Biography
Robert Preston (June 8, 1918 – March 21, 1987) was an American stage and film actor and singer, best known for his collaboration with composer Meredith Willson and originating the role of Professor Harold Hill in the 1957 musical The Music Man and the 1962 film adaptation; the film earned him his first of two Golden Globe Award nominations. Preston collaborated twice with filmmaker Blake Edwards, first in S.O.B. (1981) and again in Victor/Victoria (1982). For portraying Carroll "Toddy" Todd in the latter, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor at the 55th Academy Awards.
Preston was born Robert Preston Meservey in Newton, Massachusetts, the son of a garment worker and a record store clerk. He attended Abraham Lincoln High School, training as a musician and playing several instruments, but quit at age sixteen to study acting at the Pasadena Community Playhouse.
Preston made his Broadway debut in 1940 in the play The Philadelphia Story. He went on to star in a number of successful Broadway musicals, including The Pajama Game (1954), Damn Yankees (1955), and I Do! I Do! (1966). He also appeared in a number of films, including The Music Man (1962), The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (1960), and Victor/Victoria (1982).
Preston was a versatile actor who could play a wide range of roles. He was known for his charisma, his singing voice, and his comic timing. He was a two-time Tony Award winner and was nominated for an Academy Award. He was also a member of the American Theatre Hall of Fame.
Preston died of cancer in 1987 at the age of 68. He was survived by his wife, Catherine Craig; the couple had no children.
A biography of the actor, @Robert Preston - Forever The Music Man”, was published in 2022.
Filmography
all 74
Movies 60
TV Shows 14
self 12
Narrator 1
Disclosure (2020)
Chita Rivera: A Lot Of Livin' To Do (2015)
Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade (2004)
Broadway's Lost Treasures (2003)
Outrage! (1986)
Finnegan Begin Again (1985)
Going Hollywood: The '30s (1984)
September Gun (1983)
Rehearsal for Murder (1982)
Victor/Victoria (1982)
S.O.B. (1981)
The Chisholms (1979)
Semi-Tough (1977)
My Father's House (1975)
Mame (1974)
Child's Play (1972)
Junior Bonner (1972)
All the Way Home (1963)
Island of Love (1963)
How the West Was Won (1962)
The Music Man (1962)
Tony Awards (1956)
Sentinels in the Air (1956)
The Last Frontier (1955)
The Alcoa Hour (1955)
Climax! (1954)
The Elgin Hour (1954)
General Electric Theater (1953)
Face to Face (1952)
My Outlaw Brother (1951)
Best of the Badmen (1951)
When I Grow Up (1951)
Lux Video Theatre (1950)
The Sundowners (1950)
What's My Line? (1950)
Robert Montgomery Presents (1950)
The Lady Gambles (1949)
Tulsa (1949)
Whispering Smith (1948)
Blood on the Moon (1948)
Big City (1948)
Wild Harvest (1947)
Variety Girl (1947)
The Macomber Affair (1947)
Night Plane from Chungking (1943)
Wake Island (1942)
This Gun for Hire (1942)
Reap the Wild Wind (1942)
Star Spangled Rhythm (1942)
Pacific Blackout (1941)
The Night of January 16th (1941)
New York Town (1941)
Parachute Battalion (1941)
The Lady from Cheyenne (1941)
North West Mounted Police (1940)
Moon Over Burma (1940)
Typhoon (1940)
Beau Geste (1939)
Union Pacific (1939)
Disbarred (1939)
Illegal Traffic (1938)
King of Alcatraz (1938)
Gallery
Information
Known ForActing
GenderMale
Birthday1918-06-08
Deathday1987-03-21 (68 years old)
Birth PlaceNewton Highlands, Massachusetts, USA
RelationshipsCatherine Craig (1940-01-01 - 1987-01-01)
CitizenshipsUnited States
Also Known AsRobert Preston Meservey
AwardsTony Award for Best Actor in a Musical
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