Norman Bird
John George Norman Bird (30 October 1924 – 22 April 2005) was an English character actor. Bird was born in Coalville, Leicestershire, England. A RADA graduate, he made his West End debut in Peter Brook's production of The Winter's Tale at the Phoenix Theatre in 1951. He was also a member of the BBC's Radio Drama Company. His first film appearance was as the foreman in An Inspector Calls (1954). He was a familiar face to British cinema audiences of the 1950s and 1960s, appearing in nearly 50 films such as The Angry Silence (1960), The League of Gentlemen (1960), Whistle Down the Wind (1961), Victim (1961) and Term of Trial (1962) with Laurence Olivier and The Hill with Sean Connery (1965). He had over 200 television appearances, notably as Mr Braithwaite in Worzel Gummidge (1979–81) and Mr Arrad in the Fawlty Towers episode "Waldorf Salad" (1979). His long list of credits include Steptoe and Son, Till Death Us Do Part, Rising Damp, Ever Decreasing Circles, Yes Minister, To Serve Them All My Days, All Creatures Great and Small, Z-Cars, Public Eye, The Saint, Department S, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) and Boon. In 1990 he appeared in Stay Lucky, with Dennis Waterman, which marked his 200th television appearance. One of his last film appearances was as a taxi driver in Richard Attenborough's Shadowlands (1993).
Filmography
Crossing the Floor
as Grandfather
Crossing the Floor
as Grandfather
Shadowlands
as Taxi Driver Witness
Shadowlands
as Taxi Driver Witness
Born Kicking
as Mr Radley
Born Kicking
as Mr Radley
Miss Pym's Day Out
as Man on Bus
Miss Pym's Day Out
as Man on Bus
Buddy
as Mr Normington
Buddy
as Mr Normington
This Office Life
as Seeds
This Office Life
as Seeds
Black Carrion
as Henry Bircher
Black Carrion
as Henry Bircher
A Voyage Round My Father
as Ham
A Voyage Round My Father
as Ham
The Ghost Downstairs
as Mr. Morris
The Ghost Downstairs
as Mr. Morris
If You Go Down in the Woods Today
as Doctor
If You Go Down in the Woods Today
as Doctor
The Final Conflict
as Dr. Philmore
The Final Conflict
as Dr. Philmore
A Cup O' Tea An' A Slice O' Cake - Worzel Gummidge Christmas Special
as Mr Braithwaite
A Cup O' Tea An' A Slice O' Cake - Worzel Gummidge Christmas Special
as Mr Braithwaite
The Lord of the Rings
as Bilbo (voice)
The Lord of the Rings
as Bilbo (voice)
The Medusa Touch
as Major Henry Morlar
The Medusa Touch
as Major Henry Morlar
The Slipper and the Rose
as Dress Shop Proprieter
The Slipper and the Rose
as Dress Shop Proprieter
Wedding Bells
Wedding Bells
Double Trouble
Double Trouble
The Big Kick
The Big Kick
Baby Sitters
Baby Sitters
On the Tiles
On the Tiles
Monkey Tricks
Monkey Tricks
Pot Luck
as Farmer
Pot Luck
as Farmer
King Arthur, the Young Warlord
as Ambrose
King Arthur, the Young Warlord
as Ambrose
Elementary, My Dear Watson
as Inspector Street
Elementary, My Dear Watson
as Inspector Street
Young Winston
as Party Chairman
Young Winston
as Party Chairman
Doomwatch
as Brewer
Doomwatch
as Brewer
Hands of the Ripper
as Police Inspector
Hands of the Ripper
as Police Inspector
Please Sir!
as Reynolds
Please Sir!
as Reynolds
The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer
as Alderman Poot
The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer
as Alderman Poot
Up Among the Cuckoos
as Walter
Up Among the Cuckoos
as Walter
The Virgin and the Gypsy
as Uncle Fred
The Virgin and the Gypsy
as Uncle Fred
Run a Crooked Mile
as Sgt. Hooper
Run a Crooked Mile
as Sgt. Hooper
Oh! What a Lovely War
as Training Sgt (uncredited)
Oh! What a Lovely War
as Training Sgt (uncredited)
All at Sea
as Mr. Danvers
All at Sea
as Mr. Danvers
A Dandy in Aspic
as Copperfield
A Dandy in Aspic
as Copperfield
The Wrong Box
as Clergyman
The Wrong Box
as Clergyman
Sky West and Crooked
as Mr. Cheeseman - undertaker
Sky West and Crooked
as Mr. Cheeseman - undertaker
The Hill
as Commandant
The Hill
as Commandant
The Black Torment
as Harris
The Black Torment
as Harris
The Trial of Dr. Fancy
as Charles Lincoln
The Trial of Dr. Fancy
as Charles Lincoln
First Men in the Moon
as Stuart
First Men in the Moon
as Stuart
Hot Enough for June
as Employment Exchange Clerk
Hot Enough for June
as Employment Exchange Clerk
80,000 Suspects
as Harold Davis
80,000 Suspects
as Harold Davis
The Punch and Judy Man
as Reginald Fletcher
The Punch and Judy Man
as Reginald Fletcher
The Cracksman
as Policeman
The Cracksman
as Policeman
In Search of the Castaways
as Senior Yacht Guard
In Search of the Castaways
as Senior Yacht Guard
Term of Trial
as Mr. Taylor
Term of Trial
as Mr. Taylor
Night of the Eagle
as Doctor
Night of the Eagle
as Doctor
Cash on Demand
as Arthur Sanderson
Cash on Demand
as Arthur Sanderson
Victim
as Harold Doe
Victim
as Harold Doe
Whistle Down the Wind
as Eddie
Whistle Down the Wind
as Eddie
The Secret Partner
as Ralph Beldon
The Secret Partner
as Ralph Beldon
Very Important Person
as Senior British Officer Travers
Very Important Person
as Senior British Officer Travers
Man in the Moon
as Herbert
Man in the Moon
as Herbert
The League of Gentlemen
as Weaver
The League of Gentlemen
as Weaver
The Angry Silence
as Roberts
The Angry Silence
as Roberts
An Inspector Calls
as Jones-Collins - Foreman
An Inspector Calls
as Jones-Collins - Foreman