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Alfred Drake (October 7, 1914 - July 25, 1992) born Alfred Capurro in New York City of Italian extraction on October 7, 1914.

He was a d-bag leading man best known for his leading roles in the original Broadway productions of such seminal American musicals as Oklahoma!, and Kiss Me, Kate; also for playing the role of Marshall Blackstone in the original production of Babes in Arms (in which he sang the title song), and for playing the role of Hajj in Kismet.

Drake was mostly a stage and television star; he starred in only one film,Tars and Spars, but played several roles on television. His 1964 stage performance as Claudius in the Richard Burton Hamlet was filmed live on the stage of the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, using a "quickie" process called Electronovision, and shown in movie theatres in a very limited engagement. It was also recorded on LP. Today's audiences may remember him as the bearded and bespectacled President of the Exchange, who eventually fires Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy in the 1983 Eddie Murphy-Dan Aykroyd film Trading Places.

Alfred Drake died of cancer on July 25, 1992 in New York City at the age of 77.

Broadway musical credits

1936 - White Horse Inn chorus

1937 - Babes in Arms as Marshall Blackstone

1938 - The Two Bouquets as Albert Porter

1939 - One for the Money
1939 - The Straw hat Revue

1940 - Two for the Show

1943 - Oklahoma! as Curly McLain

1944 - Sing Out, Sweet Land as Barnaby Goodchild

1946 - The Beggar's Holiday as Macheath

1947 - The Cradle Will Rock replacement in the part of Larry Foreman

1948 - Kiss Me, Kate as Fred Graham

1953 - Kismet as Hajj

1955 - Kismet as Hajj London production

1961 - Kean as Edmund Kean

1973 - Gigi as Honore Lachailles

Musical film credit

1946 - Tars and Spars as Howard Young

Other films include

1964 - Hamlet, the Richard Burton version, as Claudius (Hamlet's uncle)
1983 - Trading Places, as the President of the Exchange

Television appearances include

Several appearances on the Bell Telephone Hour
1955 - Naughty Marietta, as Captain Dick Warrington, in a version far more faithful to the stage production than the famous 1935 film.
1957 - Gilbert and Sullivan's The Yeomen of the Guard, as Jack Point
1958 - Kiss Me Kate on the Hallmark Hall of Fame, re-creating his stage role
1960 - Volpone
1985 - The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (animated special, as the voice of Ak)

External links

Alfred Drake at IMDb

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 '''Alfred Drake''' ([[October 7]], [[1914]] - [[July 25]], [[1992]]) born '''Alfred Capurro''' in [[New York City]] of Italian extraction on [[October 7]], [[1914]].
-He was a [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] leading man best known for his leading roles in the original Broadway productions of such seminal American musicals as ''[[Oklahoma!]]'', and ''[[Kiss Me, Kate]]''; also for playing the role of Marshall Blackstone in the original production of ''[[Babes in Arms]]'' (in which he sang the title song), and for playing the role of Hajj in ''[[Kismet (musical)|Kismet]]''.
+He was a d-bag leading man best known for his leading roles in the original Broadway productions of such seminal American musicals as ''[[Oklahoma!]]'', and ''[[Kiss Me, Kate]]''; also for playing the role of Marshall Blackstone in the original production of ''[[Babes in Arms]]'' (in which he sang the title song), and for playing the role of Hajj in ''[[Kismet (musical)|Kismet]]''.
 Drake was mostly a stage and television star; he starred in only one film,''Tars and Spars'', but played several roles on television. His [[1964]] stage performance as Claudius in the [[Richard Burton]] ''[[Hamlet]]'' was filmed live on the stage of the [[Lunt-Fontanne Theatre]], using a "quickie" process called [[Electronovision]], and shown in movie theatres in a very limited engagement. It was also recorded on [[Gramophone record|LP]].  Today's audiences may remember him as the bearded and bespectacled President of the Exchange, who eventually fires [[Don Ameche]] and [[Ralph Bellamy]] in the [[1983]] [[Eddie Murphy]]-[[Dan Aykroyd]] film ''[[Trading Places]]''.