Acting · Brooklyn, New York, USA · Born September 1, 1889
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.
Bob Hope's World of Comedy
1976
as Self - Tribute Montage (archive footage)
MovieThe Big Parade of Comedy
1964
as Actor in 'The Girl from Missouri' (archive footage) (uncredited)
MovieI Was a Burlesque Queen
1953
as Jim Benson
MovieMalice in the Palace
1949
as Emir of Schmoe (uncredited)
MovieLinda, Be Good
1947
as Jim Benson
MovieVariety Girl
1947
as Busboy at Brown Derby
MovieHired Husband
1947
as Mr. Drinkwater
MovieThe Sin of Harold Diddlebock
1947
as James R. Smoke
MovieNocturne
1946
as Charlie (uncredited)
MovieRhythm and Weep
1946
as Mr. Walsh
MovieShadows Over Chinatown
1946
as Cosgrove
MovieHold That Blonde!
1945
as Drunk (uncredited)
MovieCaptain Tugboat Annie
1945
as Shiftless
MovieMan Alive
1945
as William T. Lafferty
MovieStrange Confession
1945
as Jack
MovieThe Naughty Nineties
1945
as Drunk at the Gilded Cage (uncredited)
MovieFlame of Barbary Coast
1945
as Byline Conners, Reporter San Francisco Star
MovieThe Scarlet Clue
1945
as Willie Rand
MovieTwo O'Clock Courage
1945
as Drunk at Blue Room Bar (uncredited)
MovieA Guy, a Gal and a Pal
1945
as Norton
MovieFashion Model
1945
as Herbert
MovieThe Big Noise
1944
as Drunk on Train
MovieThe Miracle of Morgan's Creek
1944
as Country Club Man Ordering Champagne (uncredited)
MovieHail the Conquering Hero
1944
as Second Bandleader (uncredited)
MovieThe Story of Dr. Wassell
1944
as 'Janssen' Passenger (uncredited)
MovieOnce Upon a Time
1944
as Man In Barber Chair (uncredited)
MovieMake Your Own Bed
1944
as Drunk
MovieCharlie Chan in The Chinese Cat
1944
as Hotel Desk Clerk
MovieGoing My Way
1944
as Mr. Lilly (uncredited)
MovieCrazy House
1943
as Drunk
MovieThank Your Lucky Stars
1943
as Customer in Bette Davis Number (uncredited)
MovieThe Kansan
1943
as Saloon Drunk
MovieSo's Your Uncle
1943
as Drunk
MoviePrairie Chickens
1943
as Henry Lewis-Clark III
MovieTaxi, Mister
1943
as Reginald Van Nostrum - the Drunk
MovieThe Falcon Strikes Back
1943
as Second Hobo (uncredited)
MovieIt Ain't Hay
1943
as Drunk (uncredited)
MovieDr. Renault's Secret
1942
as Mr. Austin
MovieMoonlight in Havana
1942
as George
MovieThe Palm Beach Story
1942
as Second Member Ale and Quail Club
MovieMy Favorite Spy
1942
as Orchid Room Drunk
MovieThe Spoilers
1942
as Mr. Skinner
MovieDr. Broadway
1942
as Drunk (uncredited)
MovieBrooklyn Orchid
1942
as Jonathan McFeeder
MovieThe Fleet's In
1942
as Kellogg
MoviePacific Blackout
1941
as Drunk
MovieLouisiana Purchase
1941
as Jester
MovieNo Hands on the Clock
1941
as Bartender at The Nugget Room
MovieRide on Vaquero
1941
MovieLet's Make Music
1941
as Drunk
MovieA Night at Earl Carroll's
1940
as Alonzo Smith
MovieThe Bank Dick
1940
as A. Pismo Clam
MovieThe Villain Still Pursued Her
1940
as Drunk
MovieThe Way of All Flesh
1940
as Barber
MovieThe Ghost Breakers
1940
as Drunk (uncredited)
MovieOpened by Mistake
1940
as Al, the Bartender
MovieThe Farmer's Daughter
1940
as Shimmy Conway
MovieCity of Chance
1940
as Mr. Murphy
MovieJoe and Ethel Turp Call on the President
1939
as Parker
MovieThe Roaring Twenties
1939
as Drunk at Henderson Club (uncredited)
MovieNews Is Made at Night
1939
as Drunk
MovieGrand Jury Secrets
1939
as Doyle
MovieSociety Smugglers
1939
as Prentis
MovieThe Lone Wolf Spy Hunt
1939
as Charlie Fenton - the Party Drunk (uncredited)
MovieThanks for the Memory
1938
as Bert Monroe
MovieMeet the Girls
1938
as Fletcher
MovieThe Awful Tooth
1938
as Dr. Schultz
MovieHold That Kiss
1938
as Mallory
MovieJezebel
1938
as Drunk (uncredited)
MovieArsène Lupin Returns
1938
as Hotel Manager (uncredited)
MovieLove Is a Headache
1938
as Bartender (uncredited)
MovieEverybody's Doing It
1938
as Harry The Drunk
MovieMy Dear Miss Aldrich
1937
as First Drunk at Red Apple Inn (uncredited)
MovieThe Women Men Marry
1937
as Wilhelm Peebles (uncredited)
MovieMeet the Missus
1937
as Mr. Norton
MovieMarked Woman
1937
as Drunk
MovieTime Out for Romance
1937
as Crapshooter
MovieWho's Looney Now
1936
as Herbert Brown
MovieForgotten Faces
1936
as Drunk
MovieDown the Ribber
1936
MovieThe Preview Murder Mystery
1936
as Comedy Director (Uncredited)
Foolish Hearts
1935
as Jimmy
MovieShip Cafe
1935
as Mr. Randall (uncredited)
MovieDr. Socrates
1935
as Drunk in Park
MovieHis Night Out
1935
as Dr. Singer
MoviePage Miss Glory
1935
as Reporter (uncredited)
MovieBroadway Gondolier
1935
as Man on Ship with Pipe
MovieDon't Bet on Blondes
1935
as J. Mortimer 'Mousy' Slade
MovieGoing Highbrow
1935
as Sinclair
MovieStolen Harmony
1935
as Phillips (uncredited)
MovieSweet Music
1935
as Drunk (uncredited)
MovieOne More Spring
1935
as Drunk
MovieCalling All Cars
1935
as Duke Costello
MovieThe Gilded Lily
1935
as Photographer (uncredited)
One Too Many
1934
MovieFixing a Stew
1934
as Pete
MovieCounsel on De Fence
1934
MovieCockeyed Cavaliers
1934
as King's Physician
MovieWoman Haters
1934
as Justice of the Peace (uncredited)
MovieFinishing School
1934
as Drunk (uncredited)
MovieThe Super Snooper
1934
