Al Ferguson (19 April 1888 – 4 December 1971) was an Irish-born American film actor. Born in

County Wexford County Wexford ( ga, Contae Loch Garman) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster and is part of the Southern Region. Named after the town of Wexford, it was based on the historic Gaelic territory of Hy Kinsella (''Uí C ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

, he appeared in nearly 300 films between 1912 and 1956. Billed as Smoke Ferguson, by 1912 he was making Westerns for

Selig Polyscope Company The Selig Polyscope Company was an American motion picture company that was founded in 1896 by William Selig in Chicago. The company produced hundreds of early, widely distributed commercial moving pictures, including the first films starring T ...

. In the 1920s he was the star, producer, and director for several low-budget Western films. He also appeared in some television Westerns in the 1950s. Ferguson died in

Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, who ...

. He is interred at Glendale's

Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks & Mortuaries is an American corporation that owns and operates a chain of cemeteries and mortuaries in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties in Southern California. History The company was founded by a group of ...

Selected filmography

* ''

Youth's Endearing Charm ''Youth's Endearing Charm'' (also known as ''Youth's Melting Pot'') is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by William C. Dowlan. The film stars Mary Miles Minter, Wallace McDonald, and Harry von Meter. The script for the film was adapte ...

'' (1916) – Joe Jenkins * '' Where the West Begins'' (1919) * ''

The Timber Queen ''The Timber Queen'' is a 1922 American action film, action Silent film, silent film serial directed by Fred Jackman. The film serial stars Ruth Roland and Bruce Gordon (actor/director), Bruce Gordon. Produced by Pathé, Pathé Exchange, the ser ...

'' (1922) * ''

Boomerang Justice ''Boomerang Justice'' is a 1922 American silent Western film directed by Edward Sedgwick and starring George Larkin, Fritzi Ridgeway and Al Ferguson. Cast * George Larkin as Kit Carson Boone * Fritzi Ridgeway as Ruth Randolph * Al Ferguson ...

'' (1922) * ''The Trail of Vengeance'' (1924) * ''

Officer 444 ''Officer 444'' is a 1926 film serial directed by Francis Ford and Ben F. Wilson, produced by Goodwill Productions and released by the independent Davis Distributing Division. Plot Officer 444, a heroic policeman, does battle with The Frog, ...

'' (1926) * ''

The Baited Trap ''The Baited Trap'' is a 1926 American silent film, silent Western (genre), Western film directed by Stuart Paton and starring Ben F. Wilson, Neva Gerber and Al Ferguson. Cast * Ben F. Wilson as Jim Banning * Neva Gerber as Helen Alder * Al F ...

'' (1926) * ''

Tentacles of the North ''In the Tentacles of the North'' is a 1926 American silent adventure film directed by Louis Chaudet and starring Gaston Glass, Alice Calhoun and Joseph W. Girard.Munden p.791 Two ships, on a journey lead by Captin Van Horn, become trapped in i ...

'' (1926) * '' A Captain's Courage'' (1926) * ''

West of the Law ''West of the Law'' is a 1942 American Western film directed by Howard Bretherton and written by Adele Buffington. This is the eighth film in Monogram Pictures' ''Rough Riders'' series, and stars Buck Jones as Marshal Buck Roberts, Tim McCoy a ...

'' (1926) * '' Wolves of the Desert'' (1926) * '' The Wolf Hunters'' (1926) * ''

The Fighting Stallion ''The Fighting Stallion'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by Robert Emmett Tansey. Plot summary Cast * Bill Edwards as Lon Evans *Doris Merrick as Jeanne Barton *Forrest Taylor as Martin Evans *Don C. Harvey as Commander Patrick * ...

'' (1927) * ''

Western Courage ''Western Courage'' is a 1927 American silent Western film directed by Ben Wilson, starring Richard Hatton, Elsa Benham, and Robert Walker. Cast * Richard Hatton * Elsa Benham * Robert Walker * Art Mix * Ed La Niece * Al Ferguson Al Fe ...

'' (1927) * '' The Range Riders'' (1927) * ''

Haunted Island ''Haunted Island'' is a 1928 American silent action film serial directed by Robert F. Hill. The serial was released in 10 chapters of two reels each, with the first episode ("A Night of Fear") released on March 26, 1928. Each episode featured ...

'' (1928) * ''

Tarzan the Mighty ''Tarzan the Mighty'' is a 1928 American action film serial directed by Jack Nelson and Ray Taylor. It was nominally based on the collection ''Jungle Tales of Tarzan'' by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The film is now considered to be lost. Cast * ...

'' (1928) * ''

The Avenging Rider ''The Avenging Rider'' is a 1943 American Western film directed by Sam Nelson and starring Tim Holt Charles John "Tim" Holt III (February 5, 1919 – February 15, 1973) was an American actor. He was a popular Western star during the 1940 ...

'' (1928) * ''

The Little Buckaroo ''The Little Buckaroo'' is a 1928 American silent Western film directed by Louis King and starring Buzz Barton, Milburn Morante and Peggy Shaw. Cast * Buzz Barton as David 'Red' Hepner * Milburn Morante as Toby Jones * Peggy Shaw as Ann Cr ...

'' (1928) * ''

The Vagabond Cub ''The Vagabond Cub'' is a 1929 American silent Western film directed by Louis King and starring Buzz Barton, Frank Rice and Sam Nelson.Munden, p. 852 Cast * Buzz Barton as David 'Red' Hepner * Frank Rice as Hank Robbins * Sam Nelson as Bob ...

'' (1929) * ''

The Pirate of Panama ''The Pirate of Panama'' is a 1929 American action film serial directed by Ray Taylor. The film is considered to be lost. Cast * Jay Wilsey (aka Buffalo Bill Jr.) as Karl * Natalie Kingston as Evelyn Wallace * Al Ferguson as Boris Bothwell * ...

'' (1929) * ''

The Man from Nevada ''The Nevadan'' is a 1950 American Cinecolor Western film directed by Gordon Douglas and starring Randolph Scott, Dorothy Malone, Forrest Tucker, Frank Faylen, and George Macready. Written by George W. George and George F. Slavin, the film i ...

'' (1929) * '' Tarzan the Tiger'' (1929) * '' The Saddle King'' (1929) * ''

Pueblo Terror ''Pueblo Terror'' is a 1931 American pre-Code Western film directed by Alan James and starring Jay Wilsey, Jack Harvey and Wanda Hawley. Cast * Jay Wilsey as Bill Sommers * Jack Harvey as John Weston * Wanda Hawley as Helen Weston * James ...

'' (1931) * ''

Riders of the North ''Riders of the North'' is a 1931 American pre-Code Western (genre), Western film directed by J.P. McGowan and starring Bob Custer, Blanche Mehaffey and Eddie Dunn (actor), Eddie Dunn. Cast * Bob Custer as Mountie Sergeant Stone * Blanche Meha ...

'' (1931) * ''

Red Fork Range ''Red Fork Range'' is a 1931 American pre-Code Western film directed by Alan James and starring Hal Taliaferro, Ruth Mix and Al Ferguson. Main cast * Hal Taliaferro as Wally Hamilton * Ruth Mix as Ruth Farell * Al Ferguson as Black Bard * Cl ...

'' (1931) * ''

Two-Gun Caballero ''Two-Gun Caballero'' is a 1931 American Western film directed by Jack Nelson and starring Robert Frazer, Consuelo Dawn and Carmen Laroux.Pitts p.182 Cast * Robert Frazer as Bob Blake - posing as Lopez * Consuelo Dawn as Sally Thompson * Ca ...

'' (1931) * ''

The Hurricane Express ''The Hurricane Express'' is a 1932 American Pre-Code 12-chapter Mascot Pictures film serial. Written by Colbert Clark, Barney Sarecky, Wyndham Gittens, George Morgan, and J.P. McGowan, the serial was directed by Armand Schaeffer and J.P. M ...

'' (1932) * '' The Lost Special'' (1932) * ''

The Desert Trail ''The Desert Trail'' is a 1935 American Monogram Western film starring John Wayne and directed by Lewis D. Collins (credited as Cullin Lewis). The movie also features Eddy Chandler, Mary Kornman, and Paul Fix. Plot Rodeo star John Scott an ...

'' (1935) * ''

The Laramie Kid ''The Laramie Kid'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by Harry S. Webb and starring Tom Tyler, Alberta Vaughn in her penultimate film and Al Ferguson.Pitts p.315 Plot Tom Talbot has earned a large amount of money in breaking horses. Hop ...

'' (1935) * ''

The Raven "The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. First published in January 1845, the poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a distraught lover who is paid a myst ...

'' (1935) * '' Frontiers of '49'' (1939) * ''

The Invisible Killer ''The Invisible Killer'' is a 1939 American mystery film directed by Sam Newfield and starring Grace Bradley, Roland Drew and William Newell.Gates p.96 It was one of the earliest films made by Producers Releasing Corporation, a low-budget outfi ...

'' (1939) * ''

Deadwood Dick Deadwood Dick is a fictional character who appears in a series of stories, or dime novels, published between 1877 and 1897 by Edward Lytton Wheeler (1854/5–1885). The name became so widely known in its time that it was used to advantage by ...

'' (1940) * ''

Billy the Kid's Gun Justice ''Billy the Kid's Gun Justice'' is a 1940 American Western film directed by Sam Newfield for Producers Releasing Corporation, and 3rd in PRC's Billy the Kid series. Hal Erickson, Rovi.Billy the Kid's Gun Justice (1940), ''The New York Times''. R ...

'' (1940) * ''

Texas to Bataan ''Texas to Bataan'' is a 1942 American Western film directed by Robert Emmett Tansey. The film is the seventeenth in Monogram Pictures' "Range Busters" series, and it stars John "Dusty" King as Dusty, "Davy" Sharpe and Max "Alibi" Terhune ...

'' (1942) * ''

Law of the Saddle ''Law of the Saddle'' is a 1943 American Western film directed by Melville De Lay and written by Fred Myton. The film stars Robert Livingston as the Lone Rider and Al St. John as his sidekick "Fuzzy Jones", with Betty Miles, Lane Chandler, ...

'' (1943) * '' The Pearl of Death'' (1944) * '' The Utah Kid'' (1944) * '' Rustlers' Hideout'' (1944) * ''

Harmony Trail ''Harmony Trail'' is a 1944 American Western film directed by Robert Emmett Tansey and starring Ken Maynard, Eddie Dean and Ruth Roman.Pitts p.144 Its early distribution was limited, and it was given a fuller release in 1947 by Astor Pictures ...

'' (1944) * '' God's Country'' (1946) * ''

Overland Riders ''Overland Riders'' is a 1946 American Western film directed by Sam Newfield and written by Ellen Coyle. The film stars Buster Crabbe, Al St. John, Patti McCarty, Slim Whitaker, Bud Osborne and Jack O'Shea. The film was released on August 21, ...

'' (1946) * ''

Lightning Raiders Lightning Raiders were an English pub rock band, with Johnny Hodge being the most prominent member of the group. During their lifetime, they released two singles, an EP, and recorded an album that was not released until 2013. Career The Ligh ...

'' (1946) * ''

Along the Great Divide ''Along the Great Divide'' is a 1951 American Western film noir directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Kirk Douglas, Virginia Mayo, John Agar and Walter Brennan. It was Douglas's first Western, a genre that served him well during his long career ...

'' (1951) * ''

The Band Wagon ''The Band Wagon'' is a 1953 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Vincente Minnelli, starring Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse. It tells the story of an aging musical star who hopes a Broadway show will restart his career. However, ...

'' (1953) * ''

Blazing the Overland Trail ''Blazing the Overland Trail'' is a 1956 American Western Serial film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and starring Lee Roberts. It was the 57th and last serial produced by Columbia and the last American serial ever produced by any studio (eith ...

'' (1956)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ferguson, Al 1888 births 1971 deaths American male film actors American male silent film actors Irish emigrants to the United States (before 1923) 20th-century American male actors Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) Male Western (genre) film actors Western (genre) television actors