See also Biography Index (C) :: Filmography Index (C) :: Discography Index (C)

Charles Gerstle Levison (January 26, 1905 – July 9, 2007), better known as Charles Lane, was an American character actor seen in many movies and TV shows, and at the time of his death may have been the oldest living professional American actor. Lane appeared in many Frank Capra films, including Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Arsenic and Old Lace and It`s a Wonderful Life. 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. Among his many roles as a character actor, Lane landed the recurring role as newspaper editor Mr. Fosdick in the Peter Lawford sitcom Dear Phoebe, which aired on NBC in the 1954-1955 season. He portrayed Emil Quincy in two episodes of the syndicated romantic comedy series, How to Marry a Millionaire (1957-1959), with Barbara Eden and Merry Anders. However, he is most widely remembered for his portrayal of J. Homer Bedloe on the television situation comedy Petticoat Junction. Bedloe was a mean-spirited railroad executive who visited the Shady Rest Hotel periodically, attempting to find justification for ending the train service of the Hooterville Cannonball, but never succeeding.[2]He guest starred on many television programs, including the syndicated drama of the American Civil War, Gray Ghost, and ABC`s short-lived sitcom, The Bing Crosby Show in the 1964-1965 season.

Lane was born Charles Gerstle Levison in San Francisco, California, to Alice G. and Jacob B. Levison and was, prior to his death, one of the last remaining survivors of the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906. In 1932 Lane married Ruth Covell and they remained together for 70 years until her death in 2002.

In 1990, Lane at age 85, was rushed to hospital after having difficulty breathing. A doctor asked if he was still smoking, and Lane replied that he had kicked the habit 45 minutes earlier. He never smoked again.

Despite his stern, hard-hearted demeanor in films and television, friends and acquaintances seem to unanimously describe Lane as a warm, funny and kind person. On January 26, 2007, Lane celebrated his 102nd birthday. A documentary about his life and career, entitled You Know the Face, is currently in production. He continued to live in the Brentwood home he bought with Ruth for $46,000 in 1964 and lived in until his death. In the end, his son Tom Lane, said he was talking with his father at 9 p.m. on the evening of Monday, July 9, 2007, He was lying in bed with his eyes real wide open. Then he closed his eyes and stopped breathing." Charles Lane was 102. Lane was not the only person in his family to have a long life - his mother Alice died in her San Francisco home in 1973 aged 100.