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, 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, 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, where Preston's father was employed as a

machinist A machinist is a tradesperson or trained professional who operates machine tools, and has the ability to set up tools such as milling machines, grinders, lathes, and drilling machines. A competent machinist will generally have a strong mechan ...

."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 (New Jersey), city in Camden County, New Jersey, Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the Delaware Valley metropolitan region. The city was incorporated on February 13, 1828.Snyder, John P''The Story of ...

, located about 17 miles north of Pitman. A decade later, additional census records show that Foster had moved to

Queens, New York Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...

, 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 which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

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'' (1939), '' My Friend Flicka'' (1943), and '' Roger Touhy, Gangster'' (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 History of cinema in the United States, motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private fu ...

(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'' 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 Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...

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

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. Leis arranged the songs, and the trio performed on radio and in clubs, appearing with Orrin Tucker, Peggy Ann Garner and

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer, and Pin-up model, pin-up girl. She achieved fame in the 1940s as one of the top stars of the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of ...

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

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

'' Cameo Theatre'', 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 dancer, actor, singer, director 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 in 1893. The two wed on June 27, 1925, in

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

, 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, 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'', 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 in San Diego, California, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean. The population reported in the 2010 census was 46,781. The climate is mild, with an average daily temperature o ...

, 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 landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...

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'' (1933) as David Slade *'' Elmer, the Great'' (1933) as Walker *'' Dangerous Crossroads'' (1933) as Gang Leader *''

Corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...

'' (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 (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 other clouds from distant thunderstorm A thunderstorm ...

'' (1934) as George *'' Wharf Angel'' (1934) as Como Murphy *'' Sleepers East'' (1934) as Jason Everett *'' The Band Plays On'' (1934) as Howdy Hardy *'' Strangers All'' (1935) as Murray Carter *'' The People's Enemy'' (1935) as Vince M. Falcone *'' The Informer'' (1935) as Dan Gallagher *''A Night at the Biltmore Bowl'' (1935, Short) as Preston Foster *'' The Arizonian'' (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'' (1936) as Jack Clitheroe *'' We Who Are About to Die'' (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'' (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'' (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'' (1938) as Bill Crane *'' Society Smugglers'' (1939) as Richard 'Sully' Sullivan *'' Chasing Danger'' (1939) as Steve Mitchell *'' News Is Made at Night'' (1939) as Steve Drum *'' 20,000 Men a Year'' (1939) as Jim Howell *'' Missing Evidence'' (1939) as Bill Collins *'' Geronimo'' (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'' (1942) as Roy Bonnell *'' A Gentleman After Dark'' (1942) as Police Detective Tom Gaynor *'' Night in New Orleans'' (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'' (1944) as Steve Carramond *'' Roger Touhy, Gangster'' (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 ( ; , , ) is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The city is the capital city, capital of the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, as well as the Tangier-Assilah Prefecture of Moroc ...

'' (1946) as Col. Jose Artiego *'' Strange Triangle'' (1946) as Sam Crane *'' Inside Job'' (1946) as Bart Madden *'' Ramrod'' (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'' (1949) as John Kelley *'' The Big Cat'' (1949) as Tom Eggers *'' The Tougher They Come'' (1950) as Joe MacKinley *'' Three Desperate Men'' (1951) as Tom Denton *''

Tomahawk A tomahawk is a type of single-handed axe used by the many Native Americans in the United States, Indian peoples and nations of North America, traditionally resembles a hatchet with a straight shaft. Etymology The name comes from Powhatan langu ...

'' (1951) as Col. Carrington *'' The Big Gusher'' (1951) as Henry 'Hank' Mason *'' The Big Night'' (1951) as Andy La Main *'' Montana Territory'' (1952) as Sheriff Henry Plummer *''

Kansas City Confidential ''Kansas City Confidential'' is a 1952 American independent film, independently-made film noir and crime film directed by Phil Karlson starring John Payne (actor), John Payne and Coleen Gray. The film was released in the United Kingdom as ''The S ...

'' (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'' (1961, TV) as Capt. Zachary Wingate *'' Going My Way'' (1963, TV) as Francis X. Finnegan *'' 77 Sunset Strip'' (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 *'' Chubasco'' (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 Military personnel from Cape May County, New Jersey Military personnel from Gloucester County, New Jersey Actors from Cape May County, New Jersey Actors from Gloucester County, New Jersey