Robert Preston (June 8, 1918–March 21, 1987) was an American stage and film actor.
Preston was born Robert Preston Meservey in Newton, Massachusetts, the son of a garment worker. After attending Abraham Lincoln High School in Los Angeles, California, he studied acting at the Pasadena Community Playhouse. He would later serve in the United States Army Air Forces as an intelligence officer with the U.S. 9th Air Force during World War II.
In 1940, h...
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Robert Preston (June 8, 1918–March 21, 1987) was an American stage and film actor.
Preston was born Robert Preston Meservey in Newton, Massachusetts, the son of a garment worker. After attending Abraham Lincoln High School in Los Angeles, California, he studied acting at the Pasadena Community Playhouse. He would later serve in the United States Army Air Forces as an intelligence officer with the U.S. 9th Air Force during World War II.
In 1940, he married actress Catherine Craig, to whom he remained married until his death.
Preston appeared in many Hollywood films, predominantly Westerns, but is probably best remembered for his portrayal of "Professor" Harold Hill in Meredith Willson's musical The Music Man (1962). He won a Tony Award for his performance in the original Broadway production (1957). He appeared on the cover of Time magazine on July 21, 1958.. In 1965 he was the male part of a duo-lead musical, "I Do! I Do!" with Mary Martin and in 1974, he starred opposite Bernadette...
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