Charles Willis Lane (January 25, 1869–October 17, 1945) was an American stage and film actor, active from 1914 to 1929. Like many film performers born before 1900 Lane had extensive prior Broadway stage or regional theatrical experience stretching back to his youth in the 1890s. Lane was born in

Madison, Illinois Madison is a city in Madison and St. Clair counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 3,891 at the 2010 census. It is home to World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway and the first Bulgarian Orthodox church in the United States. ...

, and can be seen in silent films usually as a silver-haired other man or

confidant The confidant ( or ; feminine: confidante, same pronunciation) is a character in a story whom a protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing ...

. Two of his best-known roles are Dr. Lanyon in ''

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Doctor is an academic title that originates from the Latin word of the same spelling and meaning. The word is originally an agentive noun of the Latin verb 'to teach'. It has been used as an academic title in Europe since the 13th century, w ...

'' (1920) and Dr. Angus McPhail in '' Sadie Thompson'' (1928).

Partial filmography

* ''

The Man from Mexico ''The Man from Mexico'' is a 1914 silent film produced by the Famous Players Film Company and Daniel Frohman. It starred John Barrymore in his second feature film and was remade in 1926 as '' Let's Get Married'' starring Richard Dix. The film was ...

'' (1914) (* unconfirmed and/or uncredited) * ''

Mrs. Black Is Back ''Mrs. Black Is Back'' is a 1914 American silent comedy film directed by Thomas N. Heffron and written by George V. Hobart and Eve Unsell. The film stars May Irwin, Charles Lane, Clara Blandick, Wellington A. Playter, Elmer Booth and James Hes ...

'' (1914, also in 1904 Broadway play) - Prof. Newton Black * ''

Ruggles of Red Gap ''Ruggles of Red Gap'' is a 1935 American comedy western film directed by Leo McCarey and starring Charles Laughton, Mary Boland, Charlie Ruggles, and ZaSu Pitts and featuring Roland Young and Leila Hyams. It was based on the best-selling 1915 ...

'' (1918) - Earl of Brinstead * '' Wanted: A Husband'' (1919) - Tom Harmon * ''

'' (1920) - Dr. Richard Lanyon * ''

Away Goes Prudence ''Away Goes Prudence'' is a 1920 American silent comedy film produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. This picture was directed by John S. Robertson and starred Billie Burke. Screenwriter Josephine Lovett provid ...

'' (1920) - Mr. Thorne * '' Guilty of Love'' (1920) - Goddard Townsend * ''

The Branded Woman ''The Branded Woman'' is a 1920 American silent drama film released by First National Pictures. It stars Norma Talmadge who also produced the film along with her husband Joseph Schenck through their production company, Norma Talmadge Production ...

'' (1920) - Herbert Averill * ''

The Restless Sex ''The Restless Sex'' is a 1920 American silent drama film starring Marion Davies, and Ralph Kellard. It was directed by Leon D'Usseau and Robert Z. Leonard and written by Frances Marion. The film is based upon the 1918 novel of the same name b ...

'' (1920) - John Cleland * '' Without Limit'' (1921) - Clement Palter * '' If Women Only Knew'' (1921) - Dr. John Strong * ''

Love's Penalty ''Love's Penalty'' is a 1921 American drama film written and directed by John Gilbert. The film stars Hope Hampton, Irma Harrison, Mrs. Phillip Landau, Percy Marmont, John B. O'Brien, and Virginia Valli. The film was released in June 1921, by ...

'' (1921) - Rev. John Kirchway * ''

Fascination Fascination may refer to: Music *"Fascination", a stride piano composition by James P. Johnson recorded in 1917 (as a piano roll) and 1939 (acoustic) *''Fascination!'', a 1983 album by The Human League **"(Keep Feeling) Fascination", a 1983 song ...

'' (1922) - Eduardo de Lisa (her father) * '' Broadway Rose'' (1922) - Peter Thompson * ''

How Women Love ''How Women Love'' is a 1922 American silent drama film directed by Kenneth S. Webb and starring Betty Blythe, Gladys Hulette and Julia Swayne Gordon.Munden p.367 A promising singer his signed up by a backer for the new opera he is producing, ...

'' (1922) - Ogden Ward * ''

The Tents of Allah ''The Tents of Allah'' is a 1923 American silent drama film written and directed by Charles A. Logue and starring Monte Blue, Mary Alden, and Frank Currier. Synopsis While visiting her uncle, the American consul in Tangier, Morocco, a young w ...

'' (1923) - Commander Millgrate * ''

The White Sister ''The White Sister'' is a play in four acts by Francis Marion Crawford and Walter C. Hackett. The play was originally written by Crawford in 1907 and he later adapted the play into a serialized novel which was first published over a six month p ...

'' (1923) - Prince Chiaromonte * '' Second Youth'' (1924) - Weeks Twombly * ''

Romola ''Romola'' (1862–63) is a historical novel written by Mary Ann Evans under the pen name of George Eliot set in the fifteenth century. It is "a deep study of life in the city of Florence from an intellectual, artistic, religious, and social poi ...

'' (1924) - Baldassar Calvo * ''

I Want My Man ''I Want My Man'' is a 1925 American drama film directed by Lambert Hillyer and written by Joseph F. Poland, Earle Snell, and Earl Hudson. It is based on the 1924 novel ''The Interpreter's House'' by Maxwell Struthers Burt. The film stars Dori ...

'' (1925) - French Doctor * ''

The Marriage Whirl ''The Marriage Whirl'' is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Alfred Santell and written by Bradley King. It is based on the 1922 play ''The National Anthem'' by J. Hartley Manners. The film stars Corinne Griffith, Kenneth Harlan, Ha ...

'' (1925) - Reuben Hale * '' The Dark Angel'' (1925) - Sir Hubert Vane * '' Stella Dallas'' (1925) - Stephen Dallas, Sr. (uncredited) * ''

Pearl of Love ''Pearl of Love'' is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Leon Danmun and starring Betty Balfour, Gladys Leslie, and Burr McIntosh. It is based upon a novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Plot As described in a film magazine review, littl ...

'' (1925) - Captain Pinnel * '' The Outsider'' (1926) - Sir Jasper Sturdee * '' The Blind Goddess'' (1926) - Judge * ''

Padlocked ''Padlocked'' is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Allan Dwan and written by Rex Beach, Becky Gardiner, and James Shelley Hamilton. The film stars Lois Moran, Noah Beery Sr., Louise Dresser, Helen Jerome Eddy, Allan Simpson, Floren ...

'' (1926) - Monte Hermann * ''

The Mystery Club ''The Mystery Club'' is a 1926 American silent mystery film directed by Herbert Blaché and starring Matt Moore, Edith Roberts and Mildred Harris.Munden p.535 It was based on a story from Arthur Somers Roche's ''Crimes of the Armchair Club''. ...

'' (1926) - John Cranahan * ''

Marriage License? ''Marriage License?'' is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Frank Borzage and written by Bradley King and Elizabeth Pickett Chevalier. It is based on the 1925 play ''The Pelican'' by F. Tennyson Jesse and H. M. Harwood. The film st ...

'' (1926) - Sir John * ''

The Winning of Barbara Worth ''The Winning of Barbara Worth'' is a 1926 American silent Western film directed by Henry King, and starring Ronald Colman, Vilma Bánky and Gary Cooper (who replaced Monte Blue). Based on Harold Bell Wright's novel ''The Winning of Barbara Wo ...

'' (1926) - Jefferson Worth * '' The Music Master'' (1927) - Richard Stanton * ''

The Whirlwind of Youth ''The Whirlwind of Youth'' is a 1927 American silent romance film directed by Rowland V. Lee and starring Lois Moran, Vera Voronina, Donald Keith and Alyce Mills.Anderson p.162 Cast * Lois Moran as Nancy Hawthorne * Vera Voronina as Heloise ...

'' (1927) - Jim Hawthorne * ''

Married Alive ''Married Alive'' is a 1927 American silent comedy film directed by Emmett J. Flynn and written by Gertrude Orr. The film stars Margaret Livingston, Matt Moore, Claire Adams, Gertrude Claire, Marcella Daly and Henry Sedley. The film was relea ...

'' (1927) - Mr. Fountain * '' Service for Ladies'' (1927) - Robert Foster, her father * ''

Barbed Wire A close-up view of a barbed wire Roll of modern agricultural barbed wire Barbed wire, also known as barb wire, is a type of steel fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strands. Its primary use is t ...

'' (1927) - Col. Duval * '' Sadie Thompson'' (1928) - Dr. Angus McPhail * ''

The Canary Murder Case ''For the film adaptation see The Canary Murder Case (film)'' ''The Canary Murder Case'' (1927) is a murder mystery novel which deals with the murders of a sexy nightclub singer known as "the Canary," and, eventually, her boyfriend, solved by Ph ...

'' (1929) - Charles Spottswoode * ''

Saturday's Children Saturday's Children may refer to: * ''Saturday's Children'' (1929 film), a romantic comedy film by Gregory La Cava * ''Saturday's Children'' (1940 film), a drama film by Vincent Sherman *''Saturday's Children'', a 1927 play by Maxwell Anderson ...

'' (1929) - Mr. Henry Halevy * ''

Broadway Scandals ''Broadway Scandals'' is a 1929 American Pre-Code musical film. Cast * Sally O'Neil - Mary * Jack Egan - Ted Howard * Carmel Myers - Valeska * J. Barney Sherry - Le Claire * Charles C. Wilson - Jack Lane * Doris Dawson - Bobby * Wild Bill El ...

'' (1929) - Radio Announcer (final film role)

External links

* *
Lantern slide featuring Charles Willis Lane and Anna Q. Nilsson from the film ''Without Limit'' (1921)
(Wayback Machine) {{DEFAULTSORT:Lane, Charles Willis 1869 births 1945 deaths American male film actors American male silent film actors American male stage actors Male actors from Illinois 20th-century American male actors