Preston Foster
Encyclopedia
Preston Foster was an American stage and film actor, and singer. Foster entered films in 1929 after appearing as a Broadway stage actor. He was appearing in Broadway plays as late as October 1931 when he acted in a play titled Two Seconds
starring Edward J. Pawley. Some of his notable films include: Doctor X
(1932), I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
(1932), Annie Oakley
(1935), The Last Days of Pompeii
(also 1935), The Informer (1935) (as the head of the organization), and My Friend Flicka
(1943).
He starred on the television drama, Waterfront (1954–1955), playing the role of Captain John Herrick. Foster has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
. He was sometimes credited in movies as Preston S. Foster. His first wife was stage actress Gertrude Warren (1926–1945; divorced). He had one daughter, Stephanie. He was married to his second wife, actress Sheila Darcy
, from 1946 until his death.
During World War II
while serving with the United States Coast Guard
, he rose to the rank of Captain, Temporary Reserve. He eventually held the honorary rank of Commodore in the U.S. Coast Guard.
After the war and before his productive movie career, Foster became a singer of some note. In 1948 Foster created a trio with himself, Gene Leis and Foster’s wife, actress Sheila Darcy. Gene arranged the songs, and they played on radio and in clubs, appearing with Orrin Tucker
, Peggy Ann Garner
and Rita Hayworth
.
Two Seconds
Two Seconds is a 1932 Pre-Code film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Edward G. Robinson with Vivienne Osborne and Preston Foster. It was based on a successful Broadway play of the same name by Elliott Lester. The title refers to the two seconds it takes the condemned person to die in the...
starring Edward J. Pawley. Some of his notable films include: Doctor X
Doctor X (film)
Doctor X is a First National/Warner Bros. horror and mystery film based on the play of the same name. It was directed by Michael Curtiz and stars Lee Tracy, Fay Wray, and Lionel Atwill....
(1932), I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang is a Pre-Code crime/drama film starring Paul Muni as a wrongfully convicted convict on a chain gang who escapes to Chicago. The film was written by Howard J. Green and Brown Holmes from Robert Elliott Burns's autobiography, I Am a Fugitive from a Georgia Chain...
(1932), Annie Oakley
Annie Oakley (film)
Annie Oakley is a 1935 biographical film about the life of Annie Oakley. It stars Barbara Stanwyck and Preston Foster.-Plot:In late 1800s Ohio, a backwoods gal, Annie Oakley delivers six dozen quail she has shot to the owner of the general store...
(1935), The Last Days of Pompeii
The Last Days of Pompeii (1935 film)
The Last Days of Pompeii is an RKO Radio Pictures film starring Preston Foster and directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack and Merian C. Cooper, creators of the original King Kong...
(also 1935), The Informer (1935) (as the head of the organization), and My Friend Flicka
My Friend Flicka
My Friend Flicka is a 1941 novel by Mary O'Hara, about Ken McLaughlin, the son of a Wyoming rancher, and his horse Flicka. It was the first in a trilogy, followed by Thunderhead and Green Grass of Wyoming . The popular 1943 film version featured a young Roddy McDowall...
(1943).
He starred on the television drama, Waterfront (1954–1955), playing the role of Captain John Herrick. Foster has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
. He was sometimes credited in movies as Preston S. Foster. His first wife was stage actress Gertrude Warren (1926–1945; divorced). He had one daughter, Stephanie. He was married to his second wife, actress Sheila Darcy
Sheila Darcy
Sheila Darcy, also known as Rebecca Wassem was an American film actress of the 1930s and the 1940s....
, from 1946 until his death.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
while serving with the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
, he rose to the rank of Captain, Temporary Reserve. He eventually held the honorary rank of Commodore in the U.S. Coast Guard.
After the war and before his productive movie career, Foster became a singer of some note. In 1948 Foster created a trio with himself, Gene Leis and Foster’s wife, actress Sheila Darcy. Gene arranged the songs, and they played on radio and in clubs, appearing with Orrin Tucker
Orrin Tucker
Robert Orrin Tucker was an American bandleader born in St. Louis, Missouri, whose theme song was "Drifting and Dreaming". His biggest hit was "Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, Oh!" , sung by vocalist "Wee" Bonnie Baker....
, Peggy Ann Garner
Peggy Ann Garner
Peggy Ann Garner was an American actress.A successful child actor, Garner played her first film role in 1938 and won the Academy Juvenile Award for her work in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn...
and Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth
Rita Hayworth was an American film actress and dancer who attained fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars...
.
Partial filmography
- Two SecondsTwo SecondsTwo Seconds is a 1932 Pre-Code film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Edward G. Robinson with Vivienne Osborne and Preston Foster. It was based on a successful Broadway play of the same name by Elliott Lester. The title refers to the two seconds it takes the condemned person to die in the...
(1932) - Doctor XDoctor X (film)Doctor X is a First National/Warner Bros. horror and mystery film based on the play of the same name. It was directed by Michael Curtiz and stars Lee Tracy, Fay Wray, and Lionel Atwill....
(1932) - The Last MileThe Last Mile (1932 film)- Plot summary :The movie presents the life in a prison where men are on a death row. Some of them are wrongfully accused and convicted, there is nothing else in their future but the electric chair....
(1932) - Life BeginsLife Begins (film)Life Begins is a drama film set in a 1930s maternity ward and deals with unwed mothers. It was adapted from the play of the same name by Mary M. Axelson.-Cast:*Loretta Young as Grace Sutton*Eric Linden as Jed Sutton...
(1932) - I Am a Fugitive from a Chain GangI Am a Fugitive from a Chain GangI Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang is a Pre-Code crime/drama film starring Paul Muni as a wrongfully convicted convict on a chain gang who escapes to Chicago. The film was written by Howard J. Green and Brown Holmes from Robert Elliott Burns's autobiography, I Am a Fugitive from a Georgia Chain...
(1932) - Ladies They Talk AboutLadies They Talk AboutLadies They Talk About is a 1933 Pre-Code women in prison film about a woman sent to San Quentin. Based on the play Women in Prison by Dorothy Mackaye and Carlton Miles, the film stars Barbara Stanwyck, Preston Foster, and Lillian Roth.-Plot:...
(1933) - Elmer, the GreatElmer, the GreatElmer, the Great is a 1933 drama directed by Mervyn LeRoy, starring Joe E. Brown and Patricia Ellis. Joe E. Brown plays Elmer Kane, a rookie ballplayer with the Chicago Cubs whose ego is matched only by his appetite. Because he is not only vain but naive, Elmer's teammates take great delight in...
(1933) - CorruptionCorruption (1933 film)Corruption is a 1933 American film directed by Charles E. Roberts.The film is also known as Double Exposure in the United Kingdom.-Cast:*Evalyn Knapp as Ellen Manning*Preston Foster as Tim Butler*Charles Delaney as Charlie Jasper...
(1933) - Sensation HuntersSensation Hunters (1933 film)- Cast :*Arline Judge as Jerry Royal*Preston Foster as Tom Baylor*Marion Burns as Dale Jordan*Kenneth MacKenna as Jimmy Crosby*Juanita Hansen as Trixie Snell*Creighton Hale as Fred Barrett*Cyril Chadwick as Upson*Nella Walker as Mrs...
(1933) - Hoop-LaHoop-LaHoop-La is a 1933 drama film notable as both a pre-code film and as the final appearance of actress Clara Bow. It was directed by Frank Lloyd and released by Fox Film Corporation, with Preston Foster, Richard Cromwell, and Minna Gombell also in the cast...
(1933) - Heat LightningHeat Lightning (film)Heat Lightning is a 1934 drama film starring Aline MacMahon, Ann Dvorak, and Preston Foster. It is based on the play of the same name by Leon Abrams and George Abbott....
(1934) - The Informer (1935)
- The Last Days of PompeiiThe Last Days of Pompeii (1935 film)The Last Days of Pompeii is an RKO Radio Pictures film starring Preston Foster and directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack and Merian C. Cooper, creators of the original King Kong...
(1935) - Annie OakleyAnnie Oakley (film)Annie Oakley is a 1935 biographical film about the life of Annie Oakley. It stars Barbara Stanwyck and Preston Foster.-Plot:In late 1800s Ohio, a backwoods gal, Annie Oakley delivers six dozen quail she has shot to the owner of the general store...
(1935) - Love Before BreakfastLove Before BreakfastLove Before Breakfast is a 1936 romantic comedy film starring Carole Lombard, Preston Foster, and Cesar Romero, based on Faith Baldwin's short story Spinster Dinner, published in International-Cosmopolitan in July 1934...
(1936) - The Plough and the StarsThe Plough and the Stars (film)The Plough and the Stars is a 1936 drama film directed by John Ford based on the play of the same name by Seán O'Casey.-Cast:* Barbara Stanwyck - Nora Clitheroe* Preston Foster - Jack Clitheroe* Barry Fitzgerald - Fluther Good...
(1936) - First LadyFirst Lady (film)First Lady is a 1937 film about behind-the-scenes political maneuverings in Washington, D.C.. It stars Kay Francis and Verree Teasdale as bitter rivals in their pursuit of the title of First Lady. It is based on the play of the same name by George S...
(1937) - Army GirlArmy GirlArmy Girl is a 1938 American comedy film directed by George Nichols Jr.-Cast:* Madge Evans as Julie Armstrong* Preston Foster as Capt. Dike Conger* James Gleason as Sgt. 'Three Star' Hennessy...
(1938) - Submarine PatrolSubmarine PatrolSubmarine Patrol is a 1938 film starring Richard Greene and Nancy Kelly. The supporting cast includes Preston Foster and George Bancroft. The movie was partly written by William Faulkner and directed by John Ford.-Cast:...
(1938) - Up the RiverUp the River (1938 film)Up the River is a 1938 prison comedy film starring Preston Foster and Arthur Treacher and featuring Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. The movie was directed by Alfred L. Werker and is a remake of a 1930 film with the same title directed by John Ford and starring Spencer Tracy and Humphrey Bogart in the...
(1938) - North West Mounted PoliceNorth West Mounted Police (film)North West Mounted Police is a 1940 American action adventure film directed by Cecil B. DeMille, and starring Gary Cooper, Paulette Goddard, and Madeleine Carroll. This was DeMille's...
(1940) - Secret Agent of JapanSecret Agent of JapanSecret Agent of Japan is the first American anti-Japanese war film produced by a major studio after the attack on Pearl Harbor. It stars Preston Foster as a nightclub owner in Shanghai who becomes involved in espionage revolving around preparations for the infamous sneak attack.-Cast:*Preston...
(1942) - A Gentleman After DarkA Gentleman After DarkA Gentleman After Dark is a 1942 crime/drama film starring Brian Donlevy and Miriam Hopkins.-Plot:A greedy woman betrays her jewel thief husband to the police, for the reward. Her husband's friend, a detective, adopts the couple's child and raises her as his own. Eighteen years later the husband,...
(1942) - Little Tokyo, U.S.A.Little Tokyo, U.S.A.Little Tokyo, U.S.A. is an American film, produced during World War II, that was condemned by United States Office of War Information as an "invitation to the Witch Hunt", preaching hate for all people of Japanese descent.-Plot:...
(1942) - Thunder BirdsThunder Birds (1942 film)Thunder Birds is a Technicolor film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Gene Tierney, Preston Foster, and John Sutton...
(1942) - American Empire (1942)
- My Friend FlickaMy Friend Flicka (film)My Friend Flicka is a 1943 coming-of-age film about a young boy, played by Roddy McDowall, who is given a colt to raise. It is based on the popular children's novel by Mary O'Hara.-Cast:*Roddy McDowall as Ken McLaughlin*Preston Foster as Rob McLaughlin...
(1943) - Guadalcanal DiaryGuadalcanal Diary (film)Guadalcanal Diary is a 1943 World War II war film starring Preston Foster, Lloyd Nolan, William Bendix, Richard Conte, Anthony Quinn and the film debut of Richard Jaeckel...
(1943) - Thunderhead, Son of FlickaThunderhead, Son of Flicka (film)Thunderhead, Son of Flicka is a 1945 Technicolor family film directed by Louis King. It was adapted to screen by Dwight Cummins and Dorothy Yost from the novel by Mary O'Hara, and is based on the second book in the series, following Flicka, which was filmed in 1943 and remade in 2006...
(1945) - The Valley of DecisionThe Valley of DecisionThe Valley of Decision is a film set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA in the late 19th century. It tells the story of a young Irish house maid who falls in love with the son of her employer, a local steel mill owner...
(1945) - The Harvey GirlsThe Harvey GirlsThe Harvey Girls is a 1946 MGM musical film based on a 1942 novel by Samuel Hopkins Adams about Fred Harvey's famous Harvey House restaurants. Directed by George Sidney, the film stars Judy Garland, John Hodiak, Angela Lansbury, Virginia O'Brien, Ray Bolger, and Marjorie Main...
(1946) - RamrodRamrod (film)Ramrod is a 1947 Western film directed by André De Toth.This cowboy drama from Hungarian director De Toth was the first of several films based on the stories of Western author Luke Short. De Toth's first Western is often compared to films noir movies released around the same time...
(1947) - I Shot Jesse JamesI Shot Jesse JamesI Shot Jesse James is a film directed by Samuel Fuller about the murder of Jesse James by Robert Ford and Robert Ford's life afterwards...
(1949) - The Big CatThe Big Cat (1949 film)The Big Cat is a 1949 American outdoor action film in Technicolor directed by Phil Karlson starring Lon McCallister, Peggy Ann Garner, Preston Foster, Forrest Tucker, Skip Homeier, and Gene Reynolds.-Plot:...
(1949) - TomahawkTomahawk (film)Tomahawk is a 1951 western film directed by George Sherman and starring Van Heflin and Yvonne De Carlo. The film is loosely based on events that took place in Montana in 1876 at The Battle of Powder River. The film was released as The Battle of Powder River in the UK.-Plot synopsis:In 1866 gold is...
(1951) - The Big NightThe Big NightThe Big Night is a 1951 black-and-white film drama starring John Drew Barrymore . The film, directed by Joseph Losey, is considered to be film noir.- Reception :...
(1951) - Kansas City Confidential (1952)
- I, the JuryI, the Jury (1953 film)I, the Jury is a mystery-thriller film from 1953, based on the novel I, the Jury by Mickey Spillane. It was directed by Harry Essex, produced by Victor Saville's company, Parklane Pictures and released through United Artists....
(1953) - The Time TravelersThe Time Travelers (1964 film)The Time Travelers is a science fiction film directed by B-movie director Ib Melchior that inspired the 1966 TV series The Time Tunnel as well as the 1967 remake Journey to the Center of Time...
(1964)