Jack Norton

Acting

Born Sep 01, 1889

From Brooklyn, New York, USA

Died Oct 15, 1958

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.

Jack Norton

Known For

The Roaring Twenties

Jezebel

Marked Woman

The Spoilers

Going My Way

The Miracle of Morgan's Creek

The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt

Variety Girl

The Gilded Lily

Nocturne

Filmography — Acting

The Roaring Twenties

Jezebel

Marked Woman

The Spoilers

Going My Way

The Miracle of Morgan's Creek

The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt

Variety Girl

The Gilded Lily

Nocturne

The Ghost Breakers

Thank Your Lucky Stars

Flame of Barbary Coast

The Story of Dr. Wassell

Crazy House

Two O'Clock Courage

Page Miss Glory

The Palm Beach Story

Shadows Over Chinatown

Dr. Socrates

Once Upon a Time

It Ain't Hay

So's Your Uncle

Finishing School

The Sin of Harold Diddlebock

The Fleet's In

Hail the Conquering Hero

The Falcon Strikes Back

The Bank Dick

The Preview Murder Mystery

My Favorite Spy

The Kansan

Hold That Blonde!

Don't Bet on Blondes

One More Spring

The Farmer's Daughter

Broadway Gondolier

The Scarlet Clue

The Naughty Nineties

Dr. Broadway

Arsène Lupin Returns

Love Is a Headache

Woman Haters

News Is Made at Night

Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President

The Big Parade of Comedy

Strange Confession

Pacific Blackout

Ship Cafe

No Hands on the Clock

The Villain Still Pursued Her

Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cat

Man Alive

Everybody's Doing It

Louisiana Purchase

A Night at Earl Carroll's

Sweet Music

The Big Noise

Cockeyed Cavaliers

The Way of All Flesh

Thanks for the Memory

Make Your Own Bed

Hold That Kiss

Fashion Model

Dr. Renault's Secret

Malice in the Palace

Stolen Harmony