Barton MacLane
Born
December 25, 1902
Died
January 1, 1969 (66 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Columbia, South Carolina, USA
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
Bogart: The Untold Story
Self (archive footage)
1997
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1983
It's Showtime
Self (archive footage)
1976
Buckskin
Dr. H. 'Doc' Raymond
1968
Arizona Bushwhackers
Sheriff Grover
1968
Hondo
(1 episode)
1967
The Monkees
(1 episode)
1966
I Dream of Jeannie
General Peterson · (35 episodes)
1965
Town Tamer
James Fell
1965
The Rounders
Tanner
1965
The Munsters
(1 episode)
1964
Law of the Lawless
Big Tom Stone
1964
Pocketful of Miracles
Police Commissioner
1961
Outlaws
Marshal Frank Caine · (50 episodes)
1960
Noose for a Gunman
Carl Avery
1960
Gunfighters of Abilene
Seth
1960
Tightrope
(1 episode)
1959
Black Saddle
General Fowler · (1 episode)
1959
The Geisha Boy
Major Ridgley
1958
Frontier Gun
Simon Crayle
1958
Girl on the Run
Francis J. Brannigan
1958
77 Sunset Strip
(1 episode)
1958
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
(2 episodes)
1958
Girl in the Woods
Big Jim
1958
Perry Mason
Senator Harriman Baylor · (1 episode)
1957
Perry Mason
Sheriff Eugene Norris · (1 episode)
1957
Perry Mason
Harold Minter · (1 episode)
1957
Perry Mason
Archer Osmond · (1 episode)
1957
Naked In The Sun
Wilson
1957
Sierra Stranger
Lem Gotch
1957
Hell's Crossroads
Clyde O'Connell
1957
Three Violent People
Yates
1956
Naked Gun
Joe Barnum
1956
The Man Is Armed
Det. Lt. Dan Coster
1956
Wire Service
Gen. Bailey · (1 episode)
1956
Wetbacks
Karl Shanks
1956
Telephone Time
(1 episode)
1956
Backlash
Sergeant George Lake
1956
Jaguar
Steve Bailey
1956
Last of the Desperados
Mosby, Gang Leader
1955
Cheyenne
(1 episode)
1955
Jail Busters
Captain Jenkins
1955
Gunsmoke
Herkimer Crawford · (1 episode)
1955
Gunsmoke
Willard Kerner · (1 episode)
1955
Foxfire
Jim Mablett
1955
The Silver Star
Henry 'Tiny' Longtree
1955
Treasure of Ruby Hills
Chalk Reynolds
1955
Hell's Outpost
Sheriff Olson
1954
The Wonderful World of Disney
Rawls Kettrick · (1 episode)
1954
Studio 57
(1 episode)
1954
The Whistler
(1 episode)
1954
Jubilee Trail
Deacon Bartlett
1954
Rails Into Laramie
Lee Graham
1954
The Glenn Miller Story
General Arnold
1954
Jack Slade
Jules Reni
1953
Sea of Lost Ships
Capt. Jack Matthews
1953
Captain Scarface
Captain Scarface
1953
Cow Country
Marvin Parker
1953
Kansas Pacific
Cal Bruce
1953
Thunderbirds
Sgt. Durkee
1952
Four Star Playhouse
Capt. Webber · (1 episode)
1952
Four Star Playhouse
Milo · (1 episode)
1952
The Half-Breed
Marshal Cassidy
1952
Bugles in the Afternoon
Capt. Myles Moylan
1952
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Chief Brooks · (1 episode)
1951
Drums in the Deep South
Sgt. Mac McCardle
1951
Best of the Badmen
Joad
1951
The Bandit Queen
Sheriff Jim Harden
1950
Let's Dance
Larry Channock
1950
Lux Video Theatre
Steve · (1 episode)
1950
Lux Video Theatre
Marvin Platt · (1 episode)
1950
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
Lieutenant John Reece
1950
Red Light
Detective Strecker
1949
The Walls of Jericho
Rufus J. "Gotch" McCurdy
1948
Angel in Exile
Max Giorgio
1948
Unknown Island
Capt. Tarnowski
1948
Relentless
Tex Brandow
1948
The Dude Goes West
Texas Jack Barton
1948
Silver River
'Banjo' Sweeney
1948
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Pat McCormick
1948
Jungle Flight
Case Hagin
1947
Cheyenne
Webb Yancey
1947
Tarzan and the Huntress
Paul Weir
1947
San Quentin
Nick Taylor
1946
Santa Fe Uprising
Crawford
1946
Mysterious Intruder
Detective Taggart
1946
The Spanish Main
Capt. Benjamin Black
1945
Scared Stiff
George 'Deacon' Markham
1945
Tarzan and the Amazons
Ballister
1945
Gentle Annie
Sheriff Tatum
1944
Cry of the Werewolf
Lt. Barry Lane
1944
Secret Command
Red Kelly
1944
Marine Raiders
Sgt. Maguire
1944
The Mummy's Ghost
Inspector Walgreen
1944
Nabonga
Carl Hurst
1944
The Crime Doctor’s Strangest Case
Detective Rief
1943
The Underdog
John Tate
1943
Song of Texas
Jim Calvert
1943
Bombardier
Archie Dixon
1943
Man of Courage
John Wallace
1943
Highways by Night
Leo Bronson
1942
The Big Street
Case Ables
1942
All Through the Night
Marty Callahan
1942
The Maltese Falcon
Lt. of Detectives Dundy
1941
Wild Geese Calling
Pirate Kelly
1941
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Sam Higgins
1941
Manpower
Smiley Quinn
1941
Hit the Road
James J. Ryan
1941
Barnacle Bill
John Kelly
1941
Western Union
Jack Slade
1941
Come Live with Me
Barney Grogan
1941
High Sierra
Jake Kranmer
1941
Melody Ranch
Mark Wildhack
1940
The Secret Seven
Sam O'Donnell
1940
Men Without Souls
Blackie Drew
1940
Gangs of Chicago
Jim Ramsey
1940
Breakdowns of 1939
Self
1939
Mutiny in the Big House
Red Manson
1939
Torchy Runs for Mayor
Steve McBride
1939
Big Town Czar
Phil Daley
1939
I Was a Convict
Ace King
1939
Torchy Blane in Chinatown
Det. Lt. Steve 'Mac' McBride
1939
Stand Up and Fight
Crowder
1939
Torchy Gets Her Man
Detective Steve McBride
1938
The Storm
Captain Cogswell
1938
Prison Break
Joaquin Shannon
1938
You and Me
Mickey
1938
Gold Is Where You Find It
Slag Martin
1938
The Kid Comes Back
Gunner Malone
1938
Blondes at Work
Lt. Steve McBride
1938
Breakdowns of 1937
Self
1937
The Adventurous Blonde
Det. Lt. Steve McBride
1937
Wine, Women and Horses
Jim Turner
1937
Ever Since Eve
Al McCoy
1937
Born Reckless
Jim Barnes
1937
Fly Away Baby
Steve McBride
1937
San Quentin
Lt. Druggin
1937
Draegerman Courage
Andrew Beaupre
1937
The Prince and the Pauper
John Canty
1937
You Only Live Once
Stephen Whitney
1937
God's Country and the Woman
Bullhead
1937
Smart Blonde
Steve McBride
1937
Breakdowns of 1936
Self
1936
Jailbreak
Detective Captain Rourke
1936
Bengal Tiger
Cliff Ballenger
1936
Bullets or Ballots
Al Kruger
1936
Times Square Playboy
Casey (Vic's Butler/Trainer)
1936
The Walking Dead
Loder
1936
Ceiling Zero
Al Stone
1936
A Dream Comes True
Himself (uncredited)
1935
Man of Iron
Chris Bennett
1935
Frisco Kid
Spider Burke
1935
I Found Stella Parish
Clifton Jeffords
1935
Dr. Socrates
Red Bastian
1935
The Case of the Lucky Legs
Bisonette
1935
Page Miss Glory
Blackie
1935
Stranded
Sharkey
1935
Black Fury
McGee
1935
'G' Men
Collins
1935
Go Into Your Dance
Duke Hutchinson
1935
The Case of the Curious Bride
Detective Lucas
1935
The Last Round-up
Charley Benson
1934
All of Me
First Cop (uncredited)
1934
Lone Cowboy
Policeman Baxter
1933
Big Executive
Harry the Guide
1933
Tillie and Gus
Commissioner McLennan
1933
To the Last Man
Neil Stanley
1933
Man of the Forest
Mulvey
1933
Let's Dance
1933
Buffalo Stampede
Henchman Pruitt
1933
The Acid Test
1932
Naughty-Cal
Sailor
1932
His Woman
Crewman
1931
The Gigolo Racket
Cafe Customer
1931
Crimes Square
Detective with Handcuffs
1931
Politics
1930
The Cocoanuts
Bather
1929
The Quarterback
Football Player (uncredited)
1926