Charles Drake


Actor
Charles Drake

About

Also Known As
Charles Ruppert
Birth Place
New York City, New York, USA
Born
October 02, 1917
Died
September 10, 1994

Biography

Many actors are forced to struggle for years before they land their big break, and many work a variety of day jobs only to find their way into the entertainment industry by accident. When New York City native Charles Drake graduated from Massachusetts-based Nichols College, he took up a job as a salesman. In 1939, he shifted gears and worked his way into a contract with Warner Brothers S...

Biography

Many actors are forced to struggle for years before they land their big break, and many work a variety of day jobs only to find their way into the entertainment industry by accident. When New York City native Charles Drake graduated from Massachusetts-based Nichols College, he took up a job as a salesman. In 1939, he shifted gears and worked his way into a contract with Warner Brothers Studios. When his career didn't take off--resulting in mostly uncredited performances--his Hollywood dreams were even further delayed by a military stint in World War II. In 1945, with his service behind him, Drake headed back to Hollywood, but his situation looked bleak with an expired contract and no prospects. He did find a role in 1946 with the (appropriately) World War II-themed Marx Brothers comedy "A Night in Casablanca." But his true breakout came in 1950, appearing alongside James Stewart in the quirky, Oscar-winning comedy-fantasy "Harvey" as Dr. Sanderson. From that point on, the roles were varied and plentiful, including gigs in films like the 1953 cult-classic sci-fi horror film "It Came from Outer Space" and the 1954 James Stewart-starring music biography, "The Glenn Miller Story." Throughout the '60s and '70s (and briefly into the '80s), Drake mainly focused on one-off TV appearances--with nothing approaching the classic status of his earlier roles. But with a career spanning six decades, he more than left his mark.

Filmography

 

Cast (Feature Film)

My Brother's Wedding (1983)
2nd Pastor
The Lives of Jenny Dolan (1975)
Alan Hardesty
The Return of Joe Forrester (1975)
Partners in Crime (1973)
Scream, Pretty Peggy (1973)
The Screaming Woman (1972)
The Seven Minutes (1971)
[Sgt.] Kellog
The Arrangement (1969)
Finnegan
The Swimmer (1968)
Howard Graham
The Counterfeit Killer (1968)
Dolan
The Money Jungle (1968)
Harvey Sheppard
Valley of the Dolls (1967)
Kevin Gillmore
The Third Day (1965)
Lawrence Conway
The Lively Set (1964)
Paul Manning
Dear Heart (1964)
Frank Taylor
Showdown (1963)
Bert Pickett
Tammy Tell Me True (1961)
Buford Woodly
Back Street (1961)
Curt Stanton
No Name on the Bullet (1959)
Luke Canfield
Step Down to Terror (1958)
Johnny Williams [Walters]
Jeanne Eagels (1957)
John Donahue
Until They Sail (1957)
Capt. Richard G. Bates
All That Heaven Allows (1956)
Mick Anderson
Walk the Proud Land (1956)
Tom Sweeny
The Price of Fear (1956)
Pete Carroll
To Hell and Back (1955)
Brandon
Female on the Beach (1955)
Lieutenant Galley
The Glenn Miller Story (1954)
Don Haynes
Four Guns to the Border (1954)
Jim Flannery
Tobor the Great (1954)
Ralph Harrison
It Came from Outer Space (1953)
Sheriff Matt Warren
Gunsmoke (1953)
Johnny Lake
War Arrow (1953)
Sgt. Luke Schermerhorn
The Lone Hand (1953)
George Hadley
Red Ball Express (1952)
[Pvt. Ronald] Partridge
The Treasure of Lost Canyon (1952)
Jim Anderson
Bonzo Goes to College (1952)
Malcolm Drew
You Never Can Tell (1951)
Perry Collins
Air Cadet (1951)
Captain Sullivan
Little Egypt (1951)
Oliver Doane
Harvey (1950)
Dr. [Lyman] Sanderson
Winchester '73 (1950)
Steve Miller
Comanche Territory (1950)
Stacey Howard
I Was a Shoplifter (1950)
Herb Klaxon
Peggy (1950)
Tom Fielding
Tarzan's Magic Fountain (1949)
Dodd
Johnny Stool Pigeon (1949)
Hotel clerk
The Tender Years (1948)
Bob Wilson
Winter Wonderland (1947)
Steve Kirk
The Pretender (1947)
Dr. Leonard Koster
Whistle Stop (1946)
Ernie
A Night in Casablanca (1946)
[Lieutenant] Pierre [Delbar]
You Came Along (1945)
Handsome, also known as Lieutenant R. Janoschek
Conflict (1945)
Professor Norman Holdsworth
Air Force (1943)
Navigator [Monk Hauser]
Wings for the Eagle (1942)
Customer
Larceny, Inc. (1942)
Auto driver
Now, Voyager (1942)
Leslie Trotter
Busses Roar (1942)
Eddie Sloan
Bullet Scars (1942)
Reporter
The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)
Sandy
The Male Animal (1942)
Student
The Gay Sisters (1942)
Clerk
Across the Pacific (1942)
Officer
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
Actor
Sergeant York (1941)
Scorer
Affectionately Yours (1941)
Intern
One Foot in Heaven (1941)
Bridegroom
You're in the Army Now (1941)
Recruit
Nine Lives Are Not Enough (1941)
"Snappy" Lucas
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Reporter
Million Dollar Baby (1941)
Crew haircut
I Wanted Wings (1941)
Cadet
Dangerously They Live (1941)
Joe
The Body Disappears (1941)
Arthur
Navy Blues (1941)
Officer
Dive Bomber (1941)
Pilot
Out of the Fog (1941)
Reporter
Career (1939)
Rex Chaney
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)

Film Production - Main (Feature Film)

Erin Brockovich (2000)
Craft service
Little Nicky (2000)
Craft Service
The Limey (1999)
Craft Service
The Muse (1999)
Craft Service
Liar Liar (1997)
Craft Service

Cast (Short)

Shoot Yourself Some Golf (1942)
Winning Your Wings (1942)

Film Production - Main (TV Mini-Series)

George Wallace (1997)
Craft Service

Life Events

Videos

Movie Clip

Glenn Miller Story, The (1954) -- (Movie Clip) Four Saxes And A Clarinet Dramatizing the key component of the title character's celebrated sound, James Stewart (with support from Harry Morgan, Charles Drake and George Tobias), after losing a trumpeter, tumbles to a clarinet solution, validated by his wife (June Allyson), via his own signature composition (Moonlight Serenade), in The Glenn Miller Story, 1954.
It Came From Outer Space (1953) -- (Movie Clip) It's A Nice Town Richard Carlson narrates about his fictional town, working from writer Ray Bradbury’s only original material ever written for a movie, introducing himself and Barbara Rush, with many shots, including a big meteor, created for the original 3-D exhibition, opening It Came From Outer Space,1953.
It Came From Outer Space (1953) -- (Movie Clip) Like Nothing We've Ever Seen First to the scene of the meteor impact, writer and amateur astronomer John (Richard Carlson) has told his gal Ellen and chopper pilot Pete (Barbara Rush, Dave Willock) to hang back, as he gets a good look at more effects designed for the 3-D feature, from a Ray Bradbury story, in It Came From Outer Space,1953.
It Came From Outer Space (1953) -- (Movie Clip) The Desert Can Kill John (Richard Carlson) is getting public mockery and sympathy from only girlfriend Ellen (Barbara Rush) for his claims that he found a spaceship in the meteor crater now covered by an avalanche, stopping by a tree that spooked them the night before, with a trace of the alien’s trail, in It Came From Outer Space,1953.
It Came From Outer Space (1953) -- (Movie Clip) The Wind Gets In The Wires Not far from the site where the meteor landed, and where we know he really did see a spaceship, John (Richard Carlson) and girlfriend Ellen (Barbara Rush) visit with friendly electrical linemen George and Frank (Russell Johnson, Joe Sawyer), sharing more insight from the original Ray Bradbury story, in It Came From Outer Space,1953.
Arrangement, The (1969) -- (Movie Clip) A Local Man Went Berserk After his failed suicide and a dramatic collapse of his marriage at home, LA advertising exec Eddie (Kirk Douglas) returns to work, resuming his “Zephyr” cigarette campaign, Elia Kazan with abstract direction, based on his own novel and screenplay, Charles Drake his boss, in The Arrangement, 1969.
Winchester '73 -- (Movie Clip) Shiloh And Bull Run Lin and High Spade (James Stewart, Millard Mitchell) continuing their trek at night, encounter Indians, then Cavalry commanded by Wilkes (Jay C. Flippen), also acquaintance Lola (Shelley Winters) and her beau Steve (Charles Drake), trouble brewing, in Anthony Mann's Winchester '73, 1950.
Until They Sail (1957) -- (Movie Clip) I Am Only Fourteen Christchurch, New Zealand ca. 1942, American ships and sailors have arrived to a town almost without men, so single older sisters Barbara and Anne (Jean Simmons, Joan Fontaine) are worried when teen Evelyn (Sandra Dee) latches onto an officer (Charles Drake), in Until They Sail, 1957.
Harvey (1950) -- (Movie Clip) This Person You Call Harvey Veda (Josephine Hull), with her brother Elwood (James Stewart, not seen) already hustled away by the sanitarium staff, explains to Dr. Sanderson (Charles Drake) why she’s having him committed, leading to substantial confusion, in Harvey, 1950, from the Mary Chase play.
Larceny, Inc. (1942) -- (Movie Clip) We're Going Into The Luggage Business Ex-con Pressure (Edward G. Robinson) informs partners Weepy (Edward Brophy) and Jug (Broderick Crawford) that the plan to tunnel into the bank will work, but they need to raise money to buy the luggage store next door, early in early in Larceny Inc., 1942.
Harvey (1950) -- (Movie Clip) The Evening Wore On Orderly Wilson (Jesse White), Dr. Sanderson (Charles Drake) and nurse Kelly (Peggy Dow) have tracked Elwood (James Stewart) to the bar, convinced that he, and maybe his imaginary giant rabbit friend, had something to do with the disappearance of their boss Dr. Chumley, in Harvey, 1950.
Air Force (1943) -- (Movie Clip) God Bless Mary Ann Conversations in the cockpit (John Ridgely, Gig Young, Arthur Kennedy) and cabin (Harry Carey, George Tobias, John Garfield) as the "Mary Ann" leaves San Francisco for Hawaii, in Howard Hawks' Air Force, 1943.

Trailer

Bibliography