Sara Lane was born on March 12 1949 in New York City. Her parents were actor Russell "Rusty" Lane, who appeared in the boxing movie The Harder They Fall (1956), and actor Sara Anderson, who appeared on several TV shows as well as I Saw What You Did (1965) along with her daughter. The family moved to California when Sara Lane was 12 and she graduated from Santa Monica High School.
Sara Lane's career in entertainment began early. She was a baby when she appeared in a soap commercial for television. When she was 12 she appeared in a vitamin commercial. She was cast in the movie I Saw What You Did (1965) when producer/director William Castle saw her picture in a newspaper as one of the Miss Los Angeles contestants. The following year she was cast as Elizabeth Grainger on The Virginian. Elizabeth was the granddaughter of the Shiloh Ranch's new owner, John Grainger (Charles Bickford). She remained on the show until 1970, when The Virginian was revamped. Using the stage name "Russell Lane" (Russell was her middle name), she appeared in the movies Schoolgirls in Chains (1973), The Trial of Billy Jack (1974), and Billy Jack Goes to Washington (1977).
She retired from acting in the late Seventies. In 1984 she and her husband John Scott were among the founders of Havens Winery 1984.
Sara Lane's career was brief and her appearances in film and television were few, but she displayed a good deal of talent. She was convincing as Kit Austin, one of the two prank callers whose calls get them in trouble in I Saw What You Did (1965). She also did quite a good job as Elizabeth on The Virginian, who loved life on the ranch and horses (something which was true of Miss Lane in real life--she had two horses when she was cast on The Virginian). Her career may not have been long, she gave performances that will be remembered.
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