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Charles Drake
1917-1994
Updated 1/28/2008.
biography
Born Charles Rupert in New York in 1917, Charles Drake became a dependable character actor in many films from the 1940s through the 1970s. While Drake was not a theatre major in college, soon after graduation he began his film career doing bit parts at RKO. When Drake signed with Warner Bros. in 1941, his career gained little momentum, but he worked steadily through the beginning of World War II. Military service interrupted his career; soon after Drake returned to Hollywood in 1945, his contract with Warner Bros. lapsed. Ironically, when Drake started freelancing at various studios, his career met with more success and better film roles in such films as the Marx Brothers' favorite A Night in Casablanca (1946) and the Lex Barker jungle adventure Tarzan's Magic Fountain (1949). Upon signing with Universal International in the late 1940s, Drake's career took off, mostly in B movies. Nonetheless, Drake proved to be a versatile actor, starring in film noir (I Was A Shoplifter, 1950); comedies (Bonzo Goes to College, 1952); science fiction and horror (It Came From Outer Space, 1953); and dramas (Female on the Beach, 1955). In the mid 1950s, Drake began appearing on then-popular television dramatic anthology series, including Climax!, Robert Montgomery Presents, and Playhouse 90.
the films of charles drake
Winchester '73 (1950)
With Shelley Winters in the Universal-International western Winchester '73
You Never Can Tell (1951)
From the Universal-International comedy You Never Can Tell
Bonzo Goes to College (1952)
From the Universal-International comedy Bonzo Goes to College, the sequel to Bedtime for Bonzo
Red Ball Express (1952)
From Red Ball Express
It Came from Outer Space (1953)
Images from Universal-International's cult science fiction favorite It Came from Outer Space. LEFT and CENTER A: With Richard Carlson. CENTER B: With Barbara Rush and Richard Carlson. CENTER C: With Barbara Rush, Richard Carlson, and Kathleen Hughes. RIGHT: Drake as Sheriff Matt Warren
Four Guns to the Border (1954)
Drake gets socked by Rory Calhoun in the Universal-International western Four Gusn to the Border
Tobor the Great (1954)
From Republic's science fiction effort Tobor the Great
To Hell and Back (1955)
From the Universal-International's film of Audie Murphy's autobiography To Hell and Back
The Price of Fear (1956)
From the Merle Oberon film noir thriller The Price of Fear
Walk the Proud Land (1956)
From the Universal-International western Walk the Proud Land. LEFT: With Anne Bancroft and Audie Murphy. RIGHT: With Audie Murphy and Pat Crowley
Step Down to Terror (1958)
With Colleen Miller in the Universal-International thriller Step Down to Terror
later years
Into the 1960s, his film career slacked off, but his television career had taken off, with many guest-star roles on such series as Wagon Train, F Troop, Mannix, and Star Trek. he still found work in Valley of the Dolls (1967; with Susan Hayward and Patty Duke) and The Swimmer (1968; with Bust Lancaster). His final theatrically released film was Russ Meyer's lone foray into A pictures, The Seven Minutes (1971; with Philip Carey and Yvonne DeCarlo). In the early 1970s, Drake acted in a string of made-for-television movies with exlemplary cast lists, such as Scream, Pretty Peggy (1973; with Ted Bessel and Bette Davis), The Lives of Jenny Dolan (1975; with Shirley Jones and Stephen Boyd), and Cop on the Beat (1975; with Lloyd Bridges and Dane Clark). Drake retired from acting in 1976 and passed away in 1994 at age 76.
Humphrey Bogart Signature Collection, Vol. 2 [DVD] DVD
Court-martialed U.S. Army officer Humphrey Bogart takes passage on a ship bound for Japan and learns of a plot to blow up the Panama Canal in the John Huston WWII espionage thriller "Across the Pacific" (1942). Mary Astor and Sydney Greenstreet co-star. Also, a search for the missing baker of his favorite cheesecake leads New York gambler Bogart into battle against Nazi spies "All Through the Night" (1942), with Kaaren Verne, Peter Lorre and Conrad Veidt. "Action in the North Atlantic" (1943) is a hearty salute to the unsung WWII heroics of the Merchant Marines, as first mate Bogart and captain Raymond Massey dodge U-boats to deliver supplies to Russia. And a band of Devil's Island escapees joins up with Free French sailors to fight for their occupied homeland in "Passage to Marseille" (1944). Bogart, Lorre, Greenstreet, and Claude Rains star. This five-disc boxed set also features the special edition of Bogie's 1941 private eye opus, "The Maltese Falcon" (which includes 1931's "The Maltese Falcon" and 1936's "Satan Met a Lady," both without Bogart). 9 hrs. total on seven discs. Standard; Soundtrack: English.
Now, Voyager [DVD](1942) DVD
One of the all-time-great melodramas, with spinster Bette Davis finding support from psychiatrist Claude Rains and romance with sophisticated Paul Henreid. Features a lush Max Steiner score, classic dialogue ("Why ask for the moon when we have the stars?"), and tips on multiple cigarette lighting. 117 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby mono; Subtitles: English, French, Portuguese, Spanish; filmographies; theatrical trailer.
The Man Who Came To Dinner [DVD](1942) DVD
Wonderful film adaptation of the Kaufman/Hart stage comedy stars Monty Woolley as acerbic New York critic Sheridan Whiteside, who manages to take over the small-town household where he's convalescing after an accident. Bette Davis co-stars as Woolley's long-suffering secretary; with Richard Travis, Ann Sheridan, Billie Burke, Jimmy Durante. 113 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French; featurette; bonus shorts "So You Think You Need Glasses" (1942), "Six Hits and a Miss" (1942).
Air Force [DVD](1943) DVD
Rousing war classic from director Howard Hawks detailing the plight and flight of a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber as it travels from San Francisco to Pearl Harbor to important battles in the Pacific Theatre. The cast is led by John Garfield, John Ridgely, Gig Young, and Arthur Kennedy; stunning newsreel and aerial fighting footage are featured. 124 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Portuguese, French; bonus shorts "Women at War" (1943), "The Fifth-Column Mouse" (1943), "Scrap Happy Daffy" (1943); radio broadcast; theatrical trailer.
Whistle Stop(1946) VHS
Melodrama at its best, as sultry Ava Gardner gets involved with playboy George Raft and night-club jockey Victor McLaglen. Tom Conway, Florence Bates and Charles Drake co-star. 84 min.
A Night In Casablanca [DVD](1946) DVD
Groucho, Chico and Harpo turn the North African city of mystery upside-down with laughter as they manage to get the goods on a German war fugitive. Frantic Marx Brothers fun, highlighted by a hilarious trunk-packing routine and a chase with a runaway plane, also stars Sig Rumann, Lois Collier. 85 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French; bonus cartoon; bonus short.
The Marx Brothers Collection [DVD] DVD
First, Groucho, Harpo, and Chico spend "A Night at the Opera" (1935) where they try to help two young singers get their start. Then, it's "A Day at the Races" (1937) for quick-witted horse doc Groucho; and the brothers find laughs and intrigue in "A Night in Casablanca" (1946). Also included in this laugh-packed collection are four exclusive titles. In "Room Service" (1938), the brothers play producers who team with Lucille Ball to put on a show; Groucho sings "Lydia the Tattooed Lady" while trying to save a big-top from bankruptcy in "At the Circus" (1939); the boys run afoul of some Indians and land-grabbing outlaws when they "Go West" (1940); and they run roughshod over an ultra-modern retail outlet in "The Big Store" (1941).
The James Stewart Hollywood Legend Collection [DVD] DVD
Five-disc set includes "Destry Rides Again," "Winchester '73," "Harvey," "Rear Window," and "Vertigo."
Harvey [DVD](1950) DVD
Beloved comedy stars James Stewart as a good-hearted inebriate whose constant companion is a six-foot, invisible rabbit named Harvey. Josephine Hull won an Academy Award as Stewart's sister, who tries to have him put away. With Peggy Down, Jesse White. 104 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby mono, Spanish mono; Subtitles: French; introduction by Stewart; production notes; biographies; filmographies; trailer.
Winchester '73 [DVD](1950) DVD
Unique western film stars James Stewart as a man searching for his father's killer and the family rifle that was used against him. The gun's new ``owners'' and their stories are depicted, leading to a dramatic conclusion. Dan Duryea, Rock Hudson, Shelley Winters and a young Tony Curtis are featured. 82 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: Spanish, French; interview; theatrical trailer.
Comanche Territory [VHS](1950) VHS
Frontiersman Jim Bowie discovers that a silver-rich mountain area is owned by the Comanche Indians, but a greedy settler and his sister have stolen the deed and plan to massacre the Comanches for trespassing. After falling in love with Bowie, the sister decides to help him arm the Indians and stop the slaughter. Maureen O'Hara, Macdonald Carey, Will Geer and Charles Drake star. 76 min. NOTE: This Title Is Out Of Print; Limit One Per Customer.
It Came From Outer Space [DVD](1953) DVD
Fifties sci-fi classic with Richard Carlson as an astronomer who can't convince anyone of the UFO crash he sighted...and the aliens who have taken human form while repairing their ship aren't making it any easier. Excellent adaptation of Ray Bradbury's story co-stars Barbara Rush, Russell Johnson. Not in 3-D. 81 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital Surround; Subtitles: Spanish, French; theatrical trailer; documentary; audio commentary; photo gallery.
The Glenn Miller Story [DVD](1953) DVD
The music of the Big Band era lives again in this famed biography of the musician and band leader. James Stewart shines in the title role, with June Allyson as his wife. Special musical guests include Louis Armstrong, Gene Krupa, Frances Langford and the Glenn Miller Orchestra, performing such classics as "Pennsylvania 6-5000," "Moonlight Serenade" and "Chattanooga Choo-Choo." 113 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital Surround; Subtitles: Spanish, French.
War Arrow [DVD](1953) DVD
A thrilling Cavalry-versus-Indians adventure starring Jeff Chandler as an Army official recruiting Seminole allies, against his superior's wishes, to stop a planned Kiowa attack. Maureen O'Hara, John McIntire, Dennis Weaver and Jay Silverheels also star. 79 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: Spanish, French; theatrical trailer.
To Hell And Back [DVD](1955) DVD
The most decorated soldier of World War II, Audie Murphy, stars as himself in this gritty, unflinching film biography. Follow the exploits of a reluctant, unlikely hero who left his life as a Texas sharecropper to enlist in the army where he would serve in Africa, Italy, France, Austria, and Germany. David Janssen, Marshall Thompson, Charles Drake, Denver Pyle co-star. 106 min.
All That Heaven Allows [DVD](1955) DVD
Producer Ross Hunter reunited "Magnificent Obsession" stars Rock Hudson and Jane Wyman and director Douglas Sirk for this lush romance in which small-town widow Wyman is drawn to handsome gardener Hudson, a man 15 years her junior, and faces scandal and scorn from her friends and family. With Agnes Moorehead, Gloria Talbot, Conrad Nagel. 89 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby mono; Subtitles: English; documentary; featurette; photo gallery; theatrical trailer.
No Name On The Bullet [DVD](1959) DVD
When notorious gunman-for-hire Audie Murphy arrives in a small frontier town, the locals know he's not there for a vacation. Who Murphy's target is, and the reason behind his mission of death, makes for a compelling western drama. With Joan Evans, Charles Drake, Edgar Stehli. 77 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: Spanish, French; theatrical trailer.
Valley Of The Dolls [DVD](1967) DVD
Classic melodrama based on Jacqueline Susann's best-selling novel about three aspiring actresses (Patty Duke, Barbara Parkins and Sharon Tate) who find the route to show business fame paved with drug addiction and tragedy. Susan Hayward, Paul Burke and Lee Grant also star; Dionne Warwick sings the theme song. 123 min. Two-disc set.
Star Trek: Season Two [DVD](1967) DVD
All 26 episodes from the second season--including "Amok Time," "Mirror, Mirror," "The Doomsday Machine," "Journey to Babel," "The Trouble with Tribbles," and "Assignment: Earth"--are featured, in their original broadcast order, in a seven-disc set. 21 3/4 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital mono; featurettes; photo gallery.
The Arrangement [DVD](1969) DVD
Elia Kazan (who adapted his own novel) directed this compelling character study starring Kirk Douglas as a wealthy L.A. ad man who suffers a nervous breakdown that causes him to re-evaluate his life. Fed up with his job, Douglas goes to New York, where he resumes an old affair with a sexy former co-worker (Faye Dunaway) while his wife (Deborah Kerr) schemes to get her hands on his money. With Hume Cronyn, Richard Boone. 126 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English; featurette; theatrical trailer.
filmography
The Lives of Jenny Dolan (1975) with Shirley Jones, Stephen Boyd, Farley Granger, Dana Wynter, and Pernell Roberts
Cop on the Beat (1975) with Lloyd Bridges, Don Stroud, Jim Backus, Janis Paige, and Della Reese
Scream, Pretty Peggy (1973) with Ted Bessell and Bette Davis
Partners in Crime (1973) with Robert Cummings and Lee Grant
The Screaming Woman (1972) with Olivia de Havilland, Joseph Cotten, and Ed Nelson
The Seven Minutes (1971) with Yvonne De Carlo, Philip Carey, Edy Williams, Lyle Bettger, and John Carradine; directed by Russ Meyer
Hail, Hero! (1969) with Michael Douglas and Peter Strauss
The Arrangement (1969) with Kirk Douglas, Faye Dunaway, Richard Boone, and Deborah Kerr
The Smugglers (1968) with Shirley Booth, Carol Lynley, and Michael J. Pollard
The Money Jungle (1968) with John Ericson, Leslie Parrish, and Don Rickles
The Counterfeit Killer (1968) with Jack Lord, Shirley Knight, Jack Weston, Mercedes McCambridge, and Robert Pine
The Swimmer (1968) with Burt Lancaster
Valley of the Dolls (1967) with Susan Hayward, Patty Duke, Sharon Tate, Barbara Parkins, Martin Milner, and Paul Burke
The Third Day (1965) with George Peppard, Elizabeth Ashley, and Roddy McDowall
Dear Heart (1964) with Glenn Ford, Barbara Nichols, and Geraldine Page
The Lively Set (1964) with Pamela Tiffin, James Darren, and Doug McClure
Showdown (1963) with Audie Murphy and Kathleen Crowley
Back Street (1961) with Susan Hayward, Vera Miles, John Gavin, and Virginia Grey
Tammy Tell Me True (1961) with Sandra Dee, John Gavin, and Virginia Grey
No Name on the Bullet (1959) with Audie Murphy, Virginia Grey, and Joan Evans
Step Down to Terror (1958) with Colleen Miller and Rod Taylor
Until They Sail (1957) with Jean Simmons, Joan Fontaine, Paul Newman, Piper Laurie, and Sandra Dee
Jeanne Eagels (1957) with Jeff Chandler, Kim Novak, Agnes Moorehead, and Virginia Grey
The Price of Fear (1956) with Lex Barker, Merle Oberon, Gia Scala, and Warren Stevens
Walk the Proud Land (1956) with Audie Murphy and Anne Bancroft
All That Heaven Allows (1955) with Rock Hudson, Jane Wyman, Gloria Talbott, William Reynolds, and Virginia Grey
Female on the Beach (1955) with Joan Crawford, Jeff Chandler, and Jan Sterling
To Hell and Back (1955) with Audie Murphy, Marshall Thompson, and Jack Kelly
Four Guns to the Border (1954) with Rory Calhoun, George Nader, and Colleen Miller
Tobor the Great (1954) with Karin Booth and Billy Chapin
War Arrow (1953) with Jeff Chandler, Maureen O'Hara, and Suzan Ball
The Glenn Miller Story (1953) with James Stewart and June Allyson
It Came from Outer Space (1953) with Richard Carlson, Barbara Rush, Russell Johnson, and Kathleen Hughes
Lone Hand (1953) with Joel McCrea, Barbara Hale, and Alex Nicol
Gunsmoke (1953) with Audie Murphy, Susan Cabot, Jack Kelly, and William Reynolds
Bonzo Goes to College (1952) with Maureen O'Sullivan, Irene Ryan, and Gigi Perreau
Red Ball Express (1952) with Jeff Chandler, Hugh O'Brian, and Alex Nicol
The Treasure of Lost Canyon (1952) with William Powell, Julie Adams, and Rosemary DeCamp
Little Egypt (1951) with Rhonda Fleming and Mark Stevens
You Never Can Tell (1951) with Dick Powell, Joyce Holden, and Peggy Dow
Air Cadet (1951) with Gail Russell, Stephen McNally, Alex Nicol, Rock Hudson, Peggie Castle, and James Best
Harvey (1950) with James Stewart and Peggy Dow
Winchester '73 (1950) with James Stewart, Shelley Winters, Rock Hudson, and Stephen McNally
Peggy (1950) with Charlotte Greenwood, Charles Coburn, and Rock Hudson
I Was a Shoplifter (1950) with Scott Brady, Andrea King, Mona Freeman, and Rock Hudson
Comanche Territory (1950) with Maureen O'Hara and Macdonald Carey
Tarzan's Magic Fountain (1949) with Lex Barker, Evelyn Ankers, Brenda Joyce, and Albert Dekker
The Tender Years (1947) with Joe E. Brown
The Pretender (1947) with Albert Dekker and Linda Stirling
Winter Wonderland (1947) with Lynne Roberts and Elinor Donahue
Whistle Stop (1946) with George Raft, Ava Gardner, and Tom Conway
A Night in Casablanca (1946) with the Marx Brothers
You Came Along (1945) with Lizabeth Scott, Robert Cummings, and Don DeFore
Conflict (1945) with Humphrey Bogart, Sydney Greenstreet, and Alexis Smith
Air Force (1943) with John Garfield, Gig Young, and Arthur Kennedy
Busses Roar (1942) with Julie Bishop
The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942) with Bette Davis and Ann Sheridan
Nine Lives Are Not Enough (1941) with Ronald Reagan and Faye Emerson
TELEVISION SERIES
Rendezvous, 1957-1958 CBS TV series. Drake portrayed John Burden
Robert Montgomery Presents, 1950-1957 NBC TV series. Drake appeared during the 1955-56 season
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This page premiered April 25, 2003.
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