The actor whose familiar face graced these pages last year died Monday night at home in Brentwood. He was 102 years old. In January 2006, we and a couple of other blogs noted his birthday. At the age of 100, he quipped at the TV Land Awards, "In case anyone's interested, I'm still available!" From Claudia Luther's obituary on the L.A. Times website:

Lane said his favorite director was Frank Capra, who directed him in eight films, including "You Can't Take It With You," "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and "It's a Wonderful Life."

[snip]

He told friends and family at the 100th birthday celebration in January 2005, "Just think, I could have been in the insurance business!"

As he neared 101, Lane was working with filmmakers Garret Boyajian and George Ridjaneck on a documentary about his life titled "You Know the Face." He told the Wall Street Journal that although he had trouble with his legs, "mentally, apparently, I'm pretty good."

They can close his IMDB entry at 348 credits, beginning in 1931 with Smart Money, "hotel desk clerk." Lane was one of the last survivors of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.