James Barton

Born: 1890-10-31

James Barton (November 1, 1890 - February 19, 1962) was an American vaudevillian and a character actor in films and television. Born into a theatrical family in Gloucester City, New Jersey, Barton began performing in minstrel shows and burlesque houses throughout the country in 1898. His years of experience working with African American performers led to his becoming one of the first jazz dancers in America. After working with repertory companies in the South and Midwest, he made his Broadway debut in the musical revue The Passing Show of 1919 in a role originally intended for Ed Wynn. He frequently was the highlight in mediocre productions, and a critic for the Daily News noted, "Whenever the book failed him, he shuffled into one or more of his eccentric dances." Additional theatre credits include Sweet and Low, Tobacco Road, The Iceman Cometh, and Paint Your Wagon. Barton's film career began in the silent era. His screen credits include The Time of Your Life, Here Comes the Groom, and The Misfits. On television he appeared in The Ford Television Theatre, Lux Video Theatre, Studio One, The Kaiser Aluminum Hour, Playhouse 90, Kraft Television Theatre, The Rifleman, Adventures in Paradise, and Naked City. Barton died of a heart attack in Mineola, New York. Bing Crosby considered James Barton to be one his ten favorite performers of all time, alongside names such as Al Jolson, Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong, Judy Garland and Nat King Cole. Description above from the Wikipedia article James Barton (vaudevillian), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.


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The Misfits

as Fletcher's grandfather
Released: 1961-02-01

While filing for a divorce, beautiful ex-stripper Roslyn Taber ends up meeting aging...

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Yellow Sky

as Grandpa
Released: 1948-12-24

In 1867, a gang led by James "Stretch" Dawson robs a bank and flees into the desert. Out of...

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The Scarf

as Ezra Thompson
Released: 1951-04-06

A man who is believed to have murdered a woman, escapes from the insane asylum to find if he was...

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The Shepherd of the Hills

as Old Matt Matthews
Released: 1941-07-18

Young Matt Matthews, an Ozark Mountains moonshiner, hates the father he has never seen, who...

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Here Comes the Groom

as William 'Pa' Jones
Released: 1951-09-20

Foreign correspondent Pete Garvey has 5 days to win back his former fiancée, or he'll lose the...

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The Time of Your Life

as Kit Carson
Released: 1948-09-03

Joe spends a lot of his time at Nick's Pacific Street Saloon. Tom, who credits Joe with once...

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Wabash Avenue

as Harrigan
Released: 1950-03-31

Andy Clark discovers he was cheated out of a half interest in partner Mike's business, now a...

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The Naked Hills

as Jimmo McCann
Released: 1956-06-17

Tracy Powell, an Indiana farmer, gets the gold fever and heads for Stockton, California in 1849....

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Quantez

as Minstrel
Released: 1957-09-06

A gang of bank robbers with a posse in hot pursuit. Riding into the desert, they take refuge in...

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Golden Girl

as John Crabtree
Released: 1951-11-01

Against the background of the Civil War, sixteen-year-old song-and-dance artiste Lotta Crabtree...

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Captain Hurricane

as Capt. Zenas Henry Brewster
Released: 1935-03-01

Zenas Brewster is a seafaring man with a bad reputation. Notorious for his tempestuous nature,...

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Helldorado

as Motorcycle Cop
Released: 1935-01-05

Arthur T. Ryan, a hitchhiker, gets a ride from haughty, society girl Glenda Wynant and her...

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His Family Tree

as Patrick Murphy
Released: 1935-09-29

A father leaves his native Ireland and travels to America to visit the son he hasn't heard from...

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Back to Nature

as Motorcycle Officer
Released: 1936-08-14

The Jones family goes to a convention traveling in a trailer. The oldest daughter gets involved...

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Hideaway Girl

as Motorcycle Policeman
Released: 1936-11-20

An unfortunate marriage and a bogus Count are the ingredients for this musical.

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The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady

as Dennis O'Grady
Released: 1950-04-29

An Irish horsecar driver's daughter meets New York showman Tony Pastor and goes into vaudeville.

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Kraft Television Theatre: Alice in Wonderland

as The Mock Turtle
Released: 1954-05-05

Edgar Bergen and his dummy, Charlie McCarthy, join Alice on her adventure in Wonderland.

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The Foggy, Foggy Dew

as The Stranger
Released: 1952-03-17

From Lux Video Theater

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The Rifleman

as uncredited
First aired: 1958-09-30

The Rifleman is an American Western television program starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas...

TV Show page

Naked City

as Bo Giles
First aired: 1958-09-30

Naked City is a police drama series which aired from 1958 to 1963 on the ABC television network....

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Naked City

as Matty
First aired: 1958-09-30

Naked City is a police drama series which aired from 1958 to 1963 on the ABC television network....

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Naked City

as Tom Dobbins
First aired: 1958-09-30

Naked City is a police drama series which aired from 1958 to 1963 on the ABC television network....

TV Show page

Adventures in Paradise

as Rocky
First aired: 1959-10-05

Adventures in Paradise is an American television series created by James Michener which ran on...

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Studio One

as Joe Tinker
First aired: 1948-11-07

An American radio–television anthology series, created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher...

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The Ed Sullivan Show

as Self
First aired: 1948-06-20

The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June...

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The Americans

as uncredited
First aired: 1961-01-23

The Americans is a 17-episode American drama television series that aired on NBC from January to...

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New York Confidential

as uncredited
First aired: 1959-01-01

New York Confidential is a British-American crime drama series that aired from 1958 to...

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Letter to Loretta

as Ernie Clevenger
First aired: 1953-09-20

Letter to Loretta is an American anthology drama series telecast on NBC from September 1953 to...

TV Show page