# Happy 100th Birthday, Charles Lane **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 26, 2005, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-100th-birthday-charles-lane/286833 "2005-01-26T22:32:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2005, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-100th-birthday-charles-lane/286833/1 "2005-01-26T22:32:21Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-100th-birthday-charles-lane/286833/2 "2005-01-27T00:46:26Z")
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! ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-100th-birthday-charles-lane/286833/3 "2005-01-27T00:56:16Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-100th-birthday-charles-lane/286833/4 "2005-01-27T01:17:32Z")
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. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-100th-birthday-charles-lane/286833/5 "2005-01-27T01:17:56Z")
[His filmography is a sight indeed](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0485272) ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-100th-birthday-charles-lane/286833/6 "2005-01-27T01:42:24Z")
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](mailto:rc@elsinore.net). Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-100th-birthday-charles-lane/286833/7 "2005-01-27T02:11:06Z")
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!” [![](https://www.harpiesbizarre.com/charleslane.JPG) ](https://www.harpiesbizarre.com/charleslane.JPG) Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-100th-birthday-charles-lane/286833/8 "2005-01-27T02:29:16Z")
Well, that photo link isn’t working now. Here’s [another photo](http://petticoat.topcities.com/charlestoday.htm), autographed. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-100th-birthday-charles-lane/286833/9 "2005-01-27T02:31:58Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-100th-birthday-charles-lane/286833/10 "2005-01-27T02:36:01Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![UntouchedTakeaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d78d45/32.png) [@UntouchedTakeaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UntouchedTakeaway)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2005, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-100th-birthday-charles-lane/286833/11 "2005-01-27T11:05:37Z")
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~