For the American baseball player, see Tom Drake (baseball player).

Tom Drake (1918-1982, b. Alfred Alderdice in Brooklyn, New York) was a US actor who made many films starting in 1940 and continuing until the mid-1970s, and a great many TV acting appearances.

He was excused from serving in World War II due to heart problems. Despite this limitation, he did act in British Naval training videos in WWII. He got his break after starring in the 1938 Broadway smash "Janie," after which he was signed to a contract with MGM. After a number of films, he co-starred in Meet Me In St. Louis with Judy Garland, as the boy next door she is set on meeting. Although he made forty more films he never had another such high-profile success, although he did play the composer of "Oklahoma," "Carousel," "South Pacific," and "Sound of Music," Richard Rodgers, in "Words and Music" with a cast including Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Cyd Charisse, June Allyson, and Lena Horne. He had roles in TV drama series in almost every year from 1950 onwards, and sometimes in several a year while still making movies.

1918 births | 1982 deaths | American actors | Norwegian-Americans | Scottish-Americans | People from Brooklyn | Film actors | Deaths by lung cancer