Acting
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.
Filmography
Bogart: The Untold Story
Film · 1997
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Film · 1983
It's Showtime
Film · 1976
Arizona Bushwhackers
Film · 1968
Buckskin
Film · 1968
Hondo
Series · 1967
The Monkees
Series · 1966
The Rounders
Film · 1965
Town Tamer
Film · 1965
I Dream of Jeannie
Series · 1965
Law of the Lawless
Film · 1964
The Munsters
Series · 1964
Pocketful of Miracles
Film · 1961
Gunfighters of Abilene
Film · 1960
Noose for a Gunman
Film · 1960
Outlaws
Series · 1960
Tightrope
Series · 1959
Black Saddle
Series · 1959
The Geisha Boy
Film · 1958
Girl on the Run
Film · 1958
Frontier Gun
Film · 1958
Girl in the Woods
Film · 1958
77 Sunset Strip
Series · 1958
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
Series · 1958
Hell's Crossroads
Film · 1957
Naked In The Sun
Film · 1957
Sierra Stranger
Film · 1957
Perry Mason
Series · 1957
Perry Mason
Series · 1957
Perry Mason
Series · 1957
Perry Mason
Series · 1957
Backlash
Film · 1956
The Man Is Armed
Film · 1956
Wetbacks
Film · 1956
Naked Gun
Film · 1956
Jaguar
Film · 1956
Three Violent People
Film · 1956
Wire Service
Series · 1956
Telephone Time
Series · 1956
Conflict
Series · 1956
Foxfire
Film · 1955
Treasure of Ruby Hills
Film · 1955
Jail Busters
Film · 1955
The Silver Star
Film · 1955
Last of the Desperados
Film · 1955
Cheyenne
Series · 1955
Gunsmoke
Series · 1955
Gunsmoke
Series · 1955
The Glenn Miller Story
Film · 1954
Rails Into Laramie
Film · 1954
Hell's Outpost
Film · 1954
Jubilee Trail
Film · 1954
The Whistler
Series · 1954
Studio 57
Series · 1954
The Wonderful World of Disney
Series · 1954
Kansas Pacific
Film · 1953
Jack Slade
Film · 1953
Captain Scarface
Film · 1953
Cow Country
Film · 1953
Sea of Lost Ships
Film · 1953
Bugles in the Afternoon
Film · 1952
The Half-Breed
Film · 1952
Thunderbirds
Film · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Series · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Series · 1952
Drums in the Deep South
Film · 1951
Best of the Badmen
Film · 1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Series · 1951
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
Film · 1950
The Bandit Queen
Film · 1950
Let's Dance
Film · 1950
Rookie Fireman
Film · 1950
Lux Video Theatre
Series · 1950
Lux Video Theatre
Series · 1950
Red Light
Film · 1949
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Film · 1948
The Walls of Jericho
Film · 1948
Unknown Island
Film · 1948
Angel in Exile
Film · 1948
Relentless
Film · 1948
The Dude Goes West
Film · 1948
Silver River
Film · 1948
Tarzan and the Huntress
Film · 1947
Cheyenne
Film · 1947
Jungle Flight
Film · 1947
Mysterious Intruder
Film · 1946
San Quentin
Film · 1946
Santa Fe Uprising
Film · 1946
Scared Stiff
Film · 1945
Tarzan and the Amazons
Film · 1945
The Spanish Main
Film · 1945
Nabonga
Film · 1944
Cry of the Werewolf
Film · 1944
The Mummy's Ghost
Film · 1944
Secret Command
Film · 1944
Marine Raiders
Film · 1944
Gentle Annie
Film · 1944
Man of Courage
Film · 1943
The Crime Doctor’s Strangest Case
Film · 1943
Song of Texas
Film · 1943
The Underdog
Film · 1943
Bombardier
Film · 1943
All Through the Night
Film · 1942
The Big Street
Film · 1942
Highways by Night
Film · 1942
The Maltese Falcon
Film · 1941
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Film · 1941
Manpower
Film · 1941
Come Live with Me
Film · 1941
High Sierra
Film · 1941
Western Union
Film · 1941
Barnacle Bill
Film · 1941
Wild Geese Calling
Film · 1941
Hit the Road
Film · 1941
The Secret Seven
Film · 1940
Men Without Souls
Film · 1940
Melody Ranch
Film · 1940
Gangs of Chicago
Film · 1940
Stand Up and Fight
Film · 1939
Torchy Blane in Chinatown
Film · 1939
Torchy Runs for Mayor
Film · 1939
Mutiny in the Big House
Film · 1939
I Was a Convict
Film · 1939
Big Town Czar
Film · 1939
Breakdowns of 1939
Film · 1939
You and Me
Film · 1938
Blondes at Work
Film · 1938
Torchy Gets Her Man
Film · 1938
Prison Break
Film · 1938
Gold Is Where You Find It
Film · 1938
The Kid Comes Back
Film · 1938
The Storm
Film · 1938
The Prince and the Pauper
Film · 1937
San Quentin
Film · 1937
You Only Live Once
Film · 1937
Smart Blonde
Film · 1937
God's Country and the Woman
Film · 1937
Fly Away Baby
Film · 1937
The Adventurous Blonde
Film · 1937
Wine, Women and Horses
Film · 1937
Born Reckless
Film · 1937
Ever Since Eve
Film · 1937
Draegerman Courage
Film · 1937
Breakdowns of 1937
Film · 1937
The Walking Dead
Film · 1936
Bullets or Ballots
Film · 1936
Times Square Playboy
Film · 1936
Ceiling Zero
Film · 1936
Bengal Tiger
Film · 1936
Jailbreak
Film · 1936
Breakdowns of 1936
Film · 1936
Black Fury
Film · 1935
The Case of the Lucky Legs
Film · 1935
Frisco Kid
Film · 1935
Stranded
Film · 1935
Page Miss Glory
Film · 1935
Go Into Your Dance
Film · 1935
Dr. Socrates
Film · 1935
I Found Stella Parish
Film · 1935
The Case of the Curious Bride
Film · 1935
'G' Men
Film · 1935
Man of Iron
Film · 1935
A Dream Comes True
Film · 1935
The Last Round-up
Film · 1934
All of Me
Film · 1934
Lone Cowboy
Film · 1933
Tillie and Gus
Film · 1933
Buffalo Stampede
Film · 1933
To the Last Man
Film · 1933
Man of the Forest
Film · 1933
Let's Dance
Film · 1933
Big Executive
Film · 1933
The Acid Test
Film · 1932
Naughty-Cal
Film · 1932
His Woman
Film · 1931
Crimes Square
Film · 1931
The Gigolo Racket
Film · 1931
Politics
Film · 1930
The Cocoanuts
Film · 1929
The Quarterback
Film · 1926