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Jack Norton

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.

Personal information

Birthday

1889-09-01

Birth Place

Brooklyn, New York, USA

Movies and TV shows :

A Guy, a Gal and a Pal

A Guy, a Gal and a Pal

1945

0.0

Movie
Arsène Lupin Returns

Arsène Lupin Returns

1938

5.8

Movie
Broadway Gondolier

Broadway Gondolier

1935

5.4

Movie
Brooklyn Orchid

Brooklyn Orchid

1942

7.0

Movie
Calling All Cars

Calling All Cars

1935

2.0

Movie
Captain Tugboat Annie

Captain Tugboat Annie

1945

0.0

Movie
Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cat

Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cat

1944

6.4

Movie
City of Chance

City of Chance

1940

5.2

Movie
Cockeyed Cavaliers

Cockeyed Cavaliers

1934

6.0

Movie
Counsel on De Fence

Counsel on De Fence

1934

1.0

Movie
Crazy House

Crazy House

1943

5.0

Movie
Don't Bet on Blondes

Don't Bet on Blondes

1935

5.0

Movie
Down the Ribber

Down the Ribber

1936

0.0

Movie
Dr. Broadway

Dr. Broadway

1942

5.0

Movie
Dr. Renault's Secret

Dr. Renault's Secret

1942

5.2

Movie
Dr. Socrates

Dr. Socrates

1935

6.4

Movie
Everybody's Doing It

Everybody's Doing It

1938

5.0

Movie
Fashion Model

Fashion Model

1945

3.0

Movie
Finishing School

Finishing School

1934

6.2

Movie
Fixing a Stew

Fixing a Stew

1934

0.0

Movie
Flame of Barbary Coast

Flame of Barbary Coast

1945

5.6

Movie
Foolish Hearts

Foolish Hearts

1935

0.0

Movie
Forgotten Faces

Forgotten Faces

1936

0.0

Movie
Going Highbrow

Going Highbrow

1935

6.0

Movie
Going My Way

Going My Way

1944

6.7

Movie
Grand Jury Secrets

Grand Jury Secrets

1939

0.0

Movie
Hail the Conquering Hero

Hail the Conquering Hero

1944

7.0

Movie
Hired Husband

Hired Husband

1947

0.0

Movie
His Night Out

His Night Out

1935

0.0

Movie
Hold That Kiss

Hold That Kiss

1938

6.5

Movie
I Was a Burlesque Queen

I Was a Burlesque Queen

1953

1.0

Movie
It Ain't Hay

It Ain't Hay

1943

6.4

Movie
Jezebel

Jezebel

1938

7.0

Movie
Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President

Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President

1939

2.0

Movie
Let's Make Music

Let's Make Music

1941

5.6

Movie
Linda, Be Good

Linda, Be Good

1947

0.0

Movie
Louisiana Purchase

Louisiana Purchase

1941

6.6

Movie
Love Is a Headache

Love Is a Headache

1938

5.7

Movie
Make Your Own Bed

Make Your Own Bed

1944

5.8

Movie
Malice in the Palace

Malice in the Palace

1949

5.6

Movie
Man Alive

Man Alive

1945

5.1

Movie
Marked Woman

Marked Woman

1937

6.5

Movie
Meet the Girls

Meet the Girls

1938

4.5

Movie
Meet the Missus

Meet the Missus

1937

4.0

Movie
Moonlight in Havana

Moonlight in Havana

1942

0.0

Movie
My Dear Miss Aldrich

My Dear Miss Aldrich

1937

6.1

Movie
My Favorite Spy

My Favorite Spy

1942

5.2

Movie
News Is Made at Night

News Is Made at Night

1939

4.5

Movie
No Hands on the Clock

No Hands on the Clock

1941

4.9

Movie
Nocturne

Nocturne

1946

5.6

Movie
Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time

1944

5.8

Movie
One More Spring

One More Spring

1935

5.7

Movie
One Too Many

One Too Many

1934

0.0

Movie
Opened by Mistake

Opened by Mistake

1940

0.0

Movie
Pacific Blackout

Pacific Blackout

1941

6.3

Movie
Page Miss Glory

Page Miss Glory

1935

6.3

Movie
Prairie Chickens

Prairie Chickens

1943

0.0

Movie
Rhythm and Weep

Rhythm and Weep

1946

5.3

Movie
Ride on Vaquero

Ride on Vaquero

1941

4.2

Movie
Shadows Over Chinatown

Shadows Over Chinatown

1946

5.7

Movie
Ship Cafe

Ship Cafe

1935

0.0

Movie
So's Your Uncle

So's Your Uncle

1943

5.0

Movie
Society Smugglers

Society Smugglers

1939

5.7

Movie
Stolen Harmony

Stolen Harmony

1935

6.0

Movie
Strange Confession

Strange Confession

1945

6.8

Movie
Sweet Music

Sweet Music

1935

5.7

Movie
Taxi, Mister

Taxi, Mister

1943

3.0

Movie
Thank Your Lucky Stars

Thank Your Lucky Stars

1943

6.1

Movie
Thanks for the Memory

Thanks for the Memory

1938

5.7

Movie
The Awful Tooth

The Awful Tooth

1938

6.8

Movie
The Bank Dick

The Bank Dick

1940

6.5

Movie
The Big Parade of Comedy

The Big Parade of Comedy

1964

6.3

Movie
The Falcon Strikes Back

The Falcon Strikes Back

1943

5.6

Movie
The Farmer's Daughter

The Farmer's Daughter

1940

5.0

Movie
The Fleet's In

The Fleet's In

1942

7.0

Movie
The Ghost Breakers

The Ghost Breakers

1940

6.5

Movie
The Kansan

The Kansan

1943

5.2

Movie
The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt

The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt

1939

6.5

Movie
The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek

The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek

1943

6.9

Movie
The Naughty Nineties

The Naughty Nineties

1945

6.8

Movie
The Palm Beach Story

The Palm Beach Story

1942

7.0

Movie
The Preview Murder Mystery

The Preview Murder Mystery

1936

6.0

Movie
The Roaring Twenties

The Roaring Twenties

1939

7.5

Movie
The Scarlet Clue

The Scarlet Clue

1945

5.9

Movie
The Sin of Harold Diddlebock

The Sin of Harold Diddlebock

1947

6.3

Movie
The Spoilers

The Spoilers

1942

6.2

Movie
The Story of Dr. Wassell

The Story of Dr. Wassell

1944

6.3

Movie
The Super Snooper

The Super Snooper

1934

0.0

Movie
The Villain Still Pursued Her

The Villain Still Pursued Her

1940

5.1

Movie
The Way of All Flesh

The Way of All Flesh

1940

4.0

Movie
The Women Men Marry

The Women Men Marry

1937

5.5

Movie
Time Out for Romance

Time Out for Romance

1937

5.6

Movie
Two O'Clock Courage

Two O'Clock Courage

1945

6.2

Movie
Variety Girl

Variety Girl

1947

6.1

Movie
Who's Looney Now

Who's Looney Now

1936

0.0

Movie