Charles Drake (born Charles Ruppert; October 2, 1917 – September 10, 1994) was an American actor.

Biography

Drake was born in New York City. He graduated from

Nichols College Nichols College is a Private college, private business college in Dudley, Massachusetts. Founded in 1931 as Nichols Junior College, Nichols College offers both bachelor's and master's degrees, as well as certificate programs. History Nichol ...

and became a salesman. In 1939, he turned to acting and signed a contract with

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

, but he was not immediately successful. Drake served in the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Drake returned to

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

in 1945 and was cast in '' Conflict'' which starred

Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart ( ; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American actor. His performances in classic Hollywood cinema made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film Institute selected Bogart ...

. His contract with Warner Brothers eventually ended. In the 1940s, he did some freelance film work, including ''

A Night in Casablanca ''A Night in Casablanca'' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by Archie Mayo and starring the Marx Brothers ( Groucho, Harpo, and Chico). The screenplay was written by Joseph Fields and Roland Kibbee. It was an independent production relea ...

'' (1946) starring the

Marx Brothers The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act known for their anarchic humor, rapid-fire wordplay, and visual gags. They achieved success in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in 14 motion pictures. The core group consisted of brothers Chi ...

. In 1949, he moved to

Universal Studios Universal Studios may refer to: * Universal Studios, Inc., an American media and entertainment conglomerate ** Universal Pictures, an American film studio ** Universal Studios Lot, a film and television studio complex * Various theme parks operat ...

, where he co-starred with

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military aviator. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morali ...

and

Shelley Winters Shelley Winters (born Shirley Schrift; August 18, 1920 – January 14, 2006) was an American film actress whose career spanned seven decades. She won Academy Awards for ''The Diary of Anne Frank (1959 film), The Diary of Anne Frank'' (1959) and ' ...

in ''

Winchester '73 ''Winchester '73'' is a 1950 American Western film noir starring James Stewart, Shelley Winters, Dan Duryea and Stephen McNally. Directed by Anthony Mann and written by Borden Chase and Robert L. Richards, the film is set in 1876 and fol ...

'' (1950) and again co-starred with Stewart in the film '' Harvey'' (1950) a screen adaptation of the Broadway play. He co-starred in the

Audie Murphy Audie Leon Murphy (20 June 1925 – 28 May 1971) was an American soldier, actor, and songwriter. He was widely celebrated as the most decorated American combat soldier of World War II, and has been described as the most highly decorated enli ...

biopic '' To Hell and Back'' (1955), as Murphy's close friend, "Brandon". In 1955, Drake turned to television as one of the stock-company players on ''Montgomery's Summer Stock'', a summer replacement for ''

Robert Montgomery Presents ''Robert Montgomery Presents'' is an American drama (film and television), drama television series which was produced by NBC from January 30, 1950, until June 24, 1957. The Live television, live show had several sponsors during its eight-year run ...

,''Terrace, Vincent (2011). ''Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 713. and from 1957 he hosted the syndicated TV espionage weekly '' Schilling Playhouse'' (also known as ''Rendezvous''). In 1956 Drake appeared as Tom Sweeny with Murphy and

Anne Bancroft Anne Bancroft (born Anna Maria Louisa Italiano; September 17, 1931 – June 6, 2005) was an American actress. Respected for her acting prowess and versatility, Bancroft received an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, tw ...

in ''

Walk the Proud Land ''Walk the Proud Land'' is a 1956 American CinemaScope Technicolor Western film directed by Jesse Hibbs and starring Audie Murphy and future Academy Award winner Anne Bancroft. Filmed at Old Tucson Studios, it recounts the first successful int ...

''. Drake teamed again with Audie Murphy, for the

Western film The Western is a film genre defined by the American Film Institute as films which are "set in the American West that mbodythe spirit, the struggle, and the demise of the new frontier." Generally set in the American frontier between the Calif ...

'' No Name on the Bullet'' (1959), which featured Murphy in a rare villainous role as a hired assassin and Drake playing a small-town doctor trying to stop his reign of terror. On November 14, 1961, Drake played state line boss Allen Winter in the episode "The Accusers" of

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

's '' Laramie'' Western series. On February 6, 1963, Drake played Hollister in the ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western television series that aired for eight seasons, first on the NBC television network (1957–1962) and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and reached the top of the ...

'' episode "The Hollister John Garrison Story". He also played Charles Maury in "The Charles Maury Story" in 1958, Season 1, episode 32. Drake played the part of Oliver Greer in '' The Fugitive'' episode "The One That Got Away" (1967). He guest-starred in the fourth season (1968–1969) of NBC's ''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (, 1734September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyo ...

'' as Simon Jarvis. In 1969, Drake appeared as Milo Cantrell on the TV series '' The Virginian'' in the episode titled "A Woman of Stone." In 1970, he appeared as Randolf in "The Men From Shiloh" (the rebranded name of '' The Virginian'') in the episode titled "Jenny." He played in eighty-three films between 1939 and 1975, including '' Scream, Pretty Peggy''. More than fifty were dramas, but he also acted in comedies, science fiction, horror, and film noir. In an episode of the original ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...

'' series (" The Deadly Years", 1967), Drake guest-starred as Commodore Stocker. Drake died on September 10, 1994, in

East Lyme, Connecticut East Lyme is a New England town, town in New London County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region. The population was 18,693 at the 2020 ...

, at the age of 76.

Selected filmography

* ''

Career A career is an individual's metaphorical "journey" through learning, work (human activity), work and other aspects of personal life, life. There are a number of ways to define career and the term is used in a variety of ways. Definitions The ...

'' (1939) - Rex Chaney * ''

Conspiracy A conspiracy, also known as a plot, ploy, or scheme, is a secret plan or agreement between people (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder, treason, or corruption, especially with a political motivat ...

'' (1939) - Police Guard (uncredited) * '' The Hunchback of Notre Dame'' (1939) - Young Priest (uncredited) * ''

I Wanted Wings ''I Wanted Wings'' is a 1941 American drama film directed by Mitchell Leisen and based on a book by Lieutenant Beirne Lay Jr. The film stars Ray Milland and William Holden. The supporting cast includes Wayne Morris (American actor), Wayne Morris, ...

'' (1941) - Cadet (uncredited) * '' Affectionately Yours'' (1941) - Hospital Intern (uncredited) * ''

Million Dollar Baby ''Million Dollar Baby'' is a 2004 American sports drama film directed, co-produced, scored by and starring Clint Eastwood from a screenplay by Paul Haggis. It is based on stories from the 2000 collection ''Rope Burns: Stories from the Corner' ...

'' (1941) - Pamela's First Dance Partner (uncredited) * '' Out of the Fog'' (1941) - Reporter (uncredited) * ''

Sergeant York Alvin Cullum York (December 13, 1887 – September 2, 1964), also known by his rank as Sergeant York, was an American soldier who was one of the most decorated United States Army soldiers of World War I. He received the Medal of Honor fo ...

'' (1941) - Scorer (uncredited) * ''

Dive Bomber A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target simplifies the bomb's trajectory and allows the pilot to keep visual contact througho ...

'' (1941) - Pilot (uncredited) * '' Navy Blues'' (1941) - Sea bag Inspection Officer (uncredited) * '' Nine Lives Are Not Enough'' (1941) - 'Snappy' Lucas * ''

One Foot in Heaven ''One Foot in Heaven'' is a 1941 American biographical drama film directed by Irving Rapper and starring Fredric March, Martha Scott, Beulah Bondi, Gene Lockhart and Elisabeth Fraser. The film was adapted by Casey Robinson from the autobi ...

'' (1941) - Second Bridegroom (uncredited) * '' The Maltese Falcon'' (1941) - Reporter (uncredited) * '' The Body Disappears'' (1941) - Arthur (scenes deleted) * '' Dangerously They Live'' (1941) - Joe, Hospital Orderly with Dr. Murdock (uncredited) * ''

You're in the Army Now In Modern English, the word "''you''" is the second-person pronoun. It is grammatically plural, and was historically used only for the dative case, but in most modern dialects is used for all cases and numbers. History ''You'' comes from ...

'' (1941) - Private (uncredited) * ''

The Man Who Came to Dinner ''The Man Who Came to Dinner'' is a comedy play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. It debuted on October 16, 1939, at the Music Box Theatre in New York City, where it ran until 1941, closing after 739 performances. It then enjoyed a number of ...

'' (1942) - Sandy * '' Bullet Scars'' (1942) - Harry a Reporter (uncredited) * ''

The Male Animal ''The Male Animal'' is a 1942 American comedy-drama film produced by Warner Bros., starring Henry Fonda, Olivia de Havilland and Joan Leslie. The film was based on a hit 1940 Broadway play of the same name written by James Thurber and Ell ...

'' (1942) - Student (uncredited) * '' Larceny, Inc.'' (1942) - R.V. Boyce - Driver in Accident (uncredited) * ''

Yankee Doodle Dandy ''Yankee Doodle Dandy'' is a 1942 American biographical musical drama film about George M. Cohan, known as "The Man Who Owned Broadway". It stars James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, and Richard Whorf, and features Irene Manning, Geo ...

'' (1942) - (uncredited) * '' Wings for the Eagle'' (1942) - Customer (uncredited) * ''

The Gay Sisters ''The Gay Sisters'' is a 1942 American drama film directed by Irving Rapper, and starring Barbara Stanwyck, George Brent, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Donald Crisp, Gig Young (who adopted his character's name as his screen name) and Nancy Coleman. The ...

'' (1942) - Man Entering Courtroom (uncredited) * ''

Busses Roar ''Busses Roar'' is a 1942 film directed by D. Ross Lederman and starring Richard Travis and Julie Bishop. Plot A bungling saboteur attempts to place a bomb on board a bus so that it will explode as the bus passes by some oil wells. The plot ...

'' (1942) - Eddie Sloan * '' Across the Pacific'' (1942) - Officer (uncredited) * ''

Now, Voyager ''Now, Voyager'' is a 1942 American drama (film and television), drama film starring Bette Davis, Paul Henreid, and Claude Rains, and directed by Irving Rapper. The screenplay by Casey Robinson is based on the 1941 novel of the same name by Oli ...

'' (1942) - Leslie Trotter (uncredited) * '' The Hard Way'' (1943) - Trailer Narrator (uncredited) * ''

Air Force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...

'' (1943) - Navigator * '' Conflict'' (1945) - Prof. Norman Holsworth * '' You Came Along'' (1945) - Lt. R. Janoschek * ''

Whistle Stop In public transport, a request stop, flag stop, or whistle stop is a bus stop, stop or train station, station at which buses or trains, respectively, stop only on request; that is, only if there are passengers or freight to be picked up or drop ...

'' (1946) - Ernie * ''

Winter Wonderland "Winter Wonderland" is a song written in 1934 by Felix Bernard and lyricist Richard Bernhard Smith. Due to its seasonal theme, it is often regarded as a Christmas song in the Northern Hemisphere. Since its original recording by Richard Himb ...

'' (1946) - Steve Kirk * ''

'' (1946) - Lt. Pierre Delmar * '' The Pretender'' (1947) - Dr. Leonard G. Koster * '' The Tender Years'' (1948) - Bob Wilson * ''

The Babe Ruth Story ''The Babe Ruth Story'' is a 1948 American biographical film about professional baseball player Babe Ruth (1895–1948), who achieved fame as a slugging outfielder for the New York Yankees. However, most of the film, except for the basic details ...

'' (1948) - Reporter (uncredited) * ''

Tarzan's Magic Fountain ''Tarzan's Magic Fountain'' is a 1949 Tarzan film directed by Lee Sholem and starring Lex Barker as Tarzan and Brenda Joyce as his companion Jane. The thirteenth film of the ''Tarzan'' film series that began with 1932's '' Tarzan the Ape Man ...

'' (1949) - Mr. Dodd * '' Johnny Stool Pigeon'' (1949) - Hotel Clerk (uncredited) * '' Comanche Territory'' (1950) - Stacey Howard * ''

I Was a Shoplifter ''I Was a Shoplifter'' is a 1950 American film noir crime film directed by Charles Lamont and starring Scott Brady and Mona Freeman. Plot A shoplifter, Faye Burton, is being watched by Herb Klaxon, a security guard at a Los Angeles department s ...

'' (1950) - Herb Klaxon * '' Louisa'' (1950) - Voice of Radio Broadcaster (uncredited) * ''

'' (1950) - Steve Miller * '' Peggy'' (1950) - Tom Fielding * ''

Deported Deportation is the expulsion of a person or group of people by a state from its Sovereignty, sovereign territory. The actual definition changes depending on the place and context, and it also changes over time. A person who has been deported or ...

'' (1950) - Voice of Customs Official (uncredited) * '' Mystery Submarine'' (1950) - Commodore (voice, uncredited) * '' Harvey'' (1950) - Dr. Raymond Sanderson * '' Air Cadet'' (1951) - Captain Sullivan * '' The Fat Man'' (1951) - Radio Broadcaster at Racetrack (voice, uncredited) * '' Little Egypt'' (1951) - Oliver Doane * '' You Never Can Tell'' (1951) - Perry Collins * ''

The Treasure of Lost Canyon ''The Treasure of Lost Canyon'' is a 1952 American Technicolor adventure Western film directed by Ted Tetzlaff and starring William Powell, Julia Adams, Charles Drake, Tommy Ivo and Rosemary DeCamp.Bryant p.172 It was based on Robert Louis ...

'' (1952) - Jim Anderson * ''

Red Ball Express The Red Ball Express was an American truck convoy system that supplied World War II allies, Allied forces moving through Europe after breaking out from the D-Day beaches in Normandy in the summer of 1944. To expedite cargo shipments to the fro ...

'' (1952) - Pvt. Ronald Partridge / Narrator * '' Bonzo Goes to College'' (1952) - Malcolm Drew * ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centered on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central charact ...

'' (1953) - Johnny Lake * '' The Lone Hand'' (1953) - George Hadley * ''

It Came from Outer Space ''It Came from Outer Space'' is a 1953 United States, American science fiction film, science fiction Horror film, horror film, the first in the 3D films, 3D process from Universal Pictures, Universal-International. It was produced by William Al ...

'' (1953) - Sheriff Matt Warren * '' War Arrow'' (1953) - Sgt. Luke Schermerhorn * ''

The Glenn Miller Story ''The Glenn Miller Story'' is a 1954 American biographical film about the eponymous American band-leader, directed by Anthony Mann. It stars James Stewart as Miller (in his second non-western collaboration with Mann), alongside June Allyson. ...

'' (1954) - Don Haynes * '' Tobor the Great'' (1954) - Dr. Ralph Harrison * '' Four Guns to the Border'' (1954) - Jim Flannery * '' To Hell and Back'' (1955) - Brandon * '' Female on the Beach'' (1955) - Police Lieutenant Galley * ''

All That Heaven Allows ''All That Heaven Allows'' is a 1955 American melodrama film directed by Douglas Sirk, produced by Ross Hunter, and adapted by Peg Fenwick from a novel by Edna L. Lee and Harry Lee. It stars Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson in a tale about the social ...

'' (1955) - Mick Anderson * '' The Price of Fear'' (1956) - Police Sgt. Pete Carroll * ''

'' (1956) - Tom Sweeny * ''

Jeanne Eagels Jeanne Eagels (born Eugenia Eagles; June 26, 1890 – October 3, 1929) was an American stage and film actress. Eagels appeared in many Broadway productions, and in the emerging medium of sound films. She was posthumously nominated for the Acad ...

'' (1957) - John Donahue * ''

Until They Sail ''Until They Sail'' is a 1957 American black-and-white CinemaScope drama film directed by Robert Wise and starring Jean Simmons, Joan Fontaine, Paul Newman, Piper Laurie and Sandra Dee. The screenplay by Robert Anderson, based on a story by Jame ...

'' (1957) - Capt. Richard Bates * '' Step Down to Terror'' (1958) - Johnny Williams Walters * '' No Name on the Bullet'' (1959) - Luke Canfield * '' Tammy Tell Me True'' (1961) - Buford Woodly * '' Back Street'' (1961) - Curt Stanton * '' Showdown'' (1963) - Bert Pickett * '' The Lively Set'' (1964) - Paul Manning * '' Dear Heart'' (1964) - Frank Taylor * '' The Third Day'' (1965) - Lawrence Conway * '' The Money Jungle'' (1967) - Harvey Sheppard * '' Valley of the Dolls'' (1967) - Kevin Gillmore * '' The Counterfeit Killer'' (1968) - Dolan * '' The Swimmer'' (1968) - Howard Graham * '' Hail, Hero!'' (1969) - Senator Murchiston * '' The Arrangement'' (1969) - Finnegan * '' The Seven Minutes'' (1971) - Sgt. Kellogg * ''

The Screaming Woman ''The Screaming Woman'' is a 1972 American made-for-television horror-thriller film starring Olivia de Havilland and directed by Jack Smight. It is loosely based on a short story by Ray Bradbury (which in turn was based on his 1948 radio play fo ...

'' (1972, TV Movie) - Ken Bronson * '' Scream, Pretty Peggy'' (1973, TV Movie) - George Thornton * '' The Lives of Jenny Dolan'' (1975, TV Movie) - Alan Hardesty * '' My Brother's Wedding'' (1983) - Pastor #2 (final film role)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Drake, Charles 1917 births 1994 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors Male actors from New York City Military personnel from New York City Military personnel from New York (state) Nichols College alumni United States Army personnel of World War II Western (genre) television actors