Ray "Crash" Corrigan, born Raymond Benard on February 14, 1902, and passing away on August 10, 1976, was an American actor renowned for his roles in B-Western films. In addition to his acting career, he was also involved in stunts and notably made appearances in a gorilla suit, a unique aspect of his filmography that spanned both the early and latter parts of his career; he possessed his own ape costume for these roles.
In 1937, Corrigan acquired property in the foothills of the Santa Susana Mountains in Simi Valley, which he transformed into a movie ranch named "Corriganville." This ranch served as a filming location for various film serials, feature films, and television productions, and it also hosted live western performances for visitors. In 1966, the ranch was purchased by Bob Hope, who renamed it 'Hopetown.' Today, it has been converted into a Regional Park and nature preserve, preserving the legacy of Corrigan's vision.
This biography is adapted from the Wikipedia entry on Ray "Crash" Corrigan, which is licensed under CC-BY-SA. For a full list of contributors, please refer to Wikipedia.
