Allan Lane
Allan "Rocky" Lane 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 as Harry Leonard Albershardt or Albershart 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 at the University of Notre Dame but dropped out in order to pursue his interests in acting.
Film career
He was spotted by Fox Film Corporation talent scouts and was signed to a contract. His first film role for Fox was as a romantic lead opposite June Collyer in the 1929 release, Not Quite Decent. He made several other films at Fox but jumped ship to Warner Bros. in the early 1930s.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.
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 with his faithful horse 'Black Jack'.
His last roles were in voice over acting, including providing the speech for Mister Ed. He was never credited on-screen for providing the voice for Mister Ed.
In 2003, he won the TV Land Award posthumously for the category "Favorite Pet-Human Relationship" as Mr. Ed.
Death
Lane died in California of cancer in 1973, at age 64.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.Selected filmography
- Not Quite Decent as Jerry Connor
- The Forward Pass as Ed Kirby
- Love in the Rough as Johnson
- Madame Satan as Zeppelin Majordomo
- Night Nurse as Intern
- The Star Witness as Young Deputy at the Leeds Home
- Honor of the Family as Joseph
- Expensive Women as Party Boy with Bobby
- Local Boy Makes Good as Runner with a Bad Knee
- The Famous Ferguson Case as Reporter
- The Tenderfoot as Actor
- Week-End Marriage as Office Clerk
- Winner Take All as Monty - Joan's Friend
- Miss Pinkerton as Herbert Wynn
- Crooner as Heckler on Dance Floor
- A Successful Calamity as Polo Player
- The Crash as Geoffrey's Associate
- One Way Passage as Friend of Joan's
- Laughing at Trouble as John Campbell
- Stowaway as Richard Hope
- Step Lively, Jeeves! as Party Guest
- Charlie Chan at the Olympics as Richard Masters
- The Jones Family in Big Business as Ted Hewett
- Fifty Roads to Town as Leroy Smedley
- Sing and Be Happy as Hamilton Howe
- The Duke Comes Back as Duke Foster
- Night Spot as Pete Cooper
- Maid's Night Out as Bill Norman
- This Marriage Business as Bill Bennett
- Having Wonderful Time as Maxwell Pingwell aka Mac
- Crime Ring as Joe Ryan
- Fugitives for a Night as John Nelson
- The Law West of Tombstone as Danny Sanders
- Pacific Liner as Bilson
- Twelve Crowded Hours as Dave Sanders
- They Made Her a Spy as James Huntley
- Panama Lady as Dennis McTeague
- The Spellbinder as Steve Kindal
- Conspiracy as Steve Kendall
- Grand Ole Opry as Fred Barnes
- King of the Royal Mounted as Dave King
- All-American Co-Ed as Second Senior
- King of the Mounties as Sergeant Dave King
- Air Force as Marine
- Daredevils of the West as Duke Cameron
- The Dancing Masters as George Worthing
- Call of the South Seas as Kendall Gaige
- The Tiger Woman as Allen Saunders
- Silver City Kid as Jack Adams
- Stagecoach to Monterey as Bruce Redmond - Posing as Chick Weaver
- Sheriff of Sundown as Tex Jordan
- The Topeka Terror as Chad Stevens
- Corpus Christi Bandits as Capt. James Christie / Corpus Christi Jim
- Bells of Rosarita as Himself
- Trail of Kit Carson as Bill Harmon
- Gay Blades as Andy Buell
- A Guy Could Change as Michael 'Mike' Hogan
- Night Train to Memphis as Dan Acuff
- Santa Fe Uprising as Red Ryder
- Out California Way as Himself
- Stagecoach to Denver as Red Ryder
- Vigilantes of Boomtown as Red Ryder
- Homesteaders of Paradise Valley as Red Ryder
- Oregon Trail Scouts as Red Ryder
- Rustlers of Devil's Canyon as Red Ryder
- Marshal of Cripple Creek as Red Ryder
- The Wild Frontier as Rocky Lane
- Bandits of Dark Canyon as Rocky Lane
- Oklahoma Badlands as Allan Rocky Lane
- The Bold Frontiersman as Rocky Lane
- Carson City Raiders as Rocky Lane
- Marshal of Amarillo as Marshal Rocky Lane
- Desperadoes of Dodge City as Rocky Lane
- The Denver Kid as Rocky Lane Posing as the Denver Kid
- Sundown in Santa Fe as Rocky Lane
- Renegades of Sonora as Rocky Lane
- Sheriff of Wichita as Sheriff Rocky Lane
- Death Valley Gunfighter as Rocky Lane
- Frontier Investigator as Rocky Lane
- The Wyoming Bandit as Marshal Rocky Lane
- Bandit King of Texas as Rocky Lane
- Navajo Trail Raiders as Rocky Lane
- Powder River Rustlers as Rocky Lane
- Gunmen of Abilene as Rocky Lane
- Code of the Silver Sage as Lt. Rocky Lane
- Salt Lake Raiders as Deputy Marshal Rocky Lane
- Covered Wagon Raid as Rocky Lane
- Vigilante Hideout as Rocky Lane
- Frisco Tornado as Marshal Rocky Lane
- Rustlers on Horseback as Marshal Rocky Lane
- Trail of Robin Hood as Rocky Lane
- Rough Riders of Durango as Rocky Lane
- Night Riders of Montana as Rocky Lane
- Wells Fargo Gunmaster as Rocky Lane
- Fort Dodge Stampede as Deputy Sheriff Rocky Lane
- Desert of Lost Men as Rocky Lane
- Captive of Billy the Kid as Marshal 'Rocky' Lane
- Leadville Gunslinger as U. S. Marshal Rocky Lane
- Black Hills Ambush as Rocky Lane
- Thundering Caravans as Marshal Rocky Lane
- Desperadoes' Outpost as Rocky Lane
- Marshal of Cedar Rock as Marshal Rocky Lane
- Savage Frontier as U.S. Marshal Rocky Lane
- Bandits of the West as Marshal Rocky Lane
- El Paso Stampede as Rocky Lane
- The Saga of Hemp Brown as Sheriff
- Hell Bent for Leather as Kelsey
- Posse from Hell as Burl Hogan
Television
- 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
- 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, episode "Lamb to the Slaughter", originally aired April 13, 1958
- Gunsmoke, episode "Texas Cowboys", originally aired April 5, 1958
- Mike Hammer, episode "Husbands Are Bad Luck", originally aired 1957