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 His ...

, 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 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 A machinist is a tradesperson or trained professional who not only operates machine tools, but also has the knowledge of tooling and materials required to create set ups on machine tools such as milling machines, grinders, lathes, and drilling ...

."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 Camden is a city in and the county seat of Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Camden is part of the Delaware Valley metropolitan area and is located directly across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At the 20 ...

, 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'' (1932), '' Annie Oakley'' (1935), '' The Last Days of Pompeii'' (1935), '' The Informer'' (1935), ''

Geronimo Geronimo ( apm, Goyaałé, , ; June 16, 1829 – February 17, 1909) was a prominent leader and medicine man from the Bedonkohe band of the Ndendahe Apache people. From 1850 to 1886, Geronimo joined with members of three other Central Apache b ...

'' (1939), '' My Friend Flicka'' (1943), and ''

Roger Touhy, Gangster ''Roger Touhy, Gangster'' is a 1944 American gangster film based on the life of Chicago mob figure Roger Touhy, directed by film noir specialist Robert Florey. Parts of the film were shot at Stateville Correctional Center near Joliet, Illinois, ...

'' (1944)."Preston Foster"
filmography,

American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Lead ...

(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, m ...

. 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, as well as a voice actor on radio. On July 25, 1943, Foster co-starred with Ellen Drew in "China Bridge," a presentation of '' Silver Theater'' on CBS radio. Foster also enjoyed a secondary career as a vocalist. In 1948, he created a trio consisting of himself, his second wife Sheila, and guitarist

Gene Leis Gene Leis (April 19, 1920 – March 15, 1993) was an American jazz guitarist, teacher, bandleader, composer, producer, and entrepreneur. Early life Leis was born into a musical family in Sedgwick, Kansas, near Wichita. His parents had a family b ...

. 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 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 dif ...

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 drama series '' Going My Way'', starring

Gene Kelly Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996) was an American actor, dancer, singer, filmmaker, and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style and sought to create a new form of American dance accessibl ...

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 mean ...

'', which was released just two years before his death. During his later years, Foster lived in the seaside community of

La Jolla, California La Jolla ( , ) is a hilly, seaside neighborhood within the city of San Diego, California, United States, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean. The population reported in the 2010 census was 46,781. La Jolla is surrounded on ...

, 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 The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...

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'' (1931) as Crewman (uncredited) *'' Two Seconds'' (1932) as Bud Clark *'' Doctor X'' (1932) as Dr. Wells *'' The Last Mile'' (1932) as John 'Killer' Mears - Cell 4 *'' Life Begins'' (1932) as Dr. Brett *'' The All American'' (1932) as Steve Kelly *'' I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang'' (1932) as Pete *'' You Said a Mouthful'' (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'' (1933) as Walker *''

Dangerous Crossroads ''Dangerous Crossroads'' is a 1933 American pre-Code action film directed by Lambert Hillyer and written by Lew Levenson. The film stars Charles "Chic" Sale, Diane Sinclair, Frank Albertson, Preston Foster, Jackie Searl and Niles Welch. The film ...

'' (1933) as Gang Leader *''

Corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense which is undertaken by a person or an organization which is entrusted in a position of authority, in order to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's personal gain. Corruption m ...

'' (1933) as Tim Butler *'' The Man Who Dared'' (1933) as Jan Novak *'' Devil's Mate'' (1933) as Insp. O'Brien *'' Hoop-La'' (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 ''Wharf Angel'' is a 1934 American drama film directed by William Cameron Menzies and George Somnes and starring Victor McLaglen, Dorothy Dell, David Landau, and Preston Foster. ''Wharf Angel'' was the first screenplay of Stephen Morehouse Ave ...

'' (1934) as Como Murphy *''

Sleepers East ''Sleepers East'' is a 1934 American crime film directed by Kenneth MacKenna and written by Lester Cole. It is based on the 1933 novel ''Sleepers East'' by Frederick Nebel. The film stars Wynne Gibson, Preston Foster, Mona Barrie, Harvey Stephe ...

'' (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 ...

'' (1934) as Howdy Hardy *''

Strangers All ''Strangers All'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by Charles Vidor from a screenplay by Milton Krims. The film stars May Robson and Preston Foster Preston Stratton Foster (August 24, 1900 – July 14, 1970), was an American actor ...

'' (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 *'' The Last Days of Pompeii'' (1935) as Marcus *'' Annie Oakley'' (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'' (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'' (1937) as John Oakhurst *'' You Can't Beat Love'' (1937) as James Ellsworth 'Jimmy' Hughes *''

The Westland Case ''The Westland Case'' is a 1937 American mystery film directed by Christy Cabanne and starring Preston Foster, Frank Jenks, and Carol Hughes. Cast * Preston Foster as Bill Crane * Frank Jenks as Doc Williams * Carol Hughes as Emily Lou Martin ...

'' (1937) as Bill Crane - Private Detective *''

First Lady First lady is an unofficial title usually used for the wife, and occasionally used for the daughter or other female relative, of a non- monarchical head of state or chief executive. The term is also used to describe a woman seen to be at the ...

'' (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 establi ...

'' (1938) as Det. Bill Crane *'' Army Girl'' (1938) as Capt. Dike Conger *'' The Storm'' (1938) as Jack Stacey *'' Submarine Patrol'' (1938) as Lt. (j.g.) John C. Drake *'' Up the River'' (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 ...

'' (1938) as Bill Crane *'' Society Smugglers'' (1939) as Richard 'Sully' Sullivan *''

Chasing Danger ''Chasing Danger'' is a 1939 American adventure film directed by Ricardo Cortez and written by Robert Ellis and Helen Logan. The film stars Preston Foster, Lynn Bari, Wally Vernon, Henry Wilcoxon, Joan Woodbury and Harold Huber. The film was re ...

'' (1939) as Steve Mitchell *''

News Is Made at Night ''News Is Made at Night'' is a 1939 American comedy film directed by Alfred L. Werker and written by John Larkin. The film stars Preston Foster, Lynn Bari, Russell Gleason, George Barbier, Eddie Collins and Minor Watson. The film was released ...

'' (1939) as Steve Drum *''

20,000 Men a Year ''20,000 Men a Year'' (aka ''Air Story'' and ''Aviation Story'') is a 1939 American action film directed by Alfred E. Green and written by Lou Breslow and Owen Francis. The film stars Randolph Scott, Preston Foster, Margaret Lindsay, Mary Healy ...

'' (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 Parke ...

'' (1939) as Bill Collins *''

'' (1939) as Captain Bill Starrett *'' Cafe Hostess'' (1940) as Dan Walters *'' North West Mounted Police'' (1940) as Sergeant Jim Brett *'' Moon Over Burma'' (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 ''Night in New Orleans'' is a 1942 American crime film directed by William Clemens and loosely adapted by Jonathan Latimer from the 1940 novel ''Sing a Song of Homicide'' by James R. Langham. The film stars Preston Foster, Patricia Morison, A ...

'' (1942) as Police Lt. Steve Abbott *'' Little Tokyo, U.S.A.'' (1942) as Michael Steele *'' Thunder Birds'' (1942) as Steve Britt *'' American Empire'' (1942) as Paxton Bryce *'' My Friend Flicka'' (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 rele ...

'' (1944) as Steve Carramond *''

'' (1944) as Roger Touhy *'' Thunderhead, Son of Flicka'' (1945) as Rob McLaughlin *'' The Valley of Decision'' (1945) as Jim Brennan *'' Twice Blessed'' (1945) as Jeff Turner *'' Abbott and Costello in Hollywood'' (1945) as Himself (uncredited) *'' The Harvey Girls'' (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 ''Strange Triangle'' is a 1946 American crime film noir directed by Ray McCarey and starring Signe Hasso, Preston Foster and Anabel Shaw.. Premise A bank examiner becomes involved with a couple planning embezzlement, which leads them to murder. ...

'' (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 i ...

'' (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'' (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 ...

'' (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 for ...

'' (1952) as Tim Foster *'' Law and Order'' (1953) as Kurt Durling *'' The Marshal's Daughter'' (1953) as Poker-Game Player #1 *'' I, the Jury'' (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 *'' Going My Way'' (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 ''Advance to the Rear'' is a light-hearted 1964 American Western comedy film set in the American Civil War. Directed by George Marshall, and starring Glenn Ford, Stella Stevens, and Melvyn Douglas. The film is based on the 1957 novel ''Company o ...

'' (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