Most western action film heroes begin and end their career in the saddle. Not so for cowboy idol Allan Lane (nicknamed "Rocky"), who started as a leading man in major studio dramas only to segue into "B" serials and sagebrush sagas in later life.
The Indiana native was born in 1909 (some sources claim 1904). His attentions, however, veered toward the theater and he left school to join a Cincinnati stock company. He toured with "Hit the Deck" to New York City and continued there in various other theater projects.A Fox talent scout discovered Lane in 1929, and he left New York for Hollywood. Making his debut with Not Quite Decent (1929), he had trouble rising in stature, however, and left Hollywood in 1932, giving it a second try a few years later. His second attempt saw him enjoying second lead roles in good quality "B" films throughout the late 1930s, including Stowaway (1936) with little Shirley Temple, Maid's Night Out (1938) with Joan Fontaine, and Twelve Crowded Hours (1939), co-starring Lucille Ball. Searching for better roles, he signed with Republic in 1940, and after struggling a bit in his initial films he hit pay dirt after teaming with Linda Stirling in the popular serial The Tiger Woman (1944). His own serials as steadfast Mountie Dave King proved popular, and around this time he started gaining added attention as a photogenic and very personable cowboy star.
With his trusty steed "Blackjack, " Lane managed to churn out a bucketful of oaters every year, beginning with Silver City Kid (1944), for nearly a decade, trading blows with the bad guys and seeing justice prevail. Following this chapter of his career, he left films and toured with circuses and rodeo shows until the TV series Red Ryder (1951) came his way. He may be better remembered these days not for his dashing good looks and saddle appeal on film but to older generations as the off-camera voice for the talking horse Mister Ed (1961) in the classic 1960s sitcom of the same name. Lane retired shortly thereafter and died on October 27, 1973, after a six-week bout with cancer. Allan Lane, Alan Young, and Mister Ed in Mister Ed (1961). James Arness, Amanda Blake, Milburn Stone, and Dennis Weaver in Gunsmoke (1955). Audie Murphy, Zohra Lampert, and John Saxon in Posse from Hell (1961). Peter Brown and John Russell in Lawman (1958).Ty Hardin in Bronco (1958). The Magical World of Disney (1954).
The Magical World of Disney. Audie Murphy, Felicia Farr, and Stephen McNally in Hell Bent for Leather (1960). Rory Calhoun and Beverly Garland in The Saga of Hemp Brown (1958).
The Saga of Hemp Brown. Tales of Wells Fargo (1957). John McIntire in Wagon Train (1957). Alfred Hitchcock in Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955). Allan Lane, Louis Lettieri, and Elizabeth Slifer in Red Ryder (1951). Red Ryder (as Rocky Lane). Allan Lane, Eddy Waller, and Black Jack in El Paso Stampede (1953). Rocky Lane (as Allan'Rocky' Lane).Allan Lane and Black Jack in Bandits of the West (1953). Marshal Rocky Lane (as Allan'Rocky' Lane). Allan Lane, Dorothy Patrick, and Black Jack in Savage Frontier (1953).
Roy Barcroft, Allan Lane, and Black Jack in Marshal of Cedar Rock (1953). Allan Lane and Black Jack in Desperadoes' Outpost (1952). Rocky Lane (as Allan "Rocky" Lane). Allan Lane and Black Jack in Thundering Caravans (1952). Allan Lane in Black Hills Ambush (1952). Stanford Jolley, Allan Lane, and Eddy Waller in Leadville Gunslinger (1952). Allan Lane and Black Jack in Captive of Billy the Kid (1952). Captive of Billy the Kid. Allan Lane and Black Jack in Desert of Lost Men (1951). Mary Ellen Kay, Allan Lane, Chuck Roberson, and Black Jack in Fort Dodge Stampede (1951). Deputy Sheriff Rocky Lane (as Allan'Rocky' Lane). Allan Lane and Black Jack in Wells Fargo Gunmaster (1951).Allan Lane and Black Jack in Night Riders of Montana (1951). Allan Lane in Rough Riders of Durango (1951). Roy Rogers and Trigger in Trail of Robin Hood (1950). Allan Lane and Black Jack in Rustlers on Horseback (1950). Ross Ford, Allan Lane, and Black Jack in Frisco Tornado (1950).
Allan Lane and Black Jack in Vigilante Hideout (1950). Allan Lane and Black Jack in Covered Wagon Raid (1950). Allan Lane and Black Jack in Salt Lake Raiders (1950). Deputy Marshal Rocky Lane (as Allan'Rocky' Lane).
Allan Lane and Black Jack in Code of the Silver Sage (1950). Code of the Silver Sage. Roy Barcroft, Allan Lane, and Black Jack in Gunmen of Abilene (1950). Gerry Ganzer and Allan Lane in Powder River Rustlers (1949).Allan Lane in Navajo Trail Raiders (1949). Allan Lane, Eddy Waller, and Black Jack in Bandit King of Texas (1949). Allan Lane in The Wyoming Bandit (1949). Gail Davis, Allan Lane, and Black Jack in Frontier Investigator (1949). George Chesebro, Allan Lane, and Black Jack in Death Valley Gunfighter (1949).
Allan Lane and Black Jack in Sheriff of Wichita (1949). Sheriff Rocky Lane (as Allan'Rocky' Lane). Allan Lane and Black Jack in Renegades of Sonora (1948).
Allan Lane in Sundown in Santa Fe (1948). Allan Lane and Black Jack in The Denver Kid (1948). Rocky Lane Posing as the Denver Kid (as Allan'Rocky' Lane). Mildred Coles, Allan Lane, and Black Jack in Desperadoes of Dodge City (1948). Allan Lane in Marshal of Amarillo (1948).
Allan Lane in Carson City Raiders (1948). Allan Lane and Black Jack in The Bold Frontiersman (1948). Allan Lane and Black Jack in Oklahoma Badlands (1948). Allan Rocky Lane (as Allan'Rocky' Lane).
Linda Leighton, Allan Lane, and Black Jack in Bandits of Dark Canyon (1947). Allan Lane and Black Jack in The Wild Frontier (1947). Robert Blake and Allan Lane in Marshal of Cripple Creek (1947). Robert Blake and Allan Lane in Rustlers of Devil's Canyon (1947). Rustlers of Devil's Canyon.
Robert Blake and Allan Lane in Oregon Trail Scouts (1947). Roy Bucko, John James, Allan Lane, and Gene Roth in Homesteaders of Paradise Valley (1947). Allan Lane in Vigilantes of Boomtown (1947). Robert Blake and Allan Lane in Stagecoach to Denver (1946).
Robert Blake, Lorna Gray, and Monte Hale in Out California Way (1946). Robert Blake, Allan Lane, and Martha Wentworth in Santa Fe Uprising (1946). Roy Acuff, Allan Lane, and Adele Mara in Night Train to Memphis (1946). Jane Frazee, Allan Lane, and Twinkle Watts in A Guy Could Change (1946). Robert Armstrong, Edward Ashley, Allan Lane, and Jean Rogers in Gay Blades (1946).Allan Lane, Helen Talbot, and Twinkle Watts in Trail of Kit Carson (1945). Roy Rogers, Don'Red' Barry, Sunset Carson, Bill Elliott, Dale Evans, George'Gabby' Hayes, Allan Lane, Robert Livingston, and Trigger in Bells of Rosarita (1945). Allan Lane and Helen Talbot in Corpus Christi Bandits (1945). Roy Barcroft, Allan Lane, Linda Stirling, and Twinkle Watts in The Topeka Terror (1945). Allan Lane, Linda Stirling, and Twinkle Watts in Sheriff of Sundown (1944).
Kenne Duncan, Allan Lane, and Carl Sepulveda in Stagecoach to Monterey (1944). Bruce Redmond - Posing as Chick Weaver. Allan Lane and Tom Steele in Silver City Kid (1944).
Allan Lane and Linda Stirling in The Tiger Woman (1944). Allan Lane and Janet Martin in Call of the South Seas (1944).Call of the South Seas. Oliver Hardy, Robert Bailey, Stan Laurel, and Trudy Marshall in The Dancing Masters (1943). Kay Aldridge and Allan Lane in Daredevils of the West (1943). John Garfield, John Ridgely, and Gig Young in Air Force (1943). Peggy Drake, Allan Lane, and Bradley Page in King of the Mounties (1942).
Lieutenant Instructor, Bayonet Drill (uncredited). Esther Dale, Johnny Downs, Frances Langford, and Marjorie Woodworth in All-American Co-Ed (1941). King of the Royal Mounted (1940).
King of the Royal Mounted. Lois Ranson, June Weaver, Frank Weaver, and Leon Weaver in Grand Ole Opry (1940). Linda Hayes and Allan Lane in Conspiracy (1939). Barbara Read and Lee Tracy in The Spellbinder (1939).Lucille Ball and Allan Lane in Panama Lady (1939). Sally Eilers, Allan Lane, Fritz Leiber, and Theodore von Eltz in They Made Her a Spy (1939). They Made Her a Spy. Lucille Ball, Richard Dix, and Cy Kendall in Twelve Crowded Hours (1939). Victor McLaglen and Chester Morris in Pacific Liner (1939).
Harry Carey in The Law West of Tombstone (1938). The Law West of Tombstone.Frank Albertson, Adrienne Ames, Allan Lane, and Eleanor Lynn in Fugitives for a Night (1938). Allan Lane and Frances Mercer in Crime Ring (1938). And Ginger Rogers in Having Wonderful Time (1938).
Allan Lane, Vickie Lester, and Victor Moore in This Marriage Business (1938). Joan Fontaine and Allan Lane in Maid's Night Out (1938). Gordon Jones, Allan Lane, Bradley Page, Harry Einstein, and Joan Woodbury in Night Spot (1938).Heather Angel, Allan Lane, Johnny Russell, and Genevieve Tobin in The Duke Comes Back (1937). Joan Davis, Dixie Dunbar, Allan Lane, Tony Martin, Leah Ray, and Helen Westley in Sing and Be Happy (1937). Don Ameche and Ann Sothern in Fifty Roads to Town (1937). Spring Byington, June Carlson, Shirley Deane, George Ernest, Kenneth Howell, Billy Mahan, Jed Prouty, and Florence Roberts in Big Business (1937). Henry Gordon, Warner Oland, and Andrew Tombes in Charlie Chan at the Olympics (1937).
Charlie Chan at the Olympics. Arthur Treacher in Step Lively, Jeeves! Shirley Temple, Robert Young, and Alice Faye in Stowaway (1936). Jane Darwell, Brook Byron, Allan Lane, and Lois Wilson in Laughing at Trouble (1936).
George Brent and Ruth Chatterton in The Crash (1932). Friend of Joan's (uncredited). Claire Dodd and David Manners in Crooner (1932). Heckler on Dance Floor (uncredited). Mary Astor, George Arliss, and Evalyn Knapp in A Successful Calamity (1932).James Cagney in Winner Take All (1932). Monty - Joan's Friend (uncredited). Carrol Naish, Sheila Terry, and Loretta Young in Week-End Marriage (1932). Joan Blondell in Miss Pinkerton (1932).
Brown, Richard Cramer, Robert Greig, and Al Hill in The Tenderfoot (1932). Joan Blondell in The Famous Ferguson Case (1932). Brown in Local Boy Makes Good (1931). Runner with a Bad Knee (uncredited). Zasu Pitts and Thelma Todd in War Mamas (1931).
Dolores Costello in Expensive Women (1931). Party Boy with Bobby (uncredited). Honor of the Family (1931). Walter Huston, Dickie Moore, and Frances Starr in The Star Witness (1931). Young Deputy at the Leeds Home (uncredited).How I Play Golf, by Bobby Jones No. Barbara Stanwyck and Ben Lyon in Night Nurse (1931).
Kay Johnson in Madam Satan (1930). Dorothy Jordan, Robert Montgomery, and Benny Rubin in Love in the Rough (1930). And Allan Lane in The Forward Pass (1929).