Soon after, they relocated to. His singing talent as a. Was discovered at age three by his sister Susan, herself an aspiring musical student who was several years his senior. While their parents did not show any particular interest, Susan decided to help him achieve stardom. With the assistance from her music teacher, Breen got a chance to perform in front of an audience in a nightclub.
Soon, he began winning prizes in theatre competitions, providing significant amount of income to the poor family. Due to his gained popularity, the two siblings decided to look for work and recognition in the. Financed by Susan, they traveled to. By bus in 1934, where he began working with people such as. The foreign-sounding last name of Borsuk had been anglicised to Breen prior to their arrival in the United States. In 1935, where he received singing lessons from a vocal coach. Around this time, he became a regular performer on. S weekly radio show in 1936.Where his talents as a. Were appreciated by the listeners. Prior to the release of his first motion picture. He was compared to other child stars of the era such as.
In terms of his vocalist abilities, he was described as a combination of. His debut saw him being top-billed with. Among other songs, in the movie. Satisfied with his debut for the studio, RKO signed a deal with him for three additional movies.He was cast in another musical later the same year called. And the film's title song Rainbow on the River.
Who had directed Breen in his first two pictures, worked with him for the last time in. In a 1938 article, he was referred to as one of the rare cases of.Succeeding in an adult-dominated industry. By the time he had completed filming. In 1939, his voice was gradually changing due to puberty. As a result, he retired from the film industry, despite being originally contracted for two additional movies, and instead focused on his education at.