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June Preston born in 1928 in Glendale, California is an American former Hollywood child star in the vein of Shirley Temple who began her film career at RKO Pictures, with her first role in the 1934 film Anne of Green Gables and later would go on to become one of the most notable opera singers of her time, debuting at the tender age of 22 with the Metropolitan Opera,"June Preston Stars of the Metropolitan Opera"</ref> touring in the leading role of Mimi in La bohème, opposite the Metropolitan star Jan Peerce as Rodolfo.

Biography

Preston was a former child star of the Golden Age of Hollywood who at age four landed her first role as Mrs. Blewett's daughter in Anne of Green Gables with RKO Pictures. She went on to do many other movies, including Christmas in July, Second Chorus, The Strawberry Blonde, Maytime, and guest-starred in many Our Gang comedies including huge merchandising contracts worldwide.

Preston had huge merchandising contracts with more than 50 manufacturers, which included the famous June Preston Frock, Fairytale Frocks, Dixie Swirl dresses, coats, hats, swimsuits, snowsuits, play, shears and slips from toddler to teens and handkerchiefs, toys, coloring books and paint sets, with millions sold worldwide.

Film career

When Preston was visiting a Hollywood lot with her mother, Preston was spotted by a producer who asked that she do a screen test, which resulted in a five-year contract with RKO Studios, something that was unique and unheard-of for a newcomer in Hollywood at the time; then at the age of nine she entered into another contract with RKO for a further seven years. Preston acted, sang, and danced. She quickly gained popularity and went on to work under contract with Universal Studios, Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, MGM, Republic Pictures, Paramount Pictures, and Columbia followed by various merchandising contracts such as the June Preston Frocks apparel lines and the famous 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 to be "one of the most beautiful children ever seen in films".

Meglin Kiddies

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 of Santa Monica and Beverly Hills; he said, "Preston is expected to develop into a brilliant child star, under The Meglin artistic training." Others the many others who came out The Meglin Dance Studios were Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Shirley Temple, Virginia Grey, Jane Withers, and Ann Miller.

Preston sang and danced in many movies with the "Meglin Kiddies", among them In Love With Life, Show Kids (1935), Reg'lar Fellers (1941), and Maytime (1937).

Publicity

Preston and Shirley Temple were similar in style. Temple was two or three year's older than Preston and, even though they were contracted to separate film studios, they both were often put 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 difficult for June Preston professionally. It was known that Shirley Temple’s mother insisted that neither girl be present at the studio when the other was working on a film. At age 9 Preston signed another seven-year contract with RKO Film Studio; she continued in films until the mid-1940s.

Selected filmography

• Anne of Green Gables (1934)
• Have a Heart (1934)
• Here is My Heart (1934) (1934)
• In Love With Life (1934)
• Show Kids (1934)
• A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935)
• Thin Ice (1937)
• History Is Made at Night (1937)
• Maytime (1937)
• Valley of the Giants (1938)
• Second Fiddle (1939)
• You Can't Cheat an Honest Man (1939)
• Christmas in July (1940)
• Second Chorus (1940)
• Reg'lar Fellers (1941)
• Babes on Broadway (1941)
• Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1941)
• The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941)
• The Strawberry Blonde (1941)
• Born To Sing (1942)
• Happy Land (1943)
• Heaven Can Wait (1943)
• Our Gang comedies:
  • Shrimps for a Day (1934)
  • Beginner's Luck (1935)
  • Sprucin' Up (1935)
  • The Pinch Singer (1936)
  • Framing Youth (1937)
  • Mail and Female (1937)
  • Rushin' Ballet (1937)
  • Duel Personalities (1939)
  • Time Out For Lessons (1939)
  • Babes on Broadway (1941)
  • Calling All Kids (1943)
  • Radio Bugs (1944)

Opera career

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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 she was already memorizing opera scores while still in the movie industry. Upon leaving the movie industry Preston moved to Seattle with her parents and began studying with a vocal coach in their home. June Preston's producer/conductor was Gustave Stern. Stern heard her vocalizing through a window as he was passing by her home and immediately knocked on the door and said she had tremendous talent and asked if he could have the honor to coach her. She was 16 at the time and he coached her for several years throughout her college years at the University of Washington.

During this period, she performed with the Seattle Civic Light Opera Company with which Stern conducted her in several operettas, including as Camille in The Merry Widow and Marietta in Naughty Marietta.

At the age of 20, Preston was sponsored by Coca Cola and she began touring Central and South America performing in top Opera Houses such as the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires (which has near-perfect acoustics), the Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica, the Palacio de Bellas Artes (Mexico City), the Teatro Municipal (Santiago, Chile), the Teatro Municipal (Rio de Janeiro), and the Gran Teatre del Liceu (Barcelona).

In 1952, at the age of 23, Preston debuted with The Metropolitan Opera. The tour was named "Stars of the Metropolitan Opera" and featured Preston in the leading role of Mimì in La bohème opposite renowned Metropolitan star Jan Peerce as Rodolfo. She continued touring with the Met in leading roles opposite Peerce, Salvatore Baccaloni, Nicola Moscona, and Robert Weede, among others, performing in such operas as Tosca, La Traviata, Turandot, Madame Butterfly, Aida, Salome, Die Fledermaus, Der Rosenkavalier, and La bohème. In Carmen, her extraordinary vocal range – from spinto soprano to contralto – she was able to play either Carmen or Mercédès.

Preston favored recitals above all, and was also particularly well known for her concert recitals ranging from Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms to Puccini and Strauss. Preston continued to perform throughout Central and South America until her return to the United States.

In 1960, she returned to the USA and made her debut at the St. Louis Symphony Hall as a guest star under the baton of Leopold Stokowski as the feature singer for the choral finale of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Other guest stars included Isaac Stern, Leonard Bernstein, Leslie Chabay and Jean Madeira

On November 4 and 5, 1961, Preston was one of "two singing stars from New York" in presentations of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony at Kiel Auditorium Opera House in St. Louis. A preview newspaper article described the performances as "her first appearance in St. Louis" and "her St. Louis debut." She was scheduled to make her initial performing tour of Europe soon after those appearances.

Preston continued under the baton of Leopold Stokowski with St. Louis Orchestra and New York Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra until her 1962 when she started her European recital and concert 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, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Gran Teatre del Liceu, Teatro Nacional de São Carlos, and many more. The majority of Preston's performances were overseas.

In 1963, upon Preston's return to the States, she continued to perform under the baton of Leopold Stokowski at Carnegie Hall and with the St. Louis Symphony and the New York Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra with high praises for her performances.

Repertoire

Marriage

In 1962, while on her European tour, Preston met her future husband, Saul Hoüben at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, where she was performing a solo recital with pianist Stranton Carter. Prior to the performance that evening, she arrived with her pianist for rehearsal but the page turner did not arrive. In her words, "A handsome man came up to her and offered to turn the pages." This man was the violinist rehearsing earlier that day for an upcoming performance of his own and "came to her rescue".

Hoüben was a favorite of Queen Elisabeth of Belgium, who later presented him with an award for excellence in 1955. He was considered a child prodigy, performing his first concerto at four years of age.

Saul Hoüben and Yehudi Menuhin had been childhood friends. They met when Menuhin's parents moved to Paris and Menuhin went on to study in Belgium, where Hoüben was studying with George Enescu. Hoüben and Menuhin studied together for several years and remained friends thereafter.

When Preston and Houben had a child, Preston semi-retired. She said, "she did not want to put her child through the demanding life that comes with constant touring". She wanted to take care of her own child.

Saul Hoüben died in 1982 at the age of 60. Shortly thereafter, Preston and her daughter attended Menuhin's performance at the Hollywood Bowl as his guests. Sadly, after the performance, Preston broke the news to Menuhin that his long-time friend had just passed.

Subsequently, she performed various concert recitals for benefits and friends, but did not want to return to the circuit and officially retired in 1990.

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 where it all began. Her repertoire that evening included an aria "Lamento" written for her by her longtime friend Martin Kolmanoff.

References

1. June Preston, Mimi
2. June Preston Frocks
3. June Preston Fairytale Frocks
4. June Preston Dixie Swirl dresses
5. June Preston Coats
6. June Preston play frocks, shears, slips
7. June Preston Hankerchiefs
8. June Preston Paint Sets
9. ^ "Beethoven's Ninth at Kiel". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. October 28, 1961. p. 2 G. Retrieved September 1, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.

External links

• June Preston at IMDb

• Living people
• American operatic sopranos
• American film actresses
• RKO Pictures contract players
• Warner Bros. contract players
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players
• 20th Century Fox contract players
• Paramount Pictures contract players
• American child actresses
• 1928 births