Chris Drake
Encyclopedia
Chris Drake (December 23, 1923 - July 9, 2006) was an American actor best known for his co-star role of the 1950s television series Sheena, Queen of the Jungle
. Chris co-starred with Actress Irish McCalla
in the Sheena series. He also co-starred in the classic 1954 Sci-Fi film Them
and appearred on such television series as Lassie
, The Lone Ranger
and Dragnet
. Drake was interviewed by Charles P. Mitchell for Ultra Filmfax. "Looking back at my life and career, I believe I am the luckiest guy who ever lived," Christian Drake says with great conviction. "I never wanted to be an actor, yet I had appeared in over a hundred roles, in films and on television, and I had a great time doing every one."
Drake joined the Marines. He was one of Carlson's Raiders at Guadalcanal
where they were surrounded by the Japanese. Drake was wounded and was sent home to operate on his knee at the Naval Hospital in San Diego. At the end of 1943 he was transferred to Long Beach Naval Hospital.
Sheena, Queen of the Jungle
Sheena, Queen of the Jungle is a fictional, American comic book jungle girl heroine, published originally by Fiction House. The female counterpart to Tarzan, Sheena had two things in common with Edgar Rice Burrough's Jungle Lord: Both possessed the ability to communicate with wild animals and were...
. Chris co-starred with Actress Irish McCalla
Irish McCalla
Nellie Elizabeth "Irish" McCalla was an American actress and artist best known as the title star of the 1950s television series Sheena, Queen of the Jungle. Sheena co-starred actor Chris Drake...
in the Sheena series. He also co-starred in the classic 1954 Sci-Fi film Them
Them
Them or THEM may refer to:*Them, the English third person accusative plural personal pronoun; see English personal pronouns* Them, Denmark, a town in Silkeborg municipality* Them , an Northern Irish rock band featuring Van Morrison...
and appearred on such television series as Lassie
Lassie
Lassie is a fictional collie dog character created by Eric Knight in a short story expanded to novel length called Lassie Come-Home. Published in 1940, the novel was filmed by MGM in 1943 as Lassie Come Home with a dog named Pal playing Lassie. Pal then appeared with the stage name "Lassie" in six...
, The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked Texas Ranger who, with his Native American companion Tonto, fights injustice in the American Old West. The character has become an enduring icon of American culture....
and Dragnet
Dragnet
Dragnet may refer to:* A type of fishing net*Dragnet , a coordinated search, named for the fishing net-Dragnet media series:...
. Drake was interviewed by Charles P. Mitchell for Ultra Filmfax. "Looking back at my life and career, I believe I am the luckiest guy who ever lived," Christian Drake says with great conviction. "I never wanted to be an actor, yet I had appeared in over a hundred roles, in films and on television, and I had a great time doing every one."
Early life
Drake was born in a small town eight miles outside of Richmond, Virginia. He can trace his family's roots in Virginia back to 1638. When he was 10-years-old, he moved with his family to California, after his father had developed an incurable skin condition. They settled in Manhattan Beach. Eleven years later, he found himself working as a contract player for RKO. During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Drake joined the Marines. He was one of Carlson's Raiders at Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
where they were surrounded by the Japanese. Drake was wounded and was sent home to operate on his knee at the Naval Hospital in San Diego. At the end of 1943 he was transferred to Long Beach Naval Hospital.