Ken Drake (November 20, 1921 - January 30, 1987) was an American actor. He appeared in numerous films and TV series from the 1950s to the 1970s.

Biography

Drake was born in

Eufaula, Oklahoma Eufaula is a city and county seat of McIntosh County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 2,813 at the 2010 census, an increase of 6.6 percent from 2,639 in 2000. Eufaula is in the southern part of the county, north of McAlester and ...

, in 1921. After serving in the Navy and Marines during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and in

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

as a doctor, he graduated from the Pasadena Playhouse and started working with the

Stage Society The Incorporated Stage Society, commonly known as the Stage Society, was an English theatre society with limited membership which mounted private Sunday performances of new and experimental plays, mainly at the Royal Court Theatre (whose Vedrenne- ...

shortly afterwards. He appeared in over 60 television shows and in several films during his career, starting his acting career during the 1950s in films and TV series such as '' The Bigamist'', '' The Shrike'', ''

Science Fiction Theatre ''Science Fiction Theatre'' was an American science fiction anthology television series that was produced by Ivan Tors and Maurice Ziv and originally aired in syndication. It premiered on April 9, 1955 and ended on April 6, 1957, with a total of ...

'', '' The Millionaire'', '' The Silent Service'', '' Harbor Command'', ''

Target Target may refer to: Physical items * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artillery, fi ...

'', '' Highway Patrol'', '' Mackenzie's Raiders'' and ''

Border Patrol A border guard of a country is a national security agency that performs border security. Some of the national border guard agencies also perform coast guard (as in Germany, Italy or Ukraine) and rescue service duties. Name and uniform In dif ...

'' among others.Ken Drake
/ref>Ken Drake, actor from Enid, Oklahoma
/ref> During that time, he also appeared in stage, in plays such as ''

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cypru ...

'' and ''

Medea In Greek mythology, Medea (; grc, Μήδεια, ''Mēdeia'', perhaps implying "planner / schemer") is the daughter of King Aeëtes of Colchis, a niece of Circe and the granddaughter of the sun god Helios. Medea figures in the myth of Jason an ...

''. He continued to appear in several films and TV series during the 1960s and 1970s like ''

Pete and Gladys ''Pete and Gladys'' is an American sitcom television series starring Harry Morgan and Cara Williams that aired on CBS on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific time for two seasons, beginning on September 19, 1960. The last episode was b ...

'', '' Sea Hunt'', ''King of Diamonds'', ''

The Everglades The Everglades is a natural region of tropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large drainage basin within the Neotropical realm. The system begins near Orlando with the Kissimm ...

'', ''Wide Country'', '' The Beverly Hillbillies'', ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on U ...

'', '' Bat Masterson'', '' Mission: Impossible'' and ''

The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid ''The Great Northfield, Minnesota Raid'' is a 1972 American Western film about the James-Younger Gang distributed by Universal Pictures. It was written and directed by Philip Kaufman in a cinéma vérité style and starring Cliff Robertson. Th ...

''.

Personal life and death

Drake was married to Sylvie Drake (née Franco) a writer, theater columnist, and critic for ''

The Los Angeles Times ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

''. Drake died on January 30, 1987, in

Springfield, California Springfield is an unincorporated community located in Tuolumne County, California. It is a former California Gold Rush boomtown in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, and is now designated as a California Historical Landmark. Springfield is loca ...

, at the age of 65.

Selected filmography

Film

* '' The Bigamist'' (1953) - Court Clerk * '' The Shrike'' (1955) - Author * ''

The Power of the Resurrection ''The Power of the Resurrection'' is a 1958 American feature film directed by Harold D. Schuster and starring Richard Kiley, Jon Shepodd, Morris Ankrum. The film is also known as ''The Passion and the Power of the Christ''. Plot A young man soon ...

'' (1958) - Marcus * ''

I Bury the Living ''I Bury the Living'' is a 1958 horror film directed by famed B movie director Albert Band and starring Richard Boone and Theodore Bikel. It was written by Louis A. Garfinkle and produced by Garfinkle and Band. Plot Robert Kraft is the newly app ...

'' (1958) - Bill Honegger * '' Crime and Punishment U.S.A.'' (1959) - Hendricks * '' The New Interns'' (1964) - Parking Lot Attendant * ''

'' (1972) - uncredited

Television

* ''

'' (1955) - Divinity Student Astronaut Trainee * '' The Millionaire'' (1956) - Andre the Photographer * '' The Silent Service'' (1957) - Sailor/Seaman * '' Harbor Command'' (1957) - Frank Chaney * ''

'' (1958) - uncredited * '' Highway Patrol'' (1958) - Joe Hodges/Ohio Cop Killer * '' Mackenzie's Raiders'' (1959) - Gang Member * ''

'' (1959) - Andre DeChagny * '' Men Into Space'' (1959) - Prof. Emerson * '' Bat Masterson'' (1959) - Town Sheriff * '' Tombstone Territory'' (1957 - 1960) - Marshal Dave/Frank Masters * '' Law of the Plainsman'' (1960) - Bill Down * ''Not for Hire'' (1960) - Bragan/Col. Bragan * '' Lock-Up'' (1960) - Stark/Swanson * '' Bat Masterson'' (1960) - Gunslinger Colby * ''

The Aquanauts ''The Aquanauts'' (later known as ''Malibu Run'') is an American adventure/drama series that aired on CBS in the 1960–1961 season. The series stars Keith Larsen, Jeremy Slate and Ron Ely, who later replaced Larsen on midseason. Synopsis The h ...

'' (1961) - Elmer Burside * ''

The Americans ''The Americans'' is an American historical drama, period spy fiction, spy drama television series created by Joe Weisberg that aired on the FX (TV channel), FX television network for six seasons from January 30, 2013, to May 30, 2018. Weisberg ...

'' (1961) - Bravo * '' Peter Gunn'' (1961) - Prof. Jody * ''

The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp ''The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp'' is the first Western television series written for adults, premiering four days before ''Gunsmoke'' on September 6, 1955. Two weeks later came the Clint Walker western ''Cheyenne''. The series is loosely base ...

'' (1960-1961) - Tim Murdock/Jack Grey * '' Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond'' (1959-1961) - Maj. Warren/Gas Man * '' Bat Masterson'' (1958-1961) - Scratchy/Ron Daigle/Secret * ''

'' (1961) - Gary Milhouse * '' Sea Hunt'' (1958-1961) - George Hilman/Steve Walker/Dr. Levy, Season 3, Episode 28 *'' Sea Hunt'' (1961) - Season 4, Episodes 8, 37 * ''

King of Diamonds The king of diamonds is a playing card in the standard 52-card deck. King of Diamonds may also refer to: * ''King of Diamonds'' (film), a 1936 Italian comedy film directed by Enrico Guazzoni * ''King of Diamonds'' (TV series), a 1961–62 Ameri ...

'' (1962) - Caldwell * ''Outlaws'' (1960-1962) - Ten Horses/First Robber * ''

'' (1962) - Newcomb/Alexander Duncan * ''Wide Country'' (1962) - Lester * '' The Beverly Hillbillies'' (1962) - First Psychiatrist * '' Ripcord'' (1961-1963) - Rep Fant/Hal Lundy/FBI Agent * '' Death Valley Days'' (1963) - Mark St. James * ''

Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

'' (1963) - Ludwell * ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, su ...

'' (1961-1963) - Daniel/Man * '' Arrest and Trial'' (1963) - Motorcycle Shop Foreman * '' The Lieutenant'' (1964) - Ship's Doctor * '' Destry'' (1964) - The Deputy * '' The Great Adventure'' (1964) - Boatman * ''

Dr. Kildare Dr. James Kildare is a fictional American medical doctor, originally created in the 1930s by the author Frederick Schiller Faust under the pen name Max Brand. Shortly after the character's first appearance in a magazine story, Paramount Pictur ...

'' (1964) - Mr. Phelps * '' The New Interns'' (1964) - Parking Lot Attendant * '' Flipper'' (1964) - Dorrie Stone * '' The Outer Limits'' (1964) - The Judge * '' Profiles in Courage'' (1964) - Minister * '' The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' (1965) - Doctor * '' Ben Casey'' (1965) - Mr. Dunn * ''

Kraft Suspense Theatre The ''Kraft Suspense Theatre'' is an American television anthology series that was produced and broadcast from 1963 to 1965 on NBC. Sponsored by Kraft Foods, it was seen three weeks out of every four and was pre-empted for Perry Como's ''Kraft Mu ...

'' (1965) - Monty Warneke * '' Petticoat Junction'' (1965) - Clarence McGill * '' The Loner'' (1965) - Simon Townsend * ''

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...

'' (1966) - Karim/Dude * ''

The Big Valley ''The Big Valley'' is an American Western drama television series that originally aired from September 15, 1965, to May 19, 1969 on ABC. The series is set on the fictional Barkley Ranch in Stockton, California, from 1884 to 1888. The one-hour e ...

'' (1966) - Dr. Merar/Dr. Briggs * ''

Twelve O'Clock High ''Twelve O'Clock High'' is a 1949 American war film about aircrews in the United States Army's Eighth Air Force, who flew daylight bombing missions against Germany and Occupied France during the early days of American involvement in World War II ...

'' (1965-1967) - Communications Officer/Brig. Gen. Krasker * '' Run for Your Life'' (1967) - Minister * '' The Rat Patrol'' (1967) - Lt. Klundt * '' Cimarron Strip'' (1968) - R.B. Forbes * ''

The Wild Wild West ''The Wild Wild West'' is an American Western, espionage, and science fiction television series that ran on the CBS television network for four seasons from September 17, 1965, to April 11, 1969. Two satirical comedy television film sequels w ...

'' (1967-1968) - General Crocker/Professor Frimm * ''

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

'' (1957-1968) - Parker/Sheriff/Cowboy * ''

Here's Lucy ''Here's Lucy'' is an American sitcom starring Lucille Ball. The series co-starred her long-time comedy partner Gale Gordon and her real-life children Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. It was broadcast on CBS from 1968 to 1974. It was Ball's thir ...

'' (1968) - Butler * ''

'' (1960-1969) - Leatham/Sam Jacks/Deputy Jackson * '' The Bold Ones:The Lawyers'' (1969) - Chaplain * ''

Hawaii Five-0 Hawaii Five-O or Hawaii Five-0 may refer to: * Hawaii Five-0 (2010 TV series), ''Hawaii Five-0'' (2010 TV series), an American action police procedural television series * Hawaii Five-O (1968 TV series), ''Hawaii Five-O'' (1968 TV series), an Ame ...

'' (1970) - Malden * '' Ironside'' (1970) - Bartender/Riker * '' The High Chaparral'' (1967-1971) - Marshal/Lieutenant Colonel * '' Mission: Impossible'' (1971) - Minister of Defence Karel Sartori

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Drake, Ken 1921 births 1987 deaths 20th-century American male actors American male film actors American male television actors Male actors from Oklahoma Actors from Enid, Oklahoma American military personnel of World War II