Michael Balfour
Acting • Born 1918-02-11 – Died 1997-10-24
Biography
Michael Creighton Balfour (11 February 1918 – 24 October 1997) was an English actor, working mainly in British films and TV, following his TV debut in the BBC's The Marvellous History of St Bernard, in 1938. He was a recognisable face, often in small character parts and supporting roles, in nearly two hundred films and TV shows, from the 1940s to the 1990s, often playing comical heavies or otherwise shady characters notable for their "loud" clothes, sometimes convincingly cast as an American. He worked for a roll call of film directors, including Tony Richardson, Pete Walker, Billy Wilder, Lewis Gilbert, Roman Polanski, Leslie Norman, Tim Burton, John Frankenheimer, François Truffaut, John Gilling, Stanley Donen, Ken Annakin, Cavalcanti, Lance Comfort, Terence Young, Gerald Thomas, Pasolini, John Paddy Carstairs, Terence Fisher, Val Guest, Frank Launder, John Huston, Basil Dearden and Howard Hawks. Balfour had parts in many popular TV shows of the era including Educated Evans, Mess Mates, Danger Man, The Avengers, Hancock's Half Hour, Dixon of Dock Green, Rogue's Gallery, Z-Cars, The Onedin Line, and the detective drama The Vise, playing Saber's assistant Barney O'Keefe. Balfour was also known as the passenger in a Jaguar XK120 car driven by actor Bonar Colleano when it crashed, killing Colleano. Balfour's injuries required him to have 98 stitches, but he was released from hospital in time to attend Colleano's funeral. As his screen career began to slow down in the late 1970s, Michael Balfour went on tour with European circuses, as a clown. He founded Circus Hazzard, and created his own clown character. His son later became a circus manager. As well as performing, Balfour was a dedicated painter and sculptor, and in later years turned increasingly to sculpture and the arts, even running his own gallery for a while. For his subjects, he frequently drew on his own family career as a circus clown
Filmography
125 credits
Design for Loving
Movie • 1962
Bernie
Obsession
Movie • 1949
American Sailor Promoting Book
No Orchids for Miss Blandish
Movie • 1948
Barney
Five Have a Mystery to Solve
Movie • 1964
Emilio
Meet Mr. Callaghan
Movie • 1954
Coffee Stallkeeper
Press for Time
Movie • 1966
Sewerman
Man of Violence
Movie • 1970
Cafe Owner
Man from Tangier
Movie • 1957
Spade
The Secret of the Forest
Movie • 1956
Len
Recoil
Movie • 1953
Parkes
Scrapbook for 1933
Movie • 1950
(voice)
Revenge of Billy the Kid
Movie • 1992
Gyles MacDonald
Secret Venture
Movie • 1955
Stevens
Barbados Quest
Movie • 1955
Barney Wilson
3 Steps to the Gallows
Movie • 1953
Carter, boxing fan
Park Plaza 605
Movie • 1953
Ted Birston
Delayed Action
Movie • 1954
Honey
The Stick Up
Movie • 1977
Sam
Breakaway
Movie • 1956
Barney
A Case For P.C. 49
Movie • 1951
Chubby Price
The Small Voice
Movie • 1948
Frankie
The Delavine Affair
Movie • 1955
Sammy
The Diamond Wizard
Movie • 1954
Hoxie
The Canterbury Tales
Movie • 1972
The Carpenter
Top Secret
Movie • 1952
Jersey Sailor
Light Fingers
Movie • 1957
The Major
The Steel Bayonet
Movie • 1958
Pte. Thomas
Black 13
Movie • 1953
Joe
The Oblong Box
Movie • 1969
Ruddock
Impulse
Movie • 1954
uncredited
Just William's Luck
Movie • 1947
Tonks
Help Yourself
Movie • 1950
Charlie
The Prisoner of Zenda
Movie • 1979
Scarlet Web
Movie • 1954
Barman
Three's Company
Movie • 1953
The Drunk
Look Back in Anger
Movie • 1959
Picky Shopper (uncredited)
River Beat
Movie • 1954
Adams
Moulin Rouge
Movie • 1952
Dodo (uncredited)
Melody Club
Movie • 1949
Max
I Was a Male War Bride
Movie • 1949
Male Billet Sergeant (uncredited)
Macbeth
Movie • 1971
First Murderer
Carry On Constable
Movie • 1960
Matt
Resting Rough
Movie • 1979
Hoverbug
Movie • 1969
Mr. Gutteridge
Fiend Without a Face
Movie • 1958
Sgt. Kasper
Johnny on the Run
Movie • 1953
The Copter Kids
Movie • 1976
Benny Baker
Strangler's Web
Movie • 1965
John Vichelski
William Comes to Town
Movie • 1948
Stall-holder
Candleshoe
Movie • 1977
Mr. McCress
The Quiet Woman
Movie • 1951
Lefty Brown
Her Favourite Husband
Movie • 1950
Pete
13 East Street
Movie • 1952
Joey Long
The Monster of Highgate Ponds
Movie • 1961
Bert
Quatermass 2
Movie • 1957
Harry
All Coppers Are...
Movie • 1972
Heart Attack Victim (uncredited)
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
Movie • 1970
Cabby
The Red Beret
Movie • 1953
American Sergeant
Devil's Point
Movie • 1954
Bennett, short henchman
Sleeping Car to Trieste
Movie • 1948
Spiegel
Batman
Movie • 1989
Scientist
Albert R.N.
Movie • 1953
Hank
Too Hot to Handle
Movie • 1960
Tourist Guide
Sink the Bismarck!
Movie • 1960
Able Seaman - Lookout on 'Suffolk' (uncredited)
Pit of Darkness
Movie • 1961
Fisher
Don't Ever Leave Me
Movie • 1949
Jim Kennedy
Love in Pawn
Movie • 1953
Alaric
The Adventurers
Movie • 1970
Detective
Genevieve
Movie • 1953
Trumpeter (Uncredited)
The Big Money
Movie • 1958
'Wilberforce'
Venetian Bird
Movie • 1952
Moretto
Echo of Diana
Movie • 1963
Newsagent
Helter Skelter
Movie • 1949
Barman (uncredited)
The Fast Lady
Movie • 1962
Bandit
The Reluctant Bride
Movie • 1955
Boxer
It's a Great Day
Movie • 1955
Charlie Mead's Mate
The Steel Key
Movie • 1953
'The Mae McCleod' Captain
Fahrenheit 451
Movie • 1966
Book Person: Machiavelli's 'The Prince' (uncredited)
The Holcroft Covenant
Movie • 1985
Hard Hat
Stop Press Girl
Movie • 1949
Crook (uncredited)
The Sea Shall Not Have Them
Movie • 1954
Dray
Woman Hater
Movie • 1948
Reporter (uncredited)
The Flesh and the Fiends
Movie • 1960
Drunken Sailor
Kaleidoscope
Movie • 1966
Poker Player
The Krays
Movie • 1990
Referee
Surprise Package
Movie • 1960
Oscar
She Always Gets Their Man
Movie • 1962
Runkle
The Rescue Squad
Movie • 1963
Barrow-Boy
Joseph Andrews
Movie • 1977
Ruffian
The Ship That Couldn't Stop
Movie • 1961
Mr. Bollanger
One Good Turn
Movie • 1955
Boxing Spectator (uncredited)
A Stitch in Time
Movie • 1963
Workman with Mallet (uncredited)
Prelude to Fame
Movie • 1950
Lucio
Hot Ice
Movie • 1953
Jacobson
Small Town Story
Movie • 1953
Turner
Reluctant Bandit
TV • 1965
Luigi
Interpol Calling
TV • 1959
Russ
Interpol Calling
TV • 1959
Inspector Hill
Hancock's Half Hour
TV • 1956
Dixon of Dock Green
TV • 1955
Joe Ward
Dixon of Dock Green
TV • 1955
Pip Rutley
The Larkins
TV • 1958
Sharkey
Rogues' Gallery
TV • 1968
Tom Meatyard
The Prisoner
TV • 1967
Will
The Persuaders!
TV • 1971
Donkey Cart Driver
Kelly Monteith
TV • 1979
Department S
TV • 1969
Eccles
The Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder
TV • 1969
Albert
Danger Man
TV • 1960
Gaston
The Cheaters
TV • 1960
Harry
Dixon of Dock Green
TV • 1955
Bill Nelson
Dixon of Dock Green
TV • 1955
Nicky Medwin
Armchair Theatre
TV • 1956
Armchair Theatre
TV • 1956
Ward
The Cheaters
TV • 1960
Freddy
Armchair Theatre
TV • 1956
Mr. Bollanger
Dixon of Dock Green
TV • 1955
Hobbs
Dempsey and Makepeace
TV • 1985
Jim Kelly
The Avengers
TV • 1961
Tom
Sailor of Fortune
TV • 1957
Alphonso Italian Ship's Engineer
Sunday Night Theatre
TV • 1950
Rudolfo
It's Not Me - It's Them!
TV • 1965
Reginald
The Jazz Age
TV • 1968
Porky
Strange Experiences
TV • 1955
Man
Cold Comfort Farm
TV • 1968
Earl P. Neck