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Barton MacLane
Acting
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. In fact, Barton became so typecast that his name was for a time u…
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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.
Biography expanded
BODY OF WORK
Barton MacLane's Filmography
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Bogart: The Untold Story
as Self (archive footage)
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
It's Showtime
as Self (archive footage)
Buckskin
as Dr. H. 'Doc' Raymond
Arizona Bushwhackers
as Sheriff Grover
Town Tamer
as James Fell
The Rounders
as Tanner
Law of the Lawless
as Big Tom Stone
Pocketful of Miracles
as Police Commissioner
Noose for a Gunman
as Carl Avery
Gunfighters of Abilene
as Seth
The Geisha Boy
as Major Ridgley
Frontier Gun
as Simon Crayle
Girl on the Run
as Francis J. Brannigan
Girl in the Woods
as Big Jim
Naked In The Sun
as Wilson
Sierra Stranger
as Lem Gotch
Hell's Crossroads
as Clyde O'Connell
Three Violent People
as Yates
Naked Gun
as Joe Barnum
The Man Is Armed
as Det. Lt. Dan Coster
Wetbacks
as Karl Shanks
Backlash
as Sergeant George Lake
Jaguar
as Steve Bailey
Last of the Desperados
as Mosby, Gang Leader
Jail Busters
as Captain Jenkins
Foxfire
as Jim Mablett
The Silver Star
as Henry 'Tiny' Longtree
Treasure of Ruby Hills
as Chalk Reynolds
Hell's Outpost
as Sheriff Olson
Jubilee Trail
as Deacon Bartlett
Rails Into Laramie
as Lee Graham
The Glenn Miller Story
as General Arnold
Jack Slade
as Jules Reni
Sea of Lost Ships
as Capt. Jack Matthews
Captain Scarface
as Captain Scarface
Cow Country
as Marvin Parker
Kansas Pacific
as Cal Bruce
Thunderbirds
as Sgt. Durkee
The Half-Breed
as Marshal Cassidy
Bugles in the Afternoon
as Capt. Myles Moylan
Drums in the Deep South
as Sgt. Mac McCardle
Best of the Badmen
as Joad
The Bandit Queen
as Sheriff Jim Harden
Let's Dance
as Larry Channock
Rookie Fireman
as Captain Jess Henshaw
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
as Lieutenant John Reece
Red Light
as Detective Strecker
The Walls of Jericho
as Rufus J. "Gotch" McCurdy
Angel in Exile
as Max Giorgio
Unknown Island
as Capt. Tarnowski
Relentless
as Tex Brandow
The Dude Goes West
as Texas Jack Barton
Silver River
as 'Banjo' Sweeney
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
as Pat McCormick
Jungle Flight
as Case Hagin
Cheyenne
as Webb Yancey
Tarzan and the Huntress
as Paul Weir
San Quentin
as Nick Taylor
Santa Fe Uprising
as Crawford
Mysterious Intruder
as Detective Taggart
The Spanish Main
as Capt. Benjamin Black
Scared Stiff
as George 'Deacon' Markham
Tarzan and the Amazons
as Ballister
Gentle Annie
as Sheriff Tatum
Cry of the Werewolf
as Lt. Barry Lane
Secret Command
as Red Kelly
Marine Raiders
as Sgt. Maguire
The Mummy's Ghost
as Inspector Walgreen
Nabonga
as Carl Hurst
The Crime Doctor’s Strangest Case
as Detective Rief
The Underdog
as John Tate
Song of Texas
as Jim Calvert
Bombardier
as Archie Dixon
Man of Courage
as John Wallace
Highways by Night
as Leo Bronson
The Big Street
as Case Ables
All Through the Night
as Marty Callahan
The Maltese Falcon
as Lt. of Detectives Dundy
Wild Geese Calling
as Pirate Kelly
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
as Sam Higgins
Manpower
as Smiley Quinn
Hit the Road
as James J. Ryan
Barnacle Bill
as John Kelly
Western Union
as Jack Slade
Come Live with Me
as Barney Grogan
High Sierra
as Jake Kranmer
Melody Ranch
as Mark Wildhack
The Secret Seven
as Sam O'Donnell
Men Without Souls
as Blackie Drew
Gangs of Chicago
as Jim Ramsey
Breakdowns of 1939
as Self
Mutiny in the Big House
as Red Manson
Torchy Runs for Mayor
as Steve McBride
Big Town Czar
as Phil Daley
No Poster
I Was a Convict
as Ace King
Torchy Blane in Chinatown
as Det. Lt. Steve 'Mac' McBride
Stand Up and Fight
as Crowder
Torchy Gets Her Man
as Detective Steve McBride
The Storm
as Captain Cogswell
Prison Break
as Joaquin Shannon
You and Me
as Mickey
Gold Is Where You Find It
as Slag Martin
The Kid Comes Back
as Gunner Malone
Blondes at Work
as Lt. Steve McBride
Breakdowns of 1937
as Self
The Adventurous Blonde
as Det. Lt. Steve McBride
Wine, Women and Horses
as Jim Turner
Ever Since Eve
as Al McCoy
Born Reckless
as Jim Barnes
Fly Away Baby
as Steve McBride
San Quentin
as Lt. Druggin
Draegerman Courage
as Andrew Beaupre
The Prince and the Pauper
as John Canty
You Only Live Once
as Stephen Whitney
God's Country and the Woman
as Bullhead
Smart Blonde
as Steve McBride
Breakdowns of 1936
as Self
Jailbreak
as Detective Captain Rourke
Bengal Tiger
as Cliff Ballenger
Bullets or Ballots
as Al Kruger
Times Square Playboy
as Casey (Vic's Butler/Trainer)
The Walking Dead
as Loder
Ceiling Zero
as Al Stone
A Dream Comes True
as Himself (uncredited)
Man of Iron
as Chris Bennett
Frisco Kid
as Spider Burke
I Found Stella Parish
as Clifton Jeffords
Dr. Socrates
as Red Bastian
The Case of the Lucky Legs
as Bisonette
Page Miss Glory
as Blackie
Stranded
as Sharkey
Black Fury
as McGee
'G' Men
as Collins
Go Into Your Dance
as Duke Hutchinson
The Case of the Curious Bride
as Detective Lucas
The Last Round-up
as Charley Benson
All of Me
as First Cop (uncredited)
Lone Cowboy
as Policeman Baxter
Big Executive
as Harry the Guide
Tillie and Gus
as Commissioner McLennan
To the Last Man
as Neil Stanley
Man of the Forest
as Mulvey
Let's Dance
Buffalo Stampede
as Henchman Pruitt
No Poster
The Acid Test
No Poster
Naughty-Cal
as Sailor
His Woman
as Crewman
The Gigolo Racket
as Cafe Customer
Crimes Square
as Detective with Handcuffs
No Poster
Politics
The Cocoanuts
as Bather
The Quarterback
as Football Player (uncredited)