Cliff Norton

Clifford Charles Norton (born Clifford Charles Nathan;"United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6KQ4-SYGY : 10 February 2023), Clifford Charles Nathan, . March 21, 1918 – January 25, 2003) was an American character actor and radio announcer who appeared in various movies and television series over a career spanning four decades.

Early years

Born and raised in Chicago, Norton was one of three children born to Benjamin W. Nathan and Sophia Sholdar. He attended Sullivan High School, and graduated in 1935. His early jobs included selling shoes and working as a floorwalker. His first broadcasting experience came as a disc jockey on Chicago's WAAF-AM. During World War II he was a bombardier in the U.S. Army Air Corps.

Career

On old-time radio, Norton was probably best known as the announcer for Dave Garroway's radio program; Norton was also a member of the cast of ''Terry and the Pirates''.

Norton started working on television in the 1950s. He was a regular on ''Your Show of Shows'', ''Sid Caesar Presents Comedy Preview'','' Garroway at Large'', '' Caesar's Hour'' and '' The Dave Garroway Show''. He performed standup comedy on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' and ''The Tonight Show''. He was a regular panelist and presenter on the 1954 ABC game show '' What's Going On''. He also had guest roles in series such as ''Studio One'', ''The United States Steel Hour'', ''The Alcoa Hour,'' and ''Kraft Television Theater''. In 1952, he starred in the short-lived NBC comedy series ''The Public Life of Cliff Norton''.

He was the star and announcer for the 1960s syndicated program '' The Funny Manns'', which involved silent film footage used for broad comedic effect.

Throughout the 1960s, Norton guest starred on programs such as '' The Cara Williams Show'', '' The Dick Van Dyke Show'', ''Hogan's Heroes'', ''The Munsters'', ''The Monkees'', ''The Lucy Show'', and '' Bewitched.'' He also created and starred in a spoofing weather spot called ''Your Weather and Mine'', which aired on KTLA in Los Angeles in 1963.

He had a regular role in the 1966–1967 sitcom '' It's About Time'' as "Boss", the chief of a prehistoric caveman tribe. 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;'' this episode was a backdoor pilot for another sitcom that CBS later rejected.Cox, Stephen (1993).
The Hooterville handbook : A Viewer's Guide to Green Acres
'. New York: St. Martin's Press. p. 203. .

Norton appeared in several films in the 1960s and 1970s, including ''Kiss Me, Stupid'' (1964); ''Harlow'' (1965); '' Munster, Go Home!'' (1966); '' The Ghost and Mr. Chicken;'' '' 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).

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Norton guest starred in shows such as '' The Feather & Father Gang'', '' The San Pedro Beach Bums'', and ''Remington Steele''.

Death

On January 25, 2003, Norton died of lung cancer at his home in Studio City, California at age 84. He was survived by three children and four grandchildren.

Filmography

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Norton, Cliff
1918 births
2003 deaths
20th-century American male actors
American male film actors
American male radio actors
American male television actors
American male voice actors
Deaths from lung cancer in California
Male actors from Chicago
People from Studio City, Los Angeles
Radio and television announcers
United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II
Sullivan High School (Chicago) alumni