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Barton MacLane
Born · December 25, 1902
Died · January 1, 1969 (66 years old)
Known For: Acting
Place of Birth: Columbia, South Carolina, USA
Bio
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.
Bogart: The Untold Story
Self (archive footage)
0.0
1997
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
6.5
1983
It's Showtime
Self (archive footage)
7.0
1976
Buckskin
Dr. H. 'Doc' Raymond
5.3
1968
Arizona Bushwhackers
Sheriff Grover
2.8
1968
Hondo
(1 episode)
6.5
1967
The Monkees
(1 episode)
6.5
1966
I Dream of Jeannie
General Peterson · (35 episodes)
7.8
1965
Town Tamer
James Fell
6.4
1965
The Rounders
Tanner
5.5
1965
The Munsters
(1 episode)
8.0
1964
Law of the Lawless
Big Tom Stone
6.1
1964
Pocketful of Miracles
Police Commissioner
7.3
1961
Outlaws
Marshal Frank Caine · (50 episodes)
6.2
1960
Noose for a Gunman
Carl Avery
5.3
1960
Gunfighters of Abilene
Seth
5.0
1960
Tightrope
(1 episode)
5.5
1959
Black Saddle
General Fowler · (1 episode)
6.0
1959
The Geisha Boy
Major Ridgley
6.4
1958
Frontier Gun
Simon Crayle
6.0
1958
Girl on the Run
Francis J. Brannigan
0.0
1958
77 Sunset Strip
(1 episode)
6.7
1958
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
(2 episodes)
5.3
1958
Girl in the Woods
Big Jim
0.0
1958
Perry Mason
Senator Harriman Baylor · (1 episode)
7.7
1957
Perry Mason
Sheriff Eugene Norris · (1 episode)
7.7
1957
Perry Mason
Harold Minter · (1 episode)
7.7
1957
Perry Mason
Archer Osmond · (1 episode)
7.7
1957
Naked In The Sun
Wilson
6.7
1957
Sierra Stranger
Lem Gotch
5.0
1957
Hell's Crossroads
Clyde O'Connell
5.4
1957
Three Violent People
Yates
6.1
1956
Naked Gun
Joe Barnum
6.8
1956
The Man Is Armed
Det. Lt. Dan Coster
4.8
1956
Wire Service
Gen. Bailey · (1 episode)
0.0
1956
Wetbacks
Karl Shanks
5.4
1956
Telephone Time
(1 episode)
6.3
1956
Backlash
Sergeant George Lake
6.4
1956
Jaguar
Steve Bailey
7.0
1956
Last of the Desperados
Mosby, Gang Leader
6.0
1955
Cheyenne
(1 episode)
5.8
1955
Jail Busters
Captain Jenkins
6.0
1955
Gunsmoke
Herkimer Crawford · (1 episode)
6.6
1955
Gunsmoke
Willard Kerner · (1 episode)
6.6
1955
Foxfire
Jim Mablett
6.0
1955
The Silver Star
Henry 'Tiny' Longtree
5.0
1955
Treasure of Ruby Hills
Chalk Reynolds
4.0
1955
Hell's Outpost
Sheriff Olson
5.0
1954
The Wonderful World of Disney
Rawls Kettrick · (1 episode)
7.8
1954
Studio 57
(1 episode)
0.0
1954
The Whistler
(1 episode)
0.0
1954
Jubilee Trail
Deacon Bartlett
4.8
1954
Rails Into Laramie
Lee Graham
6.3
1954
The Glenn Miller Story
General Arnold
6.9
1954
Jack Slade
Jules Reni
6.4
1953
Sea of Lost Ships
Capt. Jack Matthews
0.0
1953
Captain Scarface
Captain Scarface
4.7
1953
Cow Country
Marvin Parker
4.4
1953
Kansas Pacific
Cal Bruce
4.8
1953
Thunderbirds
Sgt. Durkee
5.7
1952
Four Star Playhouse
Capt. Webber · (1 episode)
6.1
1952
Four Star Playhouse
Milo · (1 episode)
6.1
1952
The Half-Breed
Marshal Cassidy
5.0
1952
Bugles in the Afternoon
Capt. Myles Moylan
5.1
1952
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Chief Brooks · (1 episode)
7.0
1951
Drums in the Deep South
Sgt. Mac McCardle
5.4
1951
Best of the Badmen
Joad
6.5
1951
The Bandit Queen
Sheriff Jim Harden
5.0
1950
Let's Dance
Larry Channock
5.5
1950
Lux Video Theatre
Steve · (1 episode)
6.0
1950
Lux Video Theatre
Marvin Platt · (1 episode)
6.0
1950
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
Lieutenant John Reece
6.8
1950
Red Light
Detective Strecker
5.5
1949
The Walls of Jericho
Rufus J. "Gotch" McCurdy
5.7
1948
Angel in Exile
Max Giorgio
5.2
1948
Unknown Island
Capt. Tarnowski
5.2
1948
Relentless
Tex Brandow
6.2
1948
The Dude Goes West
Texas Jack Barton
5.8
1948
Silver River
'Banjo' Sweeney
5.9
1948
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Pat McCormick
8.0
1948
Jungle Flight
Case Hagin
5.9
1947
Cheyenne
Webb Yancey
6.8
1947
Tarzan and the Huntress
Paul Weir
5.6
1947
San Quentin
Nick Taylor
6.3
1946
Santa Fe Uprising
Crawford
0.0
1946
Mysterious Intruder
Detective Taggart
5.8
1946
The Spanish Main
Capt. Benjamin Black
6.3
1945
Scared Stiff
George 'Deacon' Markham
4.5
1945
Tarzan and the Amazons
Ballister
6.3
1945
Gentle Annie
Sheriff Tatum
5.2
1944
Cry of the Werewolf
Lt. Barry Lane
4.3
1944
Secret Command
Red Kelly
6.8
1944
Marine Raiders
Sgt. Maguire
6.8
1944
The Mummy's Ghost
Inspector Walgreen
5.7
1944
Nabonga
Carl Hurst
4.3
1944
The Crime Doctor’s Strangest Case
Detective Rief
4.8
1943
The Underdog
John Tate
0.0
1943
Song of Texas
Jim Calvert
5.0
1943
Bombardier
Archie Dixon
5.4
1943
Man of Courage
John Wallace
4.8
1943
Highways by Night
Leo Bronson
6.0
1942
The Big Street
Case Ables
5.8
1942
All Through the Night
Marty Callahan
7.0
1942
The Maltese Falcon
Lt. of Detectives Dundy
7.7
1941
Wild Geese Calling
Pirate Kelly
5.8
1941
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Sam Higgins
6.4
1941
Manpower
Smiley Quinn
6.7
1941
Hit the Road
James J. Ryan
0.0
1941
Barnacle Bill
John Kelly
7.7
1941
Western Union
Jack Slade
6.0
1941
Come Live with Me
Barney Grogan
7.0
1941
High Sierra
Jake Kranmer
7.1
1941
Melody Ranch
Mark Wildhack
5.5
1940
The Secret Seven
Sam O'Donnell
0.0
1940
Men Without Souls
Blackie Drew
6.0
1940
Gangs of Chicago
Jim Ramsey
5.3
1940
Breakdowns of 1939
Self
7.0
1939
Mutiny in the Big House
Red Manson
4.4
1939
Torchy Runs for Mayor
Steve McBride
5.8
1939
Big Town Czar
Phil Daley
0.0
1939
I Was a Convict
Ace King
5.0
1939
Torchy Blane in Chinatown
Det. Lt. Steve 'Mac' McBride
6.0
1939
Stand Up and Fight
Crowder
5.8
1939
Torchy Gets Her Man
Detective Steve McBride
5.9
1938
The Storm
Captain Cogswell
0.0
1938
Prison Break
Joaquin Shannon
5.1
1938
You and Me
Mickey
6.7
1938
Gold Is Where You Find It
Slag Martin
6.9
1938
The Kid Comes Back
Gunner Malone
5.3
1938
Blondes at Work
Lt. Steve McBride
6.1
1938
Breakdowns of 1937
Self
6.0
1937
The Adventurous Blonde
Det. Lt. Steve McBride
5.4
1937
Wine, Women and Horses
Jim Turner
4.0
1937
Ever Since Eve
Al McCoy
5.8
1937
Born Reckless
Jim Barnes
5.5
1937
Fly Away Baby
Steve McBride
6.1
1937
San Quentin
Lt. Druggin
6.5
1937
Draegerman Courage
Andrew Beaupre
6.5
1937
The Prince and the Pauper
John Canty
6.7
1937
You Only Live Once
Stephen Whitney
7.1
1937
God's Country and the Woman
Bullhead
4.2
1937
Smart Blonde
Steve McBride
6.2
1937
Breakdowns of 1936
Self
0.0
1936
Jailbreak
Detective Captain Rourke
6.4
1936
Bengal Tiger
Cliff Ballenger
4.5
1936
Bullets or Ballots
Al Kruger
6.6
1936
Times Square Playboy
Casey (Vic's Butler/Trainer)
4.8
1936
The Walking Dead
Loder
6.2
1936
Ceiling Zero
Al Stone
5.6
1936
A Dream Comes True
Himself (uncredited)
5.5
1935
Man of Iron
Chris Bennett
6.0
1935
Frisco Kid
Spider Burke
6.8
1935
I Found Stella Parish
Clifton Jeffords
7.0
1935
Dr. Socrates
Red Bastian
6.4
1935
The Case of the Lucky Legs
Bisonette
6.0
1935
Page Miss Glory
Blackie
6.3
1935
Stranded
Sharkey
5.8
1935
Black Fury
McGee
6.4
1935
'G' Men
Collins
6.5
1935
Go Into Your Dance
Duke Hutchinson
7.0
1935
The Case of the Curious Bride
Detective Lucas
6.0
1935
The Last Round-up
Charley Benson
0.0
1934
All of Me
First Cop (uncredited)
6.0
1934
Lone Cowboy
Policeman Baxter
3.5
1933
Big Executive
Harry the Guide
0.0
1933
Tillie and Gus
Commissioner McLennan
7.6
1933
To the Last Man
Neil Stanley
5.9
1933
Man of the Forest
Mulvey
5.5
1933
Let's Dance
7.0
1933
The Thundering Herd
Henchman Pruitt
3.8
1933
The Acid Test
0.0
1932
Naughty-Cal
Sailor
0.0
1932
His Woman
Crewman
3.5
1931
The Gigolo Racket
Cafe Customer
0.0
1931
Crimes Square
Detective with Handcuffs
0.0
1931
Politics
0.0
1930
The Cocoanuts
Bather
6.4
1929
The Quarterback
Football Player (uncredited)
6.0
1926