When we think of Robert Preston, most of us hear seventy-six trombones. We see that grin—the one belonging to Professor Harold Hill—as he cons a town and steals a heart. He was the quintessential leading man who didn't actually start as one. But behind that brassy, booming stage presence, the end of his life was remarkably quiet. If you’re looking for the specifics, the robert preston cause of death was lung cancer. It’s a diagnosis that took down one of the most vibrant performers to ever grace a Broadway stage, and he was only 68 when it happened.
He died on March 21, 1987. Honestly, 68 feels far too young for a guy who seemed to have more energy in his pinky finger than most actors have in their entire bodies.
The Diagnosis and the Final Act
Cancer is sneaky. It doesn't care if you've won two Tony Awards or if you were the guy who made "Chicken Fat" a national fitness anthem for school kids in the sixties. Preston was diagnosed in 1986. For a man who was famously private, he didn't make a spectacle of his illness. He didn't go on a "farewell tour" or do a series of tearful interviews. He just... retreated.
He spent his final days in Montecito, California. This wasn't some flashy Hollywood hospice situation; it was his home. He had been married to Catherine Craig since 1940. Think about that for a second. In an industry where marriages last about as long as a stage musical's intermission, they were together for nearly 47 years. She was there when he passed at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, just two days after he was admitted.
Why lung cancer?
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People often ask if he was a smoker. While it’s widely known that many actors of that era were, Preston never made his personal habits a matter of public record. He was an "actor's actor." He showed up, did the work, and went home. The disease progressed quickly. From diagnosis to death, it was roughly a year.
Why Robert Preston Still Matters
You can't talk about how he died without talking about how he lived, because the contrast is so sharp. Preston wasn't even a singer when he got The Music Man. He was a "tough guy" actor. He did Westerns. He played the villain. Then, he stepped onto that stage and basically invented a new way to perform.
He didn't just sing "Ya Got Trouble"—-he lived it.
A Career of "Almosts" and Big Wins
- The Villain Era: Early in his career, he was the guy Barbara Stanwyck or Cecil B. DeMille called when they needed a handsome heavy.
- The Breakthrough: He was 39 when Harold Hill changed his life.
- The Late-Career Pivot: If you haven't seen him in Victor/Victoria (1982) as Toddy, you are missing out. He played an aging, gay cabaret performer with so much warmth and wit that he snagged an Oscar nomination.
He was active almost until the very end. His last film role was in The Last Starfighter (1984), where he basically played a space-version of Harold Hill. Even then, you could see that spark. He wasn't "fading." The cancer took him while he was still very much at the top of his game.
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The Privacy of a Legend
One reason the robert preston cause of death isn't surrounded by the same level of "true crime" style scrutiny as other stars is that he didn't leave behind a mess. There were no scandals. No public battles over his will. No secret children surfacing decades later.
He was a guy who loved his wife, loved his craft, and handled his exit with the same dignity he brought to the Pasadena Playhouse back in the thirties. When he died, the lights on Broadway were dimmed. It’s a standard tribute, sure, but for him, it felt heavier. He was a cornerstone of that world.
What Most People Get Wrong
Sometimes people confuse his death with other famous "Robert Prestons" or assume it was a sudden heart attack because he was so high-energy. It wasn't. It was a grueling, year-long battle with a respiratory disease that eventually made it impossible for that famous voice to keep going.
He didn't want the world to see him weak. That's the vibe you get when looking back at the timeline. He stayed in Montecito, kept his circle small, and let the work speak for him.
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Legacy Beyond the Disease
It's been decades since 1987, yet we’re still talking about him. Why? Because you can't replicate that kind of charisma. Whether it’s Hugh Jackman or Dick Van Dyke taking on his roles, they are always chasing the ghost of Robert Preston.
If you want to honor his memory, don't just dwell on the lung cancer. Go watch Victor/Victoria. Listen to the original cast recording of Mack & Mabel. See the man who could talk-sing his way into anyone's heart.
Actionable Next Steps:
If you're interested in the deeper history of Golden Age Hollywood health, look into the smoking culture of the 1940s and 50s studio system, which claimed many of Preston’s contemporaries. To see his range, stream The Last Starfighter—it’s the best way to see the "Music Man" one last time before his 1986 diagnosis.