Tom Drake (born Alfred Sinclair Alderdice; August 5, 1918August 11, 1982) was an American actor. Drake made films starting in 1940 and continuing until the mid-1970s, and also made TV acting appearances.
Early life and career
Drake was born in Brooklyn, New York, and attended Iona Preparatory School and graduated from Mercersburg Academy.
He was excused from serving in World War II due to heart problems.
After appearing in the film The Howards of Virginia (billed as Richard Alden), after which he was signed to a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
MGM
thumb|left|Drake in Meet Me in St. Louis
MGM started Drake in a supporting role in Two Girls and a Sailor (1944). He was third billed in a "B", Maisie Goes to Reno (1944) then had small roles in some "A" pictures, Marriage Is a Private Affair (1944) and Mrs. Parkington (1944).
He was more prominently featured in his role as Judy Garland's leading man in 1944's Meet Me in St. Louis. It was followed by Courage of Lassie (1946), another big hit, and Faithful in My Fashion (1946), which lost money.
Universal borrowed him to play Deanna Durbin's leading man in I'll Be Yours (1947).
Back at MGM Drake was a support in The Beginning or the End (1947) and Cass Timberlane (1947), and teamed with Beery again in Alias a Gentleman (1948). He did another Lassie film, Hills of Home (1948) and played composer Richard Rodgers in the loosely-based biography Words and Music (1948). Cass Timberlane was popular but the other films all lost money.