Around 1937, Ray Corrigan invested in some real estate in California's Simi Valley and developed it as a multi-purpose movie location for use in film production.  While several dollar figures have been thrown about, apparently the purchase price for the land was in the range of $10,000 - $12,000.

Most of the Range Busters were done there, as well as A features like FORT APACHE (1948) with John Wayne.  Also filmed at Corriganville were Columbia's JUNGLE JIM series with Johnny Weissmuller and TV shows such as THE ADVENTURES OF RIN TIN TIN and SKY KING.

Corrigan opened the ranch to the public in 1949 and his staff would stage shoot-em-ups and various other entertainment shows.  He even employed several of his movie buddies at the ranch, including Max Terhune and Victor Daniels (Chief Thunder Cloud).  During it's existence, a thousand or more films and TV shows were filmed there.  In 1966, Corriganville became 'Hopetown' when it was purchased by Bob Hope (for several million $$$).

The last Range Busters film was released in 1943, and was basically the end of Ray Corrigan's starring career.  But he was tired of the cowboy film rat race ... and his priorities had changed as he had become very busy with the movie ranch.

Thanks to Minard Coons, Larry Blanks and Bill Raymond for the photos.  Bill worked at Corriganville, and I asked him if he could help identify the horses that 'Crash' is riding in various photos.

Bill responded: "the golden palomino Ray is riding on the hillside picture is 'Marco'.  The mounted picture in town (with his hat raised), the comic picture (with his eyes crossed), and the action picture in town (at full gallup), are all 'Flash'.  Flash was a chocolate palomino (a chocolate brown body with white mane, tail, stockings, and blaze).  Rex Allen's horse, Koko, was a chocolate palomino."

Norman George lives in Oklahoma and e-mailed me in October 1999 with some info on Corriganville:

"My dad's favorite Corriganville story comes to mind about how Crash rode his horse up to the concession that was selling camera film, and tore down a banner they had flying that read "KODAK FILM SOLD HERE".  Crash called out words to the effect "this a a cowboy town, and I'll have none of this here!".  I also have an old photo of myself and Doye O'Dell at Corriganville.  O'Dell hosted a western movie program on channel 5 out of Los Angeles in the early 1950s and would plug his appearances at Corriganville."  Thx Norm!

Jerry L. Schneider's Movie-Making Locations Guide website on Hollywood film locations is at: http://employees.oxy.edu/jerry/index.html

and his expanded site on Ray Corrigan's Corriganville is at: http://employees.oxy.edu/jerry/corrigan/corrigan.htm

(Courtesy of Minard Coons) Above, one of the many trails to adventure at the Corriganville movie ranch. (Courtesy of Minard Coons) Minard calls the above photo 'Deadeye Corrigan', and notes that Ray had a pretty good sense of humor (even though others didn't think so).  Behind Ray is Flash. (Courtesy of Minard Coons) Above, another fine performance at Corriganville.  Ray Corrigan is in the center, and on the far right is Max Terhune. (Courtesy of Minard Coons) Corrigan astride Marco at the Corriganville movie ranch. (Courtesy of Minard Coons) Above, scene from one of the action shows at the Corriganville Movie Ranch. (Courtesy of Clarence Schwab and Larry Blanks) Above, Corrigan and his pal Chief Thunder Cloud corralling the bank robbers in one of the action-packed shows that were staged for the visitors at the movie ranch.  Date of this photo is probably around 1953.