Charles Lane

Personal Info

Know For

Acting

Gender

Male

Birthday

1905-01-26 (102 years old)

Deathday

2007-07-09

Place of Birth

San Francisco, California, USA

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 Th...

Acting

1944

Arsenic and Old Lace

as Reporter at Marriage License Office

1946

It's a Wonderful Life

as Real Estate Salesman

1964

Good Neighbor Sam

as Jack Bailey

1933

42nd Street

as Playwright (uncredited)

1933

Blondie Johnson

as Cashier (uncredited)

1966

1941

I Wake Up Screaming

as Keating- Florist

1963

1934

Twentieth Century

as Max Jacobs

1938

Three Loves Has Nancy

as Cleaning Store Manager (uncredited)

1967

The Gnome-Mobile

as Dr. Scoggins

1936

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

as Hallor (uncredited)

1937

Criminal Lawyer

as Attorney (uncredited)

1942

Sealed Lips

as Attorney Emanuel 'Manny' T. Dixon

1985

Murphy's Romance

as Amos Abbott

1942

Tarzan's New York Adventure

as Sargent's Lawyer Gould Beaton

1962

The Music Man

as Constable

1940

1948

Out of the Storm

as Mr. Evans

1936

The Milky Way

as Willard

1946

Mysterious Intruder

as Detective Burns

1947

Bury Me Dead

as Brighton

1959

The Mating Game

as Inspector General Bigelow

1958

1932

1936

36 Hours to Kill

as Lawyer Rickert

1938

The Rage of Paris

as Department Head (uncredited)

1947

Intrigue

as Hotel Desk Clerk

1983

Strange Invaders

as Prof. Hollister

1946

A Close Call for Boston Blackie

as Hack Hagen (uncredited)

1941

Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime

as Dr. Prouty (coroner)

1939

1947

It Happened on Fifth Avenue

as Landlord (uncredited)

1934

Broadway Bill

as Morgan's Henchman (uncredited)

1941

Birth of the Blues

as Wilbur - Bijou Theater Manager (uncredited)

1941

The Great Man's Lady

as Pierce (uncredited)

1939

Honeymoon in Bali

as Photographer (uncredited)

1942

Broadway

as Hungry Harry

1959

But Not for Me

as Al Atwood

1970

The Aristocats

as Lawyer (voice)

1937

Sea Devils

as Judge (uncredited)

1941

Back Street

as Reporter for Associated News

1950

Riding High

as Erickson

1932

The Mouthpiece

as Hotel Desk Clerk (Uncredited)

1959

1940

Rhythm on the River

as Bernard Schwartz

1947

Roses Are Red

as Lipton

1937

Danger – Love at Work

as Gilroy, an attorney

1936

1937

1942

Obliging Young Lady

as Private Detective Smith

1941

Sis Hopkins

as Mayor's aide

1948

Moonrise

as Mr. Chandler

1941

Barnacle Bill

as Auctioneer

1939

Lucky Night

as Carpenter

1931

Manhattan Parade

as Desk clerk

1964

Looking for Love

as Director

1995

The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes

as Regent Yarborough

1953

1936

Lady Luck

as Feinberg

1950

Backfire

as Dr. Nolan (uncredited)

1939

Beware Spooks!

as Moore (uncredited)

1947

Louisiana

as McCormack

1939

They All Come Out

as Psychiatrist

1935

1937

We're on the Jury

as Horace Smith

1953

1949

Miss Grant Takes Richmond

as Mr. Woodruff (uncredited)

1933

Mr. Skitch

as Hotel Clerk

1938

1940

Dancing on a Dime

as Freeman Taylor

1938

Always in Trouble

as Donald Gower

1941

1932

Union Depot

as Luggage Checkroom Clerk (uncredited)

1950

The Yellow Cab Man

as L.A. Casualty Co. Executive (uncredited)

1981

1939

Boy Slaves

as Albee

1931

The Road to Singapore

as Desk Clerk at Club

1950

The Second Face

as Mr. Westcott

1953

The Juggler

as Rosenberg

1972

1956

The Birds and the Bees

as Charlie Jenkins

1939

Television Spy

as Mr. Adler

1934

Looking for Trouble

as Switchboard Operator

1939

Inside Story

as District Attorney

1933

My Woman

as Conn

1986

When the Bough Breaks

as Van der Graaf

1963

The Wheeler Dealers

as Judge (uncredited)

1938

Kentucky

as Auctioneer

1948

Call Northside 777

as Prosecuting Attorney (uncredited)

1948

Apartment for Peggy

as Prof. Collins (uncredited)

1940

1963

1965

Billie

as Coach Jones

1942

Flying Tigers

as Repkin (uncredited)

1940

It's a Date

as Mr. Horner (uncredited)

1934

The Show-Off

as Mr. Weitzenkorn

1957

God Is My Partner

as Judge Warner

1934

The Band Plays On

as Shyster Lawyer

1964

The Carpetbaggers

as Eugene Denby

1938

Blondie

as Furniture Salesman (uncredited)

1935

One More Spring

as Representative

1935

Woman Wanted

as Defense Attorney Herman (uncredited)

1942

Ride 'Em Cowboy

as Martin Manning (uncredited)

1947

Living in a Big Way

as Hawkins (uncredited)

1941

The Big Store

as Finance Company Man (uncredited)

1933

Employees' Entrance

as Shoe Salesman (uncredited)

1949

Mighty Joe Young

as Producer (uncredited)

1935

Here Comes the Band

as Mr. Scurry

1941

Repent at Leisure

as Clarence Morgan

1939

Let Us Live

as Auto Show Salesman (uncredited)

1939

Fifth Avenue Girl

as Union Representative (uncredited)

1939

Second Fiddle

as Studio Chief

1939

Golden Boy

as Reporter Drake

1939

News Is Made at Night

as District Attorney Rufe Reynolds

1939

Miracles for Sale

as Fleetwood Apartments Desk Clerk

1933

1938

Professor Beware

as Joe - Photographer

1939

Charlie McCarthy, Detective

as Charlie's Doctor

1972

1940

The Crooked Road

as Phil Wesner, Defense Attorney

1948

Race Street

as Switchboard Operator Clerk (uncredited)

1936

The Adventures of Frank Merriwell

as Man in Front Row (archive footage)

1940

On Their Own

as Johnson

1942

Lady in a Jam

as Government Man (uncredited)

1940

Blondie Plays Cupid

as Train Conductor (uncredited)

1941

Ball of Fire

as Larsen

1940

Primrose Path

as Mr. Smith (uncredited)

1940

Edison, the Man

as Second Lecturer

1942

What's Cookin'?

as K.D. Reynolds

1942

1940

Johnny Apollo

as Assistant D.A.

1942

Sunday Punch

as Ringside spectator at Ole's first fight (uncredited)

1952

The Sniper

as Loud Drunk at Club

1940

The Leather Pushers

as Henry 'Mitch' Mitchell

1941

Buy Me That Town

as J. Montague Gainsborough

1946

Just Before Dawn

as Dr. Steiner (uncredited)

1940

1940

The Texas Rangers Ride Again

as Train Passenger (uncredited)

1940

Buck Benny Rides Again

as Charlie Graham

1933

Gold Diggers of 1933

as Society Reporter (uncredited)

1931

Smart Money

as Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)

1951

Here Comes the Groom

as FBI Agent Ralph Burchard (uncredited)

1935

The Florentine Dagger

as Man in Front Row (archive footage)

1940

The Doctor Takes a Wife

as Reporter (uncredited)

1940

City for Conquest

as Al - Dance Team Manager (uncredited)

1993

1937

Nothing Sacred

as Rubenstein (uncredited)

1951

I Can Get It for You Wholesale

as Herman Pulvermacher (uncredited)

1948

State of the Union

as Blink Moran

1933

Central Airport

as Amarillo Radio Operator (uncredited)

1933

The Bowery

as Doctor (uncredited)

1949

You're My Everything

as Mr. Eddie Pflum

1934

Twenty Million Sweethearts

as Reporter (uncredited)

1937

Big Business

as Webster - Bank Representative

1933

She Had to Say Yes

as Mr. Bernstein (uncredited)

1946

1935

Ginger

as Judge (uncredited)

1942

Home in Wyomin'

as Newspaper Editor

1937

Born Reckless

as Barnes's lawyer

1978

Movie Movie

as Judge / Mr. Pennington

1933

Private Detective 62

as Process Server (Uncredited)

1931

Blonde Crazy

as Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)

1941

New York Town

as Census Taker (uncredited)

1942

About Face

as Rental Car Manager

1934

A Wicked Woman

as Defense Attorney Beardsley (uncredited)

1948

Smart Woman

as Reporter

1942

The Mad Martindales

as Virgil Hickling

1937

Venus Makes Trouble

as District Attorney

1942

Born to Sing

as Johnny

1949

The House Across the Street

as Apartment Manager (uncredited)

1942

1933

Grand Slam

as Waiter at Nicolai Restaurant

1937

Hot Water

as Grayson (uncredited)

1943

Mission to Moscow

as Man in Kitchenin Montage (uncredited)

1930

City Girl

as Man at Train Station (uncredited)

1937

Bad Guy

as Attorney

1934

1983

Sunset Limousine

as Reinhammer

1936

1938

Joy of Living

as Fan in Margaret's Dressing Room (Uncredited)

1942

Pardon My Sarong

as Bus Company Superintendent (uncredited)

1934

I'll Fix It

as Al Nathan

1942

The Lady Is Willing

as K.K. Miller

1941

Appointment for Love

as Smith (uncredited)

1940

Queen of the Mob

as Horace Grimley

1964

Rendezvous in Space

as Interviewee

1969

My Dog, the Thief

as Mr. Pfeiffer

1964

The New Interns

as Connors

1951

Criminal Lawyer

as Frederick Waterman

1971

Hitched

as Round Tree

1942

Broadway

as Hungry Harry (uncredited)

1941

You're the One

as Announcer

© All Rights Reserved 2025