Jack Norton

Also Known As: Mortimer John Naughton

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.

Department: Acting

Place of Birth: Brooklyn, New York, USA

Birthday: September 01, 1889

Deathday: October 15, 1958

Adult: No

Gender: Male

Popularity:

1.00%

Known For:

The Sin of Harold Diddlebock
The Palm Beach Story
Flame of Barbary Coast
Fixing a Stew
The Super Snooper
Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cat
Shadows Over Chinatown
The Scarlet Clue
The Villain Still Pursued Her
Fashion Model
No Hands on the Clock
Variety Girl
Taxi, Mister
Sweet Music
Who's Looney Now
Thanks for the Memory
Foolish Hearts
Dr. Socrates
The Awful Tooth
Hold That Kiss
Man Alive
The Fleet's In
Malice in the Palace
His Night Out
Meet the Girls
Meet the Missus
Finishing School
Captain Tugboat Annie
The Women Men Marry
Calling All Cars
Going Highbrow
My Dear Miss Aldrich
Love Is a Headache
One More Spring
Broadway Gondolier
The Lone Wolf Spy Hunt
Everybody's Doing It
The Bank Dick
Stolen Harmony
Prairie Chickens
Moonlight in Havana
News Is Made at Night
Dr. Broadway
The Roaring Twenties
Grand Jury Secrets
Arsène Lupin Returns
The Preview Murder Mystery
Let's Make Music
Going My Way
Linda, Be Good
I Was a Burlesque Queen
Counsel on De Fence
Time Out for Romance
Society Smugglers
Two O'Clock Courage
Ride on Vaquero
Cockeyed Cavaliers
Jezebel
The Ghost Breakers
The Way of All Flesh
City of Chance
Thank Your Lucky Stars
The Spoilers
The Kansan
Brooklyn Orchid
Pacific Blackout
My Favorite Spy
The Farmer's Daughter
Strange Confession
Down the Ribber
Dr. Renault's Secret
Once Upon a Time
So's Your Uncle
Crazy House
The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek
Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President
The Falcon Strikes Back
Make Your Own Bed
The Big Parade of Comedy
Page Miss Glory
Rhythm and Weep
Marked Woman
It Ain't Hay
The Naughty Nineties
Ship Cafe
Nocturne
Opened by Mistake
Louisiana Purchase
The Story of Dr. Wassell
Don't Bet on Blondes
A Guy, a Gal and a Pal
Hired Husband
One Too Many
Forgotten Faces
Hail the Conquering Hero
The Big Noise