The Passing of Charles Lane

[Unimatic1140]

For those of us vintage TV show buffs another one of the greats has gone. Charles Lane was never a star of a show as far as I know, but he was on so many of the shows we love. He was a client on Bewitched a few times, and appeared on Petticoat Junction many times as well.

 

[washabear]

Oh yeah, I remember him. He was on I Love Lucy several times. I remember him as Ricky's accountant in one episode and, of course, the man in the passport office when Lucy took seasick pills. What a great career in film and television he had!

 

[mickeyd]

Nice find Robert, Thanks .

Even at 100, his voice was still the same. For me, he was the first lovable GRUMPY OLD MAN, so wonderfully surley in all his roles.

"I see dead people" has grown into a fine live man.

 

[appnut]

That evil Homer Bedloe wanting to sidetrack the Cannon Ball

 

[petek]

I don't think there's a 50's or 60's sitcom that he didn't have a part in at one time or another. Probably the most famous "unknown" of all. Everyone knows him, no one knew his name.

 

[westyslantfront]

I remember Charles Lane on Petticoat Junction with
Bea Benederet and Edgar Buchanan.

Ross

 

[nurdlinger]

He was in It's a Wonderful Life

He is Potter's flunky. He informs the Great Man that George Bailey is cornering the housing market, turning Potter's tenants into homeowners. He has this great mid-40s hipster talk. Something like "and are the local yokels making with those David and Goliath jokes..."

 

[scott55405]

Ah, thanks for posting that picture Robert. I've been trying my darndest to place him, but the paper had a picture from later in life, and I hadn't gone to look him up anywhere else yet. I of course recognize him immediately from your picture. How wonderful that he had such a long life, and most of it pretty healthy from the sound of things.

 

[pturo]

According to sources close to Zsa Zsa Gabor, he was very well hung, and she is now sitting Shiva.

 

[63getelevision]

My Father

Would be 102 on August 15 this year. I always liked Charles Lane, and am so glad he escaped the fate too many character actors and many leading actors suffered. I also liked James Milhollin. Mr. Lane was fantastic as all of the "miserable" old codgers he played. God bless him.

 

[buffster]

Robert...

Thanks for sharing. What a wonderful tribute to a great character actor that is part of so many terrific TV memories. The YouTube clip was great too. I read that his acting career spanned 76 years. We should all be so lucky. Amazing.

BTW, they always say that celebrities die in threes. We lost Charles Lane on Monday, Lady Bird yesterday, have any other celebrities passed away this week or last?

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-lane11jul11,1,4565799.story?coll=la-news-obituaries

 

[hoover1060]

wasn't it Charles Lane...

In the waiting room with Ricky Ricardo in the episode where Little Ricky was born?
I can't picture the face, but I remember the man sitting there very non-chalant, and the jittery Ricky asks him "Is this your first?" and the man barely looks up from whatever he is doing and quips "my last..."

He was hilarious as Lucy's business manager Mr. Hickox too...

 

[perc-o-prince]

Munsters

Among many other roles, he was also a lawyer who was going to sue Lilly on behalf of his rich clients after they visited Madame Lilly's salon.

 

[perc-o-prince]

As a matter of fact, here's the IMDB page with all of his credits:

http://imdb.com/name/nm0485272/

 

[tomturbomatic]

I like his real name. He's a MOT.

 

[goatfarmer]

The Munster's episode was just on TV Land the other day. RIP, Mr Lane!

 

[jetcone]

Oh he was the perfect

Curmudgeon!

Wasn't he also on Green Acres?? I seem to remember him getting very mad and throwing his hat off.