Tom Drake
| Tom Drake | |
|---|---|
 from the trailer for the film Meet Me in St. Louis (1944). |
|
| Born | Alfred Alderdice August 5, 1918 Brooklyn, New York, USA |
| Died | August 11, 1982, (age 64) Torrance, California, USA |
| Years active | 1940–1978 |
| Spouse | Isabelle Dunn (1945-1946) (divorced) |
Tom Drake (August 5, 1918 – August 11, 1982), born Alfred Sinclair Alderdice in Brooklyn, New York, was an American actor. Drake made films starting in 1940 and continuing until the mid-1970s, and also made TV acting appearances.[1]
He was excused from serving in World War II due to heart problems.[1] Despite this limitation, he did act in British naval training films. He got his break after starring in the 1942 Broadway smash Janie,[2] after which he was signed to a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
After a number of films, Drake co-starred with Judy Garland in Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) as John Truett, the boy next door. He appeared in more than forty films in all, including Mrs. Parkington (1944), The Green Years (1946), Words and Music (1948), and, in a role at the opposite end of the character spectrum from John Truett, as the leader of a gang of criminals in Warlock (1959). He also had a minor role in the movie The Singing Nun (1966), playing Ed Sullivan's producer Mr. Fitzpatrick. Drake had roles in numerous different TV drama series in almost every year from 1950 onwards, and sometimes in conjunction with making films. He died of lung cancer in 1982.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Classic Images bio. Retrieved 11th December 2008
- ^ Replacement Cast information for Janie at Internet Broadway Database
[edit] External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tom Drake |
- Tom Drake at the Internet Movie Database
- Tom Drake's credits at Internet Broadway Database, credited as Alfred Alderdice
- Tom Drake at Find a Grave
 |
This article about a United States film actor or actress born in the 1910s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
