Robert Preston (1918-1987) was an Oscar®-nominated American actor. He gained fame as a stage and film actor. He is probably best remembered for originating the role of Professor Harold Hill in the 1957 musical The Music Man and the 1962 film adaptation. His IMDb page shows 76 acting credits from 1938 to 1986. This page ranks 39 Robert Preston movies from Best to Worst in six different sortable columns of information. Television shows, cameos and his movies not released in North America theaters are not included in the rankings.
Robert Preston Movies Ranked By Combination of Box Office, Reviews and Awards (UMR Score) *Classic UMR Table (the one with all the stats is the second table)
Robert Preston Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table
The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.
- Sort Robert Preston movies by movie title and movie trailers.
- Sort Robert Preston movies by co-stars of his movies.
- Sort Robert Preston movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost
- Sort Robert Preston movies by yearly domestic box office rank
- Sort Robert Preston movies how they were received by critics and audiences. 60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
- Sort by how many Oscar® nominations each Robert Preston movie received and how many Oscar® wins each Robert Preston movie won.
- Sort Robert Preston movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score. UMR Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
Academy Award® and Oscar® are the registered trademarks of the Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences. Golden Globes® are the registered trademark and service mark of the Hollywood Foreign Press.
Robert Preston had a reasonably successful acting career but he might have been even more successful in movies if he had not been maybe in the wrong movie at the wrong time.
He was initially contracted as the male lead in the 1942 This Gun for Hire. However during production Alan Ladd’s, originally supporting, role of hitman Philip Raven got Ladd noticed to the extent that Paramount built up his part at the expense of Preston so that the completed film in effect became the first of the historically famous Alan Ladd/Veronica Lake pairings.
Although Preston never reached Ladd’s heights in stardom, and in fact went on to support Alan in 1947’s Wild Harvest and 1948’s Whispering Smith – see table above – Robert was one of the bread and butter lead supporting actors/sometimes main lead of the classic era of Hollywood and within that context was a household name among film audiences in the early decades of the talkies. I remember him well and therefore very much welcome this new page
Hey Bob….thanks for the comment and visit to our Bob Preston page…..there are Bobs eveywhere…lol. There might be a club for people that saw movies change right under their noses. Ladd taking over This Gun For Hire, Peter Sellers taking over The Pink Panther…as that was supposed to be a series for David Niven not Sellers, Ginnifer Goodwin taking over Zootopia….originally Jason Bateman’s Nick Wilde was the main character…..by the end of the movie it was Goodwin’s Bunny Hops that was the lead character.
As for Preston’s career…he carved out a nice spot in Hollywood history….an easy actor to pull for when he appeared on screen. Good feedback…as always.
HI BRUCE
Thanks for the feedback. Highly shrewd observation about Sellers taking over the Pink Panther in which David Niven was actually top billed as the star.
Robert Preston did turn in some good performances well worth watching. Don’t just accept my word for it but take it from one who REALLY knew all about good acting [and I’ll leave it to you to guess who that is!]
“He had a spectacular comeback in 1982 as an ageing drag queen in Victor Victoria. It was a bravura performance that recalled all the pomp and exuberance and flashy charm that defined his best roles.”
Hey Bob….I agree with you about Victor/Victoria…..that was actually his only Oscar nomination….it is a shame that he had to wait 6 decades to get that first one. Hmmmm….somebody that really knows acting….thinking it has to be the famous movie critic Hjlh Rhinoceros. That is of course an anagram for the late great Joel Hirschhorn.
I actually did not remember that he had done a Robert Preston breakdown until reading your comment…..so check off another name from that book that has an UMR page.
I saw 6 including 5 of top 6. 10s and favorites: victor, Victoria and how the west was won. I haven’t seen the music man since 1963, i remember liking it. hidden gem is wake island , a historically significant movie and best picture nominee, an 8.
Hey bob cox….thanks for the visit and the comment. How The West Was Won looks awesome on my Blu-Ray….it does a great job of showing the three cameras view. Victor/Victoria is a fun movie, but not one I watch regularly….seen it once in the last 30 or so years. I have not seen Wake Island….but I want to. Good stuff.
2 Robert Preston movies I gave 4 stars to were The Music Man which I thought was great when I saw it on TV on the old 4:30 movie in the afternoon movie in New York. I was probably about 11 oer 12 at the time. I also gave The Last Starfighter 4 stars back in 1984. Bob has never been on the Oracle of Bacon Top 1000 Center of the Hollywood Universe list. These are the actors on the current list he has worked with.
24 RANCE HOWARD The Music Man (1962)
45 HARRY DEAN STANTON How the West Was Won (1962)
78 ROBERT LOGGIA S.O.B. (1981)
107 STACY KEACH Island of Love (1963)
109 BURT REYNOLDS Semi-Tough (1977)
140 KRIS KRISTOFFERSON Semi-Tough (1977)
155 ROSANNA ARQUETTE S.O.B. (1981)
194 JOHN RHYS-DAVIES Victor Victoria (1982)
196 BRUCE DAVISON Mame (1974)
282 ELI WALLACH How the West Was Won (1962)
307 MICKEY ROONEY My Outlaw Brother (1951)
448 ROBERT VAUGHN S.O.B. (1981)
453 CORBIN BERNSEN S.O.B. (1981)
501 BRIAN DENNEHY Semi-Tough (1977)
747 BEAU BRIDGES Child’s Play (1972)
802 JAY BENEDICT VICTOR VICTORIA (1982)
816 ANTHONY QUINN King of Alcatraz (1938)
816 ANTHONY QUINN Union Pacific (1939)
895 RICHARD MASUR Semi-Tough (1977)
897 TONY CURTIS The Lady Gambles (1949)
900 JOE DON BAKER Junior Bonner (1972)
926 BILL MCKINNEY Junior Bonner (1972)
934 SHELLEY WINTERS S.O.B. (1981)
949 ROBERT MITCHUM Blood on the Moon (1948)
The following actors were on the 2000 list but have since fallen off, all worked with Bob.
27 MARC LAWRENCE This Gun for Hire (1942)
45 BURT LANCASTER Variety Girl (1947)
50 JEFF COREY The Lady from Cheyenne (1941)
52 JAMES MASON Child’s Play (1972)
52 JAMES MASON Face to Face (1952)
56 HENRY FONDA How the West Was Won (1962)
93 HARRY CAREY JR. Blood on the Moon (1948)
100 IAN WOLFE Wild Harvest (1947)
108 DUB TAYLOR Junior Bonner (1972)
118 WOODY STRODE Star Spangled Rhythm (1942)
119 RICHARD WIDMARK How the West Was Won (1962)
120 ROBERT STACK My Outlaw Brother (1951)
133 WALTER MATTHAU Island of Love (1963)
137 CARROLL BAKER How the West Was Won (1962)
141 ANNE BANCROFT The Last Frontier (1955)
153 JAMES GARNER Victor Victoria (1982)
156 GREGORY PECK How the West Was Won (1962)
156 GREGORY PECK The Macomber Affair (1947)
160 ROBERT RYAN Best of the Badmen (1951)
160 ROBERT RYAN North West Mounted Police (1940)
169 JOHN DEHNER Tulsa (1949)
179 JOHN WAYNE How the West Was Won (1962)
180 LEE VAN CLEEF How the West Was Won (1962)
187 RAY MILLAND Beau Geste (1939)
187 RAY MILLAND Star Spangled Rhythm (1942)
187 RAY MILLAND Variety Girl (1947)
192 YVONNE DE CARLO This Gun for Hire (1942)
194 LAWRENCE TIERNEY Best of the Badmen (1951)
207 WILLIAM HOLDEN S.O.B. (1981)
207 WILLIAM HOLDEN Variety Girl (1947)
213 BEN JOHNSON Junior Bonner (1972)
222 BESS FLOWERS Pacific Blackout (1941)
222 BESS FLOWERS The Lady Gambles (1949)
232 ROY JENSON How the West Was Won (1962)
234 AKIM TAMIROFF New York Town (1941)
234 AKIM TAMIROFF North West Mounted Police (1940)
234 AKIM TAMIROFF Union Pacific (1939)
241 BRODERICK CRAWFORD Beau Geste (1939)
249 PAT HINGLE All the Way Home (1963)
253 ROBERT WEBBER S.O.B. (1981)
256 HANK WORDEN The Music Man (1962)
256 HANK WORDEN Whispering Smith (1948)
271 PETER BROCCO The Lady Gambles (1949)
301 LEE J. COBB How the West Was Won (1962)
326 ANGELA LANSBURY The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (1960)
344 JAMES STEWART How the West Was Won (1962)
359 KARL MALDEN How the West Was Won (1962)
361 JAMES WHITMORE The Last Frontier (1955)
379 ANN DORAN New York Town (1941)
379 ANN DORAN Variety Girl (1947)
380 STERLING HAYDEN Variety Girl (1947)
404 JACK ELAM The Sundowners (1950)
406 EDMOND O’BRIEN Parachute Battalion (1941)
529 NORMAN ALDEN Semi-Tough (1977)
529 NORMAN ALDEN Victor Victoria (1982)
534 BOB HOPE Star Spangled Rhythm (1942)
534 BOB HOPE Variety Girl (1947)
542 PAUL FIX Disbarred (1939)
542 PAUL FIX King of Alcatraz (1938)
553 DAN O’HERLIHY The Last Starfighter (1984)
562 PAUL BRYAR How the West Was Won (1962)
571 CHARLES LANE New York Town (1941)
571 CHARLES LANE The Music Man (1962)
583 PAUL STEWART S.O.B. (1981)
585 HAMILTON CAMP S.O.B. (1981)
585 HAMILTON CAMP When I Grow Up (1951)
611 DON ‘RED’ BARRY Junior Bonner (1972)
611 DON ‘RED’ BARRY My Outlaw Brother (1951)
616 MICHAEL CONSTANTINE Island of Love (1963)
623 RUSS TAMBLYN How the West Was Won (1962)
648 HARRY MORGAN How the West Was Won (1962)
648 HARRY MORGAN When I Grow Up (1951)
657 DEBBIE REYNOLDS How the West Was Won (1962)
682 RAY TEAL Whispering Smith (1948)
688 GRAHAM STARK Victor Victoria (1982)
691 GEORGE PEPPARD How the West Was Won (1962)
731 JOHN HOYT The Lady Gambles (1949)
740 GEORGE CHANDLER Beau Geste (1939)
746 HERB VIGRAN New York Town (1941)
783 JAMES FLAVIN New York Town (1941)
783 JAMES FLAVIN Night of January 16th (1941)
783 JAMES FLAVIN North West Mounted Police (1940)
783 JAMES FLAVIN Union Pacific (1939)
786 LLOYD NOLAN King of Alcatraz (1938)
786 LLOYD NOLAN Wild Harvest (1947)
816 CARLETON YOUNG Best of the Badmen (1951)
816 CARLETON YOUNG How the West Was Won (1962)
863 ALAN HALE JR. Wake Island (1942)
889 ROBERT BROWN Cloudburst (1951)
894 PHILIP VAN ZANDT New York Town (1941)
894 PHILIP VAN ZANDT Night of January 16th (1941)
894 PHILIP VAN ZANDT The Lady Gambles (1949)
894 PHILIP VAN ZANDT Wake Island (1942)
895 TONY RANDALL Island of Love (1963)
917 ROBERT J. WILKE Best of the Badmen (1951)
919 LARRY HAGMAN S.O.B. (1981)
963 FRANK FERGUSON This Gun for Hire (1942)
963 FRANK FERGUSON Variety Girl (1947)
965 MARY WICKES The Music Man (1962)
969 BYRON FOULGER Best of the Badmen (1951)
969 BYRON FOULGER Night of January 16th (1941)
969 BYRON FOULGER Union Pacific (1939)
973 JEAN SIMMONS All the Way Home (1963)
980 VICTOR MATURE The Last Frontier (1955)
984 PETER MAMAKOS Island of Love (1963)
989 BRUCE CABOT Best of the Badmen (1951)
992 NICK DIMITRI Island of Love (1963)
Bob appeared with 25 Oscar winners, no doubt helped by How the West Was Won, Star Spangled Rhythm and Variety Girl.
ANNE BANCROFT The Last Frontier (1955)
ANTHONY QUINN King of Alcatraz (1938)
ANTHONY QUINN Union Pacific (1939)
BARRY FITZGERALD Variety Girl (1947)
BEN JOHNSON Junior Bonner (1972)
BING CROSBY Star Spangled Rhythm (1942)
BING CROSBY Variety Girl (1947)
BRODERICK CRAWFORD Beau Geste (1939)
BURT LANCASTER Variety Girl (1947)
CLAIRE TREVOR Best of the Badmen (1951)
EDMOND O’BRIEN Parachute Battalion (1941)
GARY COOPER Beau Geste (1939)
GARY COOPER North West Mounted Police (1940)
GARY COOPER Variety Girl (1947)
GREGORY PECK How the West Was Won (1962)
GREGORY PECK The Macomber Affair (1947)
HENRY FONDA How the West Was Won (1962)
JAMES STEWART How the West Was Won (1962)
JOHN WAYNE How the West Was Won (1962)
JULIE ANDREWS S.O.B. (1981)
JULIE ANDREWS Victor Victoria (1982)
KARL MALDEN How the West Was Won (1962)
LORETTA YOUNG The Lady from Cheyenne (1941)
RAY MILLAND Beau Geste (1939)
RAY MILLAND Star Spangled Rhythm (1942)
RAY MILLAND Variety Girl (1947)
SHELLEY WINTERS S.O.B. (1981)
SHIRLEY JONES The Music Man (1962)
SPENCER TRACY How the West Was Won (1962)
SUSAN HAYWARD Beau Geste (1939)
SUSAN HAYWARD Star Spangled Rhythm (1942)
SUSAN HAYWARD Tulsa (1949)
WALTER BRENNAN Best of the Badmen (1951)
WALTER BRENNAN Blood on the Moon (1948)
WALTER BRENNAN How the West Was Won (1962)
WALTER MATTHAU Island of Love (1963)
WILLIAM HOLDEN S.O.B. (1981)
WILLIAM HOLDEN Variety Girl (1947)
Hey Dan…..awesome lists. Looking at the first list, I see about half of those thespians are no longer with us. Second list has two Bess Flowers movies….I like that she is mentioned……maybe one day I will give her an UMR page. Looks like Phillip Van Zandt is his most frequent star with 4 movies. Third list….25 Oscar winning co-stars…..a little on the light side….especially for a man that made movies for 6 decades. I think many people have the same fond memories of The Last Starfighter….I just saw it again on Friday night….it has not aged well at all….but Preston still shines in the movie. Good stuff as always.
I loved it then but if I passed it on TV it just looked goofy now, so I have not seen it again all the way through since I saw it back then.
Hey Dan….”goofy” is a good way to describe The Last Starfighter today…..but 33 years ago…it was indeed state of the time with regards to special effects.
I have seen 15 Robert Preston movies, including 10 of the top 14.
The HIGHEST rated film I have seen is The Music Man.
The highest rated film I have NOT seen is Wake Island.
The LOWEST Rated film I have seen is Island of Love.
Favourite Robert Preston Movies:
The Music Man
How the West Was Won
Victor/Victoria
This Gun For Hire
The Macomber Affair
Union Pacific
Best of the Badmen
Whispering Smith
Other Robert Preston Movies I’ve Seen:
Beau Geste
Reap the Wild Wind
Northwest Mounted Police
S.O.B.
Mame
Junior Bonner
Island of Love
Hey Flora…..a close competition…but you beat me and Steve’s totals…as your 15 tops Steve’s 11 and my 10. Congrats. I have seen half of your favorites…but The Macomber Affair. Union Pacific, Best of the Badmen and Whispering Smith have escaped me. My favorites would be How The West Was Won, S.O.B. (though it has aged horribly) and Semi-Tough. Not being a musical fan…gotta admit….I felt that The Music Man was ok. I might have seen Junior Bonner….just do not have a strong memory of that movie….so I am not including it, in my tally. Good feedback as always.
I’ve seen 11 of the 39 films on the chart. Favorites are- How The West Was Won, Beau Geste, Reap the Wild Wind, This Gun for Hire, The Last Starfighter and Victor Victoria.
I haven’t seen him in arguably his most famous role as The Music Man, but I have seen clips from the film version.
I did enjoy his performance in The Last Starfighter, as Centauri, a friendly alien. And he was hilarious in Victor Victoria.
Nice work Bruce. Vote Up.
Hey Steve…I am right behind your tally count…as I have seen 10 of his movies. He had a great 1962, as How The West Was Won and The Music Man were both monster hits. I actually watched The Last Starfighter on Friday night….which is why he now has a page….that one has not aged well…..but I like his part in the movie…which was his last film role. It had been decades since watching that movie. I have seen all of your favorites except for his version of Beau Geste. Thanks for the visit and the comment.