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Preston Foster
ACTOR

Preston Foster

Known for Doctor X · Annie Oakley · 77 Sunset Strip

Preston Foster (August 24, 1900 – July 14, 1970) 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…

Snapshot 2026-10-16

Born
Aug 22, 1900
Died
Jul 14, 1970
Birthplace
Pitman, New Jersey, USA
Known For
Acting

Biography

Preston Foster (August 24, 1900 – July 14, 1970) 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.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Preston Foster, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

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Known For

Filmography

Movies

Nothing but the TruthNightclub Patron (uncredited)
1929
Follow the LeaderTwo-Gun Terry
1930
Heads UpBlake (uncredited)
1930
His WomanCrewman
1931
Doctor XDr. Wells
1932
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain GangPete
1932
Life BeginsDr. Brett
1932
The All-AmericanSteve Kelly
1932
The Last MileJohn 'Killer' Mears, Cell 4
1932
Two SecondsBud Clark
1932
You Said a MouthfulEd Dover
1932
CorruptionTim Butler
1933
Dangerous CrossroadsHinton
1933
Elmer, the GreatWalker
1933
HooplaNifty Miller
1933
Just Around the CornerTim - Office Worker (uncredited)
1933
Ladies They Talk AboutDavid Slade
1933
Sensation HuntersTom baylor
1933
The 42nd Street SpecialSelf (uncredited)
1933
The Devil's MateInsp. O'Brien
1933
The Man Who DaredJan Novak
1933
Heat LightningGeorge
1934
Sleepers EastJason Everett
1934
The Band Plays OnHowdy Hardy
1934
Wharf AngelComo Murphy
1934
A Night at the Biltmore BowlPreston Foster
1935
Annie OakleyToby Walker
1935
Strangers AllMurray Carter
1935
The ArizonianTex Randolph
1935
The InformerDan Gallagher
1935
The Last Days of PompeiiMarcus
1935
The People's EnemyVince M. Falcone
1935
We're Only HumanDet. Sgt. Pete 'Mac' McCaffrey
1935
Love Before BreakfastScott Miller
1936
Muss 'em UpTip O'Neil
1936
The Plough and the StarsJack Clitheroe
1936
First LadyStephen Wayne
1937
Sea DevilsMichael 'Mike' O'Shea
1937
The Outcasts of Poker FlatJohn Oakhurst
1937
The Westland CaseBill Crane - Private Detective
1937
We Who Are About to DieSteven Mathews
1937
You Can't Beat LoveJames Ellsworth 'Jimmy' Hughes
1937
Army GirlCapt. Dike Conger
1938
Double DangerRobert Crane
1938
Everybody's Doing ItBruce Keene
1938
Submarine PatrolLt. (j.g.) John C. Drake
1938
The Lady in the MorgueDet. Bill Crane
1938
The Last WarningBill Crane
1938
The StormJack Stacey
1938
Up the River'Chipper' Morgan
1938
20,000 Men a YearJim Howell
1939
Chasing DangerSteve Mitchell
1939
GeronimoCapt. Bill Starrett
1939
Missing EvidenceBill Collins
1939
News Is Made at NightSteve Drum
1939
Society SmugglersSully
1939
Cafe HostessDan Walters
1940
Moon Over BurmaBill Gordon
1940
North West Mounted PoliceSergeant Jim Brett
1940
The RoundupGreg Lane
1941
Unfinished BusinessSteve Duncan
1941
A Gentleman After DarkTom Gaynor
1942
American EmpirePaxton Bryce
1942
Classification of Enlisted MenNarrator
1942
Little Tokyo, U.S.A.Michael Steele
1942
Night in New OrleansPolice Lt. Steve Abbott
1942
Secret Agent of JapanRoy Bonnell
1942
Thunder BirdsSteve Britt
1942
Guadalcanal DiaryFather Donnelly
1943
My Friend FlickaRob McLaughlin
1943
Bermuda MysterySteve Carramond
1944
Roger Touhy, GangsterRoger Touhy
1944
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in HollywoodSelf (uncredited)
1945
The Valley of DecisionJim Brennan
1945
Thunderhead: Son of FlickaRob McLaughlin
1945
Twice BlessedJeff Turner
1945
Inside JobBart Madden
1946
It's Your AmericaArmy Surgeon (uncredited)
1946
Strange TriangleSam Crane
1946
TangierCol. Jose Artiego
1946
The Harvey GirlsJudge Sam Purvis
1946
King of the Wild HorsesDave Taggert
1947
RamrodFrank Ivey
1947
The HuntedJohnny Saxon
1948
ThunderhoofScotty Mason
1948
I Shot Jesse JamesJohn Kelley
1949
The Big CatTom Eggers
1949
The Tougher They ComeJoe MacKinley
1950
The Big GusherHenry 'Hank' Mason
1951
The Big NightAndy La Main
1951
TB
The Bogus GreenBrass McGannon
1951
Three Desperate MenTom Denton
1951
TomahawkCol. Carrington
1951
Kansas City ConfidentialTim Foster
1952
Montana TerritorySheriff Henry Plummer
1952
I, the JuryCapt. Pat Chambers
1953
Law and OrderKurt Durling
1953
The Marshal's DaughterPreston Foster - Poker-Game Player
1953
D6
Destination 60,000Col. Ed Buckley
1957
The Man from GalvestonJudge Homer Black
1963
Advance to the RearGen. Bateman (uncredited)
1964
The Time TravelersDr. Erik von Steiner
1964
You've Got To Be SmartD. O. Griggs
1967
ChubascoNick
1968
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?Self (archive footage)
1975
Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the LineSelf (archive footage)
1997
Lucy and DesiSelf (archive footage)
2022

Television

Schlitz Playhouse of StarsBob Hood · 1 eps
1951
General Electric Theater1 eps
1953
Letter to Loretta1 eps
1953
WaterfrontCap'n John Herrick · 81 eps
1954
Harbor Command1 eps
1957
OH
O. Henry PlayhouseJohn McCaskey · 1 eps
1957
77 Sunset Strip1 eps
1958
Outlaws1 eps
1960
GunslingerCaptain Zachary Scott · 12 eps
1961
Target: The Corruptors!1 eps
1961
Going My Way1 eps
1962

Photos

Preston Foster photo
Preston Foster photo
Preston Foster photo
Preston Foster photo
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