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