Charles Lane's Best TV, Movie Roles

Charles Lane was one of the most highly recognizable character actors of all time. He appeared in movies like It's a Wonderful Life and It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World and had recurring roles in TV series like The Lucy Show, Dennis the Menace and Petticoat Junction. In fact, Charles Lane's acting resume is miles long. With a career that spanned nearly 7 decades, he was one of the hardest working - and longest living--actors of all time.

Lane, who died in 2007 at the age of 102, worked all the way up until 2006 when he narrated a short of The Night before Christmas. His last on-camera role was in 1995 alongside Kirk Cameron in The Computer Worse Tennis Shoes. Still not sure you know who he is? Well if you own a TV, you have definitely seen Charles Lane. Here are some of the best acting roles of Charles Lane.

The Best Television Roles of Charles Lane

Charles Lane appeared in just about every popular TV series in the 1960s, '70's and '80s, including The Donna Reed Show, Nanny and the Professor, The Flying Nun, The Beverly Hillbillies, Little House on the Prairie, Soap, Maude, Mork and Mindy, L.A. Law, Hunter and St. Elsewhere. He was often typecast as a crabby old man, and indeed these were some of his best roles.

Mr. Stanley- I Love Lucy - "Lucy Goes to the Hospital" (1953). Who can forget the classic scene from the 1950's comedy series I Love Lucy when father-to-be Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz) is pacing in the waiting room talking to another expectant father, Mr. Stanley (Charles Lane), a man who already has 6 daughters. When the nurse comes out and tells Mr. Stanley that his wife just gave birth to triplet baby girls, he is none too pleased. Ricky's pal Fred Mertz (William Frawley) quips that Stanley can always start an all-girls softball team.

Mr. Peckinpaugh- The Twilight Zone - "Mr. Bevis" (1960). You never knew where Charles Lane would turn up, and like all popular actors in the 1960's he appeared in the obligatory Twilight Zone episode. In this episode he plays a boss who gives a loser named Mr. Bevis (Orson Bean) a bit of good news.

Mr. Barnsdahl- The Lucy Show (1962). Charles Lane was one of Lucille Ball's favorite character actors. While her first choice for a tightwad banker on the Lucy Show was Gale Gordon, Lane fit in just fine in the role of Mr. Barnsdahl. After the first season of the show, Gordon became available and Lane's character was replaced with Gordon's Mr. Mooney. But fans will always remember Charles Lane as the militant banker who first kept tabs on Lucy's trust fund.

Homer Bedloe- Petticoat Junction (1963-1968). In what was probably Charles Lane's best known role, he played the devious and nasty railroad exec who was always trying to stir up trouble in Hooterville. Although he was well recognized on Petticoat, Lane only appeared in 23 episodes during the show's 7 seasons.

Mr. Mortimer- Bewitched - "Humbug Not To Be Spoken Here" (1967). Charles Lane actually appeared in 7 different Bewitched episodes over the years-- always as a client of Darrin Stephens (Dick York). But it was this 1967 Christmas episode that stands out. Lane plays a cranky workaholic, Mr. Mortimer, President of Mortimer Soups. When Mortimer requires Darrin's advertising team to work late on Christmas Eve, Darrin bails. Later, Darrin's witchy wife Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) pays crabby old Mr. Mortimer a visit-ala A Christmas Carol style.

The Best Movie Roles of Charles Lane

Mr. Reineman, Rent Collector - It's a Wonderful LIfe (1946). Lane had a small role that packed a big punch in the classic Christmas movie. He played Mr. Potter's (Lionel Barrymore) rent collector, Mr. Reineman. But when Lane's character shows Potter a map of the housing situation Bedford Falls, it makes the mean old banker think. The rent collector threatens, "One of these days this bright young man is going to be asking George Bailey for a job", which was about the most rebellious thing that someone in this small town could ever say to Potter.

Constable Locke - The Music Man (1962). In this highly acclaimed musical, which has since been preserved by the Library of Congress in the United States National Film Registry, Lane played town Constable Locke. This performance was a departure from most of Lane's other roles. While he still played the cranky old man type of character, Lane is actually in the middle of a big musical production number in this movie.

Airport Manager - It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963). Although he only had a small role in this madcap adventure movie, Lane was in good company in a film that was so jam packed with stars that many of them only got a little screen time. All of the big names at the time, including Spencer Tracy, Milton Berle, Sid Ceasar, Edie Adams, Mickey Rooney and Ethel Merman-, showed up in this comedy and Lane was right there alongside them.

Links to Charles Lane's Work

Surprisingly, there isn't a whole lot of video of Charles Lane online, but I was able to track down a few clips from some of his most memorable appearances:

Charles Lane in "It's A Wonderful Life" (Lane appears starting at 2:23 in this clip)

Charles Lane in "Humbug Not To Be Spoken Here" (Bewitched)

Charles Lane 100th Birthday Tribute- TV Land