Jodi Foster
Jodi Foster was born as Alicia Christian Foster on November 19, 1962 in Los Angeles, CA.
She won two "Best Actress" Ocars for "The Accused" (1988) and for "The Silence of the Lambs"(1991).
Starred with James Garner and Mel Gibson in the 1994 movie, "Maverick".
Preston S. Foster
(Deceased)
Preston S. Foster, actor, was born in Ocean City, NJ on Aug. 24, 1900.Preston Foster made 100 movies during his 40-year film career, starting in 1928 and ending in 1968. His Western credits include "Annie Oakley" (1935), "The Arizonian" (1935), "The Outcasts of Poker Flat" (1937), "Geronimo" (1939), "North West Mounted Police" (1940), "The Roundup" (41), "My Friend Flicka" (1943), "Thunderhead, Son of Flicka" (1945), "Ramrod" (1947), "King of the Wild Horses" (1947), "Thunderhead" (1948), "I Shot Jesse James" (1949), "Three Desperate Men" (1951), "Tomahawk" (1951), "Montana Territory" (1952), "The Marshal's Daughter" (1953), "Law and Order" (1953) and "The Man from Galveston" (1963).
Preston Foster is at the far right in this scene from "The Big Night".
Foster also played in the TV Western series, "The Gunslinger" (1961) and the detective show, "Waterfront" (1954).
Preston S. Foster died in 1970, and his remains are at El Camino Memorial Park Cemetery (Sanctuary of Love, Crypt 4) in La Jolla, CA.
CLICK HERE to see the complete filmography of Preston Foster.
Paul Foulger
(Deceased)
Paul Foulger was born in Ogden, Utah on August 27, 1898. He attended the University of Utah and later did limited stock theatre work. He made his Broadway debut in the early 1920's and was in a touring company playing the northwestern U.S. He met his wife, actress Dorothy Adams Foulger in this group. They moved to Hollywood and each had successful careers in TV and movies.
Paul Foulger, like many actors, had a face that you recognized but you couldn't even begin to put a name with it. With a high pitched voice, he often played the parts of nervous, wimpy individuals. And what he did he did very well.
This man was a working actor. He appeared in nearly 300 films between 1936 and 1970.
Some of his Western films were "Union Pacific" (1939), "Three Faces West" (1940), "Arizona" (1940), "Dude Cowboy" (1941), "In Old Oklahoma" (1943), "Swing in the Saddle" (1944), "The Plainsman and the Lady" (1946), "Stallion Road" (1947), "Streets of Laredo" (1949) and his last film, "The Cockeyed Cowboys of Calico County."
He also guest starred on many Western TV series including: "Laredo," "Gunsmoke," "Maverick," "Rawhide," "The Adventures of Will Bill Hickok," "Wagon Train," "The Lone Ranger," "The Wild, Wild West," and "The Cisco Kid".
Paul Foulger died of heart problems on April 4, 1970 in Hollywood, CA.
CLICK HERE to see the complete filmography of Paul Foulger.
Douglas Fowley
(Deceased)
Douglas Fowley was born as Daniel Vincent Fowley in The Bronx, New York on May 30, 1911. He started acting on the stage, but moved to California and attended Los Angeles City College. And he continued acting. His first movie was in "The Mad Game" (1933) with Spencer Tracy. He went on to make over 200 movies between 1933 and 1976.
He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
His "signature" film and perhaps the best role of his career was as Kip Kippton in the war film, "Battleground" (1949). Other credits included "Dodge City" (1939), "20 Mule Team" (1940), and "The White Buffalo" (1977).
Switching gears to TV, Douglas Fowley played the part of Doc Holliday on "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" (1955-61) and the part of Grandpa Hanks on "Pistols and Petticoats" (1966-67) .
Douglas Fowley died on May 21, 1998 at the Motion Picture and Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, CA. He was 86.
CLICK HERE to see the complete filmography of Douglas Fowley.
Joe B. Frantz
Joe B. Frantz became one of the most prolific scholar and writers on the state of Texas.
Joe B. Frantz and Julian Ernest Choate, Jr., collaborated to produce their classic book, THE AMERICAN COWBOY in 1955.
Bert Freed
(Deceased)
Bert Freed was born on Nov. 3, 1919 in The Bronx, New York to Russian immigrants.He attended schools in New York, then earned a B.S. degree in education at Penn State University . He was bitten by the acting bug while appearing with the Penn State Players.
He won admission to the NYA Radio Workshop, where he studied alongside a young would-be actor named Carl Reiner. He made it to Broadway in the play, "Johnny 2X4, " in 1942. And five years later he made his first movie, "Carnegie Hall" (1947). He moved to California in 1949.
Bert Freed's Western films included "Red Mountain" (1951), "Invitation to a Gunfighter" (1964), "Nevada Smith" (1966), "Hang 'em High" (1967), and "There Was a Crooked Man" (1970).
Freed appeared on TV as a regular on "Shane" (1966) as Rufe Ryker. He guest starred on many TV series including: "Gunsmoke," "The Rifleman," "Bonanza,"and "The Big Valley."
Bert Freed died of a heart attack on Aug. 2, 1994 in West Sechelt, British Columbia, Canada while on a fishing trip.
CLICK HERE to see the complete filmography of Bert Freed.
Kathleen Freeman
Kathleen Freeman was born in Chicago, IL. on February 17, 1919. She studied in drama school and gained experience in touring stage companies. She made her first movie in 1948 in "The Naked City".
Her Western movie credits include "The Battle of the Rogue River" (1954), "The Far Country" (1954), "Pawnee" (1957), "North to Alaska" (1960), "Mail Order Bride" (1964), "The Rounders" (1965), "Support Your Local Sheriff" (1969), "The Good Guys and the Bad Guys" (1969), "The Ballad of Cable Hogue" (1971), "Death of a Gunfighter" (1971) and "Last Ride of the Dalton Gang" (1979, TV).
Kathleen Freeman has made guest appearances in these Western TV shows: "The High Chaparral," "Buckskin," "Laredo," "Wagon Train," and "Rawhide."
Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman, actor, was born in Memphis, TN., on June 1, 1937. He did not even become an actor until he was thirty-four years of age. Since then he has played everything from Count Dracula to the President of the United States ("Deep Impact").
Freeman attended Los Angeles Community College. Then he from 1955 to 1959 he was in the Air Force. He went from stage to TV as "Easy Reader" on the PBS children's educational series "The Electric Company"(1971 - 1976). And his first move was a children's film titled, " Who Says I Can't Ride a Rainbow?" (1971).
Three times he has been nominated for an Academy Award. Those nominations were for the films "Street Smart," "The Shawshank Redemption," and "Driving Miss Daisy".
His Western film credit, so far, is limited to co-starring with Clint Eastwood in "Unforgiven" (1992). But that ain't half bad, now is it?
CLICK HERE to see the complete filmography of Morgan Freeman.
Victor French
(Deceased)
Victor French was born on December 4, 1934 in Santa Barbara, CA. His father was a Hollywood stuntman and grounded young Victor with a love of the West. In fact, Victor's very first job was doing stunts with his father for the "Gunsmoke" television series.
French slowly became more interested acting, as opposed to stunt work. So he took some college drama courses Cal State Los Angeles. Then he auditioned for and got many different television roles.
While working on an episode of "Bonanza," he developed a friendship with Michael Landon "Little Joe" on the series). They were close friends and co-workers the rest of his life.
Buddies to the end: Michael Landon & Victor FrenchThough he was type-cast early on as a mean, tough guy, the real Victor French was a gentle man who was a humanitarian. And it was that side of him that Michael Landon showed in their series, "Highway to Heaven". In fact, during the last ten years of his life French turned down many roles that involved inhumanity to others.
Victor French appeared in such Western films as "The Quick and the Dead" (1963), "Cutter's Trail" (1969, TV), "Death of a Gunfighter" (1969), "Charro" (1969), "Rio Lobo" (1970), "There Was a Crooked Man" (1970), "Chato's Land" (1971) and "Wild Rovers" (1971).
He played in such TV Western shows as "Gunsmoke," "Bonanza," Cimarron Strip," The Iron Horse," "The Wild, Wild West," "The Virginian," "Temple Houston," and in his signature role as Isaiah Edwards on "Little House on the Prairie."
Victor French also directed episodes of "Gunsmoke," "Little House on the Prairie," "Dallas," "Highway to Heaven," and "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century". And in community theater, he won a Critics Circle award for his direction of "Twelve Angry Men".
He collected western memorabilia and his collection included such items as Buck Jones' hat and Tom Mix's and Roy Roger's boots. He was an avid boxer and was a part owner of a boxing club in North Hollywood.
Victor French died of lung cancer on June I5, 1989 in Los Angeles, California at the age of 54.
` CLICK HERE to see the complete acting credits of Victor French.
Francis Fugate
(Deceased)Francis Fugate, author, was worked as a newspaper reporter in Cushing, Oklahoma and other locations before turning his talent to writing nonfiction books and magazine articles. Roberta Fugate (also deceased), his wife and fellow researcher/writer, often shared writing credits with him. He served a term as president of the Western Writers of America.
They wrote a history of Arbuckle coffee, A ROADSIDE GUIDE TO OKLAHOMA and A ROADSIDE GUIDE TO NEW MEXICO.
Robert Fuller
Robert Fuller was born in Troy, New York on July 29, 1934. Fuller grew up in Florida, where he attended Miami Military Academy. He graduated from high school in Key West, Florida.
His mother and step-father were dancers, and when they moved to Hollywood to pursue their careers he went along. He first broke into films as a dancer who could also do stunt work.
Bob Fuller appeared in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" with Marilyn Monroe and a few other films before a stint with the U.S. Army during the Korean War.
Upon his return, he took an acting class from none other than Richard Boone ("Have Gun, Will Travel"). With Boone's encouragement and connections, Fuller went to New York City and studied with Sanford Meiser at the Neighborhood Playhouse. Then it was back to Hollywood.
He found steady work in 1959 with the role of Jess Harper in the "Laramie" Western series. It lasted four years. Big years for Fuller, because the show as as popular in Japan and in Germany and other parts of Europe as it was here. Fuller received five "Golden Otto Awards"in Germany. In Japan he won the " Best Actor's Award" in 1961.
When "Laramie" ended, another Western role was waiting for it. It was as Cooper Smith, the scout on "Wagon Train". He made guest appearances on "Walker, Texas Ranger," "Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.," "Paradise," "The Oregon Trail," "Hec Ramsey," "The Virginian," "The Big Valley," "The Monroes," "Cimarron Strip," "The Adventues of Rin Tin Tin," "Buckskin," "Lawman," "The Restless Gun," and "Death Valley Days".
Besides being an expert horseman and marksman, Bob Fuller is also a great fisherman. And that led him to being the host of such TV sports shows as "Fishing Fever", "Blue Water Challenge" and "Colorado River Adventure."
Fuller's movie credits include "Incident at Phantom Hill" (1966), "Return of the Seven" (1966), "The Hard Ride" (1970), "The Gatling Gun" (1973), "Mustang Country" (1976), "Bonanza: The Next Generation" (1988, TV), and "Maverick" (1994).
Back in his early "starving actor" days, he sometimes performed in community theater productions at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood. Now he has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, just blocks from it all started.
CLICK HERE to see the complete filmography of Robert Fuller.
CLICK HERE to go to The Fifties web site featuring a great section on the TV show Wagon Train.
This listing is far from complete and may contain errors.
Therefore, all Western entertainers and/or their agents
are requested to submit recommended changes by
contacting Stan Paregien through his e-mail address.
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
--- Jesus the Christ (Bible: Gospel of John 3:15-16)
© 2003 by Stan Paregien, Sr.
