Barton MacLane
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 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
Police Commissioner
Pocketful of Miracles
Lt. of Detectives Dundy
The Maltese Falcon
Sam Higgins
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Jim Mablett
Foxfire
Pat McCormick
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Sam O'Donnell
The Secret Seven
Politics
Smiley Quinn
Manpower
Carl Hurst
Nabonga
Tanner
The Rounders
Barney Grogan
Come Live with Me
Detective Strecker
Red Light
Loder
The Walking Dead
Jake Kranmer
High Sierra
Al Kruger
Bullets or Ballots
Lt. Barry Lane
Cry of the Werewolf
Inspector Walgreen
The Mummy's Ghost
George 'Deacon' Markham
Scared Stiff
Detective Taggart
Mysterious Intruder
John Canty
The Prince and the Pauper
Marty Callahan
All Through the Night
Jack Slade
Western Union
Sergeant George Lake
Backlash
Major Ridgley
The Geisha Boy
Mickey
You and Me
General Arnold
The Glenn Miller Story
Bather
The Cocoanuts
Lieutenant John Reece
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye
Cal Bruce
Kansas Pacific
Lt. Druggin
San Quentin
Paul Weir
Tarzan and the Huntress
Stephen Whitney
You Only Live Once
Red Kelly
Secret Command
Det. Lt. Dan Coster
The Man Is Armed
John Wallace
Man of Courage
Ballister
Tarzan and the Amazons
Casey (Vic's Butler/Trainer)
Times Square Playboy
Nick Taylor
San Quentin
Policeman Baxter
Lone Cowboy
Detective Rief
The Crime Doctor’s Strangest Case
Al Stone
Ceiling Zero
McGee
Black Fury
Capt. Myles Moylan
Bugles in the Afternoon
Capt. Benjamin Black
The Spanish Main
Case Ables
The Big Street
Steve McBride
Smart Blonde
Leo Bronson
Highways by Night
Karl Shanks
Wetbacks
Sgt. Mac McCardle
Drums in the Deep South
Bullhead
God's Country and the Woman
Joad
Best of the Badmen
Rufus J. "Gotch" McCurdy
The Walls of Jericho
Commissioner McLennan
Tillie and Gus
Seth
Gunfighters of Abilene
Jim Calvert
Song of Texas
Bisonette
The Case of the Lucky Legs
Crowder
Stand Up and Fight
Henchman Pruitt
Buffalo Stampede
Spider Burke
Frisco Kid
Capt. Tarnowski
Unknown Island
Lt. Steve McBride
Blondes at Work
Blackie Drew
Men Without Souls
Neil Stanley
To the Last Man
Mulvey
Man of the Forest
Clyde O'Connell
Hell's Crossroads
Max Giorgio
Angel in Exile
Francis J. Brannigan
Girl on the Run
Joe Barnum
Naked Gun
Steve McBride
Fly Away Baby
Det. Lt. Steve McBride
The Adventurous Blonde
Detective Steve McBride
Torchy Gets Her Man
Det. Lt. Steve 'Mac' McBride
Torchy Blane in Chinatown
Steve McBride
Torchy Runs for Mayor
Sheriff Grover
Arizona Bushwhackers
Dr. H. 'Doc' Raymond
Buckskin
John Kelly
Barnacle Bill
Jim Turner
Wine, Women and Horses
Sharkey
Stranded
Marshal Cassidy
The Half-Breed
Blackie
Page Miss Glory
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
Chalk Reynolds
Treasure of Ruby Hills
Tex Brandow
Relentless
Webb Yancey
Cheyenne
Carl Avery
Noose for a Gunman
Big Tom Stone
Law of the Lawless
Captain Jenkins
Jail Busters
The Acid Test
Mark Wildhack
Melody Ranch
Lee Graham
Rails Into Laramie
Wilson
Naked In The Sun
Duke Hutchinson
Go Into Your Dance
Jules Reni
Jack Slade
Sgt. Maguire
Marine Raiders
Red Bastian
Dr. Socrates
Case Hagin
Jungle Flight
John Tate
The Underdog
Jim Barnes
Born Reckless
Sheriff Jim Harden
The Bandit Queen
Captain Scarface
Captain Scarface
Joaquin Shannon
Prison Break
Charley Benson
The Last Round-up
Clifton Jeffords
I Found Stella Parish
Larry Channock
Let's Dance
Lem Gotch
Sierra Stranger
Crewman
His Woman
Slag Martin
Gold Is Where You Find It
Texas Jack Barton
The Dude Goes West
Archie Dixon
Bombardier
James Fell
Town Tamer
Marvin Parker
Cow Country
Al McCoy
Ever Since Eve
Crawford
Santa Fe Uprising
Pirate Kelly
Wild Geese Calling
Detective Lucas
The Case of the Curious Bride
Collins
'G' Men
Sheriff Tatum
Gentle Annie
Andrew Beaupre
Draegerman Courage
Red Manson
Mutiny in the Big House
Chris Bennett
Man of Iron
Steve Bailey
Jaguar
Jim Ramsey
Gangs of Chicago
Cliff Ballenger
Bengal Tiger
Detective Captain Rourke
Jailbreak
Gunner Malone
The Kid Comes Back
Ace King
I Was a Convict
Sailor
Naughty-Cal
Let's Dance
James J. Ryan
Hit the Road
Self
Breakdowns of 1936
Sheriff Olson
Hell's Outpost
Deacon Bartlett
Jubilee Trail
First Cop (uncredited)
All of Me
Detective with Handcuffs
Crimes Square
Cafe Customer
The Gigolo Racket
'Banjo' Sweeney
Silver River
Henry 'Tiny' Longtree
The Silver Star
Mosby, Gang Leader
Last of the Desperados
Yates
Three Violent People
Simon Crayle
Frontier Gun
Phil Daley
Big Town Czar
Sgt. Durkee
Thunderbirds
Himself (uncredited)
A Dream Comes True
Self
Breakdowns of 1937
Self
Breakdowns of 1939
Captain Cogswell
The Storm
Self (archive footage)
Bogart: The Untold Story
Capt. Jack Matthews
Sea of Lost Ships
Self (archive footage)
It's Showtime
Harry the Guide
Big Executive
Football Player (uncredited)
The Quarterback
Big Jim
Girl in the Woods
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
152
Gender
Male
Birthday
1902-12-25
Place of Birth
Columbia, South Carolina, USA
Also Known As
Ernest Barton MacLane