Elsie Ferguson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Elsie Ferguson
Publicity photo of Ferguson (1913)
Born	(1883-08-19)August 19, 1883 New York City, U.S.
Died	November 15, 1961(1961-11-15) (aged 78) New London, Connecticut, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1902–1943
Spouse(s)	Frederick C. Hoey (1907-1914) (divorced) Thomas Clarke, Jr. (1916-1923) (divorced) Frederick Worlock (1924-1930) (divorced) Victor Augustus Seymour Egan (1934-1956) (his death)

Elsie Louise Ferguson (born August 19, 1883 – died November 15, 1961) was a famous American actress. She performed on both stage and in early films. Elsie was seen by some as an early supporter of women's rights. She spoke about women getting the right to vote and also cared deeply about animal rights.

Elsie's Early Life and Stage Career

Elsie Ferguson was born in New York City. She was the only child of Hiram and Amelia Ferguson. Her father was a successful lawyer. Elsie grew up and went to school in Manhattan. She became very interested in theater when she was young.

At just 17 years old, Elsie made her first appearance on stage. She was a chorus girl in a musical comedy. For almost two years, from 1903 to 1905, she was part of the cast in a show called The Girl from Kays. In 1908, she played the main female role in Pierre of the Plains.

By 1909, Elsie had worked with several important producers. She became a major star on Broadway, starring in Such a Little Queen. In 1910, she also performed on stage in London. Other famous actresses like Evelyn Nesbit and Ethel Barrymore were her friends.

During World War I, many Broadway stars helped sell Liberty Bonds. These bonds helped the country pay for the war. Elsie Ferguson once sold $85,000 worth of bonds in less than an hour! This shows how popular and influential she was.

Becoming a Film Star

Elsie Ferguson in The Theatre magazine, 1913.

When Elsie was very popular, many film studios wanted her to act in movies. She said no to all of them for a while. But then, a respected French director named Maurice Tourneur asked her to be in his 1917 silent film Barbary Sheep. She played a sophisticated and elegant character.

Elsie might have decided to make films because her Broadway bosses were no longer there. Henry B. Harris died on the Titanic in 1912. Charles Frohman died on the Lusitania in 1915. After her first film, producer Adolph Zukor signed her to a big contract. She would make 18 films over three years and earn $5,000 each week!

After Barbary Sheep, Elsie was featured prominently in movie advertisements. She starred in two more films directed by Tourneur. These were made under a great contract with Paramount Pictures. She earned an extra $1,000 for each day she filmed, on top of her weekly pay.

Her only complete silent film that still exists today is The Witness for the Defense (1919). It also starred Warner Oland. A small piece of footage of Elsie from other films can be seen in The House That Shadows Built (1931) and A Trip to Paramountown (1922).

Elsie Ferguson around 1920.

Elsie often played elegant women from high society. Because of this, she was quickly called "The Aristocrat of the Silent Screen." Many of the films she chose were based on stage plays she already knew.

Elsie Ferguson eventually moved to Hollywood, California. She bought a home in the hills there. In 1920, she traveled to the Middle East and Europe. She loved Paris and the French Riviera so much that she bought a home there a few years later.

In 1921, she signed another contract with Paramount Pictures. She would star in four films over two years. One of these was the 1921 film Forever, where she acted with Wallace Reid.

"Talkies" and Later Years

Elsie Ferguson's last silent film before she went back to Broadway was the 1925 drama The Unknown Lover. In 1930, she made her first "talkie," which was a film with sound. This film, called Scarlet Pages, was also her very last movie. It is now kept safe in the Library of Congress. The film was based on a Broadway play she had also starred in. People said she had a "pleasantly low-pitched voice with perfect diction." This meant she spoke clearly and beautifully.

Elsie married four times. After her last marriage at age 51, she and her husband bought a farm in Connecticut. They split their time between the farm and her home in Cap d'Antibes, France.

Elsie Ferguson made her final appearance on Broadway in 1943. She was 60 years old. Her performance in Outrageous Fortune was highly praised by critics. The play was written by her neighbor, Rose Franken. Critics said Elsie's performance was "glowing" and had "the charm and winning manner of old."

Elsie Ferguson passed away in Lawrence Memorial Hospital in New London, Connecticut, in 1961. She lived on a large property called White Gate Farms. She was buried in the Duck River Cemetery in Old Lyme, Connecticut. Elsie was a very wealthy woman and loved animals. She left a large part of her money to different charities, including several that helped animal welfare.

Filmography

A Paramount-Artcraft lantern slide announcing Elsie Ferguson as an Artcraft player.

Elsie Ferguson in Footlights (1921).

See also

In Spanish: Elsie Ferguson para niños