Skip to content
Join free
Barton MacLane
Actor

Barton MacLane

25 Dec 1902Born
1 Jan 1969Died
66Age at death
167Credits

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.

Read the full biography

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

Filmography

The 80 most recent of 167 credits.

  1. 1968BuckskinFilm: Dr. H. 'Doc' Raymond
  2. 1968Arizona BushwhackersFilm: Sheriff Grover
  3. 1967HondoSeries (1 episode)
  4. 1966The MonkeesSeries: Bart (1 episode)
  5. 1965I Dream of JeannieSeries: General Peterson (35 episodes)
  6. 1965Town TamerFilm: James Fell
  7. 1965The RoundersFilm: Tanner
  8. 1964The MunstersSeries (1 episode)
  9. 1964Law of the LawlessFilm: Big Tom Stone
  10. 1961Pocketful of MiraclesFilm: Police Commissioner
  11. 1960OutlawsSeries: Marshal Frank Caine (50 episodes)
  12. 1960Noose for a GunmanFilm: Carl Avery
  13. 1960Gunfighters of AbileneFilm: Seth
  14. 1959TightropeSeries (1 episode)
  15. 1959Black SaddleSeries: General Fowler (1 episode)
  16. 1958The Geisha BoyFilm: Major Ridgley
  17. 1958Frontier GunFilm: Simon Crayle
  18. 1958Girl on the RunFilm: Francis J. Brannigan
  19. 195877 Sunset StripSeries (1 episode)
  20. 1958Westinghouse Desilu PlayhouseSeries (2 episodes)
  21. 1958Girl in the WoodsFilm: Big Jim
  22. 1957Perry MasonSeries: Senator Harriman Baylor, Sheriff Eugene Norris, Harold Minter, Archer Osmond (1 episode)
  23. 1957Naked In The SunFilm: Wilson
  24. 1957Sierra StrangerFilm: Lem Gotch
  25. 1957Hell's CrossroadsFilm: Clyde O'Connell
  26. 1956Three Violent PeopleFilm: Yates
  27. 1956Naked GunFilm: Joe Barnum
  28. 1956The Man Is ArmedFilm: Det. Lt. Dan Coster
  29. 1956Wire ServiceSeries: Gen. Bailey (1 episode)
  30. 1956ConflictSeries: Charlie Ringle (1 episode)
  31. 1956WetbacksFilm: Karl Shanks
  32. 1956Telephone TimeSeries (1 episode)
  33. 1956BacklashFilm: Sergeant George Lake
  34. 1956JaguarFilm: Steve Bailey
  35. 1955Last of the DesperadosFilm: Mosby, Gang Leader
  36. 1955CheyenneSeries (1 episode)
  37. 1955Jail BustersFilm: Captain Jenkins
  38. 1955GunsmokeSeries: Herkimer Crawford, Willard Kerner (1 episode)
  39. 1955FoxfireFilm: Jim Mablett
  40. 1955The Silver StarFilm: Henry 'Tiny' Longtree
  41. 1955Treasure of Ruby HillsFilm: Chalk Reynolds
  42. 1954Hell's OutpostFilm: Sheriff Olson
  43. 1954The Wonderful World of DisneySeries: Rawls Kettrick (1 episode)
  44. 1954Studio 57Series (1 episode)
  45. 1954The WhistlerSeries (1 episode)
  46. 1954Jubilee TrailFilm: Deacon Bartlett
  47. 1954Rails Into LaramieFilm: Lee Graham
  48. 1954The Glenn Miller StoryFilm: General Arnold
  49. 1953Jack SladeFilm: Jules Reni
  50. 1953Sea of Lost ShipsFilm: Capt. Jack Matthews
  51. 1953Captain ScarfaceFilm: Captain Scarface
  52. 1953Cow CountryFilm: Marvin Parker
  53. 1953Kansas PacificFilm: Cal Bruce
  54. 1952ThunderbirdsFilm: Sgt. Durkee
  55. 1952Four Star PlayhouseSeries: Capt. Webber, Milo (1 episode)
  56. 1952The Half-BreedFilm: Marshal Cassidy
  57. 1952Bugles in the AfternoonFilm: Capt. Myles Moylan
  58. 1951Schlitz Playhouse of StarsSeries: Chief Brooks (1 episode)
  59. 1951Drums in the Deep SouthFilm: Sgt. Mac McCardle
  60. 1951Best of the BadmenFilm: Joad
  61. 1950The Bandit QueenFilm: Sheriff Jim Harden
  62. 1950Let's DanceFilm: Larry Channock
  63. 1950Lux Video TheatreSeries: Steve, Marvin Platt (1 episode)
  64. 1950Rookie FiremanFilm: Captain Jess Henshaw
  65. 1950Kiss Tomorrow GoodbyeFilm: Lieutenant John Reece
  66. 1949Red LightFilm: Detective Strecker
  67. 1948The Walls of JerichoFilm: Rufus J. "Gotch" McCurdy
  68. 1948Angel in ExileFilm: Max Giorgio
  69. 1948Unknown IslandFilm: Capt. Tarnowski
  70. 1948RelentlessFilm: Tex Brandow
  71. 1948The Dude Goes WestFilm: Texas Jack Barton
  72. 1948Silver RiverFilm: 'Banjo' Sweeney
  73. 1948The Treasure of the Sierra MadreFilm: Pat McCormick
  74. 1947Jungle FlightFilm: Case Hagin
  75. 1947CheyenneFilm: Webb Yancey
  76. 1947Tarzan and the HuntressFilm: Paul Weir
  77. 1946San QuentinFilm: Nick Taylor
  78. 1946Santa Fe UprisingFilm: Crawford
  79. 1946Mysterious IntruderFilm: Detective Taggart
  80. 1945The Spanish MainFilm: Capt. Benjamin Black

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.