Barton MacLane
Acting
Born: December 25, 1902 · Columbia, South Carolina, USA
Died: January 1, 1969 (aged 66)
Highest Rated
Biography
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.
Known for
The Maltese Falcon
1941
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
1948
I Dream of Jeannie
1965
The Munsters
1964
High Sierra
1941
You Only Live Once
1937
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
1941
Pocketful of Miracles
1961
The Glenn Miller Story
1954
Perry Mason
1957
The Cocoanuts
1929
Gunsmoke
1955
Photos (3)
Movies (142)
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Pat McCormick
The Maltese Falcon
Lt. of Detectives Dundy
Frisco Kid
Spider Burke
High Sierra
Jake Kranmer
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Sam Higgins
Pocketful of Miracles
Police Commissioner
Three Violent People
Yates
The Glenn Miller Story
General Arnold
The Rounders
Tanner
You Only Live Once
Stephen Whitney
'G' Men
Collins
Rails Into Laramie
Lee Graham
The Geisha Boy
Major Ridgley
Bullets or Ballots
Al Kruger
The Cocoanuts
Bather
All Through the Night
Marty Callahan
Go Into Your Dance
Duke Hutchinson
Rookie Fireman
Captain Jess Henshaw
The Prince and the Pauper
John Canty
The Walking Dead
Loder
Western Union
Jack Slade
Silver River
'Banjo' Sweeney
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
Lieutenant John Reece
Tarzan and the Amazons
Ballister
The Spanish Main
Capt. Benjamin Black
Prison Break
Joaquin Shannon
You and Me
Mickey
Backlash
Sergeant George Lake
His Woman
Crewman
Bombardier
Archie Dixon
Best of the Badmen
Joad
Sea of Lost Ships
Capt. Jack Matthews
Jail Busters
Captain Jenkins
Tarzan and the Huntress
Paul Weir
Law of the Lawless
Big Tom Stone
Kansas Pacific
Cal Bruce
The Crime Doctor’s Strangest Case
Detective Rief
All of Me
First Cop (uncredited)
Come Live with Me
Barney Grogan
Buffalo Stampede
Henchman Pruitt
Drums in the Deep South
Sgt. Mac McCardle
Manpower
Smiley Quinn
Stand Up and Fight
Crowder
Cheyenne
Webb Yancey
The Half-Breed
Marshal Cassidy
Man of the Forest
Mulvey
Thunderbirds
Sgt. Durkee
Stranded
Sharkey
Men Without Souls
Blackie Drew
Town Tamer
James Fell
San Quentin
Nick Taylor
The Mummy's Ghost
Inspector Walgreen
Red Light
Detective Strecker
Relentless
Tex Brandow
Foxfire
Jim Mablett
Bugles in the Afternoon
Capt. Myles Moylan
The Big Street
Case Ables
Cry of the Werewolf
Lt. Barry Lane
The Dude Goes West
Texas Jack Barton
Unknown Island
Capt. Tarnowski
Hell's Outpost
Sheriff Olson
I Found Stella Parish
Clifton Jeffords
Gold Is Where You Find It
Slag Martin
The Walls of Jericho
Rufus J. "Gotch" McCurdy
The Bandit Queen
Sheriff Jim Harden
To the Last Man
Neil Stanley
San Quentin
Lt. Druggin
Big Executive
Harry the Guide
Lone Cowboy
Policeman Baxter
Fly Away Baby
Steve McBride
Jubilee Trail
Deacon Bartlett
Dr. Socrates
Red Bastian
Black Fury
McGee
Let's Dance
Larry Channock
Torchy Blane in Chinatown
Det. Lt. Steve 'Mac' McBride
The Case of the Curious Bride
Detective Lucas
Scared Stiff
George 'Deacon' Markham
Secret Command
Red Kelly
Treasure of Ruby Hills
Chalk Reynolds
Hell's Crossroads
Clyde O'Connell
Cow Country
Marvin Parker
Smart Blonde
Steve McBride
Jaguar
Steve Bailey
Girl on the Run
Francis J. Brannigan
Melody Ranch
Mark Wildhack
Torchy Gets Her Man
Detective Steve McBride
The Quarterback
Football Player (uncredited)
Page Miss Glory
Blackie
Ceiling Zero
Al Stone
Nabonga
Carl Hurst
Born Reckless
Jim Barnes
Sierra Stranger
Lem Gotch
Draegerman Courage
Andrew Beaupre
Mysterious Intruder
Detective Taggart
Angel in Exile
Max Giorgio
Arizona Bushwhackers
Sheriff Grover
Gangs of Chicago
Jim Ramsey
God's Country and the Woman
Bullhead
Torchy Runs for Mayor
Steve McBride
Captain Scarface
Captain Scarface
Noose for a Gunman
Carl Avery
Naked In The Sun
Wilson
Naked Gun
Joe Barnum
Highways by Night
Leo Bronson
Buckskin
Dr. H. 'Doc' Raymond
Barnacle Bill
John Kelly
Tillie and Gus
Commissioner McLennan
Jailbreak
Detective Captain Rourke
Marine Raiders
Sgt. Maguire
Mutiny in the Big House
Red Manson
Gentle Annie
Sheriff Tatum
Santa Fe Uprising
Crawford
The Man Is Armed
Det. Lt. Dan Coster
The Case of the Lucky Legs
Bisonette
Jack Slade
Jules Reni
Ever Since Eve
Al McCoy
The Storm
Captain Cogswell
Last of the Desperados
Mosby, Gang Leader
Wetbacks
Karl Shanks
Girl in the Woods
Big Jim
The Silver Star
Henry 'Tiny' Longtree
Blondes at Work
Lt. Steve McBride
Wild Geese Calling
Pirate Kelly
Man of Iron
Chris Bennett
Man of Courage
John Wallace
Frontier Gun
Simon Crayle
Wine, Women and Horses
Jim Turner
The Secret Seven
Sam O'Donnell
Hit the Road
James J. Ryan
Times Square Playboy
Casey (Vic's Butler/Trainer)
Bengal Tiger
Cliff Ballenger
The Last Round-up
Charley Benson
The Kid Comes Back
Gunner Malone
Jungle Flight
Case Hagin
Gunfighters of Abilene
Seth
Big Town Czar
Phil Daley
The Underdog
John Tate
The Adventurous Blonde
Det. Lt. Steve McBride
Song of Texas
Jim Calvert
Let's Dance
1933
Crimes Square
Detective with Handcuffs
The Gigolo Racket
Cafe Customer
TV Shows (24)
Perry Mason
Senator Harriman Baylor · 1 eps
Perry Mason
Sheriff Eugene Norris · 1 eps
Perry Mason
Harold Minter · 1 eps
Perry Mason
Archer Osmond · 1 eps
I Dream of Jeannie
General Peterson · 35 eps
Four Star Playhouse
Milo · 1 eps
Four Star Playhouse
Capt. Webber · 1 eps
Cheyenne
1 eps
The Munsters
1 eps
Gunsmoke
Herkimer Crawford · 1 eps
Gunsmoke
Willard Kerner · 1 eps
Telephone Time
1 eps
77 Sunset Strip
1 eps
The Monkees
Bart · 1 eps
Studio 57
1 eps
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
2 eps
Outlaws
Marshal Frank Caine · 50 eps
Black Saddle
General Fowler · 1 eps
Tightrope
1 eps
Hondo
1 eps
The Whistler
1 eps
The Wonderful World of Disney
Rawls Kettrick · 1 eps
Wire Service
Gen. Bailey · 1 eps
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Chief Brooks · 1 eps
Self / Appearances (7)
It's Showtime
Self (archive footage)
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Bogart: The Untold Story
Self (archive footage)
Breakdowns of 1937
Self
A Dream Comes True
Himself (uncredited)
Breakdowns of 1936
Self
Breakdowns of 1939
Self