Charles Lane

Biography

Charles Lane (born Charles Gerstle Levison; January 26, 1905 – July 9, 2007) was an American character actor and centenarian whose career spanned 77 years. Lane gave his last performance at the age of 101 as a narrator in 2006. Lane appeared in many Frank Capra films, including You Can't Take It With You (1938), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), It's a Wonderful Life (1946) and Riding High (1950). He was a favored supporting actor of Lucille Ball, who often used him as a no-nonsense authority figure and comedic foe of her scatterbrained TV character on her TV series I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour and The Lucy Show. His first film of more than 250 was as a hotel clerk in Smart Money (1931) starring Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Known For

Reporter at Marriage License Office

Arsenic and Old Lace

Real Estate Salesman

It's a Wonderful Life

Jack Bailey

Good Neighbor Sam

Playwright (uncredited)

42nd Street

Nosey

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Cashier (uncredited)

Blondie Johnson

Judge

The Ugly Dachshund

Keating- Florist

I Wake Up Screaming

Airport Manager

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

Max Jacobs

Twentieth Century

Cleaning Store Manager (uncredited)

Three Loves Has Nancy

Hallor (uncredited)

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

Dr. Scoggins

The Gnome-Mobile

Attorney (uncredited)

Criminal Lawyer

Attorney Emanuel 'Manny' T. Dixon

Sealed Lips

Whitlow

The Ghost & Mr. Chicken

Amos Abbott

Murphy's Romance

Sargent's Lawyer Gould Beaton

Tarzan's New York Adventure

Constable

The Music Man

Growley

The Invisible Woman

Mr. Evans

Out of the Storm

Willard

The Milky Way

Detective Burns

Mysterious Intruder

Brighton

Bury Me Dead

Inspector General Bigelow

The Mating Game

Roy

Teacher's Pet

Kane

Blessed Event

Lawyer Rickert

36 Hours to Kill

Department Head (uncredited)

The Rage of Paris

Hotel Desk Clerk

Intrigue

Prof. Hollister

Strange Invaders

Fenmore

The Gentleman from Nowhere

Hack Hagen (uncredited)

A Close Call for Boston Blackie

Coroner

A Close Call for Ellery Queen

Dr. Prouty (coroner)

Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime

Dr. Prouty

Ellery Queen, Master Detective

Doc Prouty

Ellery Queen's Penthouse Mystery

Reporter

The Cat and the Canary

Landlord (uncredited)

It Happened on Fifth Avenue

Morgan's Henchman (uncredited)

Broadway Bill

Wilbur - Bijou Theater Manager (uncredited)

Birth of the Blues

Pierce (uncredited)

The Great Man's Lady

Photographer (uncredited)

Honeymoon in Bali

Hungry Harry

Broadway

Al Atwood

But Not for Me

Doctor

Ali Baba Goes to Town

Lawyer (voice)

The Aristocats

Judge (uncredited)

Sea Devils

Reporter for Associated News

Back Street

Erickson

Riding High

Hotel Desk Clerk (Uncredited)

The Mouthpiece

Standard Bates

The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock

Bernard Schwartz

Rhythm on the River

Dr. Shapiro

What's So Bad About Feeling Good?

Lipton

Roses Are Red

Gilroy, an attorney

Danger – Love at Work

Fingers

Trapped by G-Men

Joe Gordon

Two-Fisted Gentleman

Private Detective Smith

Obliging Young Lady

Mayor's aide

Sis Hopkins

Mr. Chandler

Moonrise

Auctioneer

Barnacle Bill

Carpenter

Lucky Night

Desk clerk

Manhattan Parade

Director

Looking for Love

Regent Yarborough

The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes

Prof. Obispo

The Affairs of Dobie Gillis

Feinberg

Lady Luck

Dr. Nolan (uncredited)

Backfire

Moore (uncredited)

Beware Spooks!

McCormack

Louisiana

J.J.

The Little Dragons

Psychiatrist

They All Come Out

Writer

Two for Tonight

Horace Smith

We're on the Jury

Delapp

Remains to Be Seen

Mr. Woodruff (uncredited)

Miss Grant Takes Richmond

Hotel Clerk

Mr. Skitch

Weaver

Cocoanut Grove

Freeman Taylor

Dancing on a Dime

Henderson

You Can't Take It with You

Donald Gower

Always in Trouble

Mortician

Three Girls About Town

Luggage Checkroom Clerk (uncredited)

Union Depot

L.A. Casualty Co. Executive (uncredited)

The Yellow Cab Man

Donovan

Strange Behavior

Albee

Boy Slaves

Desk Clerk at Club

The Road to Singapore

Mr. Westcott

The Second Face

Rosenberg

The Juggler

Mr. Beeman

Get to Know Your Rabbit

Charlie Jenkins

The Birds and the Bees

Mr. Adler

Television Spy

Switchboard Operator

Looking for Trouble

District Attorney

Inside Story

Conn

My Woman

Van der Graaf

When the Bough Breaks

Judge (uncredited)

The Wheeler Dealers

Auctioneer

Kentucky

Sam Kress

Rose of Washington Square

Prosecuting Attorney (uncredited)

Call Northside 777

Prof. Collins (uncredited)

Apartment for Peggy

Director

The Great Profile

Mr. Cosgrove

Papa's Delicate Condition

Coach Jones

Billie

Repkin (uncredited)

Flying Tigers

Mr. Horner (uncredited)

It's a Date

Mr. Weitzenkorn

The Show-Off

Chief

The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies

Judge Warner

God Is My Partner

Shyster Lawyer

The Band Plays On

Eugene Denby

The Carpetbaggers

Furniture Salesman (uncredited)

Blondie

Representative

One More Spring

Defense Attorney Herman (uncredited)

Woman Wanted

Martin Manning (uncredited)

Ride 'Em Cowboy

Hawkins (uncredited)

Living in a Big Way

Finance Company Man (uncredited)

The Big Store

Shoe Salesman (uncredited)

Employees' Entrance

Producer (uncredited)

Mighty Joe Young

Mr. Scurry

Here Comes the Band

The Milky Way

Clarence Morgan

Repent at Leisure

Auto Show Salesman (uncredited)

Let Us Live

Union Representative (uncredited)

Fifth Avenue Girl

Studio Chief

Second Fiddle

Reporter Drake

Golden Boy

District Attorney Rufe Reynolds

News Is Made at Night

Fleetwood Apartments Desk Clerk

Miracles for Sale

Columnist #2

Broadway Thru a Keyhole

Joe - Photographer

Professor Beware

Charlie's Doctor

Charlie McCarthy, Detective

Philbrick

The Great Man's Whiskers

Phil Wesner, Defense Attorney

The Crooked Road

Switchboard Operator Clerk (uncredited)

Race Street

Man in Front Row (archive footage)

The Adventures of Frank Merriwell

Johnson

On Their Own

Government Man (uncredited)

Lady in a Jam

Train Conductor (uncredited)

Blondie Plays Cupid

Larsen

Ball of Fire

Mr. Smith (uncredited)

Primrose Path

Second Lecturer

Edison, the Man

K.D. Reynolds

What's Cookin'?

Holloway

A Gentleman at Heart

Assistant D.A.

Johnny Apollo

Ringside spectator at Ole's first fight (uncredited)

Sunday Punch

Loud Drunk at Club

The Sniper

Henry 'Mitch' Mitchell

The Leather Pushers

J. Montague Gainsborough

Buy Me That Town

Dr. Steiner (uncredited)

Just Before Dawn

Perkins

We Who Are Young

Mott

Thru Different Eyes

Grote

Internes Can't Take Money

Train Passenger (uncredited)

The Texas Rangers Ride Again

Charlie Graham

Buck Benny Rides Again

Society Reporter (uncredited)

Gold Diggers of 1933

Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)

Smart Money

FBI Agent Ralph Burchard (uncredited)

Here Comes the Groom

Man in Front Row (archive footage)

The Florentine Dagger

Reporter (uncredited)

The Doctor Takes a Wife

Webb

One Mile from Heaven

Al - Dance Team Manager (uncredited)

City for Conquest

Bellhop

Acting on Impulse

Rubenstein (uncredited)

Nothing Sacred

Herman Pulvermacher (uncredited)

I Can Get It for You Wholesale

Blink Moran

State of the Union

Amarillo Radio Operator (uncredited)

Central Airport

Doctor (uncredited)

The Bowery

Mr. Eddie Pflum

You're My Everything

Reporter (uncredited)

Twenty Million Sweethearts

Webster - Bank Representative

Big Business

Mr. Bernstein (uncredited)

She Had to Say Yes

Nick Steele

The Invisible Informer

Judge (uncredited)

Ginger

Newspaper Editor

Home in Wyomin'

Barnes's lawyer

Born Reckless

Salesman

You Can't Fool Your Wife

Judge / Mr. Pennington

Movie Movie

Process Server (Uncredited)

Private Detective 62

Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)

Blonde Crazy

Census Taker (uncredited)

New York Town

Rental Car Manager

About Face

Defense Attorney Beardsley (uncredited)

A Wicked Woman

Reporter

Smart Woman

Virgil Hickling

The Mad Martindales

District Attorney

Venus Makes Trouble

Johnny

Born to Sing

Apartment Manager (uncredited)

The House Across the Street

Braun

Friendly Enemies

Waiter at Nicolai Restaurant

Grand Slam

Grayson (uncredited)

Hot Water

Editor

John Goldfarb, Please Come Home!

Man in Kitchenin Montage (uncredited)

Mission to Moscow

Man at Train Station (uncredited)

City Girl

Attorney

Bad Guy

Long Way Home

Spotter

They All Kissed the Bride

Reporter

Let's Talk It Over

Reinhammer

Sunset Limousine

Skip

Easy to Take

Fan in Margaret's Dressing Room (Uncredited)

Joy of Living

Bus Company Superintendent (uncredited)

Pardon My Sarong

Al Nathan

I'll Fix It

K.K. Miller

The Lady Is Willing

Self

The History of Hooterville

Smith (uncredited)

Appointment for Love

Mr. White

The Adventures of Martin Eden

Horace Grimley

Queen of the Mob

Interviewee

Rendezvous in Space

Mr. Pfeiffer

My Dog, the Thief

Connors

The New Interns

Frederick Waterman

Criminal Lawyer

Round Tree

Hitched

Hungry Harry (uncredited)

Broadway

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

214

Gender

Male

Birthday

1905-01-26

Place of Birth

San Francisco, California, USA

Also Known As

Charles Gerstle Levison