...

, the dominant burlesque house. Minsky striptease star

Georgia Sothern Georgia Sothern (1913–1981), born Hazel Anderson, was a burlesque dancer and vaudeville performer. She was known for her striptease performances. She gave an interview to ''The Harvard Crimson'' during a trip to the Old Howard Athenaeum in Bosto ...

remembered him fondly in her 1971 memoir, saying she considered Ragland a close friend and the funniest comedian the Minskys had ever produced. His longtime performing partner

Phil Silvers Phil Silvers (born Phillip Silver; May 11, 1911 – November 1, 1985) was an American entertainer and comedic actor, known as "The King of Chutzpah". His career as a professional entertainer spanned nearly 60 years. He achieved major popularity w ...

referred to Ragland in his autobiography as "my favorite comic". After classic burlesque died, Ragland transitioned to

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

and films. He was typically cast as good-natured oafs with a knack for fracturing the English language. In 1941, he became a

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

contract player beginning with '' Ringside Maisie''. He appeared in several MGM light comedies and musicals and he gained popularity as

Red Skelton Richard Bernard Skelton (July 18, 1913September 17, 1997) was an American entertainer best known for his national old-time radio, radio and television shows between 1937 and 1971, especially as host of the television program ''The Red Skelto ...

's cohort in the "Whistling" movie series ('' Whistling in the Dark'' (1941), '' Whistling in Dixie'' (1942) and ''

Whistling in Brooklyn ''Whistling in Brooklyn'' is a 1943 film directed by S. Sylvan Simon and starring Red Skelton, Ann Rutherford, and Jean Rogers. It is the third and last film starring Skelton as radio personality and amateur detective Wally "The Fox" Benton, fo ...

'' (1943)). Ragland's final film appearance was in the drama ''

The Hoodlum Saint ''The Hoodlum Saint'' is a 1946 American drama film directed by Norman Taurog and starring William Powell, Esther Williams and Angela Lansbury. Plot Major Terry O'Neill (William Powell) returns to Baltimore in 1919, after the end of World War I ...

'' (1946).

Death

After returning from an alcoholic bender with

Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

in 1946, Ragland was scheduled to revive his New York nightclub act with friend

at the Copacabana. He began experiencing abdominal pain and was hospitalized. Good friend

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

called in a specialist, but the doctors determined that Ragland's

liver The liver is a major metabolic organ (anatomy), organ exclusively found in vertebrates, which performs many essential biological Function (biology), functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of var ...

and

kidney In humans, the kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped blood-filtering organ (anatomy), organs that are a multilobar, multipapillary form of mammalian kidneys, usually without signs of external lobulation. They are located on the left and rig ...

s had been destroyed by years of

alcohol abuse Alcohol abuse encompasses a spectrum of alcohol-related substance abuse. This spectrum can range from being mild, moderate, or severe. This can look like consumption of more than 2 drinks per day on average for men, or more than 1 drink per ...

. After falling into a coma, he died three days before his 41st birthday of

uremia Uremia is the condition of having high levels of urea in the blood. Urea is one of the primary components of urine. It can be defined as an excess in the blood of amino acid and protein metabolism end products, such as urea and creatinine, which ...

. Silvers and Sinatra were by his bedside. Many

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

celebrities attended Ragland's funeral; Sinatra sang at the service and Silvers delivered the eulogy. In a gesture of friendship and respect, Sinatra left the set of his movie ''

It Happened in Brooklyn ''It Happened in Brooklyn'' is a 1947 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Richard Whorf and starring Frank Sinatra, Kathryn Grayson, Peter Lawford and Jimmy Durante, and featuring Gloria Grahame and Marcy McGuire. ''It Happen ...

'', flew to New York, and unexpectedly showed up to take Ragland's spot with Silvers at the Copacabana debut. (Silvers had decided to continue because he had signed a contract stating "the show must go on".) Sinatra and Silvers did the routines they had performed during their

USO tour The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...

s. The performance rocked the house. As it came to a close, Silvers cried and said, "May I take a bow for Rags." While Silvers was crying in remembrance of Ragland, the audience was silent.Silvers (1973), p. 142.

Complete filmography

* ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...

'' (1935) as Acting Troupe Member (uncredited) * ''Hats and Dogs'' (1938, Short) * '' Ringside Maisie'' (1941) as Vic * '' Whistling in the Dark'' (1941) as Sylvester Conway * '' Born to Sing'' (1942) as Grunt * '' Sunday Punch'' (1942) as "Killer" Connolly * '' Maisie Gets Her Man'' (1942) as Ears Cofflin * ''

Somewhere I'll Find You ''Somewhere I'll Find You'' is a 1942 film directed by Wesley Ruggles and starring Clark Gable and Lana Turner, released by Metro-Goldwyn Mayer. The film took almost two years to complete and was the last film Gable starred in before he enlisted ...

'' (1942) as Charlie, the Masseur (uncredited) * '' The War Against Mrs. Hadley'' (1942) as Louie * ''

Panama Hattie ''Panama Hattie'' is a 1940 American musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and book by Herbert Fields and B. G. DeSylva. The musical is about a nightclub owner, Hattie Maloney, who lives in the Panama Canal Zone and ends up dealing with ...

'' (1942) as "Rags" * '' Whistling in Dixie'' (1942) as Sylvester 'Lester' Conway * ''

Du Barry Was a Lady ''Du Barry Was a Lady'' is a Broadway musical, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, and the book by Herbert Fields and Buddy DeSylva.

'' (1943) as Charlie * ''

Girl Crazy ''Girl Crazy'' is a 1930 musical by George Gershwin with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book by Guy Bolton and John McGowan. Co-leads Ginger Rogers and Ethel Merman made their stage debuts in the first production and Rogers became an overnight sta ...

'' (1943) as 'Rags' * ''

'' (1943) as Chester Conway * ''

3 Men in White ''Three Men in White'' is a 1944 American comedy-drama film in the Dr Kildare series directed by Willis Goldbeck. It stars Lionel Barrymore, Van Johnson, and Marilyn Maxwell. Ava Gardner has a supporting role. Plot A competition between Ame ...

'' (1944) as Hobart Genet * ''

Meet the People ''Meet the People'' (1944) is a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical comedy film made, and set, during World War II, and starring Lucille Ball and Dick Powell and featuring Virginia O'Brien, Bert Lahr, Rags Ragland and June Allyson. The film takes its ...

'' (1944) as Mr. Smith * ''

The Canterville Ghost "The Canterville Ghost" is a humorous short story by Oscar Wilde. It was the first of Wilde's stories to be published, appearing in two parts as "The Canterville Ghost – A Hylo-Idealistic Romance: The Redemptive Heroine" in '' The Court and S ...

'' (1944) as Big Harry * ''

Anchors Aweigh "Anchors Aweigh" is the fight song of the United States Naval Academy and unofficial march song of the United States Navy. It was composed in 1906 by Charles A. Zimmermann with lyrics by Alfred Hart Miles. When he composed "Anchors Aweigh", Z ...

'' (1945) as Police Sergeant * ''

Her Highness and the Bellboy ''Her Highness and the Bellboy'' is a 1945 American romantic comedy film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Hedy Lamarr, Robert Walker, June Allyson and Rags Ragland. Written by Richard Connell and Gladys Lehman, the film is about a be ...

'' (1945) as Albert Weever * '' Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood'' (1945) as Himself * ''

'' (1946) as Fishface (final film role)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ragland, Rags 1905 births 1946 deaths Male actors from Louisville, Kentucky Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players 20th-century American male actors Alcohol-related deaths in California American male comedians American male film actors American male stage actors American burlesque performers Deaths from kidney disease 20th-century American comedians Comedians from Kentucky