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{{short description|American actor}}

{{More citations needed|date=June 2019}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Cliff Norton
| image = CliffNortonMonkees.jpg
| caption = Norton on ''[[The Monkees (TV series)|The Monkees]]'' (1967)
| birth_name = Clifford Charles Nathan
| birth_date = {{birth date|1918|03|21}}
| birth_place = [[Chicago]], Illinois, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2003|01|25|1918|03|21}}
| death_place = [[Studio City, Los Angeles, California|Studio City, California]], U.S.
| occupation = Actor/Radio announcer
| years_active = 1949–1994
}}
'''Clifford Charles Norton''' (March 21, 1918 – January 25, 2003) was an American [[character actor]] and [[radio]] announcer who appeared in various [[movie]]s and [[television]] series over a career spanning four decades.

== Early years ==
Norton was born in Chicago, and grew-up there,<ref name=lat/> graduating from [[Senn High School]]. His early jobs included selling shoes and working as a floorwalker.<ref name="ct">{{cite news |last1=Remenih |first1=Anton |title=Seeing Funny Side Is Way of Life With Cliff |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35513966/cliff_norton/ |accessdate=August 2, 2021 |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=February 26, 1950 |page=C10 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> His first broadcasting experience came as a disc jockey at a radio station there. During World War II he was a bombardier in the U.S. Army Air Corps.<ref name="lat" />

==Career==
Norton was probably best known as the announcer for [[Dave Garroway|Dave Garroway's]] radio program. He also appeared on an episode of ''[[The Dick Van Dyke Show]]'' (Season 2, Episode 11) as a game warden sent out to nab a woodpecker terrorizing Richie in "A Bird in the Head Hurts" .

On [[old-time radio]], Norton was a member of the cast of ''[[Terry and the Pirates (radio serial)|Terry and the Pirates]]''.<ref name="rp">{{cite book |last1=Terrace |first1=Vincent |title=Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows |year=1999 |publisher=McFarland & Company |isbn=978-0-7864-4513-4 |page=328}}</ref> On television, he was a regular on ''[[Your Show of Shows]]'',{{r|etvs|page1=1209}} ''Sid Caesar Presents Comedy Preview'',{{r|etvs|page1=966-967}} ''[[Garroway at Large]]'',{{r|etvs|page1=379}} ''[[Caesar's Hour]]''<ref name="etvs">{{cite book |last1=Terrace |first1=Vincent |title=Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 |year=2011 |publisher=McFarland & Company |location=Jefferson, N.C.|isbn=978-0-7864-6477-7|page=151 |edition=2nd}}</ref> and ''[[The Dave Garroway Show (TV program)|The Dave Garroway Show]]''.{{r|etvs|page1=239}} He was also a regular panelist and presenter on the 1954 [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] game show ''[[What's Going On (TV series)|What's Going On]]?''.

In 1952 he appeared as himself on the short-lived [[NBC]] comedy series ''The Public Life of Cliff Norton'',{{r|etvs|page1=863}} which aired five minutes a night, five nights a week at 11:10 p.m. Eastern Time.{{Citation needed |date=August 2019}} He was also star and announcer for the 1960s [[broadcast syndication|syndicated]] program ''[[The Funny Manns]]'',{{r|etvs|page1=372}} which involved silent film footage used for broad comedic effect.

Norton appeared in a two episodes of ''[[The Cara Williams Show]]'' in 1964 and 1965 and had a regular role in the 1966–1967 sitcom ''[[It's About Time (TV series)|It's About Time]]'' as "Boss", the chief of a prehistoric caveman tribe which has been discovered by two American astronauts who have accidentally traveled back in time.{{r|etvs|page1=516}}

He played Captain Kurtz on ''[[Hogan's Heroes]]'' (Season 2, Episode 23.) He played Police Chief Harris in a 1964 episode of ''[[The Munsters]]'' ("A Walk on the Mild Side"), dressing in drag to capture a purse snatcher in the local park. Norton also made several appearances on ''[[Bewitched]]'' between 1968 and 1970, and in the 1967 ''[[The Monkees (TV series)|The Monkees]]'' episode "The Picture Frame." He also provided the voice for the lead character, Ed Huddles, in [[Hanna-Barbera]]'s 1970 animated prime-time series ''[[Where's Huddles?]]''

In 1971, he appeared in the final episode of ''[[Green Acres]]'' as Harry Grant, devout gambler and brother-in-law of Oliver's dizzy blonde former secretary Carol Rush (''[[Elaine Joyce]]''). The episode was a backdoor pilot for a sitcom that [[CBS]] later rejected.

One of Norton's film roles was Charlie, the Bailiff in ''[[The Ghost and Mr. Chicken]]'' (1966) starring [[Don Knotts]]. He also appeared in ''[[Kiss Me, Stupid]]'' (1964), ''[[Harlow (Magna film)|Harlow]]'' (1965), ''[[Munster, Go Home!]]'' (1966), ''[[The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming]]'' (1966), ''[[Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came]]'' (1970), ''[[Harry and Tonto]]'' (1974), ''[[Funny Lady]]'' (1975), and all-star comedy films such as ''[[It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World]]'' (1963) and ''[[Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood]]'' (1976).

He appeared in the spoofing weather spot ''Your Weather and Mine,'' airing in the [[Los Angeles]] area<ref name="lat" /> in 1963. The spot was sponsored by [[P.I.P.E.]]

In 1977, he appeared in "Never Con a Killer," the pilot for the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] crime drama ''[[The Feather and Father Gang]]'', and in the episode "Godfathers Five" of the ABC [[situation comedy]] ''[[The San Pedro Beach Bums]]''. He played small-time thief Morrie Singer in the episode "To Stop A Steele" from the first season of the NBC series ''[[Remington Steele]]'', airing in 1983.

==Death==
On January 25, 2003, Norton died at his home in [[Studio City, Los Angeles, California|Studio City, California]] at age 84. He was survived by three children and four grandchildren.<ref name="lat">{{cite news |last1=Oliver |first1=Myrna |title=Cliff Norton, 84; Began Acting Career in Radio |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/35513384/cliff_norton/ |accessdate=August 2, 2021 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=January 31, 2003 |page=B11 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|1958|| ''[[Country Music Holiday]]'' || Morty Chapman ||
|-
|1963|| ''[[It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World]]'' || Reporter || Scene deleted
|-
|1964|| ''[[Kiss Me, Stupid]]'' || Mack Gray ||
|-
|1965|| ''[[Harlow (Magna film)|Harlow]]'' || Billy ||
|-
|1965|| ''[[McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force]]'' || Maj. Bill Grady ||
|-
|1966|| ''[[The Ghost and Mr. Chicken]]'' || Charlie, the Bailiff ||
|-
|1966|| ''[[Frankie and Johnny (1966 film)|Frankie and Johnny]]'' || Eddie || Uncredited
|-
|1966|| ''[[The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming]]'' || Charlie Hinkson ||
|-
|1966|| ''[[Munster, Go Home!]]'' || Herbert ||
|-
|1970|| ''[[Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came]]'' || Herman Hyde ||
|-
|1970|| ''[[The Phantom Tollbooth (film)|The Phantom Tollbooth]]'' || Kakofonous A. Dischord / Tollbooth Speaker || Voice
|-
|1973|| ''[[The Odd Couple (1970 TV series)|The Odd Couple]]'' || Lloyd ||
|-
|1974|| ''[[Harry and Tonto]]'' || Used Car Salesman ||
|-
|1975|| ''[[Funny Lady]]'' || Stage Manager ||
|-
|1976|| ''[[Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood]]'' || Dog Catcher ||
|-
|1977|| ''[[The Mouse and His Child (film)|The Mouse and His Child]]'' || Crow #2 || Voice
|-
|1982|| ''[[Pandamonium (TV series)|Pandamonium]]''|| Timothy || Voice
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Biography}}
*{{Find a Grave|17508365}}
*{{IMDb name|0636183}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Norton, Cliff}}
[[Category:1918 births]]
[[Category:2003 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male radio actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:American male voice actors]]
[[Category:Male actors from Chicago]]
[[Category:People from Studio City, Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Radio and television announcers]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II]]

Cliff Norton - Revision history

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GOTV>SdkbBot: /* Career */Fixed consecutive punctuation error and general fixes (task 3)