Barton MacLane

Barton MacLane (December 25, 1902 – January 1, 1969) was an American actor, playwright, and screenwriter. He appeared in many classic films from the 1930s through the 1960s, including his role as General Martin Peterson on the 1960s NBC television comedy series I Dream of Jeannie, with Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman.
Early life
MacLane was born in Columbia, South Carolina, on Christmas Day, 1902. He attended Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, where he excelled at American football. His first movie role, in The Quarterback (1926), was a result of his athletic ability. He then attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Career
He made his Broadway debut in 1927, playing the assistant district attorney in Bayard Veiller's The Trial of Mary Dugan. He then performed in the 1928 Broadway production of Gods of the Lightning and was part of the original cast of Subway Express as Officer Mulvaney in 1929. He appeared in the Marx Brothers' 1929 film debut The Cocoanuts. MacLane made his first credited film appearance in the 1931 romantic drama His Woman. The following year, he wrote the play Rendezvous, which he sold to Arthur Hopkins. The play was performed on Broadway, with MacLane in a featured role.
Film work: 1930s–1950s
The success of Rendezvous landed MacLane a contract with Warner Bros. and brought him to the attention of several renowned film directors, including Fritz Lang, Michael Curtiz, and William Keighley. As a result, throughout the remainder of the 1930s, MacLane was highly active in film, with major supporting roles in such productions as The Case of the Curious Bride, G Men, The Prince and the Pauper, and Lang's You Only Live Once and You and Me. He also played the role of detective Steve McBride, opposite Glenda Farrell in seven of the nine films featuring the fictional newspaper reporter Torchy Blane.
During the 1930s and 1940s, MacLane worked alongside Humphrey Bogart in several films. He played Lieutenant Dundy, who interacted with Bogart's Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon, writer/director John Huston's acclaimed film noir based upon Dashiell Hammett's novel. MacLane again collaborated with both Bogart and Huston on the Academy Award-winning 1948 adventure film The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.
MacLane's many other film credits during the 1940s include The Big Street, Victor Fleming's Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Fritz Lang's Western Union, Reginald Le Borg's The Mummy's Ghost, and Frank Borzage's The Spanish Main. He also played villains in two Tarzan films starring Johnny Weissmuller – Tarzan and the Amazons and Tarzan and the Huntress. Some of MacLane's films during the 1950s include Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye, The Glenn Miller Story, and Three Violent People. In 1955 MacLane appeared as Jim Mablett in the movie Foxfire co-starring Jane Russell.
Television and final films
In the 1950s, MacLane began to appear regularly on television. Between 1953 and 1967, he guest starred on such programs as Conflict, Lux Video Theatre, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, Laramie, The Monkees, and Gunsmoke. In 1958 he played Sen. Harriman Baylor in the Perry Mason episode, "The Case of the Foot-Loose Doll". In 1960 he played Eugene Norris, Perry's friend and small-town sheriff, in "The Case of the Violent Village". In 1964 he played Archer Osmond in "The Case of the Ruinous Road".
During the 1960–1961 television season, MacLane was a series regular on twenty-seven episodes of NBC's western, Outlaws, in which he played Marshal Frank Caine. His last feature film was Buckskin (1968).
In 1965, MacLane, who had played real-life Air Force General "Hap" Arnold in The Glenn Miller Story, was cast in the recurring role of fictional Air Force General Martin Peterson on I Dream of Jeannie. He appeared in 35 episodes of the TV series between 1965 and 1969. Three of MacLane's episodes were aired after his death in January 1969. His character was replaced on later episodes of the series by General Winfield Schaeffer, portrayed by Vinton Hayworth, until Hayworth's death in 1970. Coincidentally, Hayworth also died before all episodes featuring his character were broadcast.
Personal life
Maclane played several musical instruments, including the violin, piano, and guitar. In 1939, MacLane married actress Charlotte Wynters. From the 1940s until his death, he maintained a cattle ranch in eastern Madera County, California, where he made his home when he was not acting. He adopted a daughter.
Death
MacLane died of double pneumonia at age 66 on New Year's Day, at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California, a week after his 66th birthday. He had been admitted two weeks prior to his death.
MacLane was buried in Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery.
Recognition
For his contribution to the television industry, MacLane has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6719 Hollywood Boulevard.
Selected filmography
The Quarterback (1926) as Football Player (uncredited)
The Cocoanuts (1929) as Bather (uncredited)
His Woman (1931) as Crewman (uncredited)
State's Attorney (1932) as Court Reporter (uncredited)
The Thundering Herd (1933) as Pruitt
Man of the Forest (1933) as Henchman Mulvey
To the Last Man (1933) as Neil Stanley
Tillie and Gus (1933) as Commissioner McLennan
Big Executive (1933) as Harry the Guide
Lone Cowboy (1933) as Policeman Baxter
Hell and High Water (1933) as Dance Hall Manager
All of Me (1934) as First Cop (uncredited)
The Last Round-Up (1934) as Charley Benson
Black Fury (1935) as McGee
The Case of the Curious Bride (1935) as Detective Lucas
G Men (1935) as Collins
Go Into Your Dance (1935) as Duke Hutchinson
Stranded (1935) as Sharkey
Page Miss Glory (1935) as Blackie
The Case of the Lucky Legs (1935) as Police Chief Bisonette
Dr. Socrates (1935) as Red Bastian
I Found Stella Parish (1935) as Clifton Jeffords
Frisco Kid (1935) as Spider Burke
Man of Iron (1935) as Chris Bennett
Ceiling Zero (1936) as Al Stone
The Walking Dead (1936) as Loder
Times Square Playboy (1936) as Casey, Vic's Butler / Trainer
Bullets or Ballots (1936) as Al Kruger
Bengal Tiger (1936) as Cliff Ballenger
Jailbreak (1936) as Detective Captain Rourke
Smart Blonde (1937) as Steve McBride
God's Country and the Woman (1937) as Bullhead
You Only Live Once (1937) as Stephen Whitney
The Prince and the Pauper (1937) as John Canty
Draegerman Courage (1937) as Andrew Beaupre
San Quentin (1937) as Lt. Druggin
Fly-Away Baby (1937) as Steve McBride
Ever Since Eve (1937) as Al McCoy
Born Reckless (1937) as Jim Barnes
Wine, Women and Horses (1937) as Jim Turner
The Adventurous Blonde (1937) as Steve MacBride
Blondes at Work (1938) as Lieutenant Steve McBride
The Kid Comes Back (1938) as 'Gunner' Malone
Gold Is Where You Find It (1938) as Slag Martin
You and Me (1938) as Mickey Bain
Prison Break (1938) as Joaquin Shannon
The Storm (1938) as Capt. Cogswell
Torchy Gets Her Man (1938) as Steve McBride
Stand Up and Fight (1939) as Crowder
Torchy Blane in Chinatown (1939) as Police Lieutenant Steve McBride
I Was a Convict (1939) as Ace King
Big Town Czar (1939) as Phil Daley
Torchy Runs for Mayor (1939) as Steve McBride
Mutiny in the Big House (1939) as Red Manson
Gangs of Chicago (1940) as Jim Ramsey
Men Without Souls (1940) as Blackie Drew
The Secret Seven (1940) as Sam O'Donnell
Melody Ranch (1940) as Mark Wildhack
High Sierra (1941) as Jake Kranmer
Come Live with Me (1941) as Barney Grogan
Western Union (1941) as Jack Slade
Barnacle Bill (1941) as John Kelly
Hit the Road (1941) as James J. Ryan
Manpower (1941) as Smiley Quinn
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941) as Sam Higgins
Wild Geese Calling (1941) as Pirate Kelly
The Maltese Falcon (1941) as Lieutenant Dundy
All Through the Night (1942) as Marty Callahan
The Big Street (1942) as Case Ables
Highways by Night (1942) as Leo Bronson
Man of Courage (1943) as John Wallace
A Gentle Gangster (1943) as Mike Hallit
Bombardier (1943) as Sgt. Archie Dixon
Song of Texas (1943) as Jim Calvert
The Underdog (1943) as John Tate
The Crime Doctor's Strangest Case (1943) as Detective Rief
Nabonga (1944) as Carl Hurst
Marine Raiders (1944) as Sgt. Maguire
The Mummy's Ghost (1944) as Inspector Walgreen
Secret Command (1944) as Red Kelly
Cry of the Werewolf (1944) as Lt. Barry Lane
Gentle Annie (1944) as Sheriff Tatum
Tarzan and the Amazons (1945) as Ballister
Scared Stiff (1945) as George 'Deacon' Markham
The Spanish Main (1945) as Capt. Benjamin Black
Mysterious Intruder (1946) as Detective Taggart
Santa Fe Uprising (1946) as Crawford
San Quentin (1946) as Nick Taylor
Tarzan and the Huntress (1947) as Paul Weir
Jungle Flight (1947) as Case Hagin
Cheyenne (1947) as Webb Yancey
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) as Pat McCormick
Relentless (1948) as Tex Brandow
Silver River (1948) as 'Banjo' Sweeney
The Dude Goes West (1948) as Texas Jack Barton
The Walls of Jericho (1948) as Gotch McCurdy
Angel in Exile (1948) as Max Giorgio
Unknown Island (1948) as Capt. Tarnowski
Red Light (1949) as Strecker
Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (1950) as Police Lt. John Reece
Rookie Fireman (1950) as Captain Jess Henshaw
Let's Dance (1950) as Larry Channock
The Bandit Queen (1950) as Jim Harden
Best of the Badmen (1951) as Joad
Drums in the Deep South (1951) as Sgt. Mac McCardle
Bugles in the Afternoon (1952) as Capt. Myles Moylan
The Half-Breed (1952) as Marshal Cassidy
Thunderbirds (1952) as Sgt. Durkee
Kansas Pacific (1953) as Cal Bruce
Cow Country (1953) as Marvin Parker
Captain Scarface (1953) as Captain Scarface
Sea of Lost Ships (1953) as Capt. Jack Matthews
Jack Slade (1953) as Jules Reni
The Glenn Miller Story (1954) as General Arnold
Jubilee Trail (1954) as Deacon Bartlett
Rails Into Laramie (1954) as Lee Graham
Hell's Outpost (1954) as Sheriff Olson
Treasure of Ruby Hills (1955) as 'Chalk' Reynolds
The Silver Star (1955) as Henry 'Tiny' Longtree
Foxfire (1955) as Jim Mablett
Jail Busters (1955) as Captain Jenkins, Head Guard
Last of the Desperados (1955) as Mosby, Gang Leader
Jaguar (1956) as Steve Bailey
Backlash (1956) as Sgt. George Lake
Wetbacks (1956) as Karl Shanks
The Man is Armed (1956) as Det. Lt. Dan Coster
Naked Gun (1956) as Joe Barnum
Three Violent People (1956) as Yates
Hell's Crossroads (1957) as Pinkerton Agent Clyde O'Connell
Sierra Stranger (1957) as Lem Gotch
Naked in the Sun (1957) as Wilson
Girl in the Woods (1958) as Big Jim
Girl on the Run (1958) as Francis J. Brannigan
Frontier Gun (1958) as Simon Crayle
The Geisha Boy (1958) as Maj. Ridgley
Gunfighters of Abilene (1960) as Seth Hainline
Noose for a Gunman (1960) as Carl Avery
Pocketful of Miracles (1961) as Police Commissioner
Law of the Lawless (1964) as Big Tom Stone
The Rounders (1965) as Tanner
Town Tamer (1965) as James Fenimore Fell
Arizona Bushwhackers (1968) as Sheriff Grover
Buckskin (1968) as Dr. H. 'Doc' Raymond
Television credits
References
External links
Literature on Barton MacLane
1902 births
1969 deaths
Male actors from Columbia, South Carolina
American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni
American male film actors
Male Western (genre) film actors
Ranchers from California
American male stage actors
American male screenwriters
American male television actors
Burials at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery
Deaths from pneumonia in California
Male actors from Los Angeles
People from Madera County, California
Wesleyan University alumni
20th-century American male actors
20th-century American dramatists and playwrights
American male dramatists and playwrights
Writers from Columbia, South Carolina
20th-century American male writers
Warner Bros. contract players
Screenwriters from California
Screenwriters from South Carolina
20th-century American screenwriters
Western (genre) television actors