Robert Preston
Known for Acting · 75 credits
- Born
- 1918-06-08
- Died
- 1987-03-21
- Place of birth
- Newton Highlands, Massachusetts, USA
- Also known as
- Robert Preston Meservey
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.
Known For
Robert Montgomery Presents
1950
as Jeff Frazer / Professor Richard Wanley
What's My Line?
1950
as Self - Mystery Guest
The Merv Griffin Show
1962
as Self
Climax!
1954
as William Struthers / Cleve Gordon / Lt. Hogue
Tony Awards
1956
as Self - Host / Nominee/ Performer / Self - Presenter / Self - Performer / Self - Presenter / Performer
The 20th Century Fox Hour
1955
TV Shows (13)
Robert Montgomery Presents
1950
as Jeff Frazer / Professor Richard Wanley
What's My Line?
1950
as Self - Mystery Guest
The Merv Griffin Show
1962
as Self
Climax!
1954
as William Struthers / Cleve Gordon / Lt. Hogue
Tony Awards
1956
as Self - Host / Nominee/ Performer / Self - Presenter / Self - Performer / Self - Presenter / Performer
The 20th Century Fox Hour
1955
Lux Video Theatre
1950
as Phil Baxter / Dowey / Jed Kennedy / Kelly / Isaac Eaton / Tom
Your Show of Shows
1950
The Bell Telephone Hour
1959
as Self
The World of Hammer
1994
as Self (archive footage)
General Electric Theater
1953
as Jim Tweedy
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
The Chisholms
1979
as Hadley Chisholm
Movies (62)
Disclosure
2020
as Carole 'Toddy' Todd (archive footage)
How the West Was Won
1962
as Roger Morgan
The Last Starfighter
1984
as Centauri
Victor/Victoria
1982
as Carroll "Toddy" Todd
Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade
2004
as Self (archive footage)
Semi-Tough
1977
as Big Ed Bookman
Night of 100 Stars II
1985
as Self
Mame
1974
as Beauregard Jackson Pickett Burnside
North West Mounted Police
1940
as Ronnie Logan
The Sundowners
1950
as James Cloud ('Kid Wichita')
All the Way Home
1963
as Jay Follet
The Music Man
1962
as Harold Hill
Tulsa
1949
as Brad Brady
S.O.B.
1981
as Dr. Irving Finegarten
Best of the Badmen
1951
as Matthew Fowler
Reap the Wild Wind
1942
as Dan Cutler
Night of 100 Stars
1982
as Self
Disbarred
1939
as Bradley Kent
Union Pacific
1939
as Dick Allen
This Gun for Hire
1942
as Det. Michael Crane
Junior Bonner
1972
as Ace Bonner
Wake Island
1942
as Pvt. Joe Doyle
The Last Frontier
1955
as Col. Frank Marston
Blood on the Moon
1948
as Tate Riling
Beau Geste
1939
as Digby Geste
Variety Girl
1947
as Robert Preston
Rehearsal for Murder
1982
as Alex Dennison
Star Spangled Rhythm
1942
as Robert Preston (uncredited)
When I Grow Up
1951
as Father Reed
Pacific Blackout
1941
as Robert Draper
Whispering Smith
1948
as Murray Sinclair
The Lady Gambles
1949
as David Boothe
New York Town
1941
as Paul Bryson, Jr.
Outrage!
1986
as Dennis Riordan
Broadway's Lost Treasures
2003
as Harold Hill (segment "The Music Man")
The Macomber Affair
1947
as Francis Macomber
Going Hollywood: The '30s
1984
as Self - Host
Parachute Battalion
1941
as Donald Morse
Cloudburst
1951
as John Graham
Wild Harvest
1947
as Jim Davis
Child's Play
1972
as Joseph Dobbs
The Night of January 16th
1941
as Steve Van Ruyle
King of Alcatraz
1938
as Robert MacArthur
Typhoon
1940
as Johnny Potter
My Father's House
1975
as Tom Lindholm Sr.
Island of Love
1963
as Steve Blair
September Gun
1983
as Ben Sunday
Big City
1948
as Rev. Philip Y. Andrews
The Dark at the Top of the Stairs
1960
as Rubin Flood
Moon Over Burma
1940
as Chuck Lane
Illegal Traffic
1938
as Charles Bent Martin
The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg
1980
as Stranger
My Outlaw Brother
1951
as Joe Walter
The Lady from Cheyenne
1941
as Steve Lewis
Finnegan Begin Again
1985
as Mike Finnegan
Chita Rivera: A Lot Of Livin' To Do
2015
as Self (archive footage)
Sentinels in the Air
1956
as Narrator (voice)
Night Plane from Chungking
1943
as Nick Stanton
Made in Heaven
1956
as Zachary Meredith
Wings Up
1943
as Himself
Face to Face
1952
as Jack Potter
Confession
1956
as Self - Host
About Robert Preston
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… With 75 credits spanning from 1938 to 2020, Robert Preston has appeared in 62 films and 13 TV shows.
Fans searching for Robert Preston movies, Robert Preston filmography, or the latest projects starring Robert Preston can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Robert Preston Movies
- Disclosure (2020) — as Carole 'Toddy' Todd (archive footage)
- How the West Was Won (1962) — as Roger Morgan
- The Last Starfighter (1984) — as Centauri
- Victor/Victoria (1982) — as Carroll "Toddy" Todd
- Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade (2004) — as Self (archive footage)
Where to Watch Robert Preston Films
Most Robert Preston movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Robert Preston, check our movies catalogue and browse page.