Preston Stratton Foster (August 24, 1900 – July 14, 1970), was an American actor of stage, film, radio, and television, whose career spanned nearly four decades. He also had a career as a vocalist.

Early life

Born in

Ocean City, New Jersey Ocean City is a city in Cape May County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is the principal city of the Ocean City metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses all of Cape May County and is part of the Philadelphia- Wilmington- Camden, ...

, in 1900, Foster was the eldest of three children of New Jersey natives Sallie R. (''née'' Stratton) and Walter Foster."The Thirteenth Census of the United States: 1910"
enumeration date May 3, 1910, Ward 2 cean City Cape May County, New Jersey. Bureau of the Census, United States Department of Commerce and Labor, Washington, D.C. Digital copy of original enumeration page available at

FamilySearch FamilySearch is a nonprofit organization and website offering genealogical records, education, and software. It is operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and is closely connected with the church's Family Hist ...

, a free online genealogical database provided as a public service by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah. In multiple census records the first name of Foster's mother is spelled "Sallie", although on Preston's marriage certificate of 1925, his mother's maiden name is given as "Sally R. Stratton". Retrieved August 17, 2017. Preston had two sisters, Mabel and Anna; and according to federal census records, his family still lived in Ocean City in

Cape May County Cape May County is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Much of the county is located on Cape May bound by Delaware Bay to its west and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and east. Adjacent to the Atlantic coastline are f ...

at least as late as 1910. There his father supported the family working as a painter. Sometime between 1910 and 1918, the Fosters relocated to

Pitman, New Jersey Pitman is a borough in Gloucester County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the borough's population was 8,780, a drop of 231 from the 2010 census count of 9,011,machinist."The Fourteenth Census of the United States: 1920"
enumeration dates January 2–3, 1920, District 1, Pitman Borough, Glouchester County, New Jersey. Bureau of the Census, United States Department of Commerce, Washington, D.C. FamilySearch. Retrieved August 17, 2017. The census for 1920 and Preston's earlier draft registration card from 1918 document that he continued to reside at that time at his parents' home at the intersection of Laurel and Snyder avenues in Pitman. Those records document as well that he had a job as a clerk for the New York Ship Company in Camden, New Jersey, located about 17 miles north of Pitman. A decade later, additional census records show that Foster had moved to

Queens, New York Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

, where he was living with his first wife, Gertrude, a widow and stage actress who was seven years his senior.The Fifteenth Census of the United States: 1930"
enumeration date April 17, 1930, District 1, Queens, New York City, New York. FamilySearch. Retrieved August 15, 2017. The federal census of 1930 also lists Foster as an actor by then, one employed in "Legitimate

Vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

Stage and film career

Foster began working in films in 1929 after acting on Broadway, where he was still performing as late as November 1931 in the cast of ''Two Seconds''. He soon reprised that stage role in Hollywood in the filmed version of the play. Some of his subsequent films include '' Doctor X'' (1932), ''

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang ''I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang'' is a 1932 American pre-Code crime-drama film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Paul Muni as a wrongfully convicted man on a chain gang who escapes to Chicago. It was released on November 10, 1932. The f ...

'' (1932), ''

Annie Oakley Annie Oakley (born Phoebe Ann Mosey; August 13, 1860 – November 3, 1926) was an American sharpshooter who starred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West show. Oakley developed hunting skills as a child to provide for her impoverished family in western ...

'' (1935), ''

The Last Days of Pompeii ''The Last Days of Pompeii'' is a novel written by Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1834. The novel was inspired by the painting ''The Last Day of Pompeii'' by the Russian painter Karl Briullov, which Bulwer-Lytton had seen in Milan. It culminates in ...

'' (1935), '' The Informer'' (1935), '' Geronimo'' (1939), ''

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 mustang horse Flicka. It was the first in a trilogy, followed by ''Thunderhead'' (1943) and ''Green Grass of Wyoming'' (1946). The p ...

'' (1943), and '' Roger Touhy, Gangster'' (1944)."Preston Foster"
filmography, American Film Institute (AFI), Los Angeles, California. Retrieved August 17, 2017. Over the years, as Foster's film experience in Hollywood grew, producers and directors gained increasing respect for his ability to play an array of characters, ranging from the "snarling family‐deserting criminal" in ''

The People's Enemy ''The People's Enemy'' is a 1935 American crime film directed by Crane Wilbur, from a screenplay by Gordon Kahn and Edward Dean Sullivan, based on Sullivan's story. The film stars Preston Foster, Melvyn Douglas, and Charles Coburn Charl ...

'' in 1935 to the soft-spoken, fatherly chaplain on the Pacific battlefront in the 1943 film '' Guadalcanal Diary''."Preston Foster Is Dead at 69; Film Star Began Career in 30's"
''The New York Times'', July 15, 1970, p. 39. Retrieved August 16, 2017. Once, when asked if he ever regretted performing in villainous roles, Foster gave some insight into his family's reaction to them: Foster's career was interrupted by World War II, when he served with the

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...

. While in active service he rose to the rank of captain, and later he was awarded the honorary rank of commodore in the

Coast Guard Auxiliary The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary (USCGA, USCGAUX, CGAux, or USCG Aux) is the civilian uniformed volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard. Congress established the unit on 23 June 1939, as the United States Coast Guard Reserve ...

Radio actor and vocalist

In addition to performing on stage and in numerous films, Foster was an accomplished singer who performed on both radio and in

nightclubs A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

, as well as a voice actor on radio. On July 25, 1943, Foster co-starred with

Ellen Drew Ellen Drew (born Esther Loretta Ray; November 23, 1914 – December 3, 2003) was an American film actress. Early life Drew, born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1914, was the daughter of an Irish-born barber. She had a younger brother, Arden. Her ...

in "China Bridge," a presentation of ''

Silver Theater Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...

'' on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

radio. Foster also enjoyed a secondary career as a vocalist. In 1948, he created a trio consisting of himself, his second wife

Sheila Sheila (alternatively spelled Shelagh and Sheelagh) is a common feminine given name, derived from the Irish name ''Síle'', which is believed to be a Gaelic form of the Latin name Caelia, the feminine form of the Roman clan name Caelius, mean ...

, and guitarist Gene Leis. Leis arranged the songs, and the trio performed on radio and in clubs, appearing with

Orrin Tucker ORiN (Open Robot/Resource interface for the Network) is a standard network interface for FA (factory automation) systems. The Japan Robot Association proposed ORiN in 2002, and the ORiN Forum develops and maintains the ORiN standard. Background ...

Peggy Ann Garner Peggy Ann Garner (February 3, 1932 – October 16, 1984) was an American child actress. As a child actress, Garner had her first film role in 1938. At the 18th Academy Awards, Garner won the Academy Juvenile Award, recognizing her body of c ...

and

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined th ...

Television work

In 1950, Foster began performing on the young but rapidly expanding medium of television. His first credited role on the "small screen" was in September of that year on the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

anthology series An anthology series is a radio, television, video game or film series that spans different genres and presents a different story and a different set of characters in each different episode, season, segment, or short. These usually have a differ ...

Cameo Theatre ''Cameo Theatre'' is an American anthology series that aired on NBC during the Golden Age of Television, from 1950 to 1955. Television in the round The live series, produced by Albert McCleery, introduced to television the concept of theater-in- ...

'', in an episode titled "The Westland Case". Later, after a few other appearances on series, he starred in the televised drama '' Waterfront'', playing Captain John Herrick during the 1954-1955 broadcast season. He also guest-starred in 1963 in the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

drama series ''

Going My Way ''Going My Way'' is a 1944 American musical comedy drama film directed by Leo McCarey and starring Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald. Written by Frank Butler and Frank Cavett based on a story by McCarey, the film is about a new young priest tak ...

'', starring Gene Kelly.

Personal life and death

Foster was married twice, the first time to actress Gertrude Elene (Warren) Leonard, a widow who had been born in

Woodbury, New Jersey Woodbury is the county seat of Gloucester County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the South Jersey region of the state.Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

, where they both worked as actors. In the early 1930s, the couple left New York City and relocated to Los Angeles. There, in 1939, they adopted a daughter, Stephanie; but six years later Preston and Gertrude divorced. During times between his performances in films and on television, Foster often enjoyed boating and deep-sea fishing, especially for

marlin Marlins are fish from the family Istiophoridae, which includes about 10 species. A marlin has an elongated body, a spear-like snout or bill, and a long, rigid dorsal fin which extends forward to form a crest. Its common name is thought to deri ...

, off California's southern coast. He continued to accept acting offers in his later years, although far less regularly during the final decade of his life. His last film credit was in the role of Nick Kassel in ''

Chubasco A chubasco is a violent squall with thunder and lightning, encountered during the rainy season along the Pacific coast of Mexico, Central America, and South America. The word chubasco has its origins in the Portuguese word '' chuva'' which means r ...

'', which was released just two years before his death. During his later years, Foster lived in the seaside community of La Jolla, California, part of the city of San Diego. In 1969, when the San Diego Padres made their debut as a Major League Baseball team, Foster wrote a song titled "Let's Go Padres", which was billed as the team's official song. He sang it at some home games that season. Foster died in 1970 at age 69 in La Jolla after what ''The New York Times'' described as "a long illness."

Honors

Preston Foster has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6801 Hollywood Blvd.

Filmography

*''Pusher-in-the-Face'' (1929, Short) (film debut) *'' Nothing but the Truth'' (1929) as Nightclub Patron (uncredited) *'' Heads Up'' (1930) as Blake *'' Follow the Leader'' (1930) as Two-Gun Terry *''

His Woman ''His Woman'' is a 1931 American pre-Code romance drama film directed by Edward Sloman and starring Gary Cooper and Claudette Colbert. Based on the novel ''His Woman'' by Dale Collins, the story is about a tough sea captain who discovers a baby ...

'' (1931) as Crewman (uncredited) *''

Two Seconds ''Two Seconds'' is a 1932 American pre-Code crime drama film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Edward G. Robinson, Vivienne Osborne and Preston Foster. It was based on a successful Broadway play of the same name by Elliott Lester. The title ...

'' (1932) as Bud Clark *'' Doctor X'' (1932) as Dr. Wells *''

The Last Mile The Last Mile may refer to: * The Last Mile (prison rehabilitation program), a program for inmates in the California corrections system * ''The Last Mile'' (play), a 1930 play by John Wexley * ''The Last Mile'' (1932 film), an American adaptatio ...

'' (1932) as John 'Killer' Mears - Cell 4 *'' Life Begins'' (1932) as Dr. Brett *'' The All American'' (1932) as Steve Kelly *''

'' (1932) as Pete *''

You Said a Mouthful ''You Said a Mouthful'' is a 1932 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Lloyd Bacon and written by Robert Lord and Bolton Mallory. The film stars Joe E. Brown, Ginger Rogers, Preston Foster, Allen Hoskins, Harry Gribbon, Edwin Maxwell and ...

'' (1932) as Ed Dover *'' Sensation Hunters'' (1933) as Tom Baylor *''

Ladies They Talk About ''Ladies They Talk About'' is a 1933 pre-Code American crime drama directed by Howard Bretherton and William Keighley, and starring Barbara Stanwyck, Preston Foster, and Lyle Talbot. The film is about an attractive woman who is a member of a ba ...

'' (1933) as David Slade *''

Elmer, the Great ''Elmer, the Great'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Mervyn LeRoy, starring Joe E. Brown and Patricia Ellis. Plot Elmer Kane ( Joe E. Brown) is a rookie ballplayer with the Chicago Cubs whose ego is matched only by his appe ...

'' (1933) as Walker *'' Dangerous Crossroads'' (1933) as Gang Leader *'' Corruption'' (1933) as Tim Butler *'' The Man Who Dared'' (1933) as Jan Novak *''

Devil's Mate ''The Devil's Mate'' is a 1933 American pre-Code mystery film directed by Phil Rosen, starring Peggy Shannon and Preston Foster.

'' (1933) as Insp. O'Brien *''

Hoop-La ''Hoop-La'' is a 1933 American pre-Code drama film directed by Frank Lloyd, and starring Clara Bow (in her final film role), Preston Foster, Richard Cromwell and Minna Gombell also in the cast. The film is based on the play ''The Barker'' by Ke ...

'' (1933) as Nifty Miller *''Just Around the Corner'' (1933, Short) as Tim - Office Worker *''

Heat Lightning Heat lightning, also known as silent lightning, summer lightning, or dry lightning (not to be confused with dry thunderstorms, which are also often called dry lightning), is a misnomer used for the faint flashes of lightning on the horizon or o ...

'' (1934) as George *'' Wharf Angel'' (1934) as Como Murphy *'' Sleepers East'' (1934) as Jason Everett *''

The Band Plays On ''The Band Plays On'' is the debut album from Back Street Crawler, fronted by ex- Free guitarist Paul Kossoff. Keyboard player Mike Montgomery composed six songs and co-wrote two others on the album, in addition to singing lead vocals on "All t ...

'' (1934) as Howdy Hardy *'' Strangers All'' (1935) as Murray Carter *''

'' (1935) as Vince M. Falcone *'' The Informer'' (1935) as Dan Gallagher *''A Night at the Biltmore Bowl'' (1935, Short) as Preston Foster *''

The Arizonian ''The Arizonian'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by Charles Vidor and starring Richard Dix, Margot Grahame, Preston Foster, and Louis Calhern. The screenplay was by Dudley Nichols. The film was released by RKO Radio Pictures on Ju ...

'' (1935) as Tex Randolph *''

'' (1935) as Marcus *''

'' (1935) as Toby Walker *'' We're Only Human'' (1935) as Det. Sgt. Pete 'Mac' McCaffrey *'' Muss 'Em Up'' (1936) as Tippecanoe 'Tip' O'Neil *''

Love Before Breakfast ''Love Before Breakfast'' is a 1936 American romantic comedy starring Carole Lombard, Preston Foster, and Cesar Romero, based on Faith Baldwin's short story ''Spinster Dinner'', published in '' International-Cosmopolitan'' in July 1934. The film ...

'' (1936) as Scott Miller *''

The Plough and the Stars ''The Plough and the Stars'' is a four-act play by the Irish writer Seán O'Casey that was first performed on 8 February 1926 at the Abbey Theatre. It is set in Dublin and addresses the 1916 Easter Rising. The play's title references the Sta ...

'' (1936) as Jack Clitheroe *''

We Who Are About to Die ''We Who Are About to Die'' is a 1937 film directed by Christy Cabanne and starring Preston Foster, Ann Dvorak Ann Dvorak (born Anna McKim; August 2, 1911 – December 10, 1979) was an American stage and film actress. Asked how to pronounc ...

'' (1937) as Steven Mathews *'' Sea Devils'' (1937) as Michael 'Mike' O'Shay *''

The Outcasts of Poker Flat "The Outcasts of Poker Flat" (1869) is a short story written by writer of the American West Bret Harte. An example of naturalism and local color of California during the first half of the nineteenth century. The story was first published in Janua ...

'' (1937) as John Oakhurst *''

You Can't Beat Love ''You Can't Beat Love'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Christy Cabanne and written by Maxwell Shane and David Silverstein. The film stars Preston Foster, Joan Fontaine, Herbert Mundin, William Brisbane and Alan Bruce. The film was r ...

'' (1937) as James Ellsworth 'Jimmy' Hughes *'' The Westland Case'' (1937) as Bill Crane - Private Detective *'' First Lady'' (1937) as Stephen Wayne *'' Everybody's Doing It'' (1938) as Bruce Keene *'' Double Danger'' (1938) as Bob Crane *''

The Lady in the Morgue ''The Lady in the Morgue'' (1936) is one of the novels by Jonathan Latimer featuring private detective William Crane. The lady of the title is a female corpse which is stolen from a Chicago morgue before the dead woman's identity can be establish ...

'' (1938) as Det. Bill Crane *''

Army Girl ''Army Girl'' (also released as ''The Last of the Cavalry'') is a 1938 American comedy film directed by George Nicholls Jr. and starring Madge Evans and Preston Foster. It was a high budget film by Republic Pictures. Plot Captain Dike Conger, ...

'' (1938) as Capt. Dike Conger *'' The Storm'' (1938) as Jack Stacey *''

Submarine Patrol ''Submarine Patrol'' is a 1938 film directed by John Ford and starring Richard Greene, Nancy Kelly and Preston Foster. The supporting cast features George Bancroft, Elisha Cook, Jr., John Carradine, Maxie Rosenbloom, Jack Pennick, Ward Bond an ...

'' (1938) as Lt. (j.g.) John C. Drake *''

Up the River ''Up the River'' is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy film directed by John Ford, and starring Claire Luce, Spencer Tracy and Humphrey Bogart. The plot concerns escaped convicts, as well as a female convict. It was the feature film debut role of ...

'' (1938) as 'Chipper' Morgan *''

The Last Warning ''The Last Warning'' is a 1928 American mystery film directed by Paul Leni, and starring Laura La Plante, Montagu Love, and Margaret Livingston. ''The Last Warning'' was also one of the very last silent films Universal made — except it was a ...

'' (1938) as Bill Crane *''

Society Smugglers ''Society Smugglers'' is a 1939 American crime film directed by Joe May and starring Preston Foster, Irene Hervey and Walter Woolf King.Monaco p.364 It was made and distributed by Universal Pictures. The film sets were designed by the art direct ...

'' (1939) as Richard 'Sully' Sullivan *''

Chasing Danger ''Chasing Danger'' is a 1939 American adventure film directed by Ricardo Cortez and written by Robert Ellis (actor, born 1892), Robert Ellis and Helen Logan. The film stars Preston Foster, Lynn Bari, Wally Vernon, Henry Wilcoxon, Joan Woodbury an ...

'' (1939) as Steve Mitchell *'' News Is Made at Night'' (1939) as Steve Drum *'' 20,000 Men a Year'' (1939) as Jim Howell *''

Missing Evidence ''Missing Evidence'' is a 1939 American drama film, directed by Phil Rosen. It stars Preston Foster, Irene Hervey, and Inez Courtney, and was released on December 15, 1939. Cast list * Preston Foster as Bill Collins * Irene Hervey as Linda Pa ...

'' (1939) as Bill Collins *'' Geronimo'' (1939) as Captain Bill Starrett *''

Cafe Hostess ''Cafe Hostess'' is a 1940 American crime film directed by Sidney Salkow and starring Preston Foster and Ann Dvorak. The screenplay was written by Harold Shumate, based on a story by Tay Garnett and Howard Higgin. Prior to filming the studio ha ...

'' (1940) as Dan Walters *'' North West Mounted Police'' (1940) as Sergeant Jim Brett *''

Moon Over Burma ''Moon Over Burma'' is a 1940 American adventure film directed by Louis King and written by Harry Clork, Wilson Collison, W.P. Lipscomb and Frank Wead. The film stars Dorothy Lamour, Robert Preston, Preston Foster, Doris Nolan, Albert Basserma ...

'' (1940) as Bill Gordon *'' The Round Up'' (1941) as Greg Lane *'' Unfinished Business'' (1941) as Steve Duncan *''

Secret Agent of Japan ''Secret Agent of Japan'' is a 1942 film directed by Irving Pichel. It was the first American anti-Japanese war film produced by a major studio after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The film stars Preston Foster as a nightclub owner in Shanghai who b ...

'' (1942) as Roy Bonnell *''

A Gentleman After Dark ''A Gentleman After Dark'' is a 1942 crime/drama film starring Brian Donlevy and Miriam Hopkins. Plot We pick up the story when the editor of the ''New York Chronicle'' sits on New Year's Eve 1923 awaiting news on the theft of legendary Mrs. Reg ...

'' (1942) as Police Detective Tom Gaynor *'' Night in New Orleans'' (1942) as Police Lt. Steve Abbott *''

Little Tokyo, U.S.A. ''Little Tokyo, U.S.A.'' is a 1942 American film. Produced in the period just after the United States entered World War II, it was meant to alert Americans to the dangers of foreign agents. It is now controversial for its largely negative portraya ...

'' (1942) as Michael Steele *'' Thunder Birds'' (1942) as Steve Britt *''

American Empire American imperialism refers to the expansion of American political, economic, cultural, and media influence beyond the boundaries of the United States. Depending on the commentator, it may include imperialism through outright military conquest ...

'' (1942) as Paxton Bryce *''

'' (1943) as Rob McLaughlin *'' Guadalcanal Diary'' (1943) as Father Donnelly *''

Bermuda Mystery ''Bermuda Mystery'' is a 1944 American mystery film directed by Benjamin Stoloff and written by Scott Darling. The film stars Preston Foster, Ann Rutherford, Charles Butterworth, Helene Reynolds, Jean Howard and Richard Lane. The film was rel ...

'' (1944) as Steve Carramond *'' Roger Touhy, Gangster'' (1944) as Roger Touhy *''

Thunderhead, Son of Flicka ''Thunderhead, Son of Flicka'' is a 1945 American Western film directed by Louis King and starring Roddy McDowall, Preston Foster, and Rita Johnson. It is a sequel to the 1943 film ''My Friend Flicka'' (parodied in 2006 as ''Flicka''). The film wa ...

'' (1945) as Rob McLaughlin *''

The Valley of Decision ''The Valley of Decision'' is a 1945 film directed by Tay Garnett, based on Marcia Davenport's 1942 novel of the same name. Set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the 1870s, it stars Greer Garson and Gregory Peck. It tells the story of a young Iri ...

'' (1945) as Jim Brennan *'' Twice Blessed'' (1945) as Jeff Turner *''

Abbott and Costello in Hollywood ''Abbott and Costello in Hollywood'' is a 1945 American black-and-white comedy film directed by S. Sylvan Simon and starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello alongside Frances Rafferty. Made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it was produced by Marti ...

'' (1945) as Himself (uncredited) *''

The Harvey Girls ''The Harvey Girls'' is a 1946 Technicolor American musical film produced by Arthur Freed for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It is based on the 1942 novel of the same name by Samuel Hopkins Adams, about Fred Harvey's Harvey House waitresses. Directed ...

'' (1946) as Judge Sam Purvis *''

Tangier Tangier ( ; ; ar, طنجة, Ṭanja) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel. The town is the capi ...

'' (1946) as Col. Jose Artiego *'' Strange Triangle'' (1946) as Sam Crane *''

Inside Job An insider threat is a malicious threat to an organization that comes from people within the organization, such as employees, former employees, contractors or business associates, who have inside information concerning the organization's security ...

'' (1946) as Bart Madden *''

Ramrod A ramrod (or scouring stick) is a metal or wooden device used with muzzleloading firearms to push the projectile up against the propellant (mainly blackpowder). The ramrod was used with weapons such as muskets and cannons and was usually held ...

'' (1947) as Frank Ivey *'' King of the Wild Horses'' (1947) as Dave Taggert *'' The Hunted'' (1948) as Johnny Saxon *'' Thunderhoof'' (1948) as Scotty Mason *''

I Shot Jesse James ''I Shot Jesse James'' is a 1949 American Western film directed by Samuel Fuller about the murder of Jesse James by Robert Ford and Robert Ford's life afterwards. The story is built around a fictional rivalry between Ford and his eventual kill ...

'' (1949) as John Kelley *'' The Big Cat'' (1949) as Tom Eggers *''

The Tougher They Come ''The Tougher They Come'' is a 1950 American lumberjack drama film directed by Ray Nazarro and written by George Bricker. The film stars Wayne Morris, Preston Foster, Kay Buckley, William Bishop, Frank McHugh and Gloria Henry. The film was rele ...

'' (1950) as Joe MacKinley *''

Three Desperate Men ''Three Desperate Men'' is a 1951 American Western film directed by Sam Newfield and starring Preston Foster, Jim Davis and Virginia Grey. It co-stars Kim Spalding, William Haade, Monte Blue and Sid Melton. Plot Cast *Preston Foster as T ...

'' (1951) as Tom Denton *''

Tomahawk A tomahawk is a type of single-handed axe used by the many Indigenous peoples and nations of North America. It traditionally resembles a hatchet with a straight shaft. In pre-colonial times the head was made of stone, bone, or antler, and Eur ...

'' (1951) as Col. Carrington *''

The Big Gusher ''The Big Gusher'' is a 1951 American adventure film directed by Lew Landers and starring Wayne Morris and Preston Foster.Dick p.260 A pair oil prospectors on a drunken spree buy an apparently worthless piece of land from a con man, then attempt ...

'' (1951) as Henry 'Hank' Mason *'' The Big Night'' (1951) as Andy La Main *''

Montana Territory The Territory of Montana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 26, 1864, until November 8, 1889, when it was admitted as the 41st state in the Union as the state of Montana. Original boundaries ...

'' (1952) as Sheriff Henry Plummer *''

Kansas City Confidential ''Kansas City Confidential'' is a 1952 American film noir and crime film directed by Phil Karlson starring John Payne and Coleen Gray. The film was released in the United Kingdom as ''The Secret Four''. Karlson and Payne teamed a year later fo ...

'' (1952) as Tim Foster *''

Law and Order In modern politics, law and order is the approach focusing on harsher enforcement and penalties as ways to reduce crime. Penalties for perpetrators of disorder may include longer terms of imprisonment, mandatory sentencing, three-strikes laws a ...

'' (1953) as Kurt Durling *''

The Marshal's Daughter ''The Marshal's Daughter'' is a 1953 American action film directed by William Berke and written by Bob Duncan. The film stars Laurie Anders, Hoot Gibson, Ken Murray, Preston Foster and Johnny Mack Brown. The film was released on June 26, 195 ...

'' (1953) as Poker-Game Player #1 *''

I, the Jury ''I, the Jury'' is the 1947 debut novel of American crime fiction writer Mickey Spillane, the first work to feature private investigator Mike Hammer. Plot summary The novel opens as private detective Mike Hammer is called to the apartment of i ...

'' (1953) as Capt. Pat Chambers *'' Waterfront'' (1954-1955, TV) as Cap'n John Herrick *'' Destination 60,000'' (1957) as Col. Ed Buckley *''

Gunslinger Gunfighters, also called gunslingers (), or in the 19th and early 20th centuries gunmen, were individuals in the American Old West who gained a reputation of being dangerous with a gun and participated in gunfights and shootouts. Today, the t ...

'' (1961, TV) as Capt. Zachary Wingate *''

'' (1963, TV) as Francis X. Finnegan *''

77 Sunset Strip ''77 Sunset Strip'' is an American television private detective drama series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith, Richard Long (from 1960 to 1961) and Edd Byrnes (billed as Edward Byrnes). Each episode was o ...

'' (1964, TV) as Boss Gates *'' Advance to the Rear'' (1964) as Gen. Bateman (uncredited) *'' The Time Travelers'' (1964) as Dr. Erik von Steiner *'' You've Got to Be Smart'' (1967) as D.A. Griggs *''

'' (1967) as Nick (final film)

References and notes

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Foster, Preston 1900 births 1970 deaths American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors 20th-century American male actors United States Coast Guard personnel of World War II United States Coast Guard officers Male actors from New Jersey People from Pitman, New Jersey People from Ocean City, New Jersey Burials in California Military personnel from New Jersey