Synopsis: Thrust Into Television

Many movie character actors found steady work and arguably more exposure with the advent of television. 

FRANK FERGUSON (1899-1978)

Frank Ferguson was a character actor who made his film debut in 1940. In that decade, he appeared in modern-day dramas as a detective, a father, and a reporter, as well as being cast in the occasional comedy. Based on his distinct barrel voice, his ever-present mustache, and an everyman's face, Ferguson was a natural in Western films, nearly two hundred. A few of those are quite notable, but Ferguson was often uncredited. He could play anything from an outlaw, a sheriff, a disgruntled farmer, or a friendly, though maybe dishonest, store clerk. He was a very valuable and natural performer whom many directors found a character worthy of his talents. 

However, the bespectacled actor was most seen from his frequent television appearances over twenty-plus years. In a wide variety of roles, Ferguson was often a public servant. He might be a doctor, a military officer, a bank teller, a police officer, or a businessman. With little surprise, he even played a hobo on the Leave It To Beaver comedy. He was the familiar face of many popular dramas, and of course, nearly every television Western. His final appearance was on the pioneer era series, Little House on the Prairie, in 1976.

Dentyne By The Stick

AFFORDABLE ORAL 

HYGIENE WHEN 

ALL ELSE FAILS

In 1899, a New York City druggist, Franklin V. Canning, formulated a cinnamon-flavored chewing gum that he promoted as an aid to oral hygiene. "To prevent decay, To sweeten the breath, To keep teeth white," was his mantra. The tooth-whitening agent was way ahead of the times. Today it is an obsession. And more effective. The name was a combination of the words "dental" and "hygiene" (pronounced denteen). Dentyne walked a fine line regarding their health claims as the main ingredient was sugar, not the best additive for healthy teeth. The sugar was finally removed in 2006. In 1916 the brand was sold to the American Chicle Company. By the 1930s, Dentyne was produced by the Adams Gum Company. 

Most candy and gum products were originally crafted to be medicinal in nature. Dentyne is one of the first products to be sold in stick form, but the early gum product was more like small square blocks. It was about fifty years before these products would start to be marketed as enjoyable as much as being healthy. 

Late Career Confusion

There was somewhat of a facial morphing that happened between William Prince (1913-1996) at left, and George Macready (1899-1973) in their senior years. The American actors also had similar career paths on stage, early notable films, and frequent television roles. Prince guest-starred on Dallas in 1986 and Macready was a cast member on Peyton Place nearly twenty years before.

Timken Keeps America Going

 

"Roller Freight" rolls out the red carpet for goods the way the 20th Century rolls it out for people in this 1954 advertisement. The Timken Company, an American manufacturer of bearings and related components and assemblies, was incorporated in 1899 as The Timken Roller Bearing Axle Company by Henry Timken after he obtained a patent for an improved tapered roller bearing. By 1901 the company moved to Canton, Ohio, as the automobile industry began to overtake the carriage industry. Production increased dramatically during the 1940s to keep up with wartime demand. Jeep alone used 24 Timken bearings. Timken expanded into new global markets throughout the 1970s and 1980s, establishing a sales operation in Japan in 1974 and opening sales offices in Italy, Korea, Singapore and Venezuela in 1988. By the late 1990s, Timken also had a sales presence in Spain, Hong Kong, China and Singapore. Engineered bearing products continue to be core to their business and reflect a long-standing innovative power in moving global industries forward.