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Photo of Jack Norton

Jack Norton

Acting 69 (deceased) years old Brooklyn, New York, USA ★ 0.6

Born: September 1, 1889
Died: October 15, 1958

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.

External Links

🎬 IMDb

Known For

Jezebel

Jezebel Drunk (uncredited) 1938

Marked Woman

Marked Woman Drunk 1937

The Roaring Twenties

The Roaring Twenties Drunk at Henderson Club (uncredited) 1939

The Fleet's In

The Fleet's In Kellogg 1942

The Story of Dr. Wassell

The Story of Dr. Wassell 'Janssen' Passenger (uncredited) 1944

Filmography

Acting Credits (101)

Bob Hope's World of Comedy Self - Tribute Montage (archive footage) 1976

The Big Parade of Comedy

The Big Parade of Comedy Actor in 'The Girl from Missouri' (archive footage) (uncredited) 1964

I Was a Burlesque Queen

I Was a Burlesque Queen Jim Benson 1953

Malice in the Palace

Malice in the Palace Emir of Schmoe (uncredited) 1949

Linda, Be Good

Linda, Be Good Jim Benson 1947

Variety Girl

Variety Girl Busboy at Brown Derby 1947

Hired Husband

Hired Husband Mr. Drinkwater 1947

The Sin of Harold Diddlebock

The Sin of Harold Diddlebock James R. Smoke 1947

Nocturne

Nocturne Charlie (uncredited) 1946

Rhythm and Weep

Rhythm and Weep Mr. Walsh 1946

Shadows Over Chinatown

Shadows Over Chinatown Cosgrove 1946

Hold That Blonde!

Hold That Blonde! Drunk (uncredited) 1945

Captain Tugboat Annie

Captain Tugboat Annie Shiftless 1945

Man Alive

Man Alive William T. Lafferty 1945

Strange Confession

Strange Confession Jack 1945

The Naughty Nineties

The Naughty Nineties Drunk at the Gilded Cage (uncredited) 1945

Flame of Barbary Coast

Flame of Barbary Coast Byline Conners, Reporter San Francisco Star 1945

The Scarlet Clue

The Scarlet Clue Willie Rand 1945

Two O'Clock Courage

Two O'Clock Courage Drunk at Blue Room Bar (uncredited) 1945

A Guy, a Gal and a Pal

A Guy, a Gal and a Pal Norton 1945

Fashion Model

Fashion Model Herbert 1945

The Big Noise

The Big Noise Drunk on Train 1944

The Miracle of Morgan's Creek

The Miracle of Morgan's Creek Country Club Man Ordering Champagne (uncredited) 1944

Hail the Conquering Hero

Hail the Conquering Hero Second Bandleader (uncredited) 1944

The Story of Dr. Wassell

The Story of Dr. Wassell 'Janssen' Passenger (uncredited) 1944

Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time Man In Barber Chair (uncredited) 1944

Make Your Own Bed

Make Your Own Bed Drunk 1944

Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cat

Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cat Hotel Desk Clerk 1944

Going My Way

Going My Way Mr. Lilly (uncredited) 1944

Crazy House

Crazy House Drunk 1943

Thank Your Lucky Stars

Thank Your Lucky Stars Customer in Bette Davis Number (uncredited) 1943

The Kansan

The Kansan Saloon Drunk 1943

So's Your Uncle

So's Your Uncle Drunk 1943

Prairie Chickens

Prairie Chickens Henry Lewis-Clark III 1943

Taxi, Mister

Taxi, Mister Reginald Van Nostrum - the Drunk 1943

The Falcon Strikes Back

The Falcon Strikes Back Second Hobo (uncredited) 1943

It Ain't Hay

It Ain't Hay Drunk (uncredited) 1943

Dr. Renault's Secret

Dr. Renault's Secret Mr. Austin 1942

Moonlight in Havana

Moonlight in Havana George 1942

The Palm Beach Story

The Palm Beach Story Second Member Ale and Quail Club 1942

My Favorite Spy

My Favorite Spy Orchid Room Drunk 1942

The Spoilers

The Spoilers Mr. Skinner 1942

Dr. Broadway

Dr. Broadway Drunk (uncredited) 1942

Brooklyn Orchid

Brooklyn Orchid Jonathan McFeeder 1942

The Fleet's In

The Fleet's In Kellogg 1942

Pacific Blackout

Pacific Blackout Drunk 1941

Louisiana Purchase

Louisiana Purchase Jester 1941

No Hands on the Clock

No Hands on the Clock Bartender at The Nugget Room 1941

Ride on Vaquero

Ride on Vaquero 1941

Let's Make Music

Let's Make Music Drunk 1941

A Night at Earl Carroll's

A Night at Earl Carroll's Alonzo Smith 1940

The Bank Dick

The Bank Dick A. Pismo Clam 1940

The Villain Still Pursued Her

The Villain Still Pursued Her Drunk 1940

The Way of All Flesh

The Way of All Flesh Barber 1940

The Ghost Breakers

The Ghost Breakers Drunk (uncredited) 1940

Opened by Mistake

Opened by Mistake Al, the Bartender 1940

The Farmer's Daughter

The Farmer's Daughter Shimmy Conway 1940

City of Chance

City of Chance Mr. Murphy 1940

Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President

Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President Parker 1939

The Roaring Twenties

The Roaring Twenties Drunk at Henderson Club (uncredited) 1939

News Is Made at Night

News Is Made at Night Drunk 1939

Grand Jury Secrets

Grand Jury Secrets Doyle 1939

Society Smugglers

Society Smugglers Prentis 1939

The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt

The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt Charlie Fenton - the Party Drunk (uncredited) 1939

Thanks for the Memory

Thanks for the Memory Bert Monroe 1938

Meet the Girls

Meet the Girls Fletcher 1938

The Awful Tooth

The Awful Tooth Dr. Schultz 1938

Hold That Kiss

Hold That Kiss Mallory 1938

Jezebel

Jezebel Drunk (uncredited) 1938

Arsène Lupin Returns

Arsène Lupin Returns Hotel Manager (uncredited) 1938

Love Is a Headache

Love Is a Headache Bartender (uncredited) 1938

Everybody's Doing It

Everybody's Doing It Harry The Drunk 1938

My Dear Miss Aldrich

My Dear Miss Aldrich First Drunk at Red Apple Inn (uncredited) 1937

The Women Men Marry

The Women Men Marry Wilhelm Peebles (uncredited) 1937

Meet the Missus

Meet the Missus Mr. Norton 1937

Marked Woman

Marked Woman Drunk 1937

Time Out for Romance

Time Out for Romance Crapshooter 1937

Who's Looney Now

Who's Looney Now Herbert Brown 1936

Forgotten Faces

Forgotten Faces Drunk 1936

Down the Ribber

Down the Ribber 1936

The Preview Murder Mystery

The Preview Murder Mystery Comedy Director (Uncredited) 1936

Foolish Hearts Jimmy 1935

Ship Cafe

Ship Cafe Mr. Randall (uncredited) 1935

Dr. Socrates

Dr. Socrates Drunk in Park 1935

His Night Out

His Night Out Dr. Singer 1935

Page Miss Glory

Page Miss Glory Reporter (uncredited) 1935

Broadway Gondolier

Broadway Gondolier Man on Ship with Pipe 1935

Don't Bet on Blondes

Don't Bet on Blondes J. Mortimer 'Mousy' Slade 1935

Going Highbrow

Going Highbrow Sinclair 1935

Stolen Harmony

Stolen Harmony Phillips (uncredited) 1935

Sweet Music

Sweet Music Drunk (uncredited) 1935

One More Spring

One More Spring Drunk 1935

Calling All Cars

Calling All Cars Duke Costello 1935

The Gilded Lily

The Gilded Lily Photographer (uncredited) 1935

One Too Many 1934

Fixing a Stew

Fixing a Stew Pete 1934

Counsel on De Fence

Counsel on De Fence 1934

Cockeyed Cavaliers

Cockeyed Cavaliers King's Physician 1934

Woman Haters

Woman Haters Justice of the Peace (uncredited) 1934

Finishing School

Finishing School Drunk (uncredited) 1934

The Super Snooper

The Super Snooper 1934

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