Trivia

Pint-sized, squeaky-voiced slapstick comedian, briefly fashionable in British TV and films of the 1960's.

His career in TV comedy came to an end because he was reportedly difficult to work with.

The World of Charlie Drake (1968) won the Charlie Chaplin award at the 1968 Montreux Festival as the funniest TV show. The programme included a sketch where he played numerous parts in a comic version of the 1812 Overture in E Flat.

Married Heather an ex ballerina and had 3 children.

Relatives: Christopher Drake (son); Violet Springall (mother) and Ted Drake (brother).

Made his stage debut at 8 with other children singing Boiled Beef and Carrotts with Harry Champion.

In 1961, a live broadcast of one of his comedy shows was abruptly terminated (and the remaining segments of the series canceled) when he was knocked out on camera in a stunt that went badly wrong. He remained unconscious for several days and was in hospital for some time afterwards.