A cooling drum for metal cast strip by continuous casting has dimples 40 to 200 .mu.m in average depth and 0.5 to 3 mm in diameter of circle equivalent formed on a plated peripheral surface of the cooling drum, adjacent to each other at rims of the dimples; and a film, containing oxides of at least one member selected from the group consisting of Ni--W, Ni--Co--W, Cr, Ni--Fe and Ni--Al, is formed on the peripheral surface.