William Ramage

Born in Shreveport, Louisiana on August 27, 1933, William Ramage’s main career was as a very sought-after male model for such companies as H.I.S. Menswear, Alexander Shields, and Oleg Cassini Menswear. His image also advertised luggage and low-tar cigarettes. Ramage worked with such reknown photographers as Richard Avedon, John Engstead, Prigent, and Bert Stern in the USA and Europe. He also did runway modeling, sometimes earning as much as $5,000 per day. By 1959, he was the highest-paid male model in the United States and, in 1960 earned over $85,000. He retired from modeling in 1965.
Ramage has enjoyed many careers over his life, however. He started out as an actor and was under contract to RKO Pictures from 1954 until 1957. (It was RKO’s still photographer Ernie Bachrach and RKO’s Head of Publicity Perry Lieber who urged Ramage to go into modeling because he had a “cameleon” quality in front of a camera, with a different look in each photo.) He has appeared in films “The Cattle Queen of Montana,” starring Ronald Reagan and Barbara Stanwyck, “The Conqueror,” starring John Wayne and Susan Hayward, “An Annapolis Story,” starring John Derek and Diana Lynn, “Outlaw Queen,” starring Harry James and Andrea King, and “A Taste of Fear,” with Anne Baxter. The latter film was released by Columbia Pictures in 1966 but was recalled and never released again because of a legal matter. From 1974 until 1976, Ramage produced a series of films for parents and teachers of children with special learning needs for The Encyclopedia Brittanica. He also acted on the legitimate stage, appearing in 1957 in “Waltz of the Toreadors,” starring Melvyn Douglas and Paulette Goddard, at the Blackstone Theatre in Chicago. He also did much television work, beginning in the golden era of live dramatic broadcasts.
During the first half of the 1980s, Ramage served as Director of Financial Services, Senior Vice President and Assistant to the President of a savings and loan company in its Executive Office in Beverly Hills. He attended law school, passing the Bar in California and served as attorney-at-law for the same company.
His education took place at The University of Texas in Austin 1950-1954 where he earned a B.A. in English, The University of London, England one quarter 1952-1953, The University of Southern California 1957 where he earned an M.A. in English, and Western State School of Law in Fullerton, CA. He has belonged to the Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and Actors Equity Association.
Note
Ramage has been quoted in at least two published books: Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye: The Barbara Payton Story and Guy Williams: The Man Behind the Mask.

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