June Preston

Biography

June Preston was a Hollywood child star who went on to become a distinguished opera singer and, at the tender age of 24, toured with The Metropolitan Opera "Stars of the Metropolitan Opera" tour in 1952 in the lead role of "Mimi" in La Bohème opposite Metropolitan star, Jan Peerce as Adolfo. On the same tour she also performed the lead role of "Floria Tosca" in "Tosca", opposite Tenor Walter Fredericks and Salvatore Baccaloni both of the Metropolitan Opera. Preston was born in Glendale, California. She made her screen debut at age 4 after being spotted on the [film studio] lot and landed her first role as Mrs. Blewett's Daughter in the 1934 film "Anne of Green Gables", and went on to do various other movies including Christmas in July, Have A Heart, In Love With Life, Maytime, Second Fiddle, History Is Made at Night, and Our Gang Follies. With her increasing popularity, she then went on to sign on with major merchandising contracts for various apparel lines including June Preston Frocks, JP Fairy Tale Frocks, a June Preston doll, suites, hats, shoes and toys, paint sets, paper cut out books, and more. Film career: June Preston had paid a visit to the studio where an executive saw her and called for an immediate screen test, which resulted in a long-term 7-year contract at RKO Film Studios and a 3 film commitment which included, "Anne of Green Gables" with the role of Mrs. Blewett's daughter, then "Have A Heart", and "In Love With Life". Seven years later she entered another 7-year contract with RKO. Preston was also loaned out to various other studios for films such as "Christmas In July", "Maytime", "Second Fiddle", "History Is Made at Night", "Happy Land", and several others. Preston quickly gained international popularity and went on to work under contract with Paramount, MGM, Universal Studios, Warner Bros., Republic Pictures, followed by various merchandising contracts such as the "June Preston Frocks" apparel lines and a "June Preston Doll". She was considered to be one of the "Big Pay Babes" in Hollywood alongside Shirley Temple and Virginia Weidler. She was known for her Golden curls, cherub like features and charismatic nature. Preston was considered "One of the most beautiful children every seen in films." Meglin Kiddies: June Preston was also one of the prestigious Meglin Kiddies. She joined in 1934 and was a favorite of Neil Albright, Manager/Owner of the Meglin Dance Studio in Beverly Hills and Santa Monica who signed Preston on and said, "She is expected to develop her into a brilliant child star, under The Meglin artistic training." And she did... in addition to her movie contracts, June Preston had feature parts in numerous Meglin Kiddie short films, radio shows, Our Gang Follies movies featuring Meglin Kiddies. Preston also performed at multiple Hollywood theaters singing and dancing and was a regular at the historic Wadsworth Theatre. Other child stars to come out of The Meglin Dance Studios were Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Shirley Temple, Virginia Grey, Jane Withers, Ann Miller, and several of the Our Gang child stars. Merchandising: After signing with RKO, she quickly achieved international fame, the name of June Preston was trademarked on 1934 through 1950. She then signed with various manufacturers including the then famous Edward D. Schuwall Clothing Firm in New York, who established her first apparel line bearing the name "June Preston Frock" RKO Film Star by JP Loomcraft, better known now as Fruit of the Loom and "Dixie Swirl" dresses. Other manufacturers included were Edward Shuwall & Co., Blossom Infants Coat Co. Inc., H & S Sportswear, I. Schneierson & Son Co. and many more. Her apparel lines included the favored June Preston Frocks, JP Dixie Dresses, JP Sheer Frocks, and in 1944 the debut of the hugely popular JP Fairy Tale Frocks (Cinderella dresses, Alice and Wonderland dresses etc.), as well as undergarments, swimsuits, snowsuits, coats, shoes, purses, hats, gloves, and handkerchiefs all sold worldwide. Publicity: June Preston and Shirley Temple were similar in style. Shirley Temple was one year older than June Preston and even though they were contracted to separate film studios, they both were often billed together for singing and dancing appearances to publicity autograph events for their own apparel lines and other merchandise. Despite being friends in real life the two girls were often publicized from the very beginning as "Rivals" by the studios and trade publications, which made things a little difficult for June Preston professionally. Opera: After her film career June Preston went on to become a world famous opera singer. She was always known to have interest in the classics early on and at age 14, Preston was already memorizing opera scores while still in the movie industry. Upon leaving the movie industry Preston moved to Seattle, Washington with her parents and was discovered by maestro Gustavo Stern, a German conductor who had recently moved to Seattle. Stern was at a reception in his honor and heard June Preston singing in the background while everyone was having a good time and singing around the piano, which he was playing, and he immediately stopped and said, who has that voice! Within a week, Stern began coaching Preston from Junior High throughout her university years at the University of Washington, where he was also a professor. Within this time period, Preston performed with the Seattle Civic Light Opera Company with which Stern conducted several operettas featuring Preston in the lead role of Camille in "The Merry Widow", Marietta in "Naughty Marietta", Micaëla in "Carmen", Gianetta in "Gondoliers" "New Moon", and "Der Fledermaus". In that time Preston also performed in the Metropolitan Theater, Seattle Civic Auditorium under the baton of Gustav Stern. At age 22, Preston was sponsored by CocaCola, McCann-Erickson, Gaseosas, Fridgidaire, and the US Embassy for Radio & TV tours in over 6 countries, Coca Cola publicized Preston as "The Golden Voice" and she was the exclusive artist for McCann-Erickson. In late 1949 Preston began her tour in North and South America performing in top Opera Houses such as, the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires which has near-perfect acoustics, Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica, Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City, Teatro Municipal in Santiago, Chile, Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona. As well as performing recitals for Kings, Presidents, and Diplomats. There were several US Embassy galas in honor of June Preston throughout Central and South America where she also performed as the featured guest. Preston was considered the "Established favorite in the lyric theaters in Central and South America." In 1952, she joined the cast of the Metropolitan Opera on the "Stars of the Metropolitan Opera" tour in the lead role of "Mimi" in La Bohème opposite Metropolitan star, Jan Peerce as Rodolfo and Nicola Moscona, Stefan Ballarini, Uta Graf, and the great Salvatore Baccaloni. On a separate tour Preston performed in the lead as "Floria Tosca" in "Tosca", opposite Tenor Walter Fredericks, Salvatore Baccaloni and others of the Metropolitan Opera. In 1960 Preston returned to the US and made her debut at the St. Louis Symphony Hall as a guest star under the baton of Leopold Stokowski as the soloist in the thrilling last movement finale of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Other guest stars included, Isaac Stern, Leonard Bernstein, Leslie Chabay and Jean Madeira. Also within this time in New York City, Preston and Maestro Edwin McArthur were working on her presentation of a new series of compositions to perform on her upcoming European Tour in in 1961. European Tour: Preston debut at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and thereafter touring throughout Europe performing in the most prestigious Opera Houses in Europe such as Palais Garnier, Teatro alla Scala, Parnassos Concert Hall in Athens Greece, Teatro Municipal, Lisbon Portugal, El Palacio de la Música, Barcelona Spain, Teatre del Liceu, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Teatro Nacional de São Carlos, and many more. The majority of Preston's performances were overseas. All these concerts, programs, reviews, interviews and photos can be seen on her Pinterest Board: Pinterest, June Preston Opera. Walter Winchell was feared by many, he could make you or break you in the entertainment world, but Winchell had admiration for June Preston and followed her career early on. She was mostly performing abroad but Winchell still would find the time to drop her a line from time to time. Walter Winchell Column: Paper: New York Mirror, 1/25/1960, page 10: "June Preston is back from the South American show-circuit ", Philladelphia Inquirer: December 20 1962: Page 24. "June Preston, American opera-lark, is getting rave notice in Europe. From an Amsterdam critic: "A smash! Every area a jewel!" June shrugged off the stallers along Broadway and is booked solid around the world..." While on her European tour, Preston met her future husband at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Bruxelles, Belgium where she was performing a solo recital with pianist Stranton Carter. Prior to the performance that evening, she arrived with her accompanist for rehearsal but the page turner did not arrive, then in her words, "A handsome man came up to her and offered to turn the pages." This man was Belgian soloist concert violinist Saul Hoüben. He was rehearsing earlier that day for an upcoming performance of his own and "came to her rescue". Saul Hoüben, was a favorite of Queen Elizabeth of Belgium who had been following his progress since he was a child and later presented him with an award for excellence in 1955. He was considered a child prodigy performing his first concerto at age 4. Saul Hoüben and Yehudi Menuhin became childhood friends as they both studied with Georges Enescu in Paris, France. Georges Enescu was a famous Romanian composer, violinist, conductor and teacher. Repertoire: (Role and "Opera"): Carmen, "Carmen", Mercédès, "Carmen", Mimi, "La bohème", Floria Tosca, "Tosca", Violetta, Valéry, "La Traviata", Cio-Cio-san, "Madame Butterfly", Lulu, "Turandot, Aida, "Aida", Salome, "Salome", Berta, "The Barber of Seville", Desdemona, "Otello", Octavian Count Rofrano, "Der Rosenkavalier", Gilda, "Rigoletto", Suzel, "L'amico", Adele, "Die Fledermaus", Marguerite, "Faust", Margherita, "Mefistofele", Camille, "The Merry Widow", Cunegonde, "Candide", Countess Rosina Almaviva, "The Marriage of Figaro", Charlotte, "Werther", Clara, "Porgy and Bess". Preston favored recitals above all, and was also particularly well known for her concert recitals ranging from Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, Brahms to Puccini, Strauss, Mahler, Schubert, Hahn, Debussy, and many more. Preston was known to have an extremely large concert recital repertoire and could perform multiple recital concerts without ever repeating the works. Marriage: Preston married Belgian soloist concert violinist, Saul Hoüben and they had one child at which point Preston retired from touring. In 1982 Preston's husband, Saul Hoüben passed away. Preston never re-married. She performed various concert recitals for benefits and for friends, but did not want to return into the circuit. Induction: In 1989, Preston was inducted into the WSHS Hall of Fame for her Film and Opera career. In 1994, Preston came out of retirement for a farewell concert performance in Seattle, WA where it all began, which included an aria "Lamento" specifically written for her by her long time friend Writer/Composer Martin Kalmanoff. Death: June Preston passed away at the age 93 from complications of dementia. She is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park-Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles, California and survived by her Daughter, son-in-law, and her sister.