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person_profile-Barton MacLane

Barton MacLane Died at age: 66

Actor | Producer

Date of Birth:

Dec 25, 1902

Country of birth:

USA

Died:

Jan 01, 1969

Biography of

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.

Photos of

Barton MacLane

Photos ( 3 Photos

Filmography of

Barton MacLane

Found 141 Movies in total

Bogart: The Untold Story

Self (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 1997

Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage

Self (archive footage) (uncredited) ( Actor )

... 1983

It's Showtime

Self (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 1976

Buckskin

Dr. H. 'Doc' Raymond ( Actor )

... 1968

Arizona Bushwhackers

Sheriff Grover ( Actor )

... 1968

Town Tamer

James Fell ( Actor )

... 1965

The Rounders

Tanner ( Actor )

... 1965

Law of the Lawless

Big Tom Stone ( Actor )

... 1964

Pocketful of Miracles

Police Commissioner ( Actor )

... 1961

Noose for a Gunman

Carl Avery ( Actor )

... 1960

... 1960

The Geisha Boy

Major Ridgley ( Actor )

... 1958

Frontier Gun

Simon Crayle ( Actor )

... 1958

Girl on the Run

Francis J. Brannigan ( Actor )

... 1958

Girl in the Woods

Big Jim ( Actor )

... 1958

Naked In The Sun

Wilson ( Actor )

... 1957

Sierra Stranger

Lem Gotch ( Actor )

... 1957

Hell's Crossroads

Clyde O'Connell ( Actor )

... 1957

Three Violent People

Yates ( Actor )

... 1956

Naked Gun

Joe Barnum ( Actor )

... 1956

The Man Is Armed

Det. Lt. Dan Coster ( Actor )

... 1956

Wetbacks

Karl Shanks ( Actor )

... 1956

Backlash

Sergeant George Lake ( Actor )

... 1956

Jaguar

Steve Bailey ( Actor )

... 1956

Last of the Desperados

Mosby, Gang Leader ( Actor )

... 1955

Jail Busters

Captain Jenkins ( Actor )

... 1955

Foxfire

Mr. Mablett ( Actor )

... 1955

The Silver Star

Henry 'Tiny' Longtree ( Actor )

... 1955

Treasure of Ruby Hills

Chalk Reynolds ( Actor )

... 1955

Hell's Outpost

Sheriff Olson ( Actor )

... 1954

Jubilee Trail

Deacon Bartlett ( Actor )

... 1954

Rails Into Laramie

Lee Graham ( Actor )

... 1954

The Glenn Miller Story

General Arnold ( Actor )

... 1954

Jack Slade

Jules Reni ( Actor )

... 1953

Sea of Lost Ships

Capt. Jack Matthews ( Actor )

... 1953

Captain Scarface

Captain Scarface ( Actor )

... 1953

Cow Country

Marvin Parker ( Actor )

... 1953

Kansas Pacific

Cal Bruce ( Actor )

... 1953

Thunderbirds

Sgt. Durkee ( Actor )

... 1952

The Half-Breed

Marshal Cassidy ( Actor )

... 1952

Bugles in the Afternoon

Capt. Myles Moylan ( Actor )

... 1952

Drums in the Deep South

Sgt. Mac McCardle ( Actor )

... 1951

Best of the Badmen

Joad ( Actor )

... 1951

The Bandit Queen

Sheriff Jim Harden ( Actor )

... 1950

Let's Dance

Larry Channock ( Actor )

... 1950

Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye

Lieutenant John Reece ( Actor )

... 1950

Red Light

Detective Strecker ( Actor )

... 1949

The Walls of Jericho

Rufus J. "Gotch" McCurdy ( Actor )

... 1948

Angel in Exile

Max Giorgio ( Actor )

... 1948

Unknown Island

Capt. Tarnowski ( Actor )

... 1948

Relentless

Tex Brandow ( Actor )

... 1948

The Dude Goes West

Texas Jack Barton ( Actor )

... 1948

Silver River

'Banjo' Sweeney ( Actor )

... 1948

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

Pat McCormick ( Actor )

... 1948

Jungle Flight

Case Hagin ( Actor )

... 1947

Cheyenne

Webb Yancey ( Actor )

... 1947

Tarzan and the Huntress

Paul Weir ( Actor )

... 1947

San Quentin

Nick Taylor ( Actor )

... 1946

Santa Fe Uprising

Crawford ( Actor )

... 1946

Mysterious Intruder

Detective Taggart ( Actor )

... 1946

The Spanish Main

Capt. Benjamin Black ( Actor )

... 1945

Scared Stiff

George 'Deacon' Markham ( Actor )

... 1945

Tarzan and the Amazons

Ballister ( Actor )

... 1945

Gentle Annie

Sheriff Tatum ( Actor )

... 1944

Cry of the Werewolf

Lt. Barry Lane ( Actor )

... 1944

Secret Command

Red Kelly ( Actor )

... 1944

Marine Raiders

Sgt. Maguire ( Actor )

... 1944

The Mummy's Ghost

Inspector Walgreen ( Actor )

... 1944

Nabonga

Carl Hurst ( Actor )

... 1944

The Crime Doctor’s Strangest Case

Detective Rief ( Actor )

... 1943

The Underdog

John Tate ( Actor )

... 1943

Song of Texas

Jim Calvert ( Actor )

... 1943

Bombardier

Archie Dixon ( Actor )

... 1943

Man of Courage

John Wallace ( Actor )

Screenplay

... 1943

Highways by Night

Leo Bronson ( Actor )

... 1942

The Big Street

Case Ables ( Actor )

... 1942

All Through the Night

Marty Callahan ( Actor )

... 1942

The Maltese Falcon

Lt. of Detectives Dundy ( Actor )

... 1941

Wild Geese Calling

Pirate Kelly ( Actor )

... 1941

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Sam Higgins ( Actor )

... 1941

Manpower

Smiley Quinn ( Actor )

... 1941

Hit the Road

James J. Ryan ( Actor )

... 1941

Barnacle Bill

John Kelly ( Actor )

... 1941

Western Union

Jack Slade ( Actor )

... 1941

Come Live with Me

Barney Grogan ( Actor )

... 1941

High Sierra

Jake Kranmer ( Actor )

... 1941

Melody Ranch

Mark Wildhack ( Actor )

... 1940

The Secret Seven

Sam O'Donnell ( Actor )

... 1940

Men Without Souls

Blackie Drew ( Actor )

... 1940

Gangs of Chicago

Jim Ramsey ( Actor )

... 1940

Mutiny in the Big House

Red Manson ( Actor )

... 1939

Torchy Runs for Mayor

Steve McBride ( Actor )

... 1939

Big Town Czar

Phil Daley ( Actor )

... 1939

Torchy Blane in Chinatown

Det. Lt. Steve 'Mac' McBride ( Actor )

... 1939

Stand Up and Fight

Crowder ( Actor )

... 1939

Torchy Gets Her Man

Detective Steve McBride ( Actor )

... 1938

The Storm

Captain Cogswell ( Actor )

... 1938

Prison Break

Joaquin Shannon ( Actor )

... 1938

You and Me

Mickey ( Actor )

... 1938

The Kid Comes Back

Gunner Malone ( Actor )

... 1938

Gold Is Where You Find It

Slag Martin ( Actor )

... 1938

Blondes at Work

Lt. Steve McBride ( Actor )

... 1938

The Adventurous Blonde

Det. Lt. Steve McBride ( Actor )

... 1937

Wine, Women and Horses

Jim Turner ( Actor )

... 1937

Ever Since Eve

Al McCoy ( Actor )

... 1937

Born Reckless

Jim Barnes ( Actor )

... 1937

Fly Away Baby

Steve McBride ( Actor )

... 1937

San Quentin

Lt. Druggin ( Actor )

... 1937

Draegerman Courage

Andrew Beaupre ( Actor )

... 1937

The Prince and the Pauper

John Canty ( Actor )

... 1937

You Only Live Once

Stephen Whitney ( Actor )

... 1937

... 1937

Smart Blonde

Steve McBride ( Actor )

... 1937

Jailbreak

Detective Captain Rourke ( Actor )

... 1936

Bengal Tiger

Cliff Ballenger ( Actor )

... 1936

Bullets or Ballots

Al Kruger ( Actor )

... 1936

Times Square Playboy

Casey (Vic's Butler/Trainer) ( Actor )

... 1936

The Walking Dead

Loder ( Actor )

... 1936

Ceiling Zero

Al Stone ( Actor )

... 1936

Man of Iron

Chris Bennett ( Actor )

... 1935

Frisco Kid

Spider Burke ( Actor )

... 1935

I Found Stella Parish

Clifton Jeffords ( Actor )

... 1935

Dr. Socrates

Red Bastian ( Actor )

... 1935

The Case of the Lucky Legs

Bisonette ( Actor )

... 1935

Page Miss Glory

Blackie ( Actor )

... 1935

Stranded

Sharkey ( Actor )

... 1935

Black Fury

McGee ( Actor )

... 1935

'G' Men

Collins ( Actor )

... 1935

Go Into Your Dance

Duke Hutchinson ( Actor )

... 1935

The Case of the Curious Bride

Detective Lucas ( Actor )

... 1935

The Last Round-up

Charley Benson ( Actor )

... 1934

All of Me

First Cop (uncredited) ( Actor )

... 1934

Lone Cowboy

Policeman Baxter ( Actor )

... 1933

Big Executive

Harry the Guide ( Actor )

... 1933

Tillie and Gus

Commissioner McLennan ( Actor )

... 1933

To the Last Man

Neil Stanley ( Actor )

... 1933

Man of the Forest

Mulvey ( Actor )

... 1933

Buffalo Stampede

Henchman Pruitt ( Actor )

... 1933

His Woman

Crewman ( Actor )

... 1931

The Cocoanuts

Bather ( Actor )

... 1929

The Quarterback

Football Player (uncredited) ( Actor )

... 1926