Oliver Drake - Turner Classic Movies

Oliver Drake


Director

About

Also Known As
Clarence Drake
Birth Place
Boise, Idaho, USA
Born
May 28, 1903
Died
August 05, 1991
Cause of Death
Long Illness

Biography

Prolific director of B westerns whose career spanned the early days of silent film through the "golden age" of TV. A former cattle rancher, Drake entered silent films as the star of numerous Westerns for Golden West Productions in San Diego, most of which he also wrote and directed. As a writer-director for Republic, Monogram, RKO, Columbia and Universal, he reworked basic sagebrush plot...

Photos & Videos

Family & Companions

Maybelle Barringer
Wife
June Drake
Wife

Bibliography

"Written, Produced and Directed by Oliver Drake"
Oliver Drake (1991)

Biography

Prolific director of B westerns whose career spanned the early days of silent film through the "golden age" of TV. A former cattle rancher, Drake entered silent films as the star of numerous Westerns for Golden West Productions in San Diego, most of which he also wrote and directed. As a writer-director for Republic, Monogram, RKO, Columbia and Universal, he reworked basic sagebrush plots as vehicles for Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Johnny Mack Brown, Tex Ritter, Sunset Carson and Jimmy Wakely. Drake moved to TV in 1951, working on the western series "The Gene Autry Show," "Annie Oakley" and "The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok" as well as "The Adventures of Superman" and "Lassie" before his retirement in 1967.

Filmography

 

Director (Feature Film)

Lust to Kill (1958)
Director
The Parson and the Outlaw (1957)
Director
Outlaw Treasure (1955)
Director
Battling Marshal (1950)
Director
Brand of Fear (1949)
Director
Lawless Code (1949)
Director
Roaring Westward (1949)
Director
The Kid from Gower Gulch (1949)
Director
Across the Rio Grande (1949)
Director
Fighting Mustang (1948)
Director
Deadline (1948)
Director
Sunset Carson Rides Again (1947)
Director
Ginger (1947)
Director
Rainbow Over the Rockies (1947)
Director
West of the Alamo (1946)
Director
Trail to Mexico (1946)
Director
Moon Over Montana (1946)
Director
Song of the Sierras (1946)
Director
The Lonesome Trail (1945)
Director
Saddle Serenade (1945)
Director
Springtime in Texas (1945)
Director
Riders of the Dawn (1945)
Director
West of Texas (1943)
Director
Fighting Valley (1943)
Director
Trail of Terror (1943)
Director
Border Buckaroos (1943)
Director
Today I Hang (1942)
Director
The Battling Buckaroo (1934)
Director
Texas Tornado (1934)
Director

Cast (Feature Film)

Red Blood and Blue (1925)
"Slim"

Writer (Feature Film)

No Tears for the Damned (1968)
Screenwriter
Dragoon Wells Massacre (1957)
From an Original story by
The Parson and the Outlaw (1957)
Writer
Trail of the Yukon (1949)
Screenwriter
The Sky Dragon (1949)
Screenwriter
The Feathered Serpent (1948)
Story and Screenplay
Ginger (1947)
Screenwriter
Rainbow Over the Rockies (1947)
Original Story
Trail to Mexico (1946)
Original Screenplay
Moon Over Montana (1946)
Original Story
Song of the Sierras (1946)
Original Story
Springtime in Texas (1945)
Adaptation
The Lonesome Trail (1945)
Original Story
Pride of the Plains (1944)
Based on an Original story by
Fighting Valley (1943)
Original Screenplay
The Lone Star Trail (1943)
Screenwriter
West of Texas (1943)
Original Screenplay
Border Buckaroos (1943)
Original Screenplay
Trail of Terror (1943)
Original Screenplay
Deep in the Heart of Texas (1942)
Original Screenplay
Shut My Big Mouth (1942)
Screenwriter
The Lone Rider in Cheyenne (1942)
Original Screenplay
Today I Hang (1942)
Original story and Screenplay
The Silver Bullet (1942)
Original Story
Boss of Hangtown Mesa (1942)
Original Screenplay
Arizona Stage Coach (1942)
Story
Raiders of the West (1942)
Original Screenplay
Shut My Big Mouth (1942)
Story
The Lone Rider Ambushed (1941)
Original Screenplay
Kansas Cyclone (1941)
Screenwriter
Fugitive Valley (1941)
Original Story
Pals of the Pecos (1941)
Screenwriter
Hard Guy (1941)
Original story and Screenplay
Pals of the Pecos (1941)
Original Story
Robbers of the Range (1941)
Story
Arizona Bound (1941)
Original Story
City of Missing Girls (1941)
Screenwriter
The Tulsa Kid (1940)
Original Screenplay
Billy the Kid Outlawed (1940)
Original Screenplay
Trailing Double Trouble (1940)
Adaptation
Cowboys from Texas (1939)
Original Screenplay
Racketeers of the Range (1939)
Screenwriter
Arizona Legion (1939)
Screenwriter
Trouble in Sundown (1939)
Screenwriter
The Fighting Gringo (1939)
Screenplay and story
The Renegade Ranger (1938)
Screenwriter
Gun Law (1938)
Story and Screenplay
Lawless Valley (1938)
Screenwriter
Border G-Man (1938)
Screenwriter
Painted Desert (1938)
Screenwriter
The Purple Vigilantes (1938)
Original Story
The Riders of the Whistling Skull (1937)
Screenwriter
Round-Up Time in Texas (1937)
Original Screenplay
Hit the Saddle (1937)
Screenwriter
Gunsmoke Ranch (1937)
Screenwriter
Public Cowboy No. 1 (1937)
Screenwriter
Gunsmoke Ranch (1937)
Original Story
Nation Aflame (1937)
[Story] in collaboration with
The Trigger Trio (1937)
Screenwriter
Boots and Saddles (1937)
Screenwriter
Hit the Saddle (1937)
Original Story
Heart of the Rockies (1937)
Screenwriter
Nation Aflame (1937)
Screenwriter
The Riders of the Whistling Skull (1937)
Original Story
Wild Horse Rodeo (1937)
Original Story
Roarin' Lead (1936)
Original Screenplay
Comin' Round the Mountain (1936)
Screenwriter
Oh, Susanna! (1936)
Original story and Screenplay
Ghost-Town Gold (1936)
Screenwriter
Comin' Round the Mountain (1936)
Original Story
Undersea Kingdom (1936)
Screenplay
The Texas Rambler (1935)
Story and Screenplay
The Sagebrush Troubadour (1935)
Screenwriter
The Vanishing Riders (1935)
Story
The Cyclone Ranger (1935)
[Wrt] by
The Singing Vagabond (1935)
Screenwriter
The Sagebrush Troubadour (1935)
Story
The Singing Vagabond (1935)
Story
Six Gun Justice (1935)
Screenwriter
Lawless Valley (1934)
Story and cont
Texas Tornado (1934)
Story
War of the Range (1933)
Screenwriter
Trouble Busters (1933)
Story and dial
Gun Law (1933)
Story and dial
Via Pony Express (1933)
Story and dial
Deadwood Pass (1933)
Adaptation
When a Man Rides Alone (1933)
Adaptation
War on the Range (1933)
Screenwriter
War on the Range (1933)
From Story
Law and Lawless (1932)
[Wrt] by and dial
Beyond the Rockies (1932)
Screenwriter
The Saddle Buster (1932)
Screenwriter
Cheyenne Cyclone (1932)
Dial and Adapted
The Drifter (1932)
Story, cont and dial
A Scarlet Week-End (1932)
Cont
Outlaw Justice (1932)
Adaptation
West of Cheyenne (1931)
Story, cont and dial
The Hurricane Horseman (1931)
Cont and dial
Rogue of the Rio Grande (1930)
Screenwriter
Rogue of the Rio Grande (1930)
Dial
The Desert Rider (1929)
Screenwriter
Gun Law (1929)
Scen
The Drifter (1929)
Story
The Vagabond Cub (1929)
Story
Gun Law (1929)
Story
The Vagabond Cub (1929)
Cont
Pals of the Prairie (1929)
Story
Orphan of the Sage (1928)
Story and cont
Tyrant of Red Gulch (1928)
Story and cont
Breed of the Sunsets (1928)
Adapted and cont
Driftin' Sands (1928)
Adaptation
When the Law Rides (1928)
Story
Phantom of the Range (1928)
Story
Red Riders of Canada (1928)
Adaptation
The Pinto Kid (1928)
Scen
When the Law Rides (1928)
Cont
Driftin' Sands (1928)
Cont
Red Riders of Canada (1928)
Cont
The Mojave Kid (1927)
Story
The Desert Pirate (1927)
Adaptation
The Flying U Ranch (1927)
Cont
Cyclone of the Range (1927)
Story
The Cherokee Kid (1927)
Adaptation
The Mojave Kid (1927)
Cont
The Cherokee Kid (1927)
Cont
The Desert Pirate (1927)
Cont
The Slingshot Kid (1927)
Cont

Producer (Feature Film)

No Tears for the Damned (1968)
Producer
Battling Marshal (1950)
Associate Producer
The Kid from Gower Gulch (1949)
Producer
Fighting Mustang (1948)
Associate Producer
Deadline (1948)
Associate Producer
Rainbow Over the Rockies (1947)
Producer
Sunset Carson Rides Again (1947)
Associate Producer
Song of the Sierras (1946)
Producer
Trail to Mexico (1946)
Producer
Moon Over Montana (1946)
Producer
West of the Alamo (1946)
Producer
Saddle Serenade (1945)
Producer
The Lonesome Trail (1945)
Producer
The Mummy's Curse (1945)
Associate Producer
Beyond the Pecos (1945)
Associate Producer
Riders of the Dawn (1945)
Producer
Renegades of the Rio Grande (1945)
Associate Producer
Weird Woman (1944)
Associate Producer
Trigger Trail (1944)
Associate Producer
The Old Texas Trail (1944)
Associate Producer
Trail to Gunsight (1944)
Associate Producer
Riders of the Santa Fe (1944)
Associate Producer
Boss of Boomtown (1944)
Associate Producer
Marshal of Gunsmoke (1944)
Associate Producer
Oklahoma Raiders (1944)
Associate Producer
Cheyenne Roundup (1943)
Associate Producer
The Lone Star Trail (1943)
Associate Producer
Raiders of San Joaquin (1943)
Associate Producer
Tenting Tonight on the Old Camp Ground (1943)
Associate Producer
Frontier Law (1943)
Associate Producer
Arizona Trail (1943)
Associate Producer
The Old Chisholm Trail (1942)
Associate Producer
Little Joe, the Wrangler (1942)
Associate Producer
The Silver Bullet (1942)
Associate Producer
Deep in the Heart of Texas (1942)
Associate Producer
Boss of Hangtown Mesa (1942)
Associate Producer

Editing (Feature Film)

Driftin' Sands (1928)
Film Editor

Music (Feature Film)

Clay Pigeons (1998)
Song
The Kid from Gower Gulch (1949)
Composer
Gun Runner (1949)
Composer
Outlaw Brand (1948)
Composer
Courtin' Trouble (1948)
Composer
Sunset Carson Rides Again (1947)
Composer
West of the Alamo (1946)
Composer
Rustler's Roundup (1946)
Composer
Moon Over Montana (1946)
Composer
Renegades of the Rio Grande (1945)
Composer
Saddle Serenade (1945)
Composer
The Lonesome Trail (1945)
Composer
The Mummy's Curse (1945)
Composer
Riders of the Santa Fe (1944)
Composer
Trail to Gunsight (1944)
Composer
Trigger Trail (1944)
Composer
Raiders of San Joaquin (1943)
Composer
Cheyenne Roundup (1943)
Composer
Fighting Valley (1943)
Composer
The Lone Star Trail (1943)
Composer
Return of the Rangers (1943)
Composer
Boss of Rawhide (1943)
Composer
The Old Chisholm Trail (1942)
Composer
Boss of Hangtown Mesa (1942)
Composer
The Silver Bullet (1942)
Composer
Hard Guy (1941)
Composer
Sierra Sue (1941)
Composer
Sunset in Wyoming (1941)
Composer
Gun Law (1938)
Composer
Painted Desert (1938)
Composer
Gunsmoke Ranch (1937)
Music
Hit the Saddle (1937)
Composer
Public Cowboy No. 1 (1937)
Composer
Oh, Susanna! (1936)
Composer
The Singing Cowboy (1936)
Composer
Guns and Guitars (1936)
Composer
The Oregon Trail (1936)
Composer
The Old Corral (1936)
Composer
The Singing Vagabond (1935)
Composer
Via Pony Express (1933)
Composer
Rogue of the Rio Grande (1930)
Composer

Life Events

1917

Entered show business with Golden West Productions in San Diego as an actor and sometimes writer and director of 28 Westerns

1951

Began directing TV Westerns

1967

Retired

Companions

Maybelle Barringer
Wife
June Drake
Wife

Bibliography

"Written, Produced and Directed by Oliver Drake"
Oliver Drake (1991)