6 Best Charles Lane Movies

By Vlad Zakh · March 20, 2026

Charles Lane brought a sharp, often prickly presence to Hollywood across an extraordinarily long career, frequently playing officious clerks and sceptical bureaucrats. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington sends an idealistic senator against entrenched corruption, It’s a Wonderful Life shows a despairing man what his town would be without him, Ball of Fire hides a brassy nightclub singer among sheltered professors, and Broken Arrow tries to broker peace with the Apache. Mr. Deeds Goes to Town and Twentieth Century round out the list.

Broken Arrow (1950)

TMDB ★ 7.1

A former army scout tries to negotiate peace between the US government and the Apache nation.

Directed by Delmer Daves · 1h 33m

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

IMDb ★ 8.6 RT 94% Metacritic 89

A despairing man is shown by a guardian angel what his community would have lost without him.

Directed by Frank Capra · 2h 11m · Rated PG

Nominated for 5 Oscars11 wins & 7 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent: JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Ball of Fire (1941)

TMDB ★ 7.5

A group of sheltered professors writing a slang dictionary enlist the help of a streetwise nightclub singer.

Directed by Howard Hawks · 1h 51m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

IMDb ★ 8.1 RT 85% Metacritic 73

A naive, idealistic new senator battles entrenched political corruption in Washington.

Directed by Frank Capra · 2h 10m · Rated NR

Won 1 Oscar8 wins & 12 nominations

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)

TMDB ★ 7.6

A small-town poet who inherits a vast fortune clashes with the greedy city society that wants it.

Directed by Frank Capra · 1h 55m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Twentieth Century (1934)

TMDB ★ 7.5

A theatrical producer desperately schemes to win back the actress he made a star, now a Hollywood sensation.

Directed by Howard Hawks · 1h 31m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

6 Best Charles Lane Movies

Broken Arrow (1950)

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Ball of Fire (1941)

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)

Twentieth Century (1934)

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