Upon moving to
California, Bartell became a favorite of producer/director
Norman MacDonnell, performing frequently on
Escape (notably as Ronald Dawson in
The Second Class Passenger, Peyton Farquar in
Ambrose Bierce's
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, and Alcine in "Operation Fleur De Lys"), and was a leading member of the
Gunsmoke repertory company. Bartell was with the latter series from the first broadcast on April 26, 1952, until the last show on June 18, 1961; his roles ranged from friendly townspeople to victims to heavies, from the occasional role of
Dodge City printer Mr. Hightower to famed gunslinger
Doc Holliday in a 1952 episode. With fellow actor
Vic Perrin, he also co-wrote two episodes near the end of the radio run, and appeared many times on the TV version of
Gunsmoke, sometimes reprising his radio roles. Bartell worked on other radio
Westerns such as
The Six Shooter,
Frontier Gentleman,
Have Gun Will Travel, and
Fort Laramie (a regular as Lt. Seiberts). Other recurring radio parts included a stint as one of several actors to play
Archie Goodwin in
The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe starring
Sydney Greenstreet, Tommy Brooks on the
situation comedy The Charlotte Greenwood Show, and Officer Ed Miller on
Rogers of the Gazette. As an announcer, he was heard on
The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes for several years, interviewing
Dr. Watson and segueing into commercials for Petri Wine (he also announced on
Silver Theater in the 1940s and on the radio version of
Dear Abby from 1960 until 1972). Other radio acting jobs included multiple roles in
Norman Corwin's
VE Day special
On a Note of Triumph, frequent appearances on
Jack Webb's shows
Dragnet and ''
Pete Kelly's Blues, and episodic parts on The Modern Adventures of Casanova
(starring Errol Flynn), My Favorite Husband, The Saint, Suspense,
and Lux Radio Theatre. He was a member of the stock company of the detective series Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar'', playing characters on both sides of the law, as well as the recurring role of jittery insurance adjuster Harry Branson (and his equally fussy twin brother Peter Branson). His final radio appearance was on Seattle radio producer
Jim French's series
The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, guest starring as a blustery American publisher in an August 2003 episode. ==Television==