Image of Jack Norton

Jack Norton

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.


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Born:
Sep 2, 1889 In Brooklyn, New York, USA
Movie/TV Credits:
87
First Appeared:
In the movie Finishing School 1934-05-04
Latest Project:
Movie Thoroughbreds 2018-03-09
Known For
Poster of No Hands on the Clock
Poster of Society Smugglers
Poster of The Awful Tooth
Poster of Calling All Cars
Filmography
Movie Thoroughbreds Mental Patient (uncredited) 2018-03-09
Movie The Big Parade of Comedy Actor in 'The Girl from Missouri' (archive footage) (uncredited) 1964-09-02
Movie I Was a Burlesque Queen Jim Benson 1953-07-13
Movie Malice in the Palace Emir of Schmoe (uncredited) 1949-09-01
Movie The Sin of Harold Diddlebock James R. Smoke 1947-04-04
Movie Variety Girl Busboy at Brown Derby 1947-08-29
Movie Linda, Be Good Jim Benson 1947-11-07
Movie Rhythm and Weep Mr. Walsh 1946-10-03
Movie Shadows Over Chinatown Cosgrove 1946-06-27
Movie Nocturne Charlie 1946-10-29
Movie Two O'Clock Courage Drunk at Blue Room Bar (uncredited) 1945-04-13
Movie Fashion Model Herbert 1945-03-02
Movie The Scarlet Clue Willie Rand 1945-05-11
Movie Flame of Barbary Coast Byline Conners, Reporter San Francisco Star 1945-05-28
Movie Man Alive William T. Lafferty 1945-11-16
Movie Strange Confession Jack 1945-10-05
Movie The Naughty Nineties Drunk at the Gilded Cage (uncredited) 1945-06-20
Movie Going My Way Mr. Lilly (uncredited) 1944-01-01
Movie Make Your Own Bed Drunk 1944-06-10
Movie Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cat Hotel Desk Clerk 1944-05-20
Movie Once Upon a Time Man In Barber Chair (uncredited) 1944-06-29
Movie The Story of Dr. Wassell 'Janssen' Passenger (uncredited) 1944-07-04
Movie Prairie Chickens Henry Lewis-Clark III 1943-05-21
Movie Taxi, Mister Reginald Van Nostrum - the Drunk 1943-04-16
Movie The Falcon Strikes Back Second Hobo (uncredited) 1943-04-01
Movie So's Your Uncle Drunk 1943-09-01
Movie It Ain't Hay Drunk (uncredited) 1943-03-10
Movie The Kansan Saloon Drunk 1943-09-10
Movie Crazy House Drunk 1943-10-08
Movie The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek Country Club Man Ordering Champagne (uncredited) 1943-12-12
Movie Thank Your Lucky Stars Customer in Bette Davis Number (uncredited) 1943-09-25
Movie Dr. Broadway Drunk 1942-05-09
Movie Brooklyn Orchid Jonathan McFeeder 1942-01-31
Movie The Fleet's In Kellogg 1942-01-24
Movie The Spoilers Mr. Skinner 1942-06-11
Movie The Palm Beach Story Second Member Ale and Quail Club 1942-08-28
Movie My Favorite Spy Orchid Room Drunk 1942-06-12
Movie Dr. Renault's Secret Mr. Austin 1942-10-19
Movie Moonlight in Havana George 1942-10-16
Movie Ride on Vaquero 1941-04-18
Movie No Hands on the Clock Bartender at The Nugget Room 1941-12-01
Movie Let's Make Music Drunk 1941-01-17
Movie Pacific Blackout Drunk 1941-12-31
Movie Louisiana Purchase Jester 1941-12-31
Movie The Farmer's Daughter Shimmy Conway 1940-03-29
Movie City of Chance Mr. Murphy 1940-01-13
Movie Opened by Mistake Al, the Bartender 1940-05-10
Movie The Ghost Breakers Drunk (uncredited) 1940-06-21
Movie The Bank Dick A. Pismo Clam 1940-11-29
Movie The Villain Still Pursued Her Drunk 1940-10-11
Movie The Way of All Flesh Barber 1940-07-05
Movie The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt Charlie Fenton - the Party Drunk (uncredited) 1939-01-27
Movie Society Smugglers Prentis 1939-03-01
Movie News Is Made at Night Drunk 1939-07-20
Movie The Roaring Twenties Drunk at Henderson Club (uncredited) 1939-10-28
Movie Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President Parker 1939-12-01
Movie Arsène Lupin Returns Hotel Manager (uncredited) 1938-02-25
Movie Everybody's Doing It Harry The Drunk 1938-01-14
Movie Love Is a Headache Bartender (uncredited) 1938-01-14
Movie Jezebel Drunk (uncredited) 1938-03-26
Movie Hold That Kiss Mallory 1938-05-13
Movie Thanks for the Memory Bert Monroe 1938-11-11
Movie Meet the Girls Fletcher 1938-10-06
Movie The Awful Tooth Dr. Schultz 1938-05-26
Movie Time Out for Romance Crapshooter 1937-02-10
Movie Marked Woman Drunk 1937-04-10
Movie My Dear Miss Aldrich First Drunk at Red Apple Inn (uncredited) 1937-09-17
Movie Meet the Missus Mr. Norton 1937-06-04
Movie The Women Men Marry Wilhelm Peebles (uncredited) 1937-09-10
Movie Down the Ribber 1936-03-27
Movie The Preview Murder Mystery Comedy Director (Uncredited) 1936-02-28
Movie Who's Looney Now Herbert Brown 1936-08-23
Movie Stolen Harmony Phillips (uncredited) 1935-04-20
Movie Sweet Music Drunk (uncredited) 1935-02-23
Movie One More Spring Drunk 1935-02-15
Movie Calling All Cars Duke Costello 1935-01-25
Movie Going Highbrow Sinclair 1935-07-06
Movie Broadway Gondolier Man on Ship with Pipe 1935-07-27
Movie Don't Bet on Blondes J. Mortimer 'Mousy' Slade 1935-07-13
Movie Ship Cafe Mr. Randall (uncredited) 1935-11-09
Movie Foolish Hearts Jimmy 1935-12-27
Movie Dr. Socrates Drunk in Park 1935-10-19
Movie Page Miss Glory Reporter (uncredited) 1935-09-07
Movie Finishing School Drunk (uncredited) 1934-05-04
Movie Cockeyed Cavaliers King's Physician 1934-06-29
Movie One Too Many 1934-12-28
Movie Counsel on De Fence 1934-10-24