WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.940 Welcome to today's Deep Dive. We are jumping 00:00:03.940 --> 00:00:06.519 right into a single really fascinating source 00:00:06.519 --> 00:00:08.419 today. Oh, that's a great one. Yeah, we're looking 00:00:08.419 --> 00:00:11.380 at a Wikipedia article detailing the life of 00:00:11.380 --> 00:00:15.099 an American actor and comedian named Rags Ragland. 00:00:15.259 --> 00:00:18.140 Rags Ragland. Exactly. And, you know, we're pulling 00:00:18.140 --> 00:00:20.260 back the curtain on a name that, well, might 00:00:20.260 --> 00:00:21.859 not be on the tip of your tongue right now. Probably 00:00:21.859 --> 00:00:24.019 isn't. Right. But it is absolutely essential 00:00:24.019 --> 00:00:26.039 to the history of modern entertainment. It really 00:00:26.039 --> 00:00:28.920 is a remarkable life to unpack. I mean, we are 00:00:28.920 --> 00:00:31.039 looking at a forgotten comedy heavyweight here. 00:00:31.160 --> 00:00:35.399 Definitely. And this journey touches on nearly 00:00:35.399 --> 00:00:38.859 every major shift in early 20th century show 00:00:38.859 --> 00:00:41.780 business. The dramatic arc here is just wild. 00:00:42.380 --> 00:00:44.979 We are talking about a guy who started out throwing 00:00:44.979 --> 00:00:48.369 punches as a boxer in Kentucky. Right. hustled 00:00:48.369 --> 00:00:50.450 his way into becoming the undisputed king of 00:00:50.450 --> 00:00:53.049 the rowdy burlesque scene. Then he rubbed shoulders 00:00:53.049 --> 00:00:55.969 on these epic benders with Orson Welles. Yeah, 00:00:56.030 --> 00:00:58.369 that part is crazy. And ultimately, he inspired 00:00:58.369 --> 00:01:01.609 one of the most moving real -life tributes from 00:01:01.609 --> 00:01:03.950 a legendary A -list star that you'll ever hear. 00:01:04.209 --> 00:01:07.019 If we connect this to the bigger picture... You 00:01:07.019 --> 00:01:08.560 know, to give you some context, this isn't just 00:01:08.560 --> 00:01:11.040 a biography. No, not at all. It's a study of 00:01:11.040 --> 00:01:14.359 how a performer navigates massive tectonic shifts, 00:01:14.620 --> 00:01:18.340 going from live, chaotic, totally unregulated 00:01:18.340 --> 00:01:21.180 stage shows. Which burlesque definitely was. 00:01:21.280 --> 00:01:23.879 Exactly. Moving from that to the polished, highly 00:01:23.879 --> 00:01:25.739 controlled environment of the silver screen. 00:01:26.319 --> 00:01:29.439 And underneath all the laughs, it is a profound 00:01:29.439 --> 00:01:32.840 look at genuine loyalty in the famously cutthroat 00:01:32.840 --> 00:01:35.200 world of show business. So let's start at the 00:01:35.200 --> 00:01:37.950 beginning. Long before the Hollywood lights. 00:01:38.049 --> 00:01:41.510 He was born on August 23rd, 1905. In Louisville, 00:01:41.549 --> 00:01:43.950 Kentucky. Right. Louisville. Yeah. And his given 00:01:43.950 --> 00:01:46.829 name is quite a mouthful. Oh, yeah. John Lee 00:01:46.829 --> 00:01:49.969 Morgan Beauregard Ragland. That is a name. He 00:01:49.969 --> 00:01:52.430 was born to parents Adam Joseph Ragland and Stella 00:01:52.430 --> 00:01:55.129 Petty. And, you know, that name sounds like a 00:01:55.129 --> 00:01:57.129 Southern aristocrat, but his actual youth was 00:01:57.129 --> 00:01:59.409 incredibly gritty. Far from aristocratic, yeah. 00:01:59.590 --> 00:02:02.230 He wasn't spending his teenage years in acting 00:02:02.230 --> 00:02:04.209 conservatories studying the classics or anything. 00:02:04.370 --> 00:02:06.469 No. He was working class to his core. He was 00:02:06.469 --> 00:02:08.590 out there working as a truck driver, a movie 00:02:08.590 --> 00:02:11.569 projectionist, and even a boxer. Which is such 00:02:11.569 --> 00:02:14.710 a wild resume for a future MGM star. It really 00:02:14.710 --> 00:02:17.750 is. And you can almost see the foundation of 00:02:17.750 --> 00:02:19.889 his incredibly physical comedy forming right 00:02:19.889 --> 00:02:21.889 there. Oh, absolutely. I mean, someone taking 00:02:21.889 --> 00:02:23.949 punches in a boxing ring is learning timing, 00:02:24.189 --> 00:02:26.810 spatial awareness, and how to read an opponent. 00:02:26.969 --> 00:02:30.050 Or later on, an audience. Exactly. Taking a punch 00:02:30.050 --> 00:02:33.030 and delivering a punchline rely on a surprisingly 00:02:33.030 --> 00:02:35.610 similar rhythm. That makes total sense. You have 00:02:35.610 --> 00:02:37.930 to know exactly when to strike. He was living 00:02:37.930 --> 00:02:40.830 a very fast, very full life from a remarkably 00:02:40.830 --> 00:02:43.590 young age. He really packed a lot of life into 00:02:43.590 --> 00:02:47.330 those early years. He had this brief first marriage 00:02:47.330 --> 00:02:50.789 to a woman named Sabina Elizabeth Vanover. They 00:02:50.789 --> 00:02:53.689 had a son together, John Griffin Ragland, who 00:02:53.689 --> 00:02:56.169 was born in 1925 and actually lives until 1990. 00:02:56.590 --> 00:02:59.090 Wow. But the marriage itself didn't last long 00:02:59.090 --> 00:03:02.310 at all. They divorced in 1926. So by the following 00:03:02.310 --> 00:03:05.389 year, at the age of just 22. Still so young. 00:03:05.750 --> 00:03:07.979 Right. He completely uproots his life, packs 00:03:07.979 --> 00:03:10.319 his bags and moves out to Los Angeles. What's 00:03:10.319 --> 00:03:12.819 fascinating here is how he eventually finds his 00:03:12.819 --> 00:03:15.199 true stage because he doesn't just show up in 00:03:15.199 --> 00:03:17.460 Los Angeles and immediately become some polished 00:03:17.460 --> 00:03:20.340 member of the Hollywood elite. No, not at all. 00:03:20.599 --> 00:03:23.659 His reputation is forged in the gritty, unpredictable, 00:03:24.080 --> 00:03:27.300 and highly competitive world of classic burlesque. 00:03:27.360 --> 00:03:29.900 Which was huge back then. Huge. And he works 00:03:29.900 --> 00:03:32.379 his way up through the ranks to achieve top banana 00:03:32.379 --> 00:03:35.520 status at Minsky's. For those of you who aren't 00:03:35.520 --> 00:03:38.479 totally steeped in theater history, Minsky's 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:41.599 was the absolute apex of the burlesque era. The 00:03:41.599 --> 00:03:44.659 very top. It was rowdy, it was loud, and it was 00:03:44.659 --> 00:03:47.099 completely unfiltered. And being the top banana 00:03:47.099 --> 00:03:49.759 meant you were the undisputed headliner. You 00:03:49.759 --> 00:03:52.340 were the guy. You were the lead comic who anchored 00:03:52.340 --> 00:03:55.300 the entire show. The guy who commanded the room 00:03:55.300 --> 00:03:58.060 when the audience was, let's just say, easily 00:03:58.060 --> 00:04:00.680 distracted. It is the apex predator position 00:04:00.680 --> 00:04:03.000 of stage comedy at that time. That's a great 00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:04.740 way to put it. I mean, you have to be louder, 00:04:04.860 --> 00:04:07.240 faster, and funnier than whatever else is happening 00:04:07.240 --> 00:04:09.659 on stage. And in burlesque, there was always 00:04:09.659 --> 00:04:11.860 something visually distracting happening. Right. 00:04:11.919 --> 00:04:15.080 His specific brand of comedy was just wild. He 00:04:15.080 --> 00:04:17.600 became known for these completely unscripted 00:04:17.600 --> 00:04:20.420 ad libs. Total chaos. He would orchestrate these 00:04:20.420 --> 00:04:24.459 totally unpredictable intrusions into other comics 00:04:24.459 --> 00:04:26.459 acts. He'd just walk out in the middle of someone 00:04:26.459 --> 00:04:28.740 else's set and derail the entire thing. In the 00:04:28.740 --> 00:04:31.319 funniest way possible, of course. Exactly. And 00:04:31.319 --> 00:04:33.740 the material also mentions he had a rather healthy 00:04:33.740 --> 00:04:37.620 offstage libido to match that chaotic high. high 00:04:37.620 --> 00:04:40.360 energy onstage persona. Pulling off that kind 00:04:40.360 --> 00:04:44.040 of intrusive, disruptive comedy requires massive 00:04:44.040 --> 00:04:46.240 confidence. Oh, I can't even imagine. If you 00:04:46.240 --> 00:04:48.519 walk into another comedian set and the joke falls 00:04:48.519 --> 00:04:50.810 flat, you've ruined the show. You're done. But 00:04:50.810 --> 00:04:53.050 if you have the timing Ragland had, you become 00:04:53.050 --> 00:04:56.430 a legend among your peers. And that peer validation 00:04:56.430 --> 00:04:59.370 is the true test. Yeah, that's so true. It is 00:04:59.370 --> 00:05:02.110 one thing to make a rowdy audience laugh. Making 00:05:02.110 --> 00:05:04.389 the other performers in the wings laugh is an 00:05:04.389 --> 00:05:06.589 entirely different level of skill. And you see 00:05:06.589 --> 00:05:09.029 that respect in how his contemporaries talked 00:05:09.029 --> 00:05:11.889 about him long after the fact. Definitely. Georgia 00:05:11.889 --> 00:05:14.870 Southern, who was a massive star striptease performer 00:05:14.870 --> 00:05:18.269 at Minsky's, she wrote a memoir decades later 00:05:18.269 --> 00:05:22.319 in 1971. And she didn't just mention him in passing, 00:05:22.480 --> 00:05:26.040 she called him a close friend and definitively 00:05:26.040 --> 00:05:28.420 stated that he was the funniest comedian the 00:05:28.420 --> 00:05:31.560 Minsky's ever produced. Coming from a striptease 00:05:31.560 --> 00:05:34.560 star in that era, that is incredibly high praise. 00:05:34.759 --> 00:05:37.519 Absolutely. Because a burlesque comic's job is 00:05:37.519 --> 00:05:39.079 essentially to keep the audience entertained 00:05:39.079 --> 00:05:42.000 while they wait for the main attraction. Right. 00:05:42.060 --> 00:05:44.259 They're the filler. Exactly. So to be remembered 00:05:44.259 --> 00:05:47.259 by the main attraction as the funniest guy in 00:05:47.259 --> 00:05:50.920 the building means your talent is just undeniable. 00:05:50.959 --> 00:05:53.160 And it wasn't just the burlesque stars either. 00:05:53.220 --> 00:05:56.540 The legendary... Phil Silvers. Oh, Phil Silvers. 00:05:56.560 --> 00:05:58.540 Yeah. Who would go on to become his longtime 00:05:58.540 --> 00:06:01.139 performing partner and a huge television icon 00:06:01.139 --> 00:06:03.519 in his own right. Yeah. Famously referred to 00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:06.420 Ragland in his autobiography as my favorite comic. 00:06:06.579 --> 00:06:08.720 It really makes you think about the environments 00:06:08.720 --> 00:06:10.720 that force you to develop your sharpest skills. 00:06:10.939 --> 00:06:13.279 What do you mean? Well, it's rarely the quiet, 00:06:13.319 --> 00:06:16.000 perfectly structured classrooms. You know, it 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:19.399 is the messy, chaotic, unstructured situations 00:06:19.399 --> 00:06:21.579 where you just have to think on your feet. Yeah. 00:06:21.620 --> 00:06:25.209 Trial by fire. Exactly. Raglan had to win over 00:06:25.209 --> 00:06:27.649 crowds that were actively drinking and yelling. 00:06:27.750 --> 00:06:31.250 He had to improvise constantly. That environment 00:06:31.250 --> 00:06:34.189 forged an improvisational brilliance that simply 00:06:34.189 --> 00:06:36.069 could not be taught in a traditional theater 00:06:36.069 --> 00:06:39.379 setting. Okay, let's unpack this next massive 00:06:39.379 --> 00:06:42.399 phase of his life, because the ground eventually 00:06:42.399 --> 00:06:44.839 falls completely out from under him. It really 00:06:44.839 --> 00:06:47.519 does. The golden age of classic burlesque doesn't 00:06:47.519 --> 00:06:51.079 last forever. No. Local crackdowns happen, cultural 00:06:51.079 --> 00:06:53.639 tastes shift, and the rowdy stages of places 00:06:53.639 --> 00:06:57.459 like Minsky's just go dark. It is a devastating 00:06:57.459 --> 00:07:00.300 industry shift. Sure. A massive percentage of 00:07:00.300 --> 00:07:03.019 performers from that era simply faded away into 00:07:03.019 --> 00:07:05.920 obscurity when the burlesque houses closed. Because 00:07:05.920 --> 00:07:07.699 what else could they do? Exactly. They didn't 00:07:07.699 --> 00:07:09.839 know how to do anything else. But Raglan refuses 00:07:09.839 --> 00:07:12.660 to fade. He successfully transitions to Broadway, 00:07:12.740 --> 00:07:14.600 and then he sets his sights on the silver screen. 00:07:14.800 --> 00:07:16.600 This is where his adaptability really shines. 00:07:16.819 --> 00:07:18.939 I mean, in Hollywood, he gets typecast, sure, 00:07:19.000 --> 00:07:21.000 but he makes it work beautifully. He leans into 00:07:21.000 --> 00:07:24.019 it. He became known for playing these good -natured 00:07:24.019 --> 00:07:28.100 oafs. His absolute signature quirk on film was 00:07:28.100 --> 00:07:32.279 this unique knack for just completely fracturing 00:07:32.279 --> 00:07:34.120 the English language. He takes the intimidating 00:07:34.120 --> 00:07:36.800 physical presence of a former boxer. Right. And 00:07:36.800 --> 00:07:39.560 the razor sharp comedic timing of a burlesque 00:07:39.560 --> 00:07:42.029 veteran and he softens it. He makes it palatable. 00:07:42.230 --> 00:07:45.089 Yes. He rounds off the rough edges to create 00:07:45.089 --> 00:07:49.569 this lovable, bumbling character that mainstream 00:07:49.569 --> 00:07:51.649 movie audiences, who were very different from 00:07:51.649 --> 00:07:54.589 burlesque audiences, could completely embrace. 00:07:54.910 --> 00:07:57.850 And he hits a massive milestone in 1941 when 00:07:57.850 --> 00:08:00.189 he becomes a Metro -Goldwyn -Mayer contract player. 00:08:00.449 --> 00:08:03.089 MGM. Yeah. MGM was the biggest, most prestigious 00:08:03.089 --> 00:08:04.889 studio in the world at the time. The absolute 00:08:04.889 --> 00:08:07.029 peak. He starts off there with a film called 00:08:07.029 --> 00:08:09.470 Ringside Maisie, playing a character named Vic. 00:08:09.920 --> 00:08:11.839 And that just kicks off a whole run of appearances 00:08:11.839 --> 00:08:15.060 in several MGM light comedies and musicals. You 00:08:15.060 --> 00:08:18.660 know, translating a live act to camera is notoriously 00:08:18.660 --> 00:08:21.579 difficult. Really? Why is that? Well, on stage, 00:08:21.680 --> 00:08:23.899 you play to the back of the room. Your gestures 00:08:23.899 --> 00:08:26.420 are huge. Right, you're projecting. But on camera, 00:08:26.579 --> 00:08:28.939 the lens is right in your face, catching every 00:08:28.939 --> 00:08:32.159 single micro expression. Plus, a camera doesn't 00:08:32.159 --> 00:08:34.720 laugh. Oh, wow. I hadn't thought of that. Yeah. 00:08:34.799 --> 00:08:37.279 You have to deliver a punchline and hold for 00:08:37.279 --> 00:08:40.139 a laugh you can't even hear. The fact that a 00:08:40.139 --> 00:08:43.860 wild ad -libbing stage comic mastered that technical 00:08:43.860 --> 00:08:47.100 transition so seamlessly is incredibly impressive. 00:08:47.440 --> 00:08:49.940 That technical mastery leads directly to his 00:08:49.940 --> 00:08:53.500 career peak in Hollywood. He becomes wildly popular 00:08:53.500 --> 00:08:56.320 as Red Skelton's right -hand man in the Whistling 00:08:56.320 --> 00:08:58.980 movie series. Red Skelton, another legend. Exactly. 00:08:59.500 --> 00:09:01.740 We are talking about Whistling in the Dark in 00:09:01.740 --> 00:09:05.360 1941. Whistling in Dixie in 1942 and Whistling 00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:08.399 in Brooklyn in 1943. A great run of films. He 00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:10.360 plays this recurring character named Sylvester 00:09:10.360 --> 00:09:12.519 Conway. though sometimes he's called Lester or 00:09:12.519 --> 00:09:14.639 Chester Conway, depending on the film. And he 00:09:14.639 --> 00:09:16.840 is holding his own right alongside Red Skelton, 00:09:17.039 --> 00:09:19.059 who is arguably one of the greatest physical 00:09:19.059 --> 00:09:21.740 comedians of the 20th century. For sure. Raglan 00:09:21.740 --> 00:09:24.159 proved he wasn't just a flash in the pan. He 00:09:24.159 --> 00:09:27.080 was a reliable, bankable, comedic force within 00:09:27.080 --> 00:09:30.080 the rigid Hollywood studio system. He continued 00:09:30.080 --> 00:09:32.600 working steadily, and his final film appearance 00:09:32.600 --> 00:09:36.179 was in a 1946 drama called The Hoodlum Saint, 00:09:36.360 --> 00:09:38.500 where he played a character brilliantly named 00:09:38.500 --> 00:09:40.720 Fish Face. Fish Face, I love it. I love that. 00:09:40.799 --> 00:09:43.399 It's perfect. But you really have to marvel at 00:09:43.399 --> 00:09:46.320 the sheer panic of an industry dying overnight 00:09:46.320 --> 00:09:49.940 and then having the talent to take a raw, R -rated 00:09:49.940 --> 00:09:53.059 live act and turn it into something MGM executives 00:09:53.059 --> 00:09:56.250 could sell. to middle america it is the ultimate 00:09:56.250 --> 00:09:58.590 survival story in entertainment it really is 00:09:58.590 --> 00:10:00.309 i mean think about it if you're in that situation 00:10:00.309 --> 00:10:02.570 you either hold on to the past and go down with 00:10:02.570 --> 00:10:04.850 the ship or you mold your talents to fit the 00:10:04.850 --> 00:10:07.629 new reality raglan mastered the new reality but 00:10:07.629 --> 00:10:09.730 despite mastering that new reality the story 00:10:09.730 --> 00:10:12.889 takes a very dark turn here's where it gets really 00:10:12.889 --> 00:10:15.600 interesting and honestly Incredibly heartbreaking. 00:10:15.860 --> 00:10:17.820 Yeah, this part is tough. We are in the year 00:10:17.820 --> 00:10:21.460 1946. Ragland is riding high, but his lifestyle 00:10:21.460 --> 00:10:23.720 is really catching up to him. He returns from 00:10:23.720 --> 00:10:26.559 a trip to Mexico, and this was no relaxing vacation. 00:10:26.840 --> 00:10:29.059 No, it wasn't. He was returning from a massive 00:10:29.059 --> 00:10:31.559 alcoholic bender with Orson Welles. The timing 00:10:31.559 --> 00:10:34.220 makes this especially tragic. Because he was 00:10:34.220 --> 00:10:36.720 right on the precipice of a major live comeback. 00:10:37.059 --> 00:10:39.679 The Copacabana. Right. He was scheduled to revive 00:10:39.679 --> 00:10:42.600 his old New York nightclub act at the incredibly 00:10:42.600 --> 00:10:45.620 famous Copacabana. And he wasn't doing it alone. 00:10:45.820 --> 00:10:48.240 He was supposed to share the stage with his closest 00:10:48.240 --> 00:10:51.840 friend, Phil Silvers. It was poised to be this 00:10:51.840 --> 00:10:54.399 triumphant return to their roots. A huge deal. 00:10:54.580 --> 00:10:58.259 The stage is set. The hype is there. But a severe 00:10:58.259 --> 00:11:00.860 medical crisis strikes before they can even make 00:11:00.860 --> 00:11:03.679 it to opening night. Raglan starts experiencing 00:11:03.679 --> 00:11:07.379 intense abdominal pain. And it escalates so quickly 00:11:07.379 --> 00:11:09.340 that he has to be rushed to the hospital. The 00:11:09.340 --> 00:11:11.779 details from the hospital really highlight the 00:11:11.779 --> 00:11:13.919 elite circles he was moving in at this point. 00:11:13.960 --> 00:11:15.879 Oh, absolutely. While he is lying there, his 00:11:15.879 --> 00:11:18.139 good friend Frank Sinatra steps in to help. I 00:11:18.139 --> 00:11:20.700 like Sinatra. Sinatra uses his massive influence 00:11:20.700 --> 00:11:23.820 to call in a top medical specialist to try and 00:11:23.820 --> 00:11:26.120 save Raglan's life. But the damage is already 00:11:26.120 --> 00:11:29.639 done. The doctors examine him and determine that 00:11:29.639 --> 00:11:31.779 his liver and kidneys have been completely destroyed 00:11:31.779 --> 00:11:34.580 by years of heavy alcohol abuse. He is suffering 00:11:34.580 --> 00:11:37.480 from uremia. For context, uremia is essentially 00:11:37.480 --> 00:11:40.779 a severe toxic buildup in the blood. Right. When 00:11:40.779 --> 00:11:43.000 your kidneys completely fail, they can no longer 00:11:43.000 --> 00:11:45.340 filter waste products out of your system. It 00:11:45.340 --> 00:11:48.259 is a rapid and devastating systemic shutdown. 00:11:48.620 --> 00:11:52.320 Raglan slips into a coma, and on August 20, 1946, 00:11:52.820 --> 00:11:56.059 he passes away. So young. He was just three days 00:11:56.059 --> 00:11:58.799 shy of his 41st birthday. And right there by 00:11:58.799 --> 00:12:01.600 his hospital bed when he died were Phil Silvers 00:12:01.600 --> 00:12:04.539 and Frank Sinatra. Having two of the biggest 00:12:04.539 --> 00:12:07.240 stars of the era standing vigil at your deathbed 00:12:07.240 --> 00:12:10.179 speaks volumes about the profound personal impact 00:12:10.179 --> 00:12:12.279 he had on the people around him. His funeral 00:12:12.279 --> 00:12:15.000 was a massive event heavily attended by Hollywood 00:12:15.000 --> 00:12:17.779 celebrities. Frank Sinatra sang at the service, 00:12:17.960 --> 00:12:20.240 and Phil Silvers managed to deliver the eulogy 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:22.100 for his best friend. I can't even imagine how 00:12:22.100 --> 00:12:23.820 hard that must have been. But the true tribute, 00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:26.240 the moment that is forever etched into show business 00:12:26.240 --> 00:12:29.240 history, happens in the aftermath at the Copacabana. 00:12:29.360 --> 00:12:31.639 This is a masterclass in professional loyalty. 00:12:31.919 --> 00:12:34.000 It really is. Because the Copacabana debut was 00:12:34.000 --> 00:12:36.220 still on the books. Phil Silvers had to make 00:12:36.220 --> 00:12:38.000 an impossible decision, though, you know, his 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:39.720 hands were mostly tied. Right, the contract. 00:12:40.220 --> 00:12:43.019 He was bound by an ironclad contract that literally 00:12:43.019 --> 00:12:46.320 included a the show must go on clause. He was 00:12:46.320 --> 00:12:49.240 legally trapped. Wow. He had to walk out onto 00:12:49.240 --> 00:12:52.820 that stage and perform the very comedy act he 00:12:52.820 --> 00:12:55.220 had prepared to do with the man he had just buried. 00:12:55.399 --> 00:12:57.700 You can only imagine the dread Silvers must have 00:12:57.700 --> 00:13:01.860 felt. Terrifying. But Sinatra absolutely refuses 00:13:01.860 --> 00:13:05.220 to let Silvers face that room alone. Sinatra 00:13:05.220 --> 00:13:07.220 is currently in the middle of filming a movie 00:13:07.220 --> 00:13:10.460 called It Happened in Brooklyn. A huge production. 00:13:10.879 --> 00:13:13.200 Without hesitation, he walks off the movie set, 00:13:13.340 --> 00:13:16.159 drops all of his obligations, boards a flight 00:13:16.159 --> 00:13:18.779 to New York, and shows up completely unannounced 00:13:18.779 --> 00:13:21.019 to the Copacabana to take Raglan's spot. The 00:13:21.019 --> 00:13:23.220 shock in that room must have been palpable. I 00:13:23.220 --> 00:13:25.379 mean, the audience is expecting a solo, probably 00:13:25.379 --> 00:13:27.720 deeply depressing performance from a grieving 00:13:27.720 --> 00:13:30.919 Phil Silvers. Naturally. And instead, Frank Sinatra 00:13:30.919 --> 00:13:33.000 walks out. And they didn't just stand there and 00:13:33.000 --> 00:13:35.039 give a solemn speech either. They gave the audience 00:13:35.039 --> 00:13:38.409 a legendary performance. They really did. Sinatra 00:13:38.409 --> 00:13:40.710 and Silvers launched into the old rapid -fire 00:13:40.710 --> 00:13:42.669 comedy routines that they used to perform together 00:13:42.669 --> 00:13:45.909 during their USO tours. Those USO tours were 00:13:45.909 --> 00:13:49.470 grueling. Performers traveled to military bases 00:13:49.470 --> 00:13:52.210 to entertain the troops during the war. You had 00:13:52.210 --> 00:13:55.889 to be fast, funny, and engaging to keep the attention 00:13:55.889 --> 00:13:59.649 of thousands of exhausted soldiers. Because they 00:13:59.649 --> 00:14:02.029 had honed those routines in such high -pressure 00:14:02.029 --> 00:14:05.309 environments, the material was incredibly tight. 00:14:05.570 --> 00:14:08.009 They brought that exact same explosive energy 00:14:08.009 --> 00:14:11.230 to the Topa Cabana. By all accounts, they completely 00:14:11.230 --> 00:14:13.970 rocked the house. Amazing. They brought the entire 00:14:13.970 --> 00:14:17.049 room to life, generating massive laughs in honor 00:14:17.049 --> 00:14:18.750 of their friend who should have been standing 00:14:18.750 --> 00:14:21.250 right there with them. But the contrast of what 00:14:21.250 --> 00:14:23.090 happens at the very end of the night is what 00:14:23.090 --> 00:14:25.009 makes this story so powerful. Gives me chills. 00:14:25.370 --> 00:14:29.090 The explosive comedy routines end. The room settles. 00:14:29.210 --> 00:14:32.149 A visibly crying Phil Silver steps up to the 00:14:32.149 --> 00:14:34.269 microphone. Yeah. He looks out at the crowd and 00:14:34.269 --> 00:14:36.870 simply says, may I take a bow for rags? He doesn't 00:14:36.870 --> 00:14:39.340 ask for applause. He doesn't ask. for a cheer. 00:14:39.519 --> 00:14:41.620 No. And the audience understands the assignment 00:14:41.620 --> 00:14:44.860 instantly. While Silver stands there weeping 00:14:44.860 --> 00:14:47.279 on stage, taking a bow for his favorite comic, 00:14:47.460 --> 00:14:50.919 the entire Copacabana responds with total, absolute 00:14:50.919 --> 00:14:53.960 pin drop silence. In an industry that is so often 00:14:53.960 --> 00:14:56.960 defined by massive egos, self -interest, and 00:14:56.960 --> 00:14:59.960 fleeting relationships, you have Frank Sinatra. 00:15:00.639 --> 00:15:03.559 risking the wrath of a major movie studio to 00:15:03.559 --> 00:15:05.259 fly across the country. Dropping everything. 00:15:05.539 --> 00:15:07.460 And you have Phil Silvers performing through 00:15:07.460 --> 00:15:11.039 unimaginable grief. That silent room in New York 00:15:11.039 --> 00:15:13.139 is the ultimate testament to the kind of man 00:15:13.139 --> 00:15:16.309 Rags Ragland was behind the curtain. So what 00:15:16.309 --> 00:15:18.370 does this all mean for you listening? We have 00:15:18.370 --> 00:15:20.909 followed an unbelievable trajectory today. We 00:15:20.909 --> 00:15:23.370 really have. From John Lee Morgan Beauregard 00:15:23.370 --> 00:15:26.009 Raglin, the working class truck driver and boxer 00:15:26.009 --> 00:15:29.250 in Kentucky, to the undisputed top banana ruling 00:15:29.250 --> 00:15:32.210 the chaotic stages of Minsky's burlesque. The 00:15:32.210 --> 00:15:34.470 king of the stage. We watched him completely 00:15:34.470 --> 00:15:37.549 reinvent his physical comedy to conquer the MGM 00:15:37.549 --> 00:15:40.789 studio system alongside Red Skelton. And we witnessed 00:15:40.789 --> 00:15:44.389 his tragic premature death at 40 a loss so deeply 00:15:44.389 --> 00:15:46.879 felt. that it literally stopped production in 00:15:46.879 --> 00:15:49.179 Hollywood and brought The Rock is Copacabana 00:15:49.179 --> 00:15:51.940 to a dead respectful halt. It is a phenomenal 00:15:51.940 --> 00:15:54.299 legacy. And looking back at his origins in those 00:15:54.299 --> 00:15:57.580 rowdy burlesque houses leaves a fascinating lingering 00:15:57.580 --> 00:16:00.240 question for you to mull over. Well, Raglan built 00:16:00.240 --> 00:16:03.899 his genius in an era of unrecorded chaos, relying 00:16:03.899 --> 00:16:06.799 on a trial and error process of wild ad libs 00:16:06.799 --> 00:16:09.399 where mistakes just vanish into the smoky air 00:16:09.399 --> 00:16:11.600 the moment they happened. Right. If you were 00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:14.299 starting out today in an era of absolute internet. 00:16:14.539 --> 00:16:17.500 permanence, where every messy early set is recorded 00:16:17.500 --> 00:16:20.320 on a smartphone and immortalized online, would 00:16:20.320 --> 00:16:22.720 that chaotic experimental environment he needed 00:16:22.720 --> 00:16:24.940 to become a genius even be allowed to exist? 00:16:25.220 --> 00:16:27.220 That's a great point. Or does the modern era 00:16:27.220 --> 00:16:29.840 crush that kind of raw development before it 00:16:29.840 --> 00:16:32.500 ever makes it to the silver screen? That is a 00:16:32.500 --> 00:16:34.879 phenomenal question, and it really shifts how 00:16:34.879 --> 00:16:36.860 you look at the polished performers we see today. 00:16:37.409 --> 00:16:39.529 You really have to wonder how many potential 00:16:39.529 --> 00:16:42.549 comedy legends never survive the harsh light 00:16:42.549 --> 00:16:46.409 of their first viral mistake. Thank you for joining 00:16:46.409 --> 00:16:48.669 us on this deep dive into the life of Rags Ragland. 00:16:48.830 --> 00:16:50.970 Keep seeking out the hidden stories behind the 00:16:50.970 --> 00:16:53.009 history you think you know. We will see you next 00:16:53.009 --> 00:16:53.210 time.