From 1945 until his death in 1966, Denton starred in many films, including The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery, The Parent Trap, Birdman of Alcatraz, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Bus Riley's Back in Town. He was also a guest star on many television shows, including Bonanza, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Gunsmoke, Have Gun Will Travel, The Fugitive, The Donna Reed Show, (1962 episode Once Upon a Timepiece).
Denton won an Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Performances in Supporting Roles for 1954-1955 for his work in Bus Stop (1955).
His Broadway credits include Winesburg, Ohio (1958), Orpheus Descending (1957), Bus Stop (1955), Fragile Fox (1954), Liberty Jones (1941), and Key Largo (1940).
Denton made two guest appearances on the CBS courtroom drama series Perry Mason, including the role of murder victim Frank Jarrett in the 1960 episode, "The Case of the Nimble Nephew."
In 1966, Denton died after suffering a heart attack in Piedmont, California. He was 52 years old.
