FERGUSON, ELSIE

(1885-1961)

   Although born in New York City, she grew up with no connection to the theatre and was expected to become a teacher. To correct her slumping shoulders, her mother enrolled her in a fencing class and there the theatrical connections began to be made. She toured as a chorus girl for several seasons, making the transition to legitimate theatre in The Second Fiddle (1904) in support of Louis Mann. Her breakthrough to stardom came in 1909 in the title role of Such a Little Queen. Among a long string of successes, her great role was Miriam in Outcast (1914). She switched to motion picture acting in 1917, but made occasional returns to the Broadway stage, notably in The Varying Shore (1921).