Barton MacLane
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
Credits
- 1997 · Bogart: The Untold Story as Self (archive footage)
- 1983 · Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 1976 · It's Showtime as Self (archive footage)
- 1968 · Buckskin as Dr. H. 'Doc' Raymond
- 1968 · Arizona Bushwhackers as Sheriff Grover
- 1968 · The Mummy's Ghost as Mob Organizer (archive footage)
- 1967 · Hondo as
- 1966 · The Monkees as
- 1965 · I Dream of Jeannie as General Peterson
- 1965 · Town Tamer as James Fell
- 1965 · The Rounders as Tanner
- 1964 · The Munsters as
- 1964 · Law of the Lawless as Big Tom Stone
- 1961 · Pocketful of Miracles as Police Commissioner
- 1960 · Outlaws as Marshal Frank Caine
- 1960 · Noose for a Gunman as Carl Avery
- 1960 · Gunfighters of Abilene as Seth
- 1959 · Tightrope as
- 1959 · Black Saddle as General Fowler
- 1958 · The Geisha Boy as Major Ridgley
- 1958 · Frontier Gun as Simon Crayle
- 1958 · 77 Sunset Strip as
- 1958 · Girl on the Run as Francis J. Brannigan
- 1958 · Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse as
- 1958 · Girl in the Woods as Big Jim
- 1957 · Perry Mason as Senator Harriman Baylor
- 1957 · Perry Mason as Sheriff Eugene Norris
- 1957 · Perry Mason as Harold Minter
- 1957 · Perry Mason as Archer Osmond
- 1957 · Naked In The Sun as Wilson
- 1957 · Sierra Stranger as Lem Gotch
- 1957 · Hell's Crossroads as Clyde O'Connell
- 1956 · Three Violent People as Yates
- 1956 · Naked Gun as Joe Barnum
- 1956 · The Man Is Armed as Det. Lt. Dan Coster
- 1956 · Wire Service as Gen. Bailey
- 1956 · Wetbacks as Karl Shanks
- 1956 · Telephone Time as
- 1956 · Backlash as Sergeant George Lake
- 1956 · Jaguar as Steve Bailey
- 1955 · Last of the Desperados as Mosby, Gang Leader
- 1955 · Cheyenne as
- 1955 · Jail Busters as Captain Jenkins
- 1955 · Gunsmoke as Herkimer Crawford
- 1955 · Gunsmoke 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 · The Wonderful World of Disney as Rawls Kettrick
- 1954 · Studio 57 as
- 1954 · The Whistler as
- 1954 · Jubilee Trail as Deacon Bartlett
- 1954 · Rails Into Laramie as Lee Graham
- 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 · Cow Country as Marvin Parker
- 1953 · Kansas Pacific as Cal Bruce
- 1952 · Thunderbirds as Sgt. Durkee
- 1952 · Four Star Playhouse as Milo
- 1952 · Four Star Playhouse as Capt. Webber
- 1952 · The Half-Breed as Marshal Cassidy
- 1952 · Bugles in the Afternoon as Capt. Myles Moylan
- 1951 · Schlitz Playhouse of Stars as Chief Brooks
- 1951 · Drums in the Deep South as Sgt. Mac McCardle
- 1951 · Best of the Badmen as Joad
- 1950 · The Bandit Queen as Sheriff Jim Harden
- 1950 · Let's Dance as Larry Channock
- 1950 · Lux Video Theatre as Steve
- 1950 · Lux Video Theatre as Marvin Platt
- 1950 · Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye as Lieutenant John Reece
- 1949 · Red Light as Detective Strecker
- 1948 · The Walls of Jericho as Rufus J. "Gotch" McCurdy
- 1948 · Angel in Exile as Max Giorgio
- 1948 · Unknown Island as Capt. Tarnowski
- 1948 · Relentless as Tex Brandow
- 1948 · The Dude Goes West as Texas Jack Barton
- 1948 · Silver River as 'Banjo' Sweeney
- 1948 · The Treasure of the Sierra Madre as Pat McCormick
- 1947 · Jungle Flight as Case Hagin
- 1947 · Cheyenne as Webb Yancey
- 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 · The Crime Doctor’s Strangest Case as Detective Rief
- 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 · The Secret Seven as Sam O'Donnell
- 1940 · Men Without Souls as Blackie Drew
- 1940 · Gangs of Chicago as Jim Ramsey
- 1939 · Breakdowns of 1939 as Self
- 1939 · Mutiny in the Big House as Red Manson
- 1939 · Torchy Runs for Mayor as Steve McBride
- 1939 · Big Town Czar as Phil Daley
- 1939 · I Was a Convict as Ace King
- 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 · The Storm as Captain Cogswell
- 1938 · Prison Break as Joaquin Shannon
- 1938 · You and Me as Mickey
- 1938 · Gold Is Where You Find It as Slag Martin
- 1938 · The Kid Comes Back as Gunner Malone
- 1938 · Blondes at Work as Lt. Steve McBride
- 1937 · Breakdowns of 1937 as Self
- 1937 · The Adventurous Blonde as Det. Lt. Steve McBride
- 1937 · Wine, Women and Horses as Jim Turner
- 1937 · Ever Since Eve as Al McCoy
- 1937 · Born Reckless as Jim Barnes
- 1937 · Fly Away Baby as Steve McBride
- 1937 · San Quentin as Lt. Druggin
- 1937 · Draegerman Courage as Andrew Beaupre
- 1937 · The Prince and the Pauper as John Canty
- 1937 · You Only Live Once as Stephen Whitney
- 1937 · God's Country and the Woman as Bullhead
- 1937 · Smart Blonde as Steve McBride
- 1936 · Breakdowns of 1936 as Self
- 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 · A Dream Comes True as Himself (uncredited)
- 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 · The Case of the Lucky Legs as Bisonette
- 1935 · Page Miss Glory as Blackie
- 1935 · Stranded as Sharkey
- 1935 · Black Fury as McGee
- 1935 · 'G' Men as Collins
- 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 · Lone Cowboy as Policeman Baxter
- 1933 · Big Executive as Harry the Guide
- 1933 · Tillie and Gus as Commissioner McLennan
- 1933 · To the Last Man as Neil Stanley
- 1933 · Man of the Forest as Mulvey
- 1933 · Let's Dance as
- 1933 · The Thundering Herd as Henchman Pruitt
- 1932 · The Acid Test as
- 1932 · Naughty-Cal as Sailor
- 1931 · His Woman as Crewman
- 1931 · The Gigolo Racket as Cafe Customer
- 1931 · Crimes Square as Detective with Handcuffs
- 1930 · Politics as
- 1929 · The Cocoanuts as Bather
- 1926 · The Quarterback as Football Player (uncredited)