This is topic Happy birthday to Charles Lane (100) in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 01-27-2005, 10:11 AM:
Veteran character actor ("old hatchet face" as some people have called him) turned 100 yesterday. You probably saw him in some I Love Lucy episodes or Petticoat Junction (as Homer Bedloe) or Bewitched (as numerous clients).
Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 01-27-2005, 01:09 PM:
Wow, ![[thumbsup]](graemlins/thumbsup.gif)
Well Eddie Albert (Oliver Douglas, "Green Acres") is not to far behind him, he's only 97 years old and Frank Cady (Sam Drucker, "Green Acres") is only 90 years old.
Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 01-27-2005, 03:16 PM:
Must have been the water in Hooterville was from the "Fountain of Youth". ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Posted by Ron Yost (Member # 1850) on 01-27-2005, 10:09 PM:
I wonder if Mr. Albert still tends a vegie garden in his front yard (he really did)? I remember he was quite ahead of his time, being a home-grown healthy foods guy. Doubtless contributed to his long life.
Then there's Jack LaLaine (sp?), speaking of living a healthy life, who's getting way up there too. He lives near by over in Morro Bay. Still kickin'.
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
Ron Yost
Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 01-28-2005, 08:28 AM:
You know that Charles Lane has an uncredited appearance in the 1933 film, "42nd Street," as a writer at Dorothy Brock's cast party. Also, he's Mr. Simmons' attorney in "The Ghost And Mister Chicken."
Glad to know that he is still kicking.
Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 01-31-2005, 02:22 AM:
The weird thing is that Charles Lane has *always* been 100 years old. He looks like the same old guy in every movie, whatever the decade.
"Mr. Fitzgerald is in the billiard room. He's...well, he's sleeping. You can't see him."
-- Charles Lane in It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
Posted by Mark Lensenmayer (Member # 134) on 01-31-2005, 07:01 PM:
I agree...Charles Lane ALWAYS looked old. He must have been first call in Hollywood for and old, crotchity guy.
This guy WORKED. IMDB shows 251 movies (from 1931 to 1995) and 88 TV shows (and I'm sure there were more!)
Turner Classic had some special event with him, probably for his birthday. He still sounds robust (and old and crotchity).
Looks like he played the role of "Clerk" frequently.
Did he ever have a leading role? Does anyone have a longer resume?
Posted by System Notices (Member # 2357) on 07-11-2007, 03:02 PM:
It has been 890 days since the last post.
Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 07-11-2007, 03:02 PM:
Charles Lane passed away in Santa Monica, Ca. on Monday (07/09/07) at the age of 102.
RIP
01/26/1905--07/09/2007
Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 07-11-2007, 03:25 PM:
Bless his heart. What a great character actor he was! A craftsman who made his roles believable.
From SFGate.com:
There are two ways for a bit player to screw up. One way, the forgivable way, is to be inconspicuous. The other way is to act as though you're the star of the picture. Lane did neither. He simply brought truth to his brief moments on screen. With Lane, the audience understood that the reporters, clerks, salesmen and managers he played were people in the midst of their own day -- a day that just happened to intersect with the world of the movie. As such, he had no need to be especially patient or ingratiating. He was rarely nasty, but he usually seemed busy and impatient. He had something he was doing, that he wanted to do, and then Gary Cooper or Barbara Stanwyck or somebody had to come over and interrupt him.
Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 07-11-2007, 11:13 PM:
I always enjoyed him. He made a great TV "pain in the neck" guy.
Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 07-12-2007, 05:46 AM:
Thanks for the great characters Charles.
Almost 340 roles since 1931.
Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 07-12-2007, 11:43 AM:
Charles Lane always reminded me of the projectionist at my home town drive-in, back when I was getting into this game. Pete Butler. They could've been brothers - dead ringers. And ol' Pete was crotchety as hell.
Posted by Bob Koch (Member # 1062) on 07-13-2007, 07:53 PM:
Tim;
When I was a kid in the thirties I tried to get into the projection rooms to see what was cooking, all the booths were union then and all the operators that threw me out,every one, looked exactly like Chas Lane. I guess that was the secret of Charles success, he always looked exactly like who he was playing and the audience so related to him that they always knew him and wanted to see what he would do this time.