Vaudeville entertainer Gus Edwards discovered her and put her on the road to her professional career.

[5] Edwards changed the actress's name and added her to his touring production, Ritz Carlton Nights.

[4] She went on to appear in vaudeville shows on the Orpheum, Loew, and Interstate circuits[2] and later acted on Broadway in The War Song (1928),[6] leading to her work in films when a talent scout saw her.

[2] She also appeared in the Warner Bros. classic Marked Woman (1937) with Bette Davis and Humphrey Bogart.

[10] In 1967 Lane received a Pope Pius X medal for her efforts in religious training of mentally challenged people.