Richard Lane (announcer)


Richard Lane, sometimes known as Dick Lane, was an American actor and television announcer/presenter. In movies, he played assured, fast-talking slickers: usually press agents, policemen and detectives, sometimes swindlers and frauds. He is perhaps best known to movie fans as "Inspector Farraday" in the Boston Blackie mystery-comedies. Lane also played Faraday in the first radio version of Boston Blackie, which ran on NBC from June 23, 1944 to September 15, 1944. Lane was an early arrival on television, first as a news reporter and then as a sports announcer, broadcasting wrestling and roller derby shows on KTLA-TV, mainly from the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles.

Biography

Early years

Lane was born in 1899 in Rice Lake, Wisconsin to a farm family. Early in life he developed talents for reciting poetry and doing various song-and-dance acts.
By his teenage years, Lane was doing an "iron jaw" routine in circuses around Europe and worked as a drummer touring with a band in Australia. After the decline of vaudeville, Lane found work in motion pictures. He started in small roles but producers and directors saw how well he handled dialogue, and he soon became one of Hollywood's busiest actors, equally skilled at drama and comedy. A shrewd businessman, Lane insisted on a two-week guarantee for every assignment. He might work for only a few days on a picture, but still be paid for the two weeks. This allowed him to accept multiple jobs weekly, and with the extra pay he soon became a seasoned investor. During one six-month period Richard Lane appeared in 29 feature films.
During World War II, he appeared as emcee with USO troops entertaining G.I.s. His unit appeared at Fort MacArthur in September 1944. Lane also announced for the Jalopy Derby and Destruction Derby at Ascot Park, Gardena, California.
Lane appeared in character roles in more than 150 films between 1937 and 1951. He was so firmly established as a rapid-fire sharpie that Columbia Pictures producer Jules White co-starred him with "nervous" comedian Gus Schilling for a series of two-reel slapstick comedies. Schilling and Lane were a popular team at Columbia, second only to The Three Stooges. The series ran from 1945 to 1950.
Lane's only starring roles were in the Schilling and Lane shorts and a single feature film, Devil Ship, in which he played tough ship's captain "Biff Brown."

Work with KTLA

Because he had been working for Paramount Pictures, Lane was able to obtain work at experimental TV station KTLA, which was owned by the studio at the time. When the station went commercial in 1947, Lane appeared before the camera as a news presenter. One of the early highlights of his career was reporting on the first atomic explosion covered by a television newscast.
When KTLA agreed to broadcast wrestling matches from the Olympic Auditorium in 1946, Lane was assigned to comment on the action. He started announcing for Roller Derby in 1951, and for Roller Games for 15 years starting in 1961. Because Lane was part of the Hollywood establishment, he gave Roller Games a measure of respectability. Announcing games for the L.A. Thunderbirds at trackside, with cigarette dangling, Lane's oversized personality became closely associated with the sport. For pro wrestling, his broadcasts featured such personalities as Gorgeous George, Mr. Moto, and Dr. Lee Grable. Contrary to popular opinion it was Lane, not former ABC sports announcer Keith Jackson, who first coined the exclamatory expression "Whoa, Nellie!" when something exciting happened in the ring or on the track.
In the late 1940s, Lane became a character actor in westerns and outdoor adventures; his role as a tale-spinning windbag alongside bandleader Spade Cooley in the feature film Everybody's Dancin' won him the role of "Leather Britches" on Cooley's TV series for KTLA.
As movie production wound down after World War II, Lane devoted more of his time to television, particularly his wrestling shows. He spoke with great enthusiasm, improvising exotic names for the various wrestling holds, like "the Boston land-crab." When one wrestler pretended to bite the ear of his opponent, Lane would cry, "Meat on the table!" Another call familiar to viewers was "Wow, what action!" which invariably preceded a commercial break.

Radio

Beginning in 1950, on the The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show, Lane portrayed 'Milligan,' the fast-talking producer of a burlesque show. Was also the first actor to play 'Grogan,' a criminal thug, who sometimes takes it upon himself to "help" Phil Harris.

Later years

After Lane retired from television full-time in 1972, he accepted few offers for screen work; in later years he was typecast as a sports announcer. He did make a notable cameo appearance in Raquel Welch's film Kansas City Bomber. In 1974 he moved to a home in the Deep Well neighborhood of Palm Springs, California.
Lane was among the initial honorees on the Walk of Fame with his official ceremony date being listed as taking place on February 8, 1960. Lanes's Hollywood Walk of Fame star in on the north side of the 6300 block of Hollywood Boulevard.
Lane died in Newport Beach, California on September 5, 1982. He was buried in Pacific View Memorial Park, Orange County California. In 1996, Lane was posthumously inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame. In 2008, Lane was inducted into the 'Announcers Wing' of the Roller Derby Hall of Fame.

Selected filmography

The Woman I Love as Florence's Boyfriend The Outcasts of Poker Flat as 'High-Grade'You Can't Buy Luck as Detective Mac McGrathThere Goes My Girl as Editor Tim J. WhelanYou Can't Beat Love as Iceman New Faces of 1937 as Broker Harry BarnesSuper-Sleuth as Tourist Bus DriverFlight from Glory as Mr. HansonThe Life of the Party as Hotel ManagerShould Wives Work? Saturday's Heroes as Red WatsonDanger Patrol as BillHitting a New High as Owner of the Chez Suzette Nightclub Wise Girl as DetectiveCrashing Hollywood as Hugo WellsEverybody's Doing It as Steve DeversRadio City Revels as CraneBringing Up Baby as Circus Manager Maid's Night Out as Barker for Octopus Concession This Marriage Business as Joe SelbyGo Chase Yourself as NailsJoy of Living as Harvey Blind Alibi as BowersI'm from the City as Captain Oliver 'Ollie' FitchCarefree as Henry - Country Club Headwaiter Mr. Doodle Kicks Off as Assistant Coach 'Offsides' JonesExposed as Tony MitchellHis Exciting Night as Homer CarslakeThe Last Warning as Steve FelsonCharlie Chan in Honolulu as Joe ArnoldMr. Moto in Danger Island as Commissioner GordonUnion Pacific as Sam ReedFor Love or Money as FosterIt Could Happen to You as District Attorney GibsonUnexpected Father as Leo Murphy - Booking AgentStronger Than Desire as Jerry BrodyNews Is Made at Night as Barney BaselyMutiny on the Blackhawk as Kit CarsonThe Day the Bookies Wept as Ramsey FirpoHero for a Day as AbbottThe Escape as David CliffordSued for Libel as Smiley DuganDrunk Driving as RickMain Street Lawyer as Ballou, Marco's LawyerThe Amazing Mr. Williams as Reagan Nick Carter, Master Detective as Sam Vaughn City of Chance as Marty ConnorsFree, Blonde and 21 as Lt. LakeTwo Girls on Broadway as Buddy BartellSandy Is a Lady as Philip JarvisThe Biscuit Eater as Harvey McNeilBrother Orchid as Mugsy O'DayBoom Town as Assistant District AttorneyHired Wife as McNabThe Bride Wore Crutches as Bill DalyYesterday's Heroes as Cleats SlaterMargie as Mr. DixonYouth Will Be Served as Mr. HewittRide, Kelly, Ride as Dan ThomasMeet the Chump as Slugs BennettMeet Boston Blackie as Inspector John FarradayA Girl, a Guy, and a Gob as Recruiting OfficerThe Penalty as CraigI Wanted Wings as Flight CommanderThe Cowboy and the Blonde as GilbertSunny as ReporterTime Out for Rhythm as Mike ArmstrongFor Beauty's Sake as Mr. JackmanTight Shoes as Allan McGrathSan Antonio Rose as Charles J. WilloughbyNavy Blues as 'Rocky' AndersonMan at Large as Editor GrundyRiders of the Purple Sage as Steve OldringConfessions of Boston Blackie as Inspector John FarradayHellzapoppin' as DirectorRide 'Em Cowboy as Pete Conway Butch Minds the Baby as Harry the HorseTo the Shores of Tripoli as LieutenantJunior G-Men of the Air as Agent Don AmesAlias Boston Blackie as Inspector John FarradayDrums of the Congo as CoutlassDr. Broadway as Police Sgt. Patrick DoyleA-Haunting We Will Go as PhillipsBoston Blackie Goes Hollywood as Inspector John FarradayTime to Kill as Lt. BreezeArabian Nights as CorporalAir Force as Maj. W.G. RobertsIt Ain't Hay as SlickerAfter Midnight with Boston Blackie as Inspector John FarradaySwing Your Partner as Mr. LaneFired Wife as Orin TracyThank Your Lucky Stars as Barney Johnson Corvette K-225 as Vice AdmiralCrazy House as S. E. HanleyThe Chance of a Lifetime as Inspector John FarradayGung Ho! as Captain DunphySlightly Terrific as Mike HamiltonBermuda Mystery as Detective Sergeant DonovanTake It Big as Eddie HamptonLouisiana Hayride as J. Huntington McMastersMr. Winkle Goes to War as Sgt. 'Alphabet' CzeidrowskiA Wave, a WAC and a Marine as Marty AllenOne Mysterious Night as Inspector John FarradayBowery to Broadway as Walter RogersBrazil as Edward GrahamWhat a Blonde as PomeroyHere Come the Co-Eds as Near-sighted Man at BallroomTwo O'Clock Courage as Al HaleyThe Horn Blows at Midnight as Furness - Radio Announcer Boston Blackie Booked on Suspicion as Inspector John FarradayThe Bullfighters as 'Hot Shot' ColemanWonder Man as Assistant District AttorneyBoston Blackie's Rendezvous as Inspector John FarradayGirl on the Spot as 'Weepy' McGurkA Close Call for Boston Blackie as Inspector John FarradayTalk About a Lady as Duke RandallThe Phantom Thief as Inspector John FarradayPardon My Terror as DickGentleman Joe Palooka as PhillipsSioux City Sue as Jefferson LangBoston Blackie and the Law as Inspector John FarradaySong of Scheherazade as LieutenantHit Parade of 1947 as Serial DirectorOut of the Blue as Detective NoonanDevil Ship as Capt. 'Biff' BrownTenth Avenue Angel as Street VendorThe Return of the Whistler as Gaylord TraynorTrapped by Boston Blackie as Inspector John FarradayThe Babe Ruth Story as Boston Braves' coachThe Creeper as Insp. FenwickHe's in Again as DickMiss Mink of 1949 as Herbert PendeltonBoston Blackie's Chinese Venture as Inspector John FarradayTake Me Out to the Ball Game as Michael GilhulyMighty Joe Young as City Attorney That Midnight Kiss as Radio D.J. The Big Wheel as Reno RileyThere's a Girl in My Heart as Sergeant MullinQuicksand as Lt. NelsonEverybody's Dancin' as Colonel Ed HarrisonThe Jackie Robinson Story as Clay Hopper, Montreal ManagerThe Admiral Was a Lady as Marty GruberI Can Get It for You Wholesale as KelleyLeave It to Beaver as Marshal MoranVisit to a Small Planet as Superbo Television Spokesman The Killers as Demolition Derby Announcer Dear Brigitte as Racetrack Announcer The Munsters as The AnnouncerKansas City Bomber as LenThe Shaggy D.A. as Roller Rink Announcer