Born in Freedom: The Story of Colonel Drake

  • Genre: Documentary
  • Run time: 30 min
  • Premiere: 1954. March 29.

In 1857 Edwin L. Drake is sent to investigate an oil seep in a creek near Titusville, Pennsylvania. Overcoming many other obstacles, Drake's innovation to shield the well from water entry by using a drive pipe finally allows drilling to proceed until striking oil in August, 1859. His perseverance yields many barrels of oil a day, and immediately brings about the start of the oil industry.

Discover

Vincent Price

Colonel Edwin L. Drake

Andy Clyde

Uncle Billy Smith

Alan Hale Jr.

Crew Foreman

Thurston Hall

James M. Townsend

Lloyd Corrigan

Doctor Brewer

Will Wright

Joel D. Angier

Keith Richards

George Henry Bissell

Al Bridge

Hotel Desk Clerk

William Haade

Salt Driller

Jack Ingram

Man on Horseback

Art

Eugène Lourié

Production Design

Camera

Charles P. Boyle

Director of Photography

Directing

Arthur Pierson

Director

Editing

Thomas Neff

Editor

Production

Guy V. Thayer Jr.

Executive Producer

Roland D. Reed

Producer

Sound

Alexander Laszlo

Original Music Composer

Writing