American character actor Frank Ferguson appeared in scores of films and television shows, often as self-important types. Prior to his film debut, he was a prominent performer and director with the acclaimed Pasadena Community Playhouse, where he coached numerous up-and-coming young actors such as Dana Andrews, George Reeves, Robert Preston and Victor Mature. He broke into films, himself, in the early 1940s, usually playing minor supporting roles, though he was seen to advantage in larger roles, notably in two of the best-known (and oddest) westerns of the '50s, Rancho Notorious (1952) and Johnny Guitar (1954). He played hundreds of ranchers, bankers and police detectives in films and television throughout the '50s and '60s. He became most familiar as "Gus" on the children's program My Friend Flicka (1955) and later as "Eli Carson" on the two TV series based on the novel Peyton Place (1964). He semi-retired in 1972 and died of cancer six years later.
Series | Little House on the Prairie | Unknown | 1974-09-11 |
Series | The Waltons | Unknown | 1972-09-14 |
Series | Return to Peyton Place | Eli Carson | 1972-04-03 |
Series | Kung Fu | Unknown | 1972-10-14 |
Series | Alias Smith and Jones | Unknown | 1971-01-05 |
Series | Cannon | Unknown | 1971-09-14 |
Series | Nanny and the Professor | Unknown | 1970-01-21 |
Movie | Along Came a Spider | Dr. Andrew Blake | 1970-02-03 |
Movie | The Great Sioux Massacre | General Alfred Howe Terry | 1965-04-25 |
Series | Green Acres | Unknown | 1965-09-15 |
Movie | The Quick Gun | Dan Evans | 1964-04-01 |
Series | Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea | Unknown | 1964-09-14 |
Series | Wendy and Me | Unknown | 1964-09-14 |
Movie | Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte | Newspaper Editor | 1964-12-15 |
Series | Peyton Place | 1964-09-15 | |
Series | Temple Houston | Judge Gurney | 1963-09-19 |
Series | Petticoat Junction | Unknown | 1963-09-24 |
Series | The Virginian | Unknown | 1962-09-19 |
Series | The Asphalt Jungle | Unknown | 1961-04-02 |
Series | Target: The Corruptors! | Unknown | 1961-09-29 |
Series | Everglades | Unknown | 1961-10-09 |
Movie | Pocketful of Miracles | Newspaper Editor | 1961-12-18 |
Movie | Raymie | Rex | 1960-07-05 |
Movie | The Big Night | Dave | 1960-02-17 |
Series | Coronado 9 | Unknown | 1960-09-06 |
Series | The Tall Man | Unknown | 1960-09-10 |
Series | Surfside 6 | Unknown | 1960-10-06 |
Series | The Andy Griffith Show | Unknown | 1960-10-03 |
Movie | Sunrise at Campobello | Dr. Bennett | 1960-09-28 |
Series | Lock Up | Unknown | 1959-09-28 |
Series | Laramie | Unknown | 1959-09-15 |
Series | Wichita Town | Unknown | 1959-09-30 |
Series | Philip Marlowe | Unknown | 1959-10-06 |
Series | The Twilight Zone | Unknown | 1959-10-02 |
Series | Hawaiian Eye | Unknown | 1959-10-07 |
Series | The Alaskans | Unknown | 1959-10-04 |
Series | Wanted: Dead or Alive | Unknown | 1958-09-06 |
Movie | Terror in a Texas Town | Deacon Matt Holmes | 1958-09-01 |
Movie | Man of the West | Crosscut Marshal | 1958-06-20 |
Series | Peter Gunn | Unknown | 1958-09-22 |
Movie | The Light in the Forest | Harry Butler | 1958-07-08 |
Movie | Cole Younger, Gunfighter | Sheriff Ralph Wittrock | 1958-03-30 |
Series | 77 Sunset Strip | Unknown | 1958-10-10 |
Series | Bronco | Unknown | 1958-09-23 |
Series | Bat Masterson | Unknown | 1958-10-08 |
Movie | Andy Hardy Comes Home | Mayor Benson | 1958-12-22 |
Series | The Rifleman | Unknown | 1958-09-30 |
Series | The Texan | Unknown | 1958-09-29 |
Movie | This Could Be the Night | Mr. Shea | 1957-05-14 |
Movie | The Lawless Eighties | Owen Sutter | 1957-05-31 |
Movie | The Iron Sheriff | Holloway | 1957-04-01 |
Movie | The Phantom Stagecoach | Joe Patterson | 1957-03-31 |
Movie | Gun Duel In Durango | Sheriff Howard | 1957-05-01 |
Series | Richard Diamond, Private Detective | Unknown | 1957-07-01 |
Series | Leave It to Beaver | Unknown | 1957-10-04 |
Series | Have Gun, Will Travel | Unknown | 1957-09-14 |
Series | Trackdown | Unknown | 1957-10-04 |
Series | Maverick | Unknown | 1957-09-22 |
Series | Sugarfoot | Unknown | 1957-09-17 |
Series | Perry Mason | Unknown | 1957-09-21 |
Series | State Trooper | Unknown | 1956-09-25 |
Series | Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre | Unknown | 1956-10-05 |
Movie | Moonfleet | Coachman | 1955-06-24 |
Series | The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp | Unknown | 1955-09-06 |
Movie | City of Shadows | District Attorney Hunt | 1955-06-02 |
Movie | The Eternal Sea | Admiral L.D. | 1955-04-19 |
Movie | New York Confidential | Dr. Ludlow | 1955-02-15 |
Movie | The Violent Men | Mahoney (uncredited) | 1955-01-26 |
Series | Gunsmoke | Unknown | 1955-09-10 |
Movie | The Battle of Gettysburg | Gettysburg Address Reciter (voice) (uncredited) | 1955-12-01 |
Movie | The McConnell Story | Mechanic | 1955-09-29 |
Movie | A Lawless Street | Abe Deland (uncredited) | 1955-11-15 |
Movie | At Gunpoint | Marshal George Henderson | 1955-12-25 |
Series | The 20th Century Fox Hour | Unknown | 1955-10-05 |
Series | My Friend Flicka | Unknown | 1955-09-30 |
Movie | The Shanghai Story | Mr. Haljerson | 1954-09-01 |
Movie | Johnny Guitar | Marshal Williams | 1954-05-26 |
Movie | Dragonfly Squadron | Gen. Conners | 1954-03-21 |
Series | Lassie | Unknown | 1954-09-12 |
Series | The Lone Wolf | Unknown | 1954-01-01 |
Movie | The Outcast | Chad Polson | 1954-08-15 |
Movie | A Star Is Born | Judge George J. Barnes (uncredited) | 1954-10-01 |
Movie | Young at Heart | Bartell | 1954-12-01 |
Movie | Black Tuesday | 1954-12-31 | |
Series | December Bride | Unknown | 1954-10-04 |
Movie | Drum Beat | Mr. Dyar | 1954-11-10 |
Movie | The Marksman | Champ Wiley | 1953-04-10 |
Movie | House of Wax | Medical Examiner (uncredited) | 1953-04-16 |
Movie | The Lone Hand | Mr. Dunn | 1953-05-20 |
Movie | Trouble Along the Way | Mike Edwards | 1953-04-04 |
Movie | Powder River | Johnny Slater | 1953-06-17 |
Series | General Electric Theater | Unknown | 1953-02-01 |
Movie | Star of Texas | Marshal Bullock | 1953-01-11 |
Movie | The I Don't Care Girl | Ned | 1953-01-14 |
Movie | Woman They Almost Lynched | Bartender | 1953-03-20 |
Movie | The Blue Gardenia | Drunk Reporter (uncredited) | 1953-03-20 |
Movie | The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms | Dr. Morton | 1953-06-13 |
Movie | Main Street to Broadway | Mr. Cope in Fantasy Sequence | 1953-10-12 |
Movie | Wicked Woman | Bill Porter (lawyer) | 1953-12-09 |
Movie | Texas Bad Man | Gil | 1953-12-20 |
Movie | Hannah Lee: An American Primitive | John Britton | 1953-07-13 |
Series | Letter to Loretta | Unknown | 1953-09-20 |
Movie | So Big | Ed (uncredited) | 1953-10-31 |
Movie | City of Bad Men | Easterner at Training Camp (uncredited) | 1953-09-11 |
Movie | Big Leaguer | Wally Mitchell | 1953-08-19 |
Movie | So This Is Love | Commencement Speaker | 1953-07-15 |
Series | City Detective | Unknown | 1953-09-07 |
Movie | Rancho Notorious | Preacher | 1952-03-06 |
Movie | Oklahoma Annie | Eldridge Haskell | 1952-03-24 |
Movie | Bend of the River | Tom Grundy | 1952-01-23 |
Movie | Boots Malone | Private Investigator | 1952-01-11 |
Movie | The Winning Team | Sam Arrants | 1952-06-20 |
Movie | Room for One More | Steve (uncredited) | 1952-01-10 |
Movie | The Cimarron Kid | Prison Warden | 1952-01-13 |
Series | Cavalcade of America | Unknown | 1952-10-01 |
Movie | Has Anybody Seen My Gal? | Edward Norton | 1952-06-25 |
Series | Adventures of Superman | Unknown | 1952-09-19 |
Movie | Million Dollar Mermaid | Prosecutor | 1952-12-04 |
Movie | Wagons West | Cyrus Cook | 1952-07-06 |
Movie | It Grows on Trees | John Letherby | 1952-09-02 |
Series | Hopalong Cassidy | Unknown | 1952-09-19 |
Series | Schlitz Playhouse of Stars | Unknown | 1951-10-05 |
Movie | Santa Fe | Marshal Bat Masterson | 1951-04-01 |
Movie | Warpath | Marshal | 1951-11-22 |
Movie | Thunder in God's Country | Bates | 1951-04-07 |
Movie | Elopement | Pinkie's Father (uncredited) | 1951-11-23 |
Movie | On Dangerous Ground | Willows | 1951-12-13 |
Movie | The Barefoot Mailman | Doc Bethune (uncredited) | 1951-12-03 |
Movie | The Good Humor Man | Insp. Quint | 1950-03-24 |
Movie | Tyrant of the Sea | Officer (uncredited) | 1950-02-22 |
Movie | The Furies | Dr. Grieve | 1950-08-16 |
Movie | Louisa | Park Attendant (uncredited) | 1950-05-31 |
Series | Treasury Men in Action | Unknown | 1950-09-11 |
Movie | Frenchie | Jim Dobbs | 1950-12-25 |
Movie | Under Mexicali Stars | Counterfeitor Goldie | 1950-11-20 |
Movie | Caught | Dr. Hoffman | 1949-02-17 |
Movie | State Department: File 649 | Consul Reither | 1949-02-11 |
Movie | Homicide | Albert Murray | 1949-04-02 |
Movie | Shockproof | Logan (Uncredited) | 1949-01-25 |
Movie | Slightly French | Marty Freeman (uncredited) | 1949-02-02 |
Movie | Dynamite | "Hard Rock" Mason | 1949-01-18 |
Movie | The Barkleys of Broadway | Mr. Perkins (uncredited) | 1949-05-04 |
Movie | Free For All | Hap Ross | 1949-11-01 |
Movie | Dancing in the Dark | John Sharkey | 1949-12-02 |
Movie | Roseanna McCoy | Ellison Hatfield | 1949-10-12 |
Movie | Follow Me Quietly | J.C. McGill | 1949-07-07 |
Movie | Fighting Father Dunne | Colpeck | 1948-05-12 |
Movie | The Hunted | Paul Harrison | 1948-04-07 |
Movie | The Bride Goes Wild | Reporter (uncredited) | 1948-03-03 |
Movie | Fort Apache | Newspaperman (uncredited) | 1948-06-14 |
Movie | The Miracle of the Bells | Dolan | 1948-03-27 |
Movie | The Inside Story | Eph | 1948-03-14 |
Movie | Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein | Mr. McDougal | 1948-06-15 |
Movie | The Walls of Jericho | Tom Ransome | 1948-11-22 |
Movie | Rachel and the Stranger | Mr. Green | 1948-09-18 |
Movie | Walk a Crooked Mile | Carl Bemish | 1948-09-02 |
Movie | The Vicious Circle | Stark | 1948-07-21 |
Movie | The Perils of Pauline | Movie Theatre Owner (uncredited) | 1947-07-04 |
Movie | Danger Street | Boward - Police Chief | 1947-06-20 |
Movie | Welcome Stranger | Crane (uncredited) | 1947-06-13 |
Movie | They Won't Believe Me | Mr. Cahill | 1947-07-16 |
Movie | Blaze of Noon | Cash Jones | 1947-05-02 |
Movie | Variety Girl | R.J. O'Connell | 1947-08-29 |
Movie | Shy Guy | Mr. Norton | 1947-08-05 |
Movie | T-Men | Secret Service Man | 1947-12-15 |
Movie | Road to Rio | Texas Posse Member | 1947-12-25 |
Movie | Cass Timberlane | Court Clerk | 1947-11-06 |
Movie | Blonde for a Day | Walter Bronson | 1946-06-10 |
Movie | Canyon Passage | Preacher (uncredited) | 1946-07-17 |
Movie | O.S.S. | Electronics Engineer (uncredited) | 1946-05-26 |
Movie | The Man I Love | Army Doctor | 1946-12-26 |
Movie | The Searching Wind | Embassy Attendant | 1946-08-09 |
Movie | Lady Chaser | Attorney J. T. Vickers | 1946-11-25 |
Movie | Secrets of a Sorority Girl | Justin Farley | 1945-08-15 |
Movie | Truck Busters | George Havelock | 1943-01-28 |
Movie | Mission to Moscow | American Newsman (uncredited) | 1943-04-29 |
Movie | Pilot #5 | Mr. Tully | 1943-06-24 |
Movie | Grand Central Murder | Detective Mike McAdams (uncredited) | 1942-05-01 |
Movie | My Gal Sal | Loud Customer (uncredited) | 1942-04-30 |
Movie | This Gun for Hire | Albert Baker | 1942-04-24 |
Movie | Reap the Wild Wind | Snaith (uncredited) | 1942-03-26 |
Movie | Broadway | Reporter | 1942-05-08 |
Movie | Spy Ship | Burns | 1942-06-06 |
Movie | You Can't Escape Forever | Coroner (uncredited) | 1942-10-10 |
Movie | The War Against Mrs. Hadley | Reporter | 1942-08-07 |
Movie | Ten Gentlemen from West Point | Alden Brown | 1942-06-26 |
Movie | The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady | Judge | 1942-07-04 |
Movie | Bullets for O'Hara | Prosecutor (uncredited) | 1941-07-19 |
Movie | Four Mothers | Music Foundation Director (uncredited) | 1941-01-04 |
Movie | You'll Never Get Rich | Justice of the Peace (uncredited) | 1941-09-25 |
Movie | They Died with Their Boots On | Grant's Secretary (uncredited) | 1941-11-20 |
Movie | At the Stroke of Twelve | Prosecuting Attorney | 1941-11-15 |
Movie | The Body Disappears | 1941-11-22 | |
Movie | Gambling on the High Seas | The State's District Attorney | 1940-06-22 |
Movie | Father Is A Prince | Ben Haley | 1940-11-18 |