Frank Ferguson

Frank Ferguson
Frank Ferguson as Eli Carson on ABC's Peyton Place (1972)
Born	(1899-12-25)December 25, 1899 Ferndale, Humboldt County California, U.S.
Died	September 12, 1978(1978-09-12) (aged 78) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Cause of death	Cancer
Resting place	Cremation
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1940-1977

Frank Ferguson (born December 25, 1899, Ferndale, California — died September 12, 1978, Los Angeles) was an American character actor with hundreds of appearances in both film and television.

Ferguson's best known role was as the ranch handyman, Gus Broeberg, on the CBS television series, My Friend Flicka, based on a novel of the same name. He appeared with Gene Evans, Johnny Washbrook, and Anita Louise. At this time, Ferguson also portrayed the Calverton veterinarian in the first several seasons of CBS's Lassie.

In 1948, he appeared as "McDougal"- the quickly agitated owner of "McDougal's House Of Horrors"- in the Universal comedy/horror film "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein". In 1952, he had an uncredited role as a jailer in the film Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair.

Even before My Friend Flicka and Lassie, Ferguson appeared in five episodes as "Murdock" in the 1953-1954 ABC sitcom, The Pride of the Family, starring Paul Hartman, Fay Wray, Natalie Wood, and Robert Hyatt.^[1] He also appeared in an episode of Jackie Cooper's NBC sitcom, The People's Choice. He was cast as Doc Spooner in the 1959 episode "Wolf" of the ABC/Warner Brothers western series, Sugarfoot, with Will Hutchins in the title role.

Ferguson portrayed Judge Roy Bean, justice of the peace in Langtry, Texas, in the 1959 episode "Law West of the Pecos" of the ABC/WB western series, Colt .45, starring Wayde Preston. The Judge Bean role had been filed in an earlier syndicated western series by Edgar Buchanan. In the Colt .45 episode, Lisa Gaye portrayed June Webster, and Douglas Kennedy was cast as Jay Brisco. Ferguson had also appeared as Todd Slater in the 1958 Colt .45 segment, "Rare Specimen".^[2][3]

On June 3, 1961, Ferguson was cast as Governor Lew Wallace of the New Mexico Territory in "The Great Western" of the NBC western series, The Tall Man, starring Barry Sullivan as Sheriff Pat Garrett and Clu Gulager as Billy the Kid. In the story line, as Wallace visits Lincoln, New Mexico, Sheriff Garrett tries to keep down brawling in the cantina owned by Big Mamacita (Connie Gilchrist), who is the grandmother of the governor's young aide.^[4]

Ferguson played three different characters on The Andy Griffith Show, two different characters on Petticoat Junction, four different characters on Bonanza, four different characters on Perry Mason (including three episodes as a sheriff), and four different characters on the ABC/WB western, Maverick. He guest starred on other series, including the syndicated Rescue 8, Whirlybirds, and The Everglades; NBC's The Restless Gun, Riverboat, Overland Trail, National Velvet, and Mr. Novak; ABC's The Rifleman, The Alaskans, Target: The Corruptors, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and CBS's General Electric Theater (hosted by Ronald W. Reagan), and The Texan, starring Rory Calhoun. Ferguson appeared twice in 1956 as Henry Murdock (a name similar to his character in The Pride of the Family) on the syndicated western-themed crime drama, Sheriff of Cochise.

He guest starred in all three of Rod Cameron's crime series, City Detective, (1955), State Trooper (in the 1957 episode "No Blaze of Glory", the story of a presumed arson case with a surprise ending, with Vivi Janiss as his wife) and COronado 9 (1960). He was a guest star in the final season of ABC's Leave It to Beaver sitcom in 1963.

Ferguson played the role of Eli Carson in the primetime ABC serial Peyton Place and reprised the role in the later daytime version Return to Peyton Place.

Selected filmography

• Killer at Large (1947)
• Rodeo (1952)

References

External links

• Frank Ferguson at the Internet Movie Database
• Frank Ferguson at Find a Grave