George Ferguson (actor)
Encyclopedia
George Hart Ferguson was an American
actor
. He performed on the stage
and in silent movies
.
Ferguson appeared in two movies
, Damaged Goods (1914
) and The Bruiser
(1916
). He also toured with Richard Bennett
in the stage production of Damaged Goods and appeared on Broadway
in Maternity
(1915), also with Bennett.
and his mother Scottish American
.
. Eventually he turned to the stage. His big break came when he joined the Richard Bennett
's theatre company performing in the controversial play
, Damaged Goods, which told the story of a prominent man diagnosed with syphilis.
In 1914, the American Film Company convinced Bennett to film a screen adaptation of Damaged Goods. The movie featured much the same cast as had toured with the play, including Ferguson, who played "the quack's assistant." In 1915, He was cast in Bennett's production of Eugène Brieux
's Maternity
, which ran for 21 performances at the Princess Theatre
on Broadway.
The only other movie that Ferguson is known to have appeared in was 1916's The Bruiser
, in which he plays "Modest Tim."
, Ferguson was working at A.M. Home Music Company in Boston, as a piano
salesman. He served for 12 months in the U.S. Army
and was stationed in France
with the rank of ammunition
sergeant
for the 301st Field Artillery
.
Ferguson was involved in local theatre, such as the Old Timbuctoo Tribe.
He married Esther Marie Sharkey on September 17, 1921, in Winthrop, Massachusetts
, where the couple had two sons, Dalton Hart Ferguson and Milton (later Bruce) Hart Ferguson.
George Ferguson died at age 71 in New Jersey
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He performed on the stage
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
and in silent movies
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
.
Ferguson appeared in two movies
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Damaged Goods (1914
1914 in film
The year 1914 in film involved some significant events, including the debut of Cecil B. DeMille as a director.-Events:*The 3,300-seat Mark Strand Theatre opens in New York City....
) and The Bruiser
The Bruiser
The Bruiser is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Charles Bartlett. The film stars Charlotte Burton and William Russell.-Cast:* William Russell as "Big Bill" Brawley* Charlotte Burton as Fen Bernham* George Ferguson as Modest Tim...
(1916
1916 in film
The year 1916 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* October 17 - release of A Daughter of the Gods, the first US production with a million dollar budget, with the first nude scene by a major star....
). He also toured with Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett (actor)
Richard Bennett was an American actor who became a stage and silent screen matinee idol over the early decades of the twentieth century.-Early Life:...
in the stage production of Damaged Goods and appeared on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in Maternity
Maternity (play)
Maternity is a dramatic three act play that opened January 6, 1915, at the Princess Theatre on Broadway starring Richard Bennett.An English language version of Eugène Brieux's French play, Maternité , the work was translated by Benjamin F. Blanchard...
(1915), also with Bennett.
Early life
He was born on Brookline Street in Boston, Massachusetts, one of 10 children of Andrew Ferguson and Mary McIntire. His father was ScottishScottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
and his mother Scottish American
Scottish American
Scottish Americans or Scots Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in Scotland. Scottish Americans are closely related to Scots-Irish Americans, descendants of Ulster Scots, and communities emphasize and celebrate a common heritage...
.
Acting career
At an early age, George left home to work in the circusCircus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
. Eventually he turned to the stage. His big break came when he joined the Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett (actor)
Richard Bennett was an American actor who became a stage and silent screen matinee idol over the early decades of the twentieth century.-Early Life:...
's theatre company performing in the controversial play
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
, Damaged Goods, which told the story of a prominent man diagnosed with syphilis.
In 1914, the American Film Company convinced Bennett to film a screen adaptation of Damaged Goods. The movie featured much the same cast as had toured with the play, including Ferguson, who played "the quack's assistant." In 1915, He was cast in Bennett's production of Eugène Brieux
Eugène Brieux
Eugène Brieux , French dramatist, was born in Paris of poor parents.A one-act play, Bernard Palissy, written in collaboration with M...
's Maternity
Maternity (play)
Maternity is a dramatic three act play that opened January 6, 1915, at the Princess Theatre on Broadway starring Richard Bennett.An English language version of Eugène Brieux's French play, Maternité , the work was translated by Benjamin F. Blanchard...
, which ran for 21 performances at the Princess Theatre
Princess Theatre
The Princess Theatre was a joint venture between the Shubert Brothers , producer Ray Comstock, theatrical agent Elisabeth Marbury and actor-director Holbrook Blinn...
on Broadway.
The only other movie that Ferguson is known to have appeared in was 1916's The Bruiser
The Bruiser
The Bruiser is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Charles Bartlett. The film stars Charlotte Burton and William Russell.-Cast:* William Russell as "Big Bill" Brawley* Charlotte Burton as Fen Bernham* George Ferguson as Modest Tim...
, in which he plays "Modest Tim."
Career after show business
By the time of America's involvement in World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Ferguson was working at A.M. Home Music Company in Boston, as a piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
salesman. He served for 12 months in the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and was stationed in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
with the rank of ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
for the 301st Field Artillery
Field artillery
Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, long range, short range and extremely long range target engagement....
.
Ferguson was involved in local theatre, such as the Old Timbuctoo Tribe.
He married Esther Marie Sharkey on September 17, 1921, in Winthrop, Massachusetts
Winthrop, Massachusetts
The Town of Winthrop is a municipality in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population of Winthrop was 17,497 at the 2010 U.S. Census. It is an oceanside suburban community in Greater Boston situated at the north entrance to Boston Harbor and is very close to Logan International...
, where the couple had two sons, Dalton Hart Ferguson and Milton (later Bruce) Hart Ferguson.
George Ferguson died at age 71 in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
.