[1] Lane was an early arrival on television, first as a news reporter and then as a sports announcer, broadcasting wrestling and roller derby shows on KTLA-TV, mainly from the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles.

[2] By his teenage years, Lane was doing an "iron jaw" routine in circuses around Europe and worked as a drummer touring with a band in Australia.

He started in small roles but producers and directors saw how well he handled dialogue, and he soon became one of Hollywood's busiest actors, equally skilled at drama and comedy.

He was so firmly established as a rapid-fire sharpie that Columbia Pictures producer Jules White co-starred him with "nervous" comedian Gus Schilling for a series of two-reel slapstick comedies.

Contrary to popular opinion it was Lane, not former ABC sports announcer Keith Jackson, who first coined the exclamatory expression "Whoa, Nellie!"

As movie production wound down after World War II, Lane devoted more of his time to television, particularly his wrestling shows.

After Lane retired from television full-time in 1972, he accepted few offers for screen work; in later years he was typecast as a sports announcer.

He did make a notable cameo appearance (as a roller-derby commentator) in Raquel Welch's film Kansas City Bomber.

[10] Lane was among the initial honorees on the Walk of Fame with his official ceremony date being listed as taking place on February 8, 1960.