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
James R. Smoke
The Sin of Harold Diddlebock
Second Member Ale and Quail Club
The Palm Beach Story
Byline Conners, Reporter San Francisco Star
Flame of Barbary Coast
Pete
Fixing a Stew
The Super Snooper
Hotel Desk Clerk
Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cat
Willie Rand
The Scarlet Clue
Cosgrove
Shadows Over Chinatown
Drunk
The Villain Still Pursued Her
Herbert
Fashion Model
Bartender at The Nugget Room
No Hands on the Clock
Busboy at Brown Derby
Variety Girl
Reginald Van Nostrum - the Drunk
Taxi, Mister
Drunk (uncredited)
Sweet Music
Herbert Brown
Who's Looney Now
Bert Monroe
Thanks for the Memory
Jimmy
Foolish Hearts
Drunk in Park
Dr. Socrates
Dr. Schultz
The Awful Tooth
Mallory
Hold That Kiss
William T. Lafferty
Man Alive
Kellogg
The Fleet's In
Emir of Schmoe (uncredited)
Malice in the Palace
Dr. Singer
His Night Out
Fletcher
Meet the Girls
Mr. Norton
Meet the Missus
Drunk (uncredited)
Finishing School
Shiftless
Captain Tugboat Annie
Wilhelm Peebles (uncredited)
The Women Men Marry
Duke Costello
Calling All Cars
Sinclair
Going Highbrow
First Drunk at Red Apple Inn (uncredited)
My Dear Miss Aldrich
Bartender (uncredited)
Love Is a Headache
Drunk
One More Spring
Man on Ship with Pipe
Broadway Gondolier
Charlie Fenton - the Party Drunk (uncredited)
The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt
Harry The Drunk
Everybody's Doing It
A. Pismo Clam
The Bank Dick
Phillips (uncredited)
Stolen Harmony
Henry Lewis-Clark III
Prairie Chickens
George
Moonlight in Havana
Drunk
News Is Made at Night
Drunk
Dr. Broadway
Drunk at Henderson Club (uncredited)
The Roaring Twenties
Doyle
Grand Jury Secrets
Hotel Manager (uncredited)
Arsène Lupin Returns
Drunk
Let's Make Music
Comedy Director (Uncredited)
The Preview Murder Mystery
Mr. Lilly (uncredited)
Going My Way
Jim Benson
Linda, Be Good
Jim Benson
I Was a Burlesque Queen
Counsel on De Fence
Crapshooter
Time Out for Romance
Prentis
Society Smugglers
Drunk at Blue Room Bar (uncredited)
Two O'Clock Courage
Ride on Vaquero
King's Physician
Cockeyed Cavaliers
Drunk (uncredited)
Jezebel
Drunk (uncredited)
The Ghost Breakers
Barber
The Way of All Flesh
Mr. Murphy
City of Chance
Customer in Bette Davis Number (uncredited)
Thank Your Lucky Stars
Mr. Skinner
The Spoilers
Saloon Drunk
The Kansan
Jonathan McFeeder
Brooklyn Orchid
Drunk
Pacific Blackout
Orchid Room Drunk
My Favorite Spy
Shimmy Conway
The Farmer's Daughter
Jack
Strange Confession
Down the Ribber
Mr. Austin
Dr. Renault's Secret
Man In Barber Chair (uncredited)
Once Upon a Time
Drunk
So's Your Uncle
Drunk
Crazy House
Country Club Man Ordering Champagne (uncredited)
The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek
Parker
Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President
Second Hobo (uncredited)
The Falcon Strikes Back
Drunk
Make Your Own Bed
Actor in 'The Girl from Missouri' (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Big Parade of Comedy
Reporter (uncredited)
Page Miss Glory
Mr. Walsh
Rhythm and Weep
Drunk
Marked Woman
Drunk (uncredited)
It Ain't Hay
Drunk at the Gilded Cage (uncredited)
The Naughty Nineties
Mr. Randall (uncredited)
Ship Cafe
Charlie (uncredited)
Nocturne
Al, the Bartender
Opened by Mistake
Jester
Louisiana Purchase
'Janssen' Passenger (uncredited)
The Story of Dr. Wassell
J. Mortimer 'Mousy' Slade
Don't Bet on Blondes
Norton
A Guy, a Gal and a Pal
Mr. Drinkwater
Hired Husband
One Too Many
Drunk
Forgotten Faces
Second Bandleader (uncredited)
Hail the Conquering Hero
Drunk on Train
The Big Noise
Justice of the Peace (uncredited)
Woman Haters
Alonzo Smith
A Night at Earl Carroll's
Photographer (uncredited)
The Gilded Lily
Drunk (uncredited)
Hold That Blonde!
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
100
Gender
Male
Birthday
1889-09-01
Place of Birth
Brooklyn, New York, USA
Also Known As
Mortimer John Naughton