Charles Lane (1905-2007) was a prolific American character actor whose career spanned over seventy years, making him one of the most recognizable faces in American film and television. Specializing in portraying curmudgeonly, stern, and often miserly characters such as clerks, judges, or bankers, he became a favorite actor of director Frank Capra, who directed him in iconic films such as "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946), in the role of Mr. Potter's rent collector, "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (1939), and "You Can't Take It with You" (1938). His extensive filmography includes hundreds of appearances, with recurring roles in famous television series such as "I Love Lucy" and "Petticoat Junction," where he played railroad executive Homer Bedloe. For his extraordinary artistic longevity, in 2005, on the occasion of his one-hundredth birthday, he received a special lifetime achievement award at the TV Land Awards.