Mike Ragan / Holly Bane

Over the years, the faces of the B-western baddies changed, and to me, this was most noticeable beginning around the mid-1940s/post World War II period. Republic Pictures still had the great Roy Barcroft and several others under contract. But the crew of villains at PRC and Monogram during the twilight of the B-western were a mix of John (Bob) Cason, Terry Frost, Riley Hill, Marshall Reed, Myron Healey ... and Mike Ragan / Holly Bane. And like many other B-western performers of the time, Ragan/Bane migrated into TV work and can be seen in many 1950s - 1960s westerns, including THE CISCO KID, THE LONE RANGER, ANNIE OAKLEY, THE RANGE RIDER, ZANE GREY THEATER, lots more.

In addition to acting, he had a second career as a makeup artist. More on that below from Pamela Leigh Powers.

Les Adams has him identified in about 60 films, of which 47 are westerns and 7 are chapterplays.

There's an obituary in Bobby Copeland's B-Western Boot Hill book: Ragan/Bane, aged 77, passed away from emphysema on August 25, 1995 and had been in a Los Angeles hospital for five months. Old Corral contributors Dale Crawford and Jim Sorensen report that Ragan/Bane was cremated and his ashes were scattered at sea.

He was married several times, and his last was a thirty year marriage to actress and model Dorothy Ford.

Californian Pamela Leigh Powers met Mike Ragan / Holly Bane around 1955 and became his friend and Numero Uno fan. Special thanks to Pam for the following biography and several photos. Pam writes:

Mike began acting in the 1940s, when, after working with and around many of the great names in films, he decided to take the initial step into the acting realm.

Born in Los Angeles, he lived in San Francisco as a boy, but returned sometime later, where he obtained his first job at a studio, being an office boy at MGM at the height of its stature and glamour. At age 15 he left on his own for San Francisco once again, to try his hand at the band business. Returning to LA, he took an interest in makeup and became an apprentice in the craft. One of his first films was THE GOOD EARTH with Luise Rainer.

As a makeup artist at MGM and RKO, he worked with such notables as Greta Garbo, Hedy Lamarr, Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy. His work was interrupted for four years while he was in the Marine Corps for World War II duty. Then, returning to RKO and doing makeup on various Robert Mitchum and Robert Ryan movies, he made his decision to join the ranks of the working actors.

His interests and hobbies touch on many fields --- he's an inventor, painter, designer, an avid swimmer, loves all sports (at one time he played pro baseball and boxed).

Steaks and authentic native Chinese food are his favorite dishes; the latter associated with his many Chinese friends in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

In the early 60's he briefly returned to makeup when he did the makeup for the pilot of George Nader's Series, SHANNON. When the show was sold and into production, Nader wanted Mike to continue in this capacity for the balance of the series, but he declined, preferring to stick with acting. With the westerns in decline, he worked as an actor through the mid 1960's then turned his attention to makeup once again. He did the makeup on WELCOME BACK KOTTER and FISH. While doing BARNEY MILLER, head makeup artist Joe Blasco trained him for his job. He also did a stint on GENERAL HOSPITAL in 1976 and was working in makeup for the local ABC news affiliate in LA in the early 90's.

Pam Powers
March, 2002

(And a bit of trivia to add to Pam's bio on Ragan / Bane: some of us oldtimers may recall a one hour TV special titled "When The West Was Fun - A Western Reunion" that aired in 1979. Dozens of movie and TV personalities were on the program ... and Mike Ragan was the makeup artist for the show.)

(Courtesy of Pamela Leigh Powers)

L-to-R are Mike Ragan / Holly Bane and Margia Dean in a scene from RED DESERT (Lippert, 1949) which starred Don Barry.

(Courtesy of Pamela Leigh Powers)

L-to-R are Tom Neal (sitting), Mike Ragan / Holly Bane, John L. (Bob) Cason, Jack Holt and Byron Foulger in another scene from RED DESERT (Lippert, 1949).

(Courtesy of Pamela Leigh Powers)

Audie Murphy is getting beat to a pulp by Ragan/Bane on the left and stuntman/supporting player Henry Wills on the right in this scene from GUNSMOKE (UI, 1953).

(From Old Corral collection)

L-to-R are Tim Holt, Mike Ragan/Holly Bane wrapped with the rope, and sidekick Richard 'Chito' Martin in a lobby card from Holt's STORM OVER WYOMING (RKO, 1950).