Allan Lane

Allan Lane
Allan "Rocky" Lane (born Harry Leonard Albershardt; September 22, 1909 – October 27, 1973) was an American studio leading man and the star of many cowboy B-movies in the 1940s and 1950s. He appeared in more than 125 films and TV shows in a career lasting from 1929 to 1966. He is best known for his portrayal of Red Ryder and for being the voice of the talking horse on the television series Mister Ed, beginning in 1961.
Biography
Lane was born Harry Leonard Albershardt or Albershart (sources differ) in Mishawaka, Indiana to Linnie Anne and William H. Albershardt. He grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Lane had been a photographer, model and stage actor by age 20.
Lane played varsity sports (baseball, football, and basketball) at the University of Notre Dame but dropped out in order to pursue his interests in acting.
Film career
Lane's first film role for Fox was as a romantic lead opposite June Collyer in the 1929 release, Not Quite Decent (now a lost film). He made several other films at Fox but jumped ship to Warner Bros.
While at Warner his career foundered, and after a number of bit parts he left films in the early 1930s. By 1936, Lane returned to films and to 20th Century Fox, taking supporting roles in the drama Laughing at Trouble and the Shirley Temple film Stowaway. After several more supporting roles at Fox, Lane longed for a starring role; therefore, he took the lead in a Republic Pictures' short feature, The Duke Comes Back (1937).
From 1929 through 1936, he appeared in twenty-four films. He was in 1938's The Law West of Tombstone. In 1940, he portrayed "RCMP Sergeant Dave King", the role becoming one of his most notable successes. The first was King of the Royal Mounted, a 12-part 1940 serial adaptation of Zane Grey's King of the Royal Mounted. He starred in several Royal Canadian Mounted Police films, including the serials The Yukon Patrol and King of the Mounties. He is best remembered for these today.
In 1946 and 1947, he portrayed Red Ryder in seven films, replacing Wild Bill Elliott in that role. The following year, he became "Rocky Lane" in Western films.
Between 1940 and 1966, Lane made eighty-two film and television series appearances, mostly in westerns. Between 1947 and 1953, he made over 30 B-movie westerns (as "Rocky" Lane) with his faithful horse 'Black Jack'.
His last roles were in voice-over acting, including providing the speech for Mister Ed (1961–1966). He was never credited on-screen for providing the voice for Mister Ed.
Death
Lane died in California of cancer in 1973, at age 64. His interment is located at Inglewood Park Cemetery.
In popular culture
Between 1965 and 1968 a celebrity comic was created around Rocky Lane's cowboy persona, written and drawn by Brazilian comics artist Primaggio Mantovi.
Lane was one of the movie cowboys named in the lyrics of the song “Whatever Happened To Randolph Scott” by The Statler Brothers, which became a hit single in 1974.
Selected filmography
Not Quite Decent (1929) as Jerry Connor
The Forward Pass (1929) as Ed Kirby
Love in the Rough (1930) as Johnson
Madame Satan (1930) as Zeppelin Majordomo (uncredited)
Night Nurse (1931) as Intern (uncredited)
The Star Witness (1931) as Young Deputy at the Leeds Home (uncredited)
Honor of the Family (1931) as Joseph
Expensive Women (1931) as Party Boy with Bobby (uncredited)
Local Boy Makes Good (1931) as Runner with a Bad Knee (uncredited)
The Famous Ferguson Case (1932) as Reporter (uncredited)
The Tenderfoot (1932) as Actor (uncredited)
Week-End Marriage (1932) as Office Clerk (uncredited)
Winner Take All (1932) as Monty - Joan's Friend (uncredited)
Miss Pinkerton (1932) as Herbert Wynn (scenes deleted)
Crooner (1932) as Heckler on Dance Floor (uncredited)
A Successful Calamity (1932) as Polo Player (uncredited)
The Crash (1932) as Geoffrey's Associate (uncredited)
One Way Passage (1932) as Friend of Joan's (uncredited)
Laughing at Trouble (1936) as John Campbell
Stowaway (1936) as Richard Hope
Step Lively, Jeeves! (1937) as Party Guest (uncredited)
Charlie Chan at the Olympics (1937) as Richard Masters
The Jones Family in Big Business (1937) as Ted Hewett
Fifty Roads to Town (1937) as Leroy Smedley
Sing and Be Happy (1937) as Hamilton Howe
The Duke Comes Back (1937) as Duke Foster
Night Spot (1938) as Pete Cooper
Maid's Night Out (1938) as Bill Norman
This Marriage Business (1938) as Bill Bennett
Having Wonderful Time (1938) as Maxwell Pingwell aka Mac
Crime Ring (1938) as Joe Ryan
Fugitives for a Night (1938) as John Nelson
The Law West of Tombstone (1938) as Danny Sanders
Pacific Liner (1939) as Bilson
Twelve Crowded Hours (1939) as Dave Sanders
They Made Her a Spy (1939) as James Huntley
Panama Lady (1939) as Dennis McTeague
The Spellbinder (1939) as Steve Kindal
Conspiracy (1939) as Steve Kendall
Grand Ole Opry (1940) as Fred Barnes
King of the Royal Mounted (1940, Serial) as Dave King
All-American Co-Ed (1941) as Second Senior
King of the Mounties (1942) as Sergeant Dave King
Air Force (1943) as Marine (uncredited)
Daredevils of the West (1943) as Duke Cameron
The Dancing Masters (1943) as George Worthing
Call of the South Seas (1944) as Kendall Gaige
The Tiger Woman (1944) as Allen Saunders
Silver City Kid (1944) as Jack Adams
Stagecoach to Monterey (1944) as Bruce Redmond - Posing as Chick Weaver
Sheriff of Sundown (1944) as Tex Jordan
The Topeka Terror (1945) as Chad Stevens
Corpus Christi Bandits (1945) as Capt. James Christie / Corpus Christi Jim
Bells of Rosarita (1945) as Himself
Trail of Kit Carson (1945) as Bill Harmon
Gay Blades (1946) as Andy Buell
A Guy Could Change (1946) as Michael 'Mike' Hogan
Night Train to Memphis (1946) as Dan Acuff
Santa Fe Uprising (1946) as Red Ryder
Out California Way (1946) as Himself
Stagecoach to Denver (1946) as Red Ryder
Vigilantes of Boomtown (1947) as Red Ryder
Homesteaders of Paradise Valley (1947) as Red Ryder
Oregon Trail Scouts (1947) as Red Ryder
Rustlers of Devil's Canyon (1947) as Red Ryder
Marshal of Cripple Creek (1947) as Red Ryder
The Wild Frontier (1947) as Rocky Lane
Bandits of Dark Canyon (1947) as Rocky Lane
Oklahoma Badlands (1948) as Allan Rocky Lane
The Bold Frontiersman (1948) as Rocky Lane
Carson City Raiders (1948) as Rocky Lane
Marshal of Amarillo (1948) as Marshal Rocky Lane
Desperadoes of Dodge City (1948) as Rocky Lane
The Denver Kid (1948) as Rocky Lane Posing as the Denver Kid
Sundown in Santa Fe (1948) as Rocky Lane
Renegades of Sonora (1948) as Rocky Lane
Sheriff of Wichita (1949) as Sheriff Rocky Lane
Death Valley Gunfighter (1949) as Rocky Lane
Frontier Investigator (1949) as Rocky Lane
The Wyoming Bandit (1949) as Marshal Rocky Lane
Bandit King of Texas (1949) as Rocky Lane
Navajo Trail Raiders (1949) as Rocky Lane
Powder River Rustlers (1949) as Rocky Lane
Gunmen of Abilene (1950) as Rocky Lane
Code of the Silver Sage (1950) as Lt. Rocky Lane
Salt Lake Raiders (1950) as Deputy Marshal Rocky Lane
Covered Wagon Raid (1950) as Rocky Lane
Vigilante Hideout (1950) as Rocky Lane
Frisco Tornado (1950) as Marshal Rocky Lane
Rustlers on Horseback (1950) as Marshal Rocky Lane
Trail of Robin Hood (1950) as Rocky Lane
Rough Riders of Durango (1951) as Rocky Lane
Night Riders of Montana (1951) as Rocky Lane
Wells Fargo Gunmaster (1951) as Rocky Lane
Fort Dodge Stampede (1951) as Deputy Sheriff Rocky Lane
Desert of Lost Men (1951) as Rocky Lane
Captive of Billy the Kid (1952) as Marshal 'Rocky' Lane
Leadville Gunslinger (1952) as U. S. Marshal Rocky Lane
Black Hills Ambush (1952) as Rocky Lane
Thundering Caravans (1952) as Marshal Rocky Lane
Desperadoes' Outpost (1952) as Rocky Lane
Marshal of Cedar Rock (1953) as Marshal Rocky Lane
Savage Frontier (1953) as U.S. Marshal Rocky Lane
Bandits of the West (1953) as Marshal Rocky Lane
El Paso Stampede (1953) as Rocky Lane
The Saga of Hemp Brown (1958) as Sheriff
Hell Bent for Leather (1960) as Kelsey
Posse from Hell (1961) as Burl Hogan
Television
Series
Mister Ed, 1961–1966 syndicated and later CBS TV series. Lane provided the voice for Mister Ed. This was an uncredited role.
Red Ryder, 1956–1957 TV series. Lane portrayed Red Ryder
Guest appearances
Cheyenne, episode "Massacre at Gunsight Pass", originally aired May 1, 1961
Gunsmoke, episode "Long Hours, Short Pay", originally aired April 29, 1961
Bonanza, episode "The Blood Line", originally aired December 31, 1960
Gunsmoke, episode "The Badge", originally aired November 12, 1960
Lawman, episode "The Payment", originally aired May 8, 1960
Bronco, episode "Death of an Outlaw", originally aired March 8, 1960
Colt .45, episode "Arizona Anderson", originally aired February 14, 1960
Tales of Wells Fargo, episode "The Reward", originally aired April 21, 1958
Wagon Train, episode "The Daniel Barrister Story", originally aired April 16, 1958
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (Season 3 Episode 28: "Lamb to the Slaughter") (originally aired April 13, 1958) as Patrick Maloney
Gunsmoke, episode "Texas Cowboys", originally aired April 5, 1958
Mike Hammer, episode "Husbands Are Bad Luck", originally aired 1957
References
External links
Rocky Lane westerns
Recollections of Allan Lane
FanBase page - Notre Dame Football
1909 births
1973 deaths
20th-century American male actors
American male film actors
American male television actors
American male voice actors
Burials at Inglewood Park Cemetery
Deaths from cancer in California
Male actors from Indiana
People from Mishawaka, Indiana
University of Notre Dame alumni