- Van Johnson, Dr Gillespie’s New Assistant, 1942. MGM dropped Lew Ayres as Dr Kildare when he announced he was a conscientious objector to WWII. The studio – and Lionel Barrymore’s Dr Gillespie – immediately started hunting a new assistant… from Drake, Dana Andrews, Rod Cameron, Cornel Wilde. And, ironically, Larry Parks – a 50s’ blacklist victim, as much as poor Ayres was in the 40s. In all, Johnson made four films as Dr Red Adams to close the series – but the much trumpeted Dr Gillespie’s Lady Doctor never happened. NB Not The UK Comic…Charlie Drake.
- Johnny Mitchell, Mr Skeffington, 1943. Drake was booked was scheduled for a guy called Johnny Mitchell but was drafted to WWII and replaced by an actor called… Johnny Mitchell. He’d been Douglass Drake in his previous 18 movies.
- Alex Nicol, Tomahawk, 1950. Change of the racist cavalry Lieutenant Rob Dancy from Drake to Nicol – when Drake was off-loaded into Harvey with James Stewart.
- Alex Nicol, The Redhead Fom Wyoming, 1952. When Drake was switched to the Harvey line-up (not as the rabbit!), Nicol took over as Lieutenant Rob Dancy… in one of Rock Hudson’s early films- – as a bearded trooper who kept falling over his lines… and a wagon wheel. “He’s a clumsy bastard who can’t stay pn his feet,” complained director George Sherman. ”What a clumsy, tongue-tied galoot I was,” agreed Hudson, “ just standing there, looking helpless.”
Birth year: 1917Death year: 1994Other name: Casting Calls: 4