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.

KNOWN FOR
CREDITS
PHOTOS

TV Series

Movies

The Sin of Harold Diddlebock

The Sin of Harold Diddlebock

6.3
The Palm Beach Story

The Palm Beach Story

7
Flame of Barbary Coast

Flame of Barbary Coast

5.611
Fixing a Stew

Fixing a Stew

0
The Super Snooper

The Super Snooper

0
Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cat

Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cat

6.4
The Scarlet Clue

The Scarlet Clue

5.9
Shadows Over Chinatown

Shadows Over Chinatown

5.8
The Villain Still Pursued Her

The Villain Still Pursued Her

5.1
Fashion Model

Fashion Model

3
No Hands on the Clock

No Hands on the Clock

4.9
Variety Girl

Variety Girl

6.1
Taxi, Mister

Taxi, Mister

4.2
Sweet Music

Sweet Music

5.7
Who's Looney Now

Who's Looney Now

0
Thanks for the Memory

Thanks for the Memory

5.7
Foolish Hearts

Foolish Hearts

0
Dr. Socrates

Dr. Socrates

6.4
The Awful Tooth

The Awful Tooth

6.8
Hold That Kiss

Hold That Kiss

6.5
Man Alive

Man Alive

5.1
The Fleet's In

The Fleet's In

7
Malice in the Palace

Malice in the Palace

5.6
His Night Out

His Night Out

0
Meet the Girls

Meet the Girls

4.5
Meet the Missus

Meet the Missus

4
Finishing School

Finishing School

6.2
Captain Tugboat Annie

Captain Tugboat Annie

0
The Women Men Marry

The Women Men Marry

5.5
Calling All Cars

Calling All Cars

2
Going Highbrow

Going Highbrow

6
My Dear Miss Aldrich

My Dear Miss Aldrich

6.1
Love Is a Headache

Love Is a Headache

5.7
One More Spring

One More Spring

5.7
Broadway Gondolier

Broadway Gondolier

5.4
The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt

The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt

6.6
Everybody's Doing It

Everybody's Doing It

5
The Bank Dick

The Bank Dick

6.496
Stolen Harmony

Stolen Harmony

6
Prairie Chickens

Prairie Chickens

0
Moonlight in Havana

Moonlight in Havana

0
News Is Made at Night

News Is Made at Night

4.5
Dr. Broadway

Dr. Broadway

5
The Roaring Twenties

The Roaring Twenties

7.5
Grand Jury Secrets

Grand Jury Secrets

0
Arsène Lupin Returns

Arsène Lupin Returns

5.8
Let's Make Music

Let's Make Music

5.6
The Preview Murder Mystery

The Preview Murder Mystery

5.6
Going My Way

Going My Way

6.723
Linda, Be Good

Linda, Be Good

0
I Was a Burlesque Queen

I Was a Burlesque Queen

1
Counsel on De Fence

Counsel on De Fence

1
Time Out for Romance

Time Out for Romance

5.6
Society Smugglers

Society Smugglers

5.7
Two O'Clock Courage

Two O'Clock Courage

6.1
Ride on Vaquero

Ride on Vaquero

4.2
Cockeyed Cavaliers

Cockeyed Cavaliers

6
Jezebel

Jezebel

7.007
The Ghost Breakers

The Ghost Breakers

6.5
The Way of All Flesh

The Way of All Flesh

4
City of Chance

City of Chance

5.2
Thank Your Lucky Stars

Thank Your Lucky Stars

6.147
The Spoilers

The Spoilers

6.188
The Kansan

The Kansan

5.333
Brooklyn Orchid

Brooklyn Orchid

6
Pacific Blackout

Pacific Blackout

6.3
My Favorite Spy

My Favorite Spy

5.2
The Farmer's Daughter

The Farmer's Daughter

5
Strange Confession

Strange Confession

6.8
Down the Ribber

Down the Ribber

0
Dr. Renault's Secret

Dr. Renault's Secret

5.2
Once Upon a Time

Once Upon a Time

5.8
So's Your Uncle

So's Your Uncle

5
Crazy House

Crazy House

5
The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek

The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek

6.814
Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President

Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President

2
The Falcon Strikes Back

The Falcon Strikes Back

5.6
Make Your Own Bed

Make Your Own Bed

5.8
The Big Parade of Comedy

The Big Parade of Comedy

6.3
Page Miss Glory

Page Miss Glory

6.3
Rhythm and Weep

Rhythm and Weep

5.3
Marked Woman

Marked Woman

6.528
It Ain't Hay

It Ain't Hay

6.4
The Naughty Nineties

The Naughty Nineties

6.8
Ship Cafe

Ship Cafe

0
Nocturne

Nocturne

5.8
Opened by Mistake

Opened by Mistake

0
Louisiana Purchase

Louisiana Purchase

6.625
The Story of Dr. Wassell

The Story of Dr. Wassell

6.31
Don't Bet on Blondes

Don't Bet on Blondes

5
A Guy, a Gal and a Pal

A Guy, a Gal and a Pal

0
Hired Husband

Hired Husband

0
One Too Many

One Too Many

0
Forgotten Faces

Forgotten Faces

0
Hail the Conquering Hero

Hail the Conquering Hero

7.007
The Big Noise

The Big Noise

6
Woman Haters

Woman Haters

6
A Night at Earl Carroll's

A Night at Earl Carroll's

3.5
The Gilded Lily

The Gilded Lily

6.417