Barton MacLane was a prolific American actor, playwright, and screenwriter who appeared in many classic films from the 1930s to the 1960s. He was best known for his roles as tough guys, such as gangsters, outlaws, and cops, often opposite Humphrey Bogart. He also played General Martin Peterson on the 1960s NBC comedy series I Dream of Jeannie, with Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman. But how did this versatile and talented actor die? What was Barton MacLane’s cause of death?
Early Life and Career
Barton MacLane was born on December 25, 1902, in Columbia, South Carolina. 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.
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.
Television Work: 1960s
In the 1960s, MacLane began to cultivate a good-guy image as Marshal Frank Caine in the NBC western series Outlaws, as well as showing up in a small recurring role as Air Force Gen. Martin Peterson in I Dream of Jeannie. He also guest-starred in other popular shows, such as Perry Mason, Gunsmoke, The Untouchables, and Bonanza.
Death and Legacy
MacLane died of double pneumonia at age 66 on New Year’s Day, 1969, at Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, a week after his 66th birthday. He was survived by his wife, actress Charlotte Wynters MacLane, whom he married in 1939, and their son, Stephen. He was buried at Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in North Hollywood.
Barton MacLane left behind a rich and diverse body of work, spanning four decades and over 200 films and television episodes. He was one of the most recognizable and versatile character actors of his era, who could play both villains and heroes with equal skill and charisma. He was admired by his peers and fans alike, and his legacy lives on in his memorable performances. According to IMDb, he was one of the most popular actors of the 1930s and 1940s.