Barton MacLane

Acting

Born December 25, 1902 — Died January 1, 1969 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.

Movies(153)

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

Town Tamer

James Fell

1965

The Rounders

Tanner

1965

Law of the Lawless

Big Tom Stone

1964

Pocketful of Miracles

Police Commissioner

1961

Noose for a Gunman

Carl Avery

1960

Gunfighters of Abilene

Seth

1960

The Geisha Boy

Major Ridgley

1958

Frontier Gun

Simon Crayle

1958

Girl on the Run

Francis J. Brannigan

1958

Girl in the Woods

Big Jim

1958

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

Wetbacks

Karl Shanks

1956

Backlash

Sergeant George Lake

1956

Jaguar

Steve Bailey

1956

Last of the Desperados

Mosby, Gang Leader

1955

Jail Busters

Captain Jenkins

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

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

1953

Cow Country

Marvin Parker

1953

Kansas Pacific

Cal Bruce

1953

Thunderbirds

Sgt. Durkee

1952

The Half-Breed

Marshal Cassidy

1952

Bugles in the Afternoon

Capt. Myles Moylan

1952

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

Rookie Fireman

Captain Jess Henshaw

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

Barton MacLane

TV Shows(21)

Movies(153)