Lane Chandler (June 4, 1899 – September 14, 1972) was an American actor specializing in Westerns. He was born Robert Chandler Oakes in rural South Dakota, the son of a horse rancher. At an early age, the family relocated to Culbertson, Montana and later to Helena, Montana, where he graduated from high school. He briefly attended Montana Wesleyan College (which later merged and became part of Rocky Mountain College), but quit to drive a tour bus at Yellowstone National Park. In the early 1920s, he moved to Los Angeles, California and started working as an auto mechanic. His real-life experiences growing up on a horse ranch landed him bit parts in westerns for Paramount Pictures. Studio executives suggested changing his name to Lane Chandler, and as such he began achieving leading roles opposite stars like Clara Bow, Greta Garbo, Betty Bronson and Esther Ralston. As a silent film star, Chandler performed well, but when talkies arrived, he was cast more in supporting roles. Chandler would later claim some of these smaller parts (often for major directors like Cecil B. DeMille) were actually his favorite roles. With the advent of television, Chandler began appearing on numerous TV programs, making more than 50 guest appearances on shows like Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, and Rawhide. He continued acting on TV and in films through 1966, retiring comfortably owning both industrial and property holdings. He died in Los Angeles of heart disease in 1972.
External links
- Lane Chandler at the IMDB
