| Chris Drake | |
|---|---|
| Born | James Christian Droste December 23, 1923 Richmond, Virginia, USA |
| Died | July 9, 2006 (aged 82) Williamsburg, Virginia, USA |
| Occupation | Television, film actor |
| Years active | 1944-1961 |
| Spouse | Margaret Shobe (1958-2006) (his death) 4 children |
Chris Drake (Christian 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 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 II 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.