Ray ‘Crash’ Corrigan was born Raymond Benitz, on February 14, 1902, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Little is currently known of his youth, however, it is known that, he worked for an auto shop, as a tire man, in his teens.  Later, while living in Denver, Colorado, Ray studied dramatics in school, and then joined the Benham Stock Company, which led him to Los Angeles, in 1922. 

     It was in California that Ray began using the names Ray Benard and sometimes Ray Bernard, finally settling on the latter.  Over the next few years, Ray worked as a salesman, ran a radio equipment shop, started his own reducing machine business, and finally became a physical culture instructor.  It was through this vocation, that Ray first became associated with the Hollywood film studios, after being hired as a physical culture instructor for MGM.   

     In the early 1930’s, Ray began playing bit parts and doing stunt work in films, doubling actor’s like Clark Gable and others.  Over the next few years Ray worked in films like:  “Sign Of The Cross” (Paramount 1932), “House Of Mystery” (Monogram 1934), “Hollywood Party” (MGM 1934), “Cleopatra” (Paramount 1934), “The Phantom Empire” (Mascot 1935), “Mutiny On The Bounty” (MGM 1935), “SHE” (RKO 1935), “Dante’s Inferno” (Fox 1935), and others.   

     In 1932, Ray doubled Johnny Wiesmuller, and played two different ape roles in “Tarzan the Ape Man”.  Ray also appeared in “Tarzan and his Mate” in 1934, and “Tarzan Escapes”, in 1936, again doubling Wiesmuller, and playing more apes. 

     Ray took on a second career as an ape impersonator.  After the Tarzan films, Ray designed his own ape suit, and began taking on more ape roles.  In 1935, Ray signed with Republic Pictures, and played two roles in the studios first serial, “Darkest Africa”, starring real life animal trainer, Clyde Beatty.  Ray played both a winged “Bat Man” and “Bonga” the Gorilla.  This film marked the first screen appearance of Ray’s new ape suit. 

     In 1936, Republic gave Ray his first starring role, in the serial “Undersea Kingdom”, (also starring Lon Chaney Jr.) and it was for this film that Ray first used the name Ray ‘Crash’ Corrigan.  Some accounts say that Ray was given the name ‘Crash’ after an accident, during hazardous stunt work on “Tarzan Escapes”.  Ray is said to have crashed into a tree, while performing one of the films numerous aerial stunts, resulting in a broken leg and the loss of all of the toes on one foot.  Later, on the film “Darkest Africa”, Ray, as “Bonga” the gorilla, reportedly crashed to the ground while attempting a vine swing.  Others say Ray was a onetime race car driver, who got the name ‘Crash’ due to his many automobile crashes.  Some believe that the name ‘Crash’ Corrigan, came from Republic studio execs, in an effort to mimic the name “Flash Gordon”.  Oddly enough, after starring in “Undersea Kingdom”, Ray landed his next ape role, in Universal’s 1936 serial, “Flash Gordon”, playing the “Orangavoid” an alien ape, with a unicorn-like horn. 

     In 1936, Republic Pictures began their long running cowboy trio series, “The Three Mesquiteers”. Ray co-starred as “Tucson Smith”, in the first 24 films in the series, from 1936 to 1939. along with Bob Livingston as “Stoney Brooke”, and Max Turhune, as “Lullaby Joslen”. (a young John Wayne joined Ray and Max in 8 of the Mesquiteer films, taking over the role of “Stoney Brooke”, after Bob Livingston left the series)  The series was very popular, and Ray soon became a well know cowboy star. 

      While, starring in the Mesquiteers series, Ray continued to work in other films, some of them as an ape.   Over the next three years, Ray appeared as an ape in films like;  The Mesquiteers entry, "Come On Cowboys"  (Republic 1937), “Round Up Time In Texas” (Republic 1937), starring Gene Autry, “Three Missing Links” (Columbia 1938), starring The Three Stooges, and probably others.

     While on a hunting trip, in Simi Valley, during the filming of one of the Mesquiteers films, Ray happened upon a ranch that he knew would make a great movie location.  In 1937, he purchased the ranch and immediately set about creating a motion picture location ranch.  Ray dubbed it “The Ray Corrigan Movie Ranch”, and filming was underway in just a few months.

      Ray left the Mesquiteers series, and Republic, in 1939.  He contacted producer George W. Weeks, of Monogram Studios, with the idea of producing a new cowboy trio series called “The Range Busters”.   Weeks and Corrigan formed their own production company, to make the series, and signed a deal with Monogram to release them.  Ray brought in Ventriloquist, and fellow Mesquiteer, Max Turhune, who had also left Republic, and singer John King to finish up the trio.  Ray starred in 20 of the 24 films in the series, (Ray was briefly replaced by Dave Sharpe, due to a salary dispute) and continued to play apes on the side.  The Range Busters finally rode off into the sunset for the last time in 1943’s “Bullets and Saddles”, and so did Ray’s career as a movie cowboy.

     However, Ray “Crash” Corrigan’s film career was by no means over.  Ray continued to appear in films, but by this time he worked almost exclusively as an ape.  Throughout the 1930’s and 40’s, Ray appeared as an ape in more films than any other performer, a record which he still holds to this day.  Some of Ray’s most notable ape appearances were;  “The Ape”  (Monogram 1940), with Boris Karloff, “The Strange Case Of Dr. Rx” (Universal 1940), with Lionel Atwill, “Dr. Renault’s Secret” (FOX 1942) with J. Carrol Naish, "Captive Wild Woman"  (Universal 1943), with Acquanetta, “Nabonga” (PRC 1944) with Buster Crabbe and Julie London, "The Monster and the Ape" (Columbia 1945), "White Pongo" (PRC 1945), and "Zamba" (Eagle-Lion 1949).  Ray did play an occasional human role, from time to time, like in "The White Gorilla" (Weiss 1945), in which he played both a jungle adventurer and an albino gorilla.  He even appeared in an occasional western, like; “Trail Of Robin Hood” (Republic 1950), with Roy Rogers and an all star cowboy cast.   

     In December 1944, Ray married Rita Jane Smeal and they had three children together: Tommy Ray (born July 7, 1944), Joyce Christine (born July 10, 1945), and Patricia Ann born July 12, 1946). 

     Since the end of the “Range Busters” series Ray spent most of his time running his movie ranch.  In 1949, he renamed the property, “Corriganville”, and opened it to the public as a weekend attraction.  “Corriganville” was very popular with tourists, and in the days before Disneyland, it was one of the nation's busiest tourist attractions. 

     In the 1950’s Ray continued to operate, and perform at “Corriganville”.  He also dealt in real-estate, and ran several other business.  In the 1960’s, Ray finally sold his ranch, to comedian Bob Hope.  The sale of the ranch, made Corrigan a multi millionaire. 

     Though he had many interests, Ray never really stopped acting, and appeared in films almost to the end of his life.  Ray appeared  in films like: "The Great Adventures of Captain Kidd"  (Columbia 1953), "Apache Ambush" (Columbia 1955), "Zombies of Mora Tau"  (Columbia 1957), "The Domino Kid" (Columbia 1957), "It, The Terror From Beyond Space" (United Artists 1958), in which he played the title character, "The Ribald Tales of Robin Hood" (Urania Film 1969), and "Sex in America" (1970).        

     Ray ‘Crash’ Corrigan died on August 10^th. 1976, in Brookings, Oregon, at age 73, after a life full of accomplishments.  Ray ‘Crash’ Corrigan was truly one of a kind.  Monogram is proud of our association with Ray ‘Crash’ Corrigan, and we are also proud to honor him. 

Thanks Ray - it was a wild ride.