Jack Norton

Jack Norton
Born	Mortimer J. Naughton September 2, 1882 Brooklyn, New York U.S.
Died	October 15, 1958 (aged 76) Saranac Lake, New York U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1925–1948
Spouse(s)	Lucille Healy

Jack Norton (September 2, 1882–October 15, 1958), was a mustachio'd 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 in 1882. In his early career he had a vaudeville comedy act with his wife Lillian Healy.^[1] Norton made his Broadway debut in 1925^[2] in that year's edition of Earl Carroll's Vanities,^[3] and also appeared in Florida Girl, which was produced and staged by Carroll^[4]

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.^[5] His work survived to reach the screen in his next assignment, The Super Snooper, a comedy short,^[6] 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,^[7] 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.^[1]

Norton worked continuously and consistently, sometimes appearing in as many as 20 films in one year, although many of his performances went uncredited.^[8] One of the few times he was credited as part of the main cast^[9] was in 1945 for the film A Guy, a Gal and a Pal^[10] In the 1940s, Norton was part of Preston Sturges' unofficial "stock company" of character actors, appearing in five films written and directed by Sturges.^[11]

In 1947, Norton retired from films due to illness, his last appearance being in Alias a Gentlemen,^[12] 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 a 1955 episode of Jackie Gleason's The Honeymooners, 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.^[1]

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.^[13]

Selected filmography

• Rhythm and Weep (1946) with the Three Stooges
• Flame of Barbary Coast (1945) with John Wayne and William Frawley
• The Palm Beach Story (1942) with Claudette Colbert
• The Spoilers (1942) with Marlene Dietrich and John Wayne
• Thanks for the Memory (1938) with Bob Hope
• The Moon's Our Home (1936) with Henry Fonda
• Woman Haters (1934) with the Three Stooges

Notes

External links

• Jack Norton at the Internet Broadway Database
• Jack Norton at the Internet Movie Database
• Jack Norton at Allmovie
• Jack Norton at the TCM Movie Database
• Jack Norton at Find a Grave

Persondata
NAME	Norton, Jack
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Actor
DATE OF BIRTH	September 2, 1882
PLACE OF BIRTH	Brooklyn, New York  United States
DATE OF DEATH	October 15, 1958
PLACE OF DEATH	Saranac Lake, New York  United States