Chris Drake

Christian "Chris" Drake (December 11, 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. He co-starred with actress Irish McCalla in the Sheena series. He also co-starred in the classic 1954 Sci-Fi film Them! and appeared on such television series as Lassie, Stories of the Century (in the role of deputy sheriff-turned-bandit Burt Alvord), 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. 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 outside of Richmond, Virginia. He traced 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 United States Marine Corps. He was one of Carlson's Raiders at Guadalcanal who were surrounded by the Japanese. Drake was wounded and was sent home for an operation on his knee at the Naval Hospital in San Diego, California. At the end of 1943, he was transferred to the Long Beach Naval Hospital.