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