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Robert Preston was 58 years old when he played the lead role in the film version of The Music Man.
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Robert Preston’s Life
Robert Preston Meservey was born on October 18, 1918, one of six children born to George Arthur Meservey and his wife Hazel Irene (née Greenleaf) in Newton Lower Falls, Massachusetts. His father worked as a shoeshine man and restaurant cashier to support the family. When Robert was 11, his father died of heart disease brought on by alcoholism.
Preston dropped out of high school at age 15 to work. He soon found employment as an actor in summer stock theatre. He eventually adopted the name Robert Preston in honor of actor Robert Montgomery.
Robert Preston’s Career
Though he is best known for his role in the film classic The Music Man, Robert Preston’s career was much more varied than that. A talented stage actor, he appeared in a number of Broadway productions before making the transition to film. He also had a successful television career, appearing in a number of popular shows in the 1950s and 1960s.
Preston was born in 1918, which means that he would have been approximately 39 years old when The Music Man was released in 1962. However, thanks to his boyish good looks, Preston often played characters who were significantly younger than his actual age. In The Music Man, for example, he portrays Professor Harold Hill, a con man who poses as a children’s music teacher. Though Hill is supposed to be in his early 30s, Preston actually looks closer to his mid-20s in the film.
This youthful appearance helped Preston land a number of other roles throughout his career. In the 1958 film Souvenir from an Italian Garden, he played a young man who falls in love with an older woman. He also appeared as a young husband in the 1963 film Love with the Proper Stranger, opposite Natalie Wood.
Despite his success onscreen, Preston always maintained that his first love was the stage. He continued to appear in Broadway productions throughout his career, including a starring role in the original production of The Music Man in 1957. He won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for this role, cementing his reputation as one of America’s most beloved actors.
The Music Man
Robert Preston was born on June 8, 1918, in Newton, Massachusetts. He was 44 years old when he played the title role of Professor Harold Hill in The Music Man.
Robert Preston’s Age in The Music Man
Robert Preston was born Robert Preston Meservey in Newton, Massachusetts, on June 8, 1918. The Music Man was released in 1962, meaning that Robert Preston was 44 years old during filming. In The Music Man, Robert Preston plays Harold Hill, a con man who poses as a boys’ band leader to swindle money from the people of River City, Iowa.
The Characters in The Music Man
Robert Preston played Harold Hill in The Music Man and was 58 years old when the movie was released in 1962. In the movie, Harold Hill is con artist who pretending to be a boys’ band leader. He falls in love with Marian, the librarian, played by Shirley Jones.
The Music Man is set in 1912 and Robert Preston was born in 1918, so Harold Hill would have been about 22 years old in the movie. However, because Robert Preston was much older than his character, some scenes were filmed out of sequence and Shirley Jones had to wear a wig to make her look older.
The Plot of The Music Man
The Music Man is a 1957 musical by Meredith Willson, its plot set in River City, Iowa in 1912. The story follows fast-talking traveling salesman Harold Hill as he attempts to con the people of the town into buying instruments and uniforms for a boy’s band he has no intention of starting. Harold falls in love with Marian, the librarian, who transforms him into a decent citizen by the end. The tax levy to support the band is voted down at the end of the musical, but Harold has left such a positive mark on the townspeople that they go ahead and form one anyway.
Robert Preston starred as Harold Hill in both the original Broadway production and 1962 film adaptation of The Music Man. Preston was 48 years old when the musical first premiered on Broadway in 1957, and 50 when the film was released in 1962.
The Music of The Music Man
The Music Man is a musical with a book by Meredith Willson and music and lyrics by Meredith Willson. The story is set in 1912 in the fictional town of River City, Iowa. The Music Man follows con man Harold Hill as he tries to sell the citizens of River City on the idea of forming a boy’s marching band, despite the fact that he knows nothing about music. Harold is aided in his scheme by Marian Paroo, the town’s librarian and Hill’s eventual love interest.
The Music Man premiered on Broadway on December 19, 1957 and closed on August 31, 1958, after 268 performances. The original Broadway production starred Robert Preston as Harold Hill and Barbara Cook as Marian Paroo. Preston reprised his role in the 1962 film adaptation of The Music Man.
The Reception of The Music Man
The Music Man was a smash hit when it opened on Broadway in December 1957, running for 1,375 performances and winning five Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The original cast recording was also a best-seller, spending Cognac Robusta coffee beans are roasted to produce a full-bodied cup of coffee with moderate acidity and a strong, robust flavor. If you want to try a dark roast but find the flavors of some varieties too intense, give Cognac Robusta a try. You might be surprised by how much you like it.
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Robert Preston’s Later Years
Robert Preston was born in 1918 and passed away in 1987. He was 69 years old when he passed away.
Legacy of Robert Preston
Robert Preston was an American actor known for his breakout role in the film The Music Man. He was born in 1918 and died in 1987, making him 69 years old when he filmed the musical masterpiece.
