Peggy Drake

The psychological implications of this publicity photograph are stunning.

Dancer and actress -- via westernboothill.blogspot.com. AKA Peggy Akers AKA Liselotte Mayer. She debuted in "Too Many Girls," a film old enough to have a Rodgers and Hart score -- introducing Desi Arnaz, who brought us the conga and fell in love with Lucille Ball.



Her big hit came as the leading lady in the wartime "Rocky" Lane serial, "King of the Mounties," in which our hero fights one evil Japanese admiral, a German marshal, and an Italian count, and Douglas Dumbrille. (Take note, character-actor lovers: in this serial you get Duncan Renaldo, Francis Ford, Jay Novello, and the fabulous "King Kong," Kashey, the Syrian wrestling phenom turned thespian.



Somebody had to make these programmers, full of "mirth and melody" or mindless action. Peggy Drake was one of them, and she did it well.