Jack Norton
Known For: Acting
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: September 1, 1889
Day of Death: October 15, 1958 (69 years old)
Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York, USA
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.
1964
1953
1949
1947
1946
1945
Actor Byline Conners, Reporter San Francisco Star
Flame of Barbary Coast
Actor Willie Rand
The Scarlet Clue
Actor Herbert
Fashion Model
Actor William T. Lafferty
Man Alive
Actor Shiftless
Captain Tugboat Annie
Actor Drunk at Blue Room Bar (uncredited)
Two O'Clock Courage
Actor Jack
Strange Confession
Actor Drunk at the Gilded Cage (uncredited)
The Naughty Nineties
Actor Norton
A Guy, a Gal and a Pal
1944
1943
Actor Reginald Van Nostrum - the Drunk
Taxi, Mister
Actor Henry Lewis-Clark III
Prairie Chickens
Actor Customer in Bette Davis Number (uncredited)
Thank Your Lucky Stars
Actor Saloon Drunk
The Kansan
Actor Drunk
So's Your Uncle
Actor Drunk
Crazy House
Actor Country Club Man Ordering Champagne (uncredited)
The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek
Actor Second Hobo (uncredited)
The Falcon Strikes Back
Actor Drunk (uncredited)
It Ain't Hay
1942
1941
1940
1939
1938
1937
1936
1935
Actor Drunk (uncredited)
Sweet Music
Actor Jimmy
Foolish Hearts
Actor Drunk in Park
Dr. Socrates
Actor Dr. Singer
His Night Out
Actor Duke Costello
Calling All Cars
Actor Sinclair
Going Highbrow
Actor Drunk
One More Spring
Actor Man on Ship with Pipe
Broadway Gondolier
Actor Phillips (uncredited)
Stolen Harmony
Actor Reporter (uncredited)
Page Miss Glory
Actor Mr. Randall (uncredited)
Ship Cafe
Actor J. Mortimer 'Mousy' Slade
Don't Bet on Blondes