Jack Norton
Acting • Born 1889-09-01 – Died 1958-10-15
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.
Filmography
100 credits
The Sin of Harold Diddlebock
Movie • 1947
James R. Smoke
The Palm Beach Story
Movie • 1942
Second Member Ale and Quail Club
Flame of Barbary Coast
Movie • 1945
Byline Conners, Reporter San Francisco Star
Fixing a Stew
Movie • 1934
Pete
The Super Snooper
Movie • 1934
Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cat
Movie • 1944
Hotel Desk Clerk
The Scarlet Clue
Movie • 1945
Willie Rand
Shadows Over Chinatown
Movie • 1946
Cosgrove
The Villain Still Pursued Her
Movie • 1940
Drunk
Fashion Model
Movie • 1945
Herbert
No Hands on the Clock
Movie • 1941
Bartender at The Nugget Room
Variety Girl
Movie • 1947
Busboy at Brown Derby
Taxi, Mister
Movie • 1943
Reginald Van Nostrum - the Drunk
Sweet Music
Movie • 1935
Drunk (uncredited)
Who's Looney Now
Movie • 1936
Herbert Brown
Thanks for the Memory
Movie • 1938
Bert Monroe
Foolish Hearts
Movie • 1935
Jimmy
Dr. Socrates
Movie • 1935
Drunk in Park
The Awful Tooth
Movie • 1938
Dr. Schultz
Hold That Kiss
Movie • 1938
Mallory
Man Alive
Movie • 1945
William T. Lafferty
The Fleet's In
Movie • 1942
Kellogg
Malice in the Palace
Movie • 1949
Emir of Schmoe (uncredited)
His Night Out
Movie • 1935
Dr. Singer
Meet the Girls
Movie • 1938
Fletcher
Meet the Missus
Movie • 1937
Mr. Norton
Finishing School
Movie • 1934
Drunk (uncredited)
Captain Tugboat Annie
Movie • 1945
Shiftless
The Women Men Marry
Movie • 1937
Wilhelm Peebles (uncredited)
Calling All Cars
Movie • 1935
Duke Costello
Going Highbrow
Movie • 1935
Sinclair
My Dear Miss Aldrich
Movie • 1937
First Drunk at Red Apple Inn (uncredited)
Love Is a Headache
Movie • 1938
Bartender (uncredited)
One More Spring
Movie • 1935
Drunk
Broadway Gondolier
Movie • 1935
Man on Ship with Pipe
The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt
Movie • 1939
Charlie Fenton - the Party Drunk (uncredited)
Everybody's Doing It
Movie • 1938
Harry The Drunk
The Bank Dick
Movie • 1940
A. Pismo Clam
Stolen Harmony
Movie • 1935
Phillips (uncredited)
Prairie Chickens
Movie • 1943
Henry Lewis-Clark III
Moonlight in Havana
Movie • 1942
George
News Is Made at Night
Movie • 1939
Drunk
Dr. Broadway
Movie • 1942
Drunk (uncredited)
The Roaring Twenties
Movie • 1939
Drunk at Henderson Club (uncredited)
Grand Jury Secrets
Movie • 1939
Doyle
Arsène Lupin Returns
Movie • 1938
Hotel Manager (uncredited)
Let's Make Music
Movie • 1941
Drunk
The Preview Murder Mystery
Movie • 1936
Comedy Director (Uncredited)
Going My Way
Movie • 1944
Mr. Lilly (uncredited)
Linda, Be Good
Movie • 1947
Jim Benson
I Was a Burlesque Queen
Movie • 1953
Jim Benson
Counsel on De Fence
Movie • 1934
Time Out for Romance
Movie • 1937
Crapshooter
Society Smugglers
Movie • 1939
Prentis
Two O'Clock Courage
Movie • 1945
Drunk at Blue Room Bar (uncredited)
Ride on Vaquero
Movie • 1941
Cockeyed Cavaliers
Movie • 1934
King's Physician
Jezebel
Movie • 1938
Drunk (uncredited)
The Ghost Breakers
Movie • 1940
Drunk (uncredited)
The Way of All Flesh
Movie • 1940
Barber
City of Chance
Movie • 1940
Mr. Murphy
Thank Your Lucky Stars
Movie • 1943
Customer in Bette Davis Number (uncredited)
The Spoilers
Movie • 1942
Mr. Skinner
The Kansan
Movie • 1943
Saloon Drunk
Brooklyn Orchid
Movie • 1942
Jonathan McFeeder
Pacific Blackout
Movie • 1941
Drunk
My Favorite Spy
Movie • 1942
Orchid Room Drunk
The Farmer's Daughter
Movie • 1940
Shimmy Conway
Strange Confession
Movie • 1945
Jack
Down the Ribber
Movie • 1936
Dr. Renault's Secret
Movie • 1942
Mr. Austin
Once Upon a Time
Movie • 1944
Man In Barber Chair (uncredited)
So's Your Uncle
Movie • 1943
Drunk
Crazy House
Movie • 1943
Drunk
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
Movie • 1944
Country Club Man Ordering Champagne (uncredited)
Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President
Movie • 1939
Parker
The Falcon Strikes Back
Movie • 1943
Second Hobo (uncredited)
Make Your Own Bed
Movie • 1944
Drunk
The Big Parade of Comedy
Movie • 1964
Actor in 'The Girl from Missouri' (archive footage) (uncredited)
Page Miss Glory
Movie • 1935
Reporter (uncredited)
Rhythm and Weep
Movie • 1946
Mr. Walsh
Marked Woman
Movie • 1937
Drunk
It Ain't Hay
Movie • 1943
Drunk (uncredited)
The Naughty Nineties
Movie • 1945
Drunk at the Gilded Cage (uncredited)
Ship Cafe
Movie • 1935
Mr. Randall (uncredited)
Nocturne
Movie • 1946
Charlie (uncredited)
Opened by Mistake
Movie • 1940
Al, the Bartender
Louisiana Purchase
Movie • 1941
Jester
The Story of Dr. Wassell
Movie • 1944
'Janssen' Passenger (uncredited)
Don't Bet on Blondes
Movie • 1935
J. Mortimer 'Mousy' Slade
A Guy, a Gal and a Pal
Movie • 1945
Norton
Hired Husband
Movie • 1947
Mr. Drinkwater
One Too Many
Movie • 1934
Forgotten Faces
Movie • 1936
Drunk
Hail the Conquering Hero
Movie • 1944
Second Bandleader (uncredited)
The Big Noise
Movie • 1944
Drunk on Train
Woman Haters
Movie • 1934
Justice of the Peace (uncredited)
A Night at Earl Carroll's
Movie • 1940
Alonzo Smith
The Gilded Lily
Movie • 1935
Photographer (uncredited)
Hold That Blonde!
Movie • 1945
Drunk (uncredited)