Happy 100th Birthday, Charles Lane

If I’m not mistaken, today is the day for this venerable veteran character actor.

Assuming he is in fairly reasonable health for his age, and is not just suffering in a body that refuses to die, I will wish him many more.

Sir Rhosis

Yes, it was today. There was an article in the local paper about him.

Lane certainly had an incredible career. I keep seeing him all over the place in movies in the 30s and 40s, sometimes with only one or two lines, other times with a noticeable part. Then when his film career began fading, TV picked him up. About the only role he was known for was Homer Bedlowe, the villain in Petticoat Junction, but he was an incredibly prolific actor for a very long time.

May he have many more!

After I posted, I found an online article with interview excerpts from a few days ago. Lane seems to be in reasonable health, still lives at his own home, and revealed that for health reasons he quit smoking when he was 85!

I recall a candid interview with him from a few years back wherein he basically said that he did TV to make a living, but felt that TV “stinks,” some worse than others, but all in all television was just hackwork.

Other than PJ, I recall him playing a lawyer who tried to take Boy away from Tarzan and Jane in “Tarzan’s New York Adventure.” I think Weissmuller threw him (his stunt double, anyway) across the courtroom.

Sir Rhosis

If you look carefully, he’s in It’s a Wonderful Life as one of Potter’s flunkies.

Once you know what to look for, he’s easy to spot – the IMDB has him in over 250 films/TV shows, plus 88 TV guest appearances. Suffice to say, that if, in a movie, there’s a mean, weasly guy who shows up in one scene talking like a sourpuss, it was probably Charles Lane. :slight_smile:

His filmography is a sight indeed

From what I gather from the IMDB message board devoted to him, Lane’s family is having his birthday party this weekend, 1-29/30. A “Lucy” fan club will pass along birthday cards sent to:

Mr. Charles Lane
c/o We Love Lucy
P. O. Box 56234
Sherman Oaks, CA 91413

RC-43, a poster at IMDB, is in contact with Lane’s daughter and will pass along birthday wishes that are emailed to him at:

rc@elsinore.net.

Sir Rhosis

For those unfamilar with his name, here is a representative picture of Mr. Lane. Oce you click the link and see it, I’m sure your response will be along the lines of, “Oh, that guy!”

Sir Rhosis

Well, that photo link isn’t working now. Here’s another photo, autographed.

Hmm, I just clicked it and it worked for me. Weird. Thanks fo the second photo, it’s a very good one of his typical persona as well.

Sir Rhosis

It probably still works for you because the page is in your web cache. Try hitting “refresh” a couple of times, and you’ll get a not-working message.

You know - for years I thought someone had mixed up two Charles Lanes because there was NO WAY this guy was still alive at this age.

How utterly fabulous he really is! The interview recently printed was hilarious and he’s come very close to replacing Dick Miller as my favorite “You know…that guy*” in movies.

Thanks for the posting!

VCNJ~