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.
as Self (archive footage)
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
as Self (archive footage)
as Dr. H. 'Doc' Raymond
as Sheriff Grover
as Bart(1 ep)
as General Peterson(35 eps)
as James Fell
as Tanner
as Big Tom Stone
as Police Commissioner
as Marshal Frank Caine(26 eps)
as Carl Avery
as Seth
as General Fowler(1 ep)
as Major Ridgley
as Simon Crayle
as Francis J. Brannigan
as Big Jim
as Senator Harriman Baylor(1 ep)
as Sheriff Eugene Norris(1 ep)
as Harold Minter(1 ep)
as Archer Osmond(1 ep)
as Wilson
as Lem Gotch
as Clyde O'Connell
as Yates
as Joe Barnum
as Det. Lt. Dan Coster
as Gen. Bailey(1 ep)
as Charlie Ringle(1 ep)
as Karl Shanks
as Sergeant George Lake
as Steve Bailey
as Mosby, Gang Leader
as Captain Jenkins
as Herkimer Crawford(1 ep)
as Willard Kerner(1 ep)
as Jim Mablett
as Henry 'Tiny' Longtree
as Chalk Reynolds
as Sheriff Olson
as Rawls Kettrick(2 eps)
as Deacon Bartlett
as Lee Graham
as General Arnold
as Jules Reni
as Capt. Jack Matthews
as Captain Scarface
as Marvin Parker
as Cal Bruce
as Sgt. Durkee
as Capt. Webber(1 ep)
as Milo(1 ep)
as Marshal Cassidy
as Capt. Myles Moylan
as Chief Brooks(1 ep)
as Sgt. Mac McCardle
as Joad
as Sheriff Jim Harden
as Larry Channock
as Steve(1 ep)
as Marvin Platt(1 ep)
as Captain Jess Henshaw
as Lieutenant John Reece
as Detective Strecker
as Rufus J. "Gotch" McCurdy
as Max Giorgio
as Capt. Tarnowski
as Tex Brandow
as Texas Jack Barton
as 'Banjo' Sweeney
as Pat McCormick
as Case Hagin
as Webb Yancey
as Paul Weir
as Nick Taylor
as Crawford
as Detective Taggart
as Capt. Benjamin Black
as George 'Deacon' Markham
as Ballister
as Sheriff Tatum
as Lt. Barry Lane
as Red Kelly
as Sgt. Maguire
as Inspector Walgreen
as Carl Hurst
as Detective Rief
as John Tate
as Jim Calvert
as Archie Dixon
as John Wallace
as Leo Bronson
as Case Ables
as Marty Callahan
as Lt. of Detectives Dundy
as Pirate Kelly
as Sam Higgins
as Smiley Quinn
as James J. Ryan
as John Kelly
as Jack Slade
as Barney Grogan
as Jake Kranmer
as Mark Wildhack
as Sam O'Donnell
as Blackie Drew
as Jim Ramsey
as Self
as Red Manson
as Steve McBride
as Phil Daley
as Ace King
as Det. Lt. Steve 'Mac' McBride
as Crowder
as Detective Steve McBride
as Captain Cogswell
as Joaquin Shannon
as Mickey
as Slag Martin
as Gunner Malone
as Lt. Steve McBride
as Self
as Det. Lt. Steve McBride
as Jim Turner
as Al McCoy
as Jim Barnes
as Steve McBride
as Lt. Druggin
as Andrew Beaupre
as John Canty
as Stephen Whitney
as Bullhead
as Steve McBride
as Self
as Detective Captain Rourke
as Cliff Ballenger
as Al Kruger
as Casey (Vic's Butler/Trainer)
as Loder
as Al Stone
as Himself (uncredited)
as Chris Bennett
as Spider Burke
as Clifton Jeffords
as Red Bastian
as Bisonette
as Blackie
as Sharkey
as McGee
as Collins
as Duke Hutchinson
as Detective Lucas
as Charley Benson
as First Cop (uncredited)
as Policeman Baxter
as Harry the Guide
as Commissioner McLennan
as Neil Stanley
as Mulvey
as Henchman Pruitt
as Sailor
as Crewman
as Cafe Customer
as Detective with Handcuffs
as Bather
as Football Player (uncredited)
