Barton MacLane

Barton MacLane (December 25, 1902 – January 1, 1969) was an American actor, playwright, and screenwriter. Although he appeared in many classic films from the 1930s through the 1960s, he became best-known for his role as General Martin Peterson on the 1960s NBC television comedy series I Dream of Jeannie, with Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman.[1]

For the American composer, see Barton McLean.
Barton MacLane
MacLane in 1961
Born(1902-12-25)December 25, 1902
Columbia, South Carolina, U.S.
DiedJanuary 1, 1969(1969-01-01) (aged 66)
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Resting placeValhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in North Hollywood
Alma materWesleyan University
American Academy of Dramatic Arts
OccupationActor, playwright, screenwriter
Years active1927–1969
Spouse(s)
Charlotte Wynters MacLane
​
(
m. 1939; his death 1969)
Children1

Career

MacLane was born in Columbia, South Carolina, on Christmas Day, 1902.[2] 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.[3] He then attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.

He made his Broadway debut in 1927, playing the assistant district attorney in Bayard Veiller's The Trial of Mary Dugan.[4] He then performed in the 1928 Broadway production of Gods of the Lightning[5] 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.[6]

Film work: 1930s-1950s
MacLane in Smart Blonde (1937)
Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, MacLane, Peter Lorre and Ward Bond in The Maltese Falcon (1941)

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 opposite 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 appeared 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.

As he was the regular heavy and bad guy, juveniles started using the term "Don't give me that Barton MacLane", if they felt justly or unjustly being turned off by adults or authorities, e.g. cops, teachers and so on.

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.[1]:802 His last feature film was Buckskin (1968).

In 1965, MacLane was cast in the recurring role of General Martin Peterson on I Dream of Jeannie. He appeared in 35 episodes of the 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 his 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.[3]

Death

MacLane died of double pneumonia at age 66 on New Year's Day, 1969, at Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California.[7] He had been admitted two weeks prior to his death.[7]

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.[8]

Selected filmography

Television credits
Year Series Role Notes
1955 The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse Captain Hansen "The Man Nobody Wanted"
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Chief Brooks "Two-Bit Gangster"
1956 Crossroads "The Strange Bequest"
Cheyenne Martin Storm "The Storm Riders"
The Kaiser Aluminum Hour Dan Royal "Man on the White Horse"
1957 Tales of Wells Fargo Clanton "The Target", with Kelo Henderson cast as Ike Clanton
Telephone Time Pete Devlin "Plot to Save a Boy"
Circus Boy Pinkerton Detective Nolan 1 episode, "The Tumbling Clown"
1958 Kraft Television Theatre Potter "Code of the Corner"
77 Sunset Strip Brannigan "Girl on the Run"
1959 Black Saddle General Orester Fowler "Client: Braun"
Walt Disney Presents Bob Scanlon 2 episodes: "The Robber Stallion" and "Wild Horse Revenge"
1959-1964 Perry Mason Senator Harriman Baylor / Sheriff Eugene Norris / Harold Minter / Archer Osmond 4 episodes
1960 Walt Disney Presents Rawls Kettrick The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca miniseries, episode "Friendly Enemies at Law"
Laramie Cameron Gault "Street of Hate"
Overland Trail Big Jed Braddock "Lawyer in Petticoats"
Tightrope Vince Baron "Gangster's Daughter"
1960-1961 Outlaws Marshal Frank Caine 27 episodes
1962 Laramie Mel Bishop "The High Country"
1963 Laramie Ed Bishop "The Wedding Party"
Laramie Owen Richards "Trapped"
1965-1969 I Dream of Jeannie General Peterson 35 episodes, (final appearance)
1966 The Munsters Big Roy "Herman Picks a Winner"
Gunsmoke Herkimer Crawford "Honor Before Justice"
1967 Gunsmoke Willard Kerner "Noose of Gold"
Hondo Markham "Hondo and the Gladiators"
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References
  1. Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. pp. 490–491. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
  2. Ellenberger, Allan R. (2001). Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory. McFarland. p. 206. ISBN 9780786409839. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  3. "Actor Barton MacLane, Madera Rancher, 66, Dies". The Fresno Bee The Republican. California, Fresno. United Press International. January 2, 1969. p. 25. Retrieved April 1, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "The Trial of Mary Dugan - cast". Playbill Vault. Playbill. Archived from the original on 3 April 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  5. "Gods of the Lightning - cast". Playbill Vault. Playbill. Archived from the original on 3 April 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  6. "Barton Maclane Biography". IMDB.
  7. "Movie Bad Guy, Barton MacLane, Dead At 66". The Evening Independent. Associated Press. January 2, 1969. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  8. "Barton MacLane". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Archived from the original on 3 April 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
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