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