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Photo of Barton MacLane

Barton MacLane

Actor, Writer
Born December 25, 1902Died January 1, 1969 (66 years)
Barton MacLane graduated from Wesleyan University, where he displayed a notable aptitude for sports, in particular football and basketball. Not surprisingly, his physical prowess led to an early role in The Quarterback (1926) with Richard Dix. MacLane once commented that, as an actor, he needed to have the physical strength to tear the bad guys "from limb to limb", if necessary. Ironically, it was usually Barton himself who was destined to be at the end of a hiding (when not getting shot, instead), typically as snarling henchmen, outlaws and other assorted dubious or abrasive types throughout most of his 40-year acting career. In fact, Barton became so typecast that his name was for a time used proverbially, to generally describe a shouting, hard-nosed ruffian.

After training at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, MacLane joined a stock company in Brooklyn. In 1927 he had his first part on Broadway, a brief moment as an assistant district attorney, in the melodrama "The Trial of Mary Dugan". He then played a small featured role as a police officer in "Subway Express" (1929-30), a drama enacted in the interior of a subway car. In mid-1932 MacLane tried his hand at writing his own starring vehicle for the stage, entitled "Rendezvous". While the play closed after just 21 performances, it led to a contract with Warner Brothers.

Barton had already appeared in bit roles for Paramount at their Astoria Studios, including The Marx Brothers' debut film The Cocoanuts (1929). He portrayed mobster Brad Collins in 'G' Men (1935) (with James Cagney), which set the tone for most of his future assignments. Brawny, with squinty eyes and a rasping voice, MacLane was the ideal surly tough guy, particularly suitable for westerns and the type of films noir Warner Brothers excelled at. He was often cast as cops, be they bent or honest. Some of his most representative performances include gangster Al Kruger in Bullets or Ballots (1936), which won him some of the best critical notices of his career; outlaw Jack Slade in Western Union (1941); crooked construction boss Pat McCormick, who gets beaten up by Humphrey Bogart and Tim Holt over past-due wages in The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948); hard-nosed cops Detective Dundy in The Maltese Falcon (1941) and Lt. Reece in Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (1950). MacLane, on loan to Universal, also had a starring role in Prison Break (1938) as an innocent tuna fisherman who is framed for murder. He was prominent as a tough but sympathetic cop, foil to sleuthing girl reporter Glenda Farrell in the "Torchy Blaine" series of the mid- to late 1930s. In the 1960s Barton began to cultivate a good-guy image as Marshal Frank Caine in the NBC western series Outlaws (1960) as well as showing up in a small recurring role as Air Force Gen. Martin Peterson in I Dream of Jeannie (1965).

Barton was married to the actress Charlotte Wynters, who appeared with him in six of his films. When not on the set, the couple spent time on their 2000-acre cattle ranch in Madera County, California.

For his work in television, Barton has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Movies & Shows on Plex

  • You Only Live Once
  • Cheyenne
  • You and Me
  • Cry of the Werewolf
  • The Case of the Lucky Legs
  • Kansas Pacific
  • Nabonga
  • To the Last Man
  • Drums in the Deep South
  • Captain Scarface
  • Four Star Playhouse
  • Song of Texas
  • Treasure of Ruby Hills
  • Hell's Outpost
  • The Underdog

Known For

  • The Maltese Falcon
  • The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
  • I Dream of Jeannie
  • You Only Live Once
  • High Sierra
  • The Glenn Miller Story
  • Bullets or Ballots
  • 'G' Men
  • The Prince and the Pauper
  • The Mummy's Ghost
  • You and Me
  • San Quentin
  • The Big Street
  • The Walking Dead
  • The Geisha Boy
  • Tarzan and the Huntress
  • Come Live with Me
  • Tarzan and the Amazons
  • Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
  • Western Union
  • Backlash
  • Prison Break
  • The Spanish Main
  • Kansas Pacific

Filmography

1987
Bloopermania · as Cast
1986
Classic Comedy Teams · as Captain Jenkins (segment "east Side Kids")
1968
Buckskin · as Dr. H. 'doc' Raymond
1968
Arizona Bushwhackers · as Sheriff Grover
1967
Hondo (TV Series)
1965
The Monkees (TV Series)
1965
Town Tamer · as James Fell
1965
I Dream of Jeannie (TV Series) · as General Peterson
1965
The Rounders · as Tanner
1964
Law of the Lawless · as Big Tom Stone
1964
The Munsters (TV Series)
1961
Pocketful of Miracles · as Police Commissioner
1960
Outlaws (TV Series) · as Marshal Frank Caine
1960
Noose for a Gunman · as Carl Avery
1960
Overland Trail (TV Series) · as Big Jed Braddock
1959
1959
Laramie (TV Series) · as Cameron Gault
1959
Tightrope (TV Series)
1959
Black Saddle (TV Series) · as General Fowler
1958
The Geisha Boy · as Major Ridgley
1958
Frontier Gun · as Simon Crayle
1958
Girl on the Run · as Francis J. Brannigan
1958
77 Sunset Strip (TV Series)
1958
1957
Perry Mason (TV Series) · as Sheriff Eugene Norris
1957
Naked in the Sun · as Wilson
1957
Sierra Stranger · as Lem Gotch
1957
Tales of Wells Fargo (TV Series) · as Old Man Clanton
1957
Hell's Crossroads · as Clyde O'connell
1956
1956
Naked Gun · as Joe Barnum
1956
The Man Is Armed · as Det. Lt. Dan Coster
1956
Circus Boy (TV Series) · as Pinkerton Detective Nolan
1956
Kaiser Aluminum Hour (TV Series) · as Dan Royal
1956
Wetbacks · as Karl Shanks
1956
Telephone Time (TV Series)
1956
Backlash · as Sergeant George Lake
1956
Jaguar · as Steve Bailey
1955
Crossroads (1955) (TV Series) · as Truck Adams
1955
Cheyenne (TV Series)
1955
Jail Busters · as Captain Jenkins
1955
Gunsmoke (TV Series) · as Willard Kerner
1955
Foxfire · as Jim Mablett
1955
The Silver Star · as Henry 'tiny' Longtree
1955
Treasure of Ruby Hills · as Chalk Reynolds
1954
Hell's Outpost · as Sheriff Olson
1954
Disneyland (TV Series) · as Rawls Kettrick
1954
Rails Into Laramie · as Lee Graham
1954
Climax! (TV Series) · as Cast
1954
Studio 57 (TV Series)
1954
The Whistler (TV Series) · as Mckay
1954
Waterfront (TV Series) · as Mcclurg
1954
Jubilee Trail · as Deacon Bartlett
1954
The Glenn Miller Story · as General Arnold
1953
Jack Slade · as Jules Reni
1953
Sea of Lost Ships · as Capt. Jack Matthews
1953
Captain Scarface · as Captain Scarface
1953
The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse (TV Series) · as Capt. Hansen
1953
Cow Country · as Marvin Parker
1953
Kansas Pacific · as Cal Bruce
1952
Thunderbirds · as Sgt. Durkee
1952
Four Star Playhouse (TV Series) · as Capt. Webber
1952
Bugles in the Afternoon · as Capt. Myles Moylan
1952
The Half-Breed · as Marshal Cassidy
1951
Drums in the Deep South · as Sgt. Mac Mccardle
1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (TV Series) · as Chief Brooks
1951
1950
Bandit Queen · as Sheriff Jim Harden
1950
Let's Dance · as Larry Channock
1950
The Lux Video Theatre (TV Series) · as Marvin Platt
1950
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye · as Lieutenant John Reece
1949
Red Light · as Detective Strecker
1949
Fireside Theatre (TV Series) · as Big Red
1948
The Walls of Jericho · as Rufus J. "gotch" Mccurdy
1948
Unknown Island · as Capt. Tarnowski
1948
Angel in Exile · as Max Giorgio
1948
The Dude Goes West · as Texas Jack Barton
1948
Silver River · as 'banjo' Sweeney
1948
Relentless · as Tex Brandow
1948
1947
Jungle Flight · as Case Hagin
1947
Cheyenne · as Webb Yancey
1947
Kraft Television Theatre (TV Series) · as Potter
1947
Tarzan and the Huntress · as Paul Weir
1946
San Quentin · as Nick Taylor
1946
Santa Fe Uprising · as Crawford
1946
Mysterious Intruder · as Detective Taggart
1945
The Spanish Main · as Capt. Benjamin Black
1945
Scared Stiff · as George 'deacon' Markham
1945
Tarzan and the Amazons · as Ballister
1944
Gentle Annie · as Sheriff Tatum
1944
Cry of the Werewolf · as Lt. Barry Lane
1944
Secret Command · as Red Kelly
1944
Marine Raiders · as Sgt. Maguire
1944
The Mummy's Ghost · as Inspector Walgreen
1944
Nabonga · as Carl Hurst
1943
1943
The Underdog · as John Tate
1943
Song of Texas · as Jim Calvert
1943
Bombardier · as Archie Dixon
1943
Man of Courage · as John Wallace
1942
Highways by Night · as Leo Bronson
1942
The Big Street · as Case Ables
1942
All Through the Night · as Marty Callahan
1941
The Maltese Falcon · as Lt. Of Detectives Dundy
1941
Wild Geese Calling · as Pirate Kelly
1941
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde · as Sam Higgins
1941
Manpower · as Smiley Quinn
1941
Hit the Road · as James J. Ryan
1941
Barnacle Bill · as John Kelly
1941
Western Union · as Jack Slade
1941
Come Live with Me · as Barney Grogan
1941
High Sierra · as Jake Kranmer
1940
Melody Ranch · as Mark Wildhack
1940
Men Without Souls · as Blackie Drew
1940
Gangs of Chicago · as Jim Ramsey
1939
Mutiny in the Big House · as Red Manson
1939
Torchy Runs for Mayor · as Steve Mcbride
1939
Torchy Blane in Chinatown · as Det. Lt. Steve 'mac' Mcbride
1939
Stand Up and Fight · as Crowder
1938
Torchy Gets Her Man · as Detective Steve Mcbride
1938
Prison Break · as Joaquin Shannon
1938
You and Me · as Mickey
1938
Gold Is Where You Find It · as Slag Martin
1938
Blondes at Work · as Lt. Steve Mcbride
1937
The Adventurous Blonde · as Det. Lt. Steve Mcbride
1937
The Kid Comes Back · as Gunner Malone
1937
Wine, Women and Horses · as Jim Turner
1937
San Quentin · as Lt. Druggin
1937
Ever Since Eve · as Al Mccoy
1937
Born Reckless · as Jim Barnes
1937
Fly Away Baby · as Steve Mcbride
1937
Draegerman Courage · as Andrew Beaupre
1937
The Prince and the Pauper · as John Canty
1937
You Only Live Once · as Stephen Whitney
1937
1936
Smart Blonde · as Steve Mcbride
1936
Jailbreak · as Detective Captain Rourke
1936
Bengal Tiger · as Cliff Ballenger
1936
Bullets or Ballots · as Al Kruger
1936
Times Square Playboy · as Casey (vic's Butler/trainer)
1936
The Walking Dead · as Loder
1936
Ceiling Zero · as Al Stone
1935
Man of Iron · as Chris Bennett
1935
Frisco Kid · as Spider Burke
1935
I Found Stella Parish · as Clifton Jeffords
1935
Dr. Socrates · as Red Bastian
1935
1935
Page Miss Glory · as Blackie
1935
Stranded · as Sharkey
1935
'G' Men · as Collins
1935
Black Fury · as Mcgee
1935
Go Into Your Dance · as Duke Hutchinson
1935
The Case of the Curious Bride · as Detective Lucas
1934
The Last Round-Up · as Charley Benson
1934
All of Me · as First Cop (uncredited)
1933
Tillie and Gus · as Commissioner Mclennan
1933
To the Last Man · as Neil Stanley
1933
Man of the Forest · as Mulvey
1933
The Thundering Herd · as Henchman Pruitt
1932
1932
1932
State's Attorney · as Court Reporter
1931
His Woman · as Crewman
1929
The Cocoanuts · as Bather

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