# Older cast members--regular series, movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 30, 2006, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-cast-members-regular-series-movies/350527 "2006-03-30T09:59:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [March 31, 2006, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-cast-members-regular-series-movies/350527/21 "2006-03-31T22:12:23Z")
How old was Eddie Albert (who died last year at age 99) when he did his final film or television work? Same question re Bob Hope. I seem to recall seing Albert do regular guest spots up into the early-1990s when he would have been in his mid-80s. I think Charles Lane’s last film work was around 1993 or 94 when he would have been about 88 or 89. I had always long thought him probably dead until I was surprised to see him play a small role yelling at James Garner for driving over 20 mph in “Murphy’s Romance” in the mid-1980s. Turned to my wife at the time and said “That guy’s still alive!!!” Twenty years later I’m always delighted every January 26th to se him pass another birthday, and apparently doing pretty well. considering. Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-cast-members-regular-series-movies/350527/22 "2006-04-01T02:43:42Z")
[QUOTE=dougie\_monty] Charles Lane played villainous characters on some 60s sitcoms. He is also the only person I know of to have been in the cast of both _It’s a Wonderful Life_ (Lester Reinemann, Potter’s rent collector) and _Mighty Joe Young_ (newspaper reporter covering the opening of O’Hara’s Hollywood nightclub). In the latter movie he would have been 44, according to your reckoning, and in his sixties when I saw him on the sitcoms. 🙂 [/QUOTE] I think he’d be great for an episode of _My Name is Earl_. Earl remembers him as an old grouch from the neighborhood when he was a kid (flashback to a mid 80s Lane), his dad remembers him as an old grouch from the 50s (flashback to _I Love Lucy_ or _Petticoat Junction_ Charles Lane) and Earl’s grandmother (played by Polly Holliday) remembers him as a bastard from the 1930s when she was a kid (flashback to _You Can’t Take it With You_) Charles Lane). Earl decides to cross him off the list because there’s no way he can possibly still be alive, but then of course he is. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-cast-members-regular-series-movies/350527/23 "2006-04-01T03:55:31Z")
Well, Peg Phillips, who played Ruth-Anne on “Northern Exposure,” was 72 when she began playing the role… and that was practically her first job in show biz. She turned to acting only after she’d retired from her first career: accounting. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2006, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-cast-members-regular-series-movies/350527/24 "2006-04-02T12:07:17Z")
Last night Vin Scully did the play-by-play for a game between the Dodgers and the Angels. He must be about 80, and no longer has a Jerry Doggett or Ross Porter to relieve him. He’s been doing Dodgers’ play-by-play since before they left Brooklyn! More in sports: Connie Mack managed the Philadelphia A’s at the age of 87. Nick Altrock, Minnie Minoso, and Satchel Paige all appeared in games after the age of 55. Jack Quinn pitched past the age of 49–cf. Hoyt Wilhelm, Nolan Ryan, Tommy John, Gaylord Perry… I can’t think of oldsters like that in any other sports–except for Gordie Howe in hockey, and coach Amos Alonzo Stagg in football… ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2006, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-cast-members-regular-series-movies/350527/25 "2006-04-02T14:44:16Z")
> [@](#): > > How old was Eddie Albert (who died last year at age 99) when he did his final film or television work? His last appearance was in the TV remake of _The Barefoot Executive_ (1995) at age 89. His last credit was voice over work on several episodes of the animated _Spider-Man_ series in 1997 at age 91. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/older-cast-members-regular-series-movies/350527.md?page=1)