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.
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Known For
The Aristocats
(1970)
Lawyer
It's a Wonderful Life
(1946)
Real Estate Salesman
Mighty Joe Young
(1949)
Producer (uncredited)
Twentieth Century
(1934)
Max Jacobs
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
(1963)
Airport Manager
Gold Diggers of 1933
(1933)
Society Reporter (uncredited)
Strange Invaders
(1983)
Prof. Hollister
The Carpetbaggers
(1964)
Eugene Denby
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
(1939)
Nosey
The Sniper
(1952)
Loud Drunk at Club
Flying Tigers
(1942)
Repkin (uncredited)
Golden Boy
(1939)
Reporter Drake
City Girl
(1930)
Man at Train Station (uncredited)
Ball of Fire
(1941)
Larsen
Moonrise
(1948)
Mr. Chandler
42nd Street
(1933)
Playwright (uncredited)
Full Filmography
Acting
City Girl
(1930)
Man at Train Station (uncredited)
Manhattan Parade
(1931)
Desk clerk
The Road to Singapore
(1931)
Desk Clerk at Club
Smart Money
(1931)
Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Blonde Crazy
(1931)
Hotel Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Blessed Event
(1932)
Kane
The Mouthpiece
(1932)
Hotel Desk Clerk (Uncredited)
Union Depot
(1932)
Luggage Checkroom Clerk (uncredited)
42nd Street
(1933)
Playwright (uncredited)
Blondie Johnson
(1933)
Cashier (uncredited)
Mr. Skitch
(1933)
Hotel Clerk
My Woman
(1933)
Conn
Employees' Entrance
(1933)
Shoe Salesman (uncredited)
Broadway Thru a Keyhole
(1933)
Columnist #2
Gold Diggers of 1933
(1933)
Society Reporter (uncredited)
The Bowery
(1933)
Doctor (uncredited)
Central Airport
(1933)
Amarillo Radio Operator (uncredited)
She Had to Say Yes
(1933)
Mr. Bernstein (uncredited)
Private Detective 62
(1933)
Process Server (Uncredited)
Grand Slam
(1933)
Waiter at Nicolai Restaurant
Twentieth Century
(1934)
Max Jacobs
Broadway Bill
(1934)
Morgan's Henchman (uncredited)
Looking for Trouble
(1934)
Switchboard Operator
The Show-Off
(1934)
Mr. Weitzenkorn
The Bands Plays On
(1934)
Shyster Lawyer
Twenty Million Sweethearts
(1934)
Reporter (uncredited)
A Wicked Woman
(1934)
Defense Attorney Beardsley (uncredited)
Let's Talk It Over
(1934)
Reporter
I'll Fix It
(1934)
Al Nathan
Two for Tonight
(1935)
Writer
One More Spring
(1935)
Representative
Woman Wanted
(1935)
Defense Attorney Herman (uncredited)
Here Comes the Band
(1935)
Mr. Scurry
The Florentine Dagger
(1935)
Man in Front Row (archive footage)
Ginger
(1935)
Judge (uncredited)
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
(1936)
Hallor (uncredited)
The Milky Way
(1936)
Willard
36 Hours to Kill
(1936)
Lawyer Rickert
Lady Luck
(1936)
Feinberg
The Adventures of Frank Merriwell
(1936)
Man in Front Row (archive footage)
Easy to Take
(1936)
Skip
Two-Fisted Gentleman
(1936)
Joe Gordon
Ali Baba Goes to Town
(1937)
Doctor
Danger – Love at Work
(1937)
Gilroy, an attorney
Trapped by G-Men
(1937)
Fingers
We're on the Jury
(1937)
Horace Smith
Internes Can't Take Money
(1937)
Grote
One Mile from Heaven
(1937)
Webb
Nothing Sacred
(1937)
Rubenstein (uncredited)
Big Business
(1937)
Webster - Bank Representative
Born Reckless
(1937)
Barnes's lawyer
Venus Makes Trouble
(1937)
District Attorney
Hot Water
(1937)
Grayson (uncredited)
Bad Guy
(1937)
Attorney
Criminal Lawyer
(1937)
Attorney (uncredited)
Sea Devils
(1937)
Judge (uncredited)
The Rage of Paris
(1938)
Department Head (uncredited)
Cocoanut Grove
(1938)
Weaver
You Can't Take It with You
(1938)
Henderson
Always in Trouble
(1938)
Donald Gower
Kentucky
(1938)
Auctioneer
Blondie
(1938)
Furniture Salesman (uncredited)
Professor Beware
(1938)
Joe - Photographer
Joy of Living
(1938)
Fan in Margaret's Dressing Room (Uncredited)
Three Loves Has Nancy
(1938)
Cleaning Store Manager (uncredited)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
(1939)
Nosey
Honeymoon in Bali
(1939)
Photographer (uncredited)
Lucky Night
(1939)
Carpenter
Beware Spooks!
(1939)
Moore (uncredited)
They All Come Out
(1939)
Psychiatrist
Rose of Washington Square
(1939)
Sam Kress
Boy Slaves
(1939)
Albee
Inside Story
(1939)
District Attorney
Television Spy
(1939)
Mr. Adler
Let Us Live
(1939)
Auto Show Salesman (uncredited)
5th Ave Girl
(1939)
Union Representative (uncredited)
Second Fiddle
(1939)
Studio Chief
Golden Boy
(1939)
Reporter Drake
News Is Made at Night
(1939)
District Attorney Rufe Reynolds
Miracles for Sale
(1939)
Fleetwood Apartments Desk Clerk
Charlie McCarthy, Detective
(1939)
Charlie's Doctor
The Cat and the Canary
(1939)
Reporter
The Invisible Woman
(1940)
Growley
Ellery Queen, Master Detective
(1940)
Dr. Prouty
Rhythm on the River
(1940)
Bernard Schwartz
Dancing on a Dime
(1940)
Freeman Taylor
The Great Profile
(1940)
Director
It's a Date
(1940)
Mr. Horner (uncredited)
The Crooked Road
(1940)
Phil Wesner, Defense Attorney
Primrose Path
(1940)
Mr. Smith (uncredited)
Blondie Plays Cupid
(1940)
Train Conductor (uncredited)
Edison, the Man
(1940)
Second Lecturer
Johnny Apollo
(1940)
Assistant D.A.
The Leather Pushers
(1940)
Henry 'Mitch' Mitchell
We Who Are Young
(1940)
Perkins
Buck Benny Rides Again
(1940)
Charlie Graham
The Texas Rangers Ride Again
(1940)
Train Passenger (uncredited)
The Doctor Takes a Wife
(1940)
Reporter
City for Conquest
(1940)
Al - Dance Team Manager (uncredited)
You Can't Fool Your Wife
(1940)
Salesman
Queen of the Mob
(1940)
Horace Grimley
On Their Own
(1940)
Johnson
I Wake Up Screaming
(1941)
Keating- Florist
Ellery Queen's Penthouse Mystery
(1941)
Doc Prouty
Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime
(1941)
Dr. Prouty (coroner)
Birth of the Blues
(1941)
Wilbur - Bijou Theater Manager (uncredited)
Back Street
(1941)
Reporter for Associated News
Sis Hopkins
(1941)
Mayor's aide
Barnacle Bill
(1941)
Auctioneer
Three Girls About Town
(1941)
Mortician
The Big Store
(1941)
Finance Company Man (uncredited)
Repent at Leisure
(1941)
Clarence Morgan
Ball of Fire
(1941)
Larsen
Buy Me That Town
(1941)
J. Montague Gainsborough
New York Town
(1941)
Census Taker (uncredited)
Appointment for Love
(1941)
Smith (uncredited)
Sealed Lips
(1942)
Attorney Emanuel 'Manny' T. Dixon
Tarzan's New York Adventure
(1942)
Sargent's Lawyer Gould Beaton
A Close Call for Ellery Queen
(1942)
Coroner
The Great Man's Lady
(1942)
Pierce (uncredited)
Broadway
(1942)
Hungry Harry
Obliging Young Lady
(1942)
Private Detective Smith
Ride 'Em Cowboy
(1942)
Martin Manning (uncredited)
Lady in a Jam
(1942)
Government Man
What's Cookin'?
(1942)
K.D. Reynolds
A Gentleman at Heart
(1942)
Holloway
Sunday Punch
(1942)
Ringside spectator at Ole's first fight (uncredited)
Thru Different Eyes
(1942)
Mott
Home in Wyomin'
(1942)
Newspaper Editor
About Face
(1942)
Rental Car Manager
The Mad Martindales
(1942)
Virgil Hickling
Born to Sing
(1942)
Johnny
Friendly Enemies
(1942)
Braun
They All Kissed the Bride
(1942)
Spotter
Pardon My Sarong
(1942)
Bus Company Superintendent (uncredited)
The Lady Is Willing
(1942)
K.K. Miller
The Adventures of Martin Eden
(1942)
Mr. White
Flying Tigers
(1942)
Repkin (uncredited)
Mission to Moscow
(1943)
Man in Kitchenin Montage (uncredited)
Arsenic and Old Lace
(1944)
Reporter at Marriage License Office
It's a Wonderful Life
(1946)
Real Estate Salesman
Mysterious Intruder
(1946)
Detective Burns
A Close Call for Boston Blackie
(1946)
Hack Hagen (uncredited)
Just Before Dawn
(1946)
Dr. Steiner (uncredited)
The Invisible Informer
(1946)
Nick Steele
Bury Me Dead
(1947)
Brighton
Intrigue
(1947)
Hotel Desk Clerk
It Happened on Fifth Avenue
(1947)
Landlord (uncredited)
Roses Are Red
(1947)
Lipton
Living in a Big Way
(1947)
Hawkins (uncredited)
Louisiana
(1947)
McCormack
Out of the Storm
(1948)
Mr. Evans
Call Northside 777
(1948)
Prosecuting Attorney (uncredited)
Apartment for Peggy
(1948)
Prof. Collins (uncredited)
State of the Union
(1948)
Blink Moran
Smart Woman
(1948)
Reporter
The Gentleman from Nowhere
(1948)
Fenmore
Race Street
(1948)
Switchboard Operator Clerk (uncredited)
Moonrise
(1948)
Mr. Chandler
Mighty Joe Young
(1949)
Producer (uncredited)
You're My Everything
(1949)
Mr. Eddie Pflum
The House Across the Street
(1949)
Apartment Manager (uncredited)
Miss Grant Takes Richmond
(1949)
Mr. Woodruff (uncredited)
Riding High
(1950)
Erickson
The Yellow Cab Man
(1950)
L.A. Casualty Co. Executive (uncredited)
The Second Face
(1950)
Mr. Westcott
Backfire
(1950)
Dr. Nolan (uncredited)
Here Comes the Groom
(1951)
Ralph Burchard
I Can Get It for You Wholesale
(1951)
Herman Pulvermacher (uncredited)
Criminal Lawyer
(1951)
Frederick Waterman
The Sniper
(1952)
Loud Drunk at Club
The Affairs of Dobie Gillis
(1953)
Prof. Obispo
Remains to Be Seen
(1953)
Delapp
The Juggler
(1953)
Rosenberg
The Birds and the Bees
(1956)
Charlie Jenkins
God Is My Partner
(1957)
Judge Warner
Teacher's Pet
(1958)
Roy
The Mating Game
(1959)
Inspector General Bigelow
But Not for Me
(1959)
Al Atwood
The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock
(1959)
Standard Bates
The Music Man
(1962)
Constable
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
(1963)
Airport Manager
Papa's Delicate Condition
(1963)
Mr. Cosgrove
The Wheeler Dealers
(1963)
Judge (uncredited)
Good Neighbor Sam
(1964)
Jack Bailey
Looking for Love
(1964)
Director
The Carpetbaggers
(1964)
Eugene Denby
Rendezvous in Space
(1964)
Interviewee
The New Interns
(1964)
Connors
Billie
(1965)
Coach Jones
John Goldfarb, Please Come Home!
(1965)
Editor
The Ugly Dachshund
(1966)
Judge
The Ghost & Mr. Chicken
(1966)
Whitlow
The Gnome-Mobile
(1967)
Dr. Scoggins
What's So Bad About Feeling Good?
(1968)
Dr. Shapiro
My Dog the Thief
(1969)
Mr. Pfeiffer
The Aristocats
(1970)
Lawyer
Get to Know Your Rabbit
(1972)
Mr. Beeman
The Great Man's Whiskers
(1972)
Philbrick
Long Way Home
(1975)
Movie Movie
(1978)
Judge / Mr. Pennington
The Little Dragons
(1980)
J.J.
Strange Behavior
(1981)
Donovan
The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies
(1981)
Chief
Strange Invaders
(1983)
Prof. Hollister
Sunset Limousine
(1983)
Reinhammer
Murphy's Romance
(1985)
Amos Abbott
When the Bough Breaks
(1986)
Van der Graaf
Acting on Impulse
(1993)
Bellhop
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes
(1995)
Regent Yarborough
The History of Hooterville
(2005)
Self