FRANK FERGUSON

Frank Ferguson was one of the busiest character actors in movies and TV for 36 years, 1940-1976. With his everyday man facial features, his fussy little mustache and deep, resonant voice he was equally effective as a doctor, marshal or sheriff, next door neighbor, church deacon, professor or various officials of one kind or another.

Born Franklyn S. Ferguson on Christmas Day 1899 (some reports say 1906) in Ferndale, CA he was the eldest of two children of W. Thomas Ferguson, a native Scottish merchant, and his American wife Annie Boynton. Growing up in Ferndale he became acquainted with Gilmor Brown, founder and director of the famed Pasadena Playhouse. Frank acted in and directed many plays there before he made his film debut in 1940’s “Gambling on the High Seas”.

From 1940 to the early ‘50s at least 90% of his film appearances were uncredited including Western roles in “They Died with Their Boots On” (‘41) as President Grant’s secretary, “Canyon Passage” (‘46) as a preacher, “California” (‘47) as a Cavalry Lieutenant, “The Fabulous Texan” (‘47), “Fort Apache” (‘48) as a newspaperman and “The Furies” (‘50) as a doctor.

Now well established as one of the most reliable character men in Hollywood it seems 1950 is when he became one of Westerns’ most prominent and regular fixtures. Ferguson immediately made two with Rex Allen, “Under Mexicali Stars” and “Thunder in God’s Country”, “Frenchie” with Joel McCrea, “The Great Missouri Raid”, “Warpath”, and “Santa Fe” as Marshal Bat Masterson with Randolph Scott.

Throughout the ‘50s he appeared with a who’s who of Western stars—opposite Audie Murphy, James Stewart, Judy Canova, Rod Cameron (as a gun runner in “Wagons West”), Wayne Morris (a Marshal in “Star of Texas”, a rustler in “The Marksman”), Joel McCrea, Rory Calhoun, Dale Robertson, Randolph Scott, George Montgomery, Sterling Hayden (marshal in “Johnny Guitar”), Alan Ladd, Glenn Ford, Gary Cooper and Buster Crabbe.

It’s also hard to remember a TV Western in which Ferguson didn’t appear—“Hopalong Cassidy”, “Lone Ranger”, “Sheriff of Cochise”/“U.S. Marshal”, “Tales of the Texas Rangers”, “Zane Grey Theatre”, “Trackdown”, “Restless Gun”, “Colt .45” (as Judge Roy Bean), “Rifleman”, “Texan”, “Wichita Town”, “Overland Trail”, “Wanted Dead or Alive”, “Riverboat”, “Sugarfoot” (as Judge Bean again), “The Deputy”, “Alaskans”, “Bat Masterson”, “The Westerner”, “Klondike” “Shotgun Slade”, “Wyatt Earp”, “Have Gun Will Travel”, “Laramie”, “Tall Man” (as Governor Lew Wallace), “Frontier Circus”, “Maverick”, “Bronco” (as General William T. Sherman), “Tales of Wells Fargo”, “Lawman”, “Cheyenne”, “Death Valley Days”, “Wide Country”, “Virginian”, “Wagon Train”, “Temple Houston” (a regular as Judge Gurney), “Destry”, “Gunsmoke”, “Bonanza”, “Alias Smith and Jones”, “Kung Fu”, “How the West Was Won” and, of course, for TV he may be best remembered as Swedish ranch foreman Gus Broeberg on “My Friend Flicka” (‘56-‘57).

“…Flicka” star Gene Evans once told me besides his onscreen work “Ferguson was a noted acting coach at Columbia Pictures…a great guy to work with—a good fisherman too.” Frank was also an amateur trap shooter and belonged to the Golden Valley Gun Club in Pacoima. Slowing down in his late 70s, Frank made his final appearance in an episode of “Little House on the Prairie” in ‘76.