Actor, Entertainer. He entered burlesque in his twenties, working his way up to "top banana" at Minsky's. Among his fellow burlesque performers, Ragland was famous (or notorious) for his wild ad-libs, his unpredictable intrusions into other comics' acts, and his healthy off-stage libido. In 1940, he graduated to the big time in Ethel Merman's Broadway musical "Panama Hattie." Shortly afterward, he became a contract player at MGM, where he gained popularity as Red Skelton's cohort in the Whistling movies, such as "Whistling in the Dark," "Whistling in Dixie," and "Whistling in Brooklyn." He died suddenly of uremia at the age of 40.
Actor, Entertainer. He entered burlesque in his twenties, working his way up to "top banana" at Minsky's. Among his fellow burlesque performers, Ragland was famous (or notorious) for his wild ad-libs, his unpredictable intrusions into other comics' acts, and his healthy off-stage libido. In 1940, he graduated to the big time in Ethel Merman's Broadway musical "Panama Hattie." Shortly afterward, he became a contract player at MGM, where he gained popularity as Red Skelton's cohort in the Whistling movies, such as "Whistling in the Dark," "Whistling in Dixie," and "Whistling in Brooklyn." He died suddenly of uremia at the age of 40.
Bio by: Ron Howard
Family Members
Advertisement
See more Ragland memorials in:
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
