Biography
One of the most prolific auteurs in B-Western history, Oliver Drake began his screen career directing and acting in very low-budget fare produced in San Diego. He turned to directing in the early talkie era and established himself as a producer/writer/director at Universal in the 1940s. His entire career spent in the cheapest Hollywood productions possible, Drake was there for the B-Western genre's last gasps. In 1948-1949, his Yucca Productions released a series of
Sunset Carson Westerns filmed in 16-millimeter (in the immortal words of historian Don Miller: "Yucca is right!") and in 1955 he directed the last star of independent budget oaters,
John Carpenter. Drake ended his long career in the medium that killed off double-bills, television. A highly readable autobiography, Written, Produced and Directed By, was published in 1990. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide