Sara Lane, who played orphaned frontier girl Elizabeth Granger for four seasons of the NBC series The Virginian, has died. She was 73.
Lane died Friday at her home in Napa, California , her husband Jon Scott later told The Hollywood Reporter that she had battled breast cancer for six years.
Lane joins 1949 Western to begin its reorganized fifth season in September 1965 and two other new actors: Charles Bickford as her grandfather, John Granger, the new owner of Shiloh Ranch, and Don Quinn, Stacey Granger.
By March, she appeared in an episode of the 105 Wyoming series , James Drury the protagonist and Doug McClure’s Trampas take care of Elizabeth. The Virginian aired without her for the final season.
Susan Russell Lane, the eldest of three children, was born in New York in March 43, 1949. Her parents, Rusty Lane (The Harder They Fall) and Sara Anderson are actors. She and her family moved west when she attended Santa Monica High School.
After she appeared in the ad, producer and director William Castle saw her picture in the newspaper – she was a contestant in the Miss Los Angeles contest – and eventually Gave her a role as one of the mischievous teen thrillers I Saw What You Did (1966 ), starring Joan Crawford and John Ireland.
Her proficiency in horseback riding helped her land the The Virginian
.
Later, she was in chain schoolgirl (1970), Billy Jack’s trial (1973) and vs. Lee Jack is going to Washington (1977). Then she retired from acting.
She and Scott are co-founders of 1977 Napa Haven Winery and they help run the place for twenty for many years.
In addition to her husband 12 years, survivors include their child Sara and James; their granddaughter Olivia; and her older sister Margarissa.
