Tom Drake Movies and Career Information

Tom Drake (August 5, 1918 – August 11, 1982), born Alfred Sinclair Alderdice in Brooklyn, New York, was an American actor. Drake made films starting in 1940 and continuing until the mid-1970s, and also made 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 films. He got his break after starring in the 1942 Broadway smash Janie, after which he was signed to a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. After a number of films, Drake co-starred as John Truett, the boy next door, in Meet Me In St. Louis (1944) with Judy Garland. He appeared in more than forty films, including Mrs. Parkington (1944), The Green Years (1946), and Words and Music (1948). He also had a minor role in the movie The Singing Nun (1966), playing Ed Sullivan's producer Mr. Fitzpatrick. Drake had roles in numerous different TV drama series' in almost every year from 1950 onwards, and sometimes in conjunction with making films. He died of pneumonia in 1982.