Jack Norton

Actor · 1889–1958 · Brooklyn, New York, USA

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jack Norton (September 2, 1882 – October 15, 1958) was an American stage and film character actor who appeared in 184 films between 1934 and 1948, often playing drunks, although in real life he was a teetotaler. Career Jack Norton was born in Brooklyn, New York on September 2, 1882. In his early career he had a vaudeville comedy act with his wife Lillian Healy. Norton made his Broadway debut in 1925 in that year's edition of Earl Carroll's Vanities, and also appeared in Florida Girl, which was produced and staged by Carroll. Norton's first film work was for a musical short, School for Romance, in 1934, in which a young Betty Grable appeared, but his scenes were deleted. His work survived to reach the screen in his next assignment, The Super Snooper, a comedy short, and in his third film, his first full-length movie, Finishing School, which featured Frances Dee, Billie Burke, Ginger Rogers and Bruce Cabot, Norton played a drunk, setting the pattern for many of his future performances. Although he also played stone sober characters as well, he was best known for his inebriated characterizations, and he improved his work by following genuine drunks around, picking up behavioral tips. Norton worked continuously and consistently, sometimes appearing in as many as 20 films in one year, although many of his performances went uncredited. One of the few times he was credited as part of the main cast was in 1945 for the film A Guy, a Gal and a Pal In the 1940s, Norton was part of Preston Sturges' unofficial "stock company" of character actors, appearing in five films written and directed by Sturges. He is perhaps best known to modern audiences as A. Pismo Clam, the drunken film director whom W.C. Fields is hired to replace in The Bank Dick (1940). In 1947, Norton retired from films due to illness, his last appearance being in Alias a Gentlemen, which was released in 1948, although he did make some live television appearances in the early 1950s. Jack Norton's final appearance would have been in the 1956 episode of The Honeymooners entitled "Unconventional Behavior", but age and infirmity had so overwhelmed him that he was literally written out of the show as it was being filmed, though Jackie Gleason saw to it that Norton was paid fully for the performance he was ready, willing, but unable to give. Norton died on October 15, 1958 in Saranac Lake, New York at the age of 76. He is buried in Sacred Hearts Cemetery in Southampton, New York on Long Island.

Acted in 98

1960s

1964
The Big Parade of Comedy
Actor in 'The Girl from Missouri' (archive footage) (uncredited)

1950s

1953
I Was a Burlesque Queen
Jim Benson

1940s

1949
Malice in the Palace
Emir of Schmoe (uncredited)
69
1947
Linda, Be Good
Jim Benson
Variety Girl
Busboy at Brown Derby
Hired Husband
Mr. Drinkwater
The Sin of Harold Diddlebock
James R. Smoke
70
1946
Nocturne
Charlie (uncredited)
63
Rhythm and Weep
Mr. Walsh
Shadows Over Chinatown
Cosgrove
64
1945
Hold That Blonde!
Drunk (uncredited)
Captain Tugboat Annie
Shiftless
Man Alive
William T. Lafferty
Strange Confession
Jack
The Naughty Nineties
Drunk at the Gilded Cage (uncredited)
Flame of Barbary Coast
Byline Conners, Reporter San Francisco Star
60
The Scarlet Clue
Willie Rand
Two O'Clock Courage
Drunk at Blue Room Bar (uncredited)
A Guy, a Gal and a Pal
Norton
Fashion Model
Herbert
1944
The Big Noise
Drunk on Train
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
Country Club Man Ordering Champagne (uncredited)
79
Hail the Conquering Hero
Second Bandleader (uncredited)
The Story of Dr. Wassell
'Janssen' Passenger (uncredited)
65
Once Upon a Time
Man In Barber Chair (uncredited)
Make Your Own Bed
Drunk
Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cat
Hotel Desk Clerk
Going My Way
Mr. Lilly (uncredited)
77
1943
Crazy House
Drunk
Thank Your Lucky Stars
Customer in Bette Davis Number (uncredited)
66
The Kansan
Saloon Drunk
So's Your Uncle
Drunk
Prairie Chickens
Henry Lewis-Clark III
Taxi, Mister
Reginald Van Nostrum - the Drunk
The Falcon Strikes Back
Second Hobo (uncredited)
It Ain't Hay
Drunk (uncredited)
65
1942
Dr. Renault's Secret
Mr. Austin
Moonlight in Havana
George
The Palm Beach Story
Second Member Ale and Quail Club
79
My Favorite Spy
Orchid Room Drunk
The Spoilers
Mr. Skinner
66
Dr. Broadway
Drunk (uncredited)
Brooklyn Orchid
Jonathan McFeeder
The Fleet's In
Kellogg
1941
Pacific Blackout
Drunk
Louisiana Purchase
Jester
No Hands on the Clock
Bartender at The Nugget Room
Ride on Vaquero
Movie
Let's Make Music
Drunk
1940
A Night at Earl Carroll's
Alonzo Smith
The Bank Dick
A. Pismo Clam
The Villain Still Pursued Her
Drunk
54
The Way of All Flesh
Barber
The Ghost Breakers
Drunk (uncredited)
74
Opened by Mistake
Al, the Bartender
The Farmer's Daughter
Shimmy Conway
City of Chance
Mr. Murphy