Acting
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
The Funny Blokes of British Comedy
Film · 2005
Crossing the Floor
Film · 1996
Shadowlands
Film · 1993
Born Kicking
Film · 1992
Miss Pym's Day Out
Film · 1992
After Henry
Series · 1988
Buddy
Film · 1986
Screen Two
Series · 1985
Lytton's Diary
Series · 1985
This Office Life
Film · 1984
A Voyage Round My Father
Film · 1984
Black Carrion
Film · 1984
Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense
Series · 1984
The Fourth Arm
Series · 1983
The Ghost Downstairs
Film · 1982
Break Point
Series · 1982
If You Go Down in the Woods Today
Film · 1981
The Final Conflict
Film · 1981
Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years
Series · 1981
A Cup O' Tea An' A Slice O' Cake - Worzel Gummidge Christmas Special
Film · 1980
Yes Minister
Series · 1980
Hammer House of Horror
Series · 1980
To Serve Them All My Days
Series · 1980
Worzel Gummidge
Series · 1979
Friday Night, Saturday Morning
Series · 1979
Thomas & Sarah
Series · 1979
The Lord of the Rings
Film · 1978
The Medusa Touch
Film · 1978
Return of the Saint
Series · 1978
All Creatures Great and Small
Series · 1978
The Glums
Series · 1978
Life Begins at Forty
Series · 1978
Raffles
Series · 1977
Miss Jones And Son
Series · 1977
Baby Sitters
Film · 1976
Double Trouble
Film · 1976
Wedding Bells
Film · 1976
On the Tiles
Film · 1976
The Big Kick
Film · 1976
Monkey Tricks
Film · 1976
Pot Luck
Film · 1976
The Slipper and the Rose
Film · 1976
Yanks Go Home
Series · 1976
King Arthur, the Young Warlord
Film · 1975
Fawlty Towers
Series · 1975
Angels
Series · 1975
Two's Company
Series · 1975
Seven Faces of Woman
Series · 1974
Happy Ever After
Series · 1974
Elementary, My Dear Watson
Film · 1973
Up The Workers
Series · 1973
Doomwatch
Film · 1972
Ooh...You Are Awful
Film · 1972
Young Winston
Film · 1972
Crown Court
Series · 1972
Shirley's World
Series · 1972
My Wife Next Door
Series · 1972
The Adventurer
Series · 1972
Arthur of the Britons
Series · 1972
The Organization
Series · 1972
Hands of the Ripper
Film · 1971
The Raging Moon
Film · 1971
Please Sir!
Film · 1971
Budgie
Series · 1971
Jason King
Series · 1971
The Guardians
Series · 1971
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes
Series · 1971
Suspicion
Series · 1971
Bless This House
Series · 1971
The Virgin and the Gypsy
Film · 1970
Up Among the Cuckoos
Film · 1970
The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer
Film · 1970
Run a Crooked Mile
Film · 1969
All at Sea
Film · 1969
Oh! What a Lovely War
Film · 1969
The Limbo Line
Film · 1969
Takeover
Film · 1969
Department S
Series · 1969
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)
Series · 1969
Softly Softly: Task Force
Series · 1969
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
Series · 1969
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
Series · 1969
W. Somerset Maugham
Series · 1969
A Dandy in Aspic
Film · 1968
Sanctuary
Series · 1967
Half Hour Story
Series · 1967
Sky West and Crooked
Film · 1966
The Wrong Box
Film · 1966
End in Tears
Film · 1966
Till Death Us Do Part
Series · 1966
The Hill
Film · 1965
Gideon's Way
Series · 1965
Public Eye
Series · 1965
Thirty-Minute Theatre
Series · 1965
It's Not Me - It's Them!
Series · 1965
Blackmail
Series · 1965
First Men in the Moon
Film · 1964
The Black Torment
Film · 1964
The Bargee
Film · 1964
The Beauty Jungle
Film · 1964
Hot Enough for June
Film · 1964
The Trial of Dr. Fancy
Film · 1964
Theatre 625
Series · 1964
The Protectors
Series · 1964
Thursday Theatre
Series · 1964
Maniac
Film · 1963
The Mind Benders
Film · 1963
80,000 Suspects
Film · 1963
The Cracksman
Film · 1963
Bitter Harvest
Film · 1963
The Punch and Judy Man
Film · 1963
In Search of the Castaways
Film · 1962
Night of the Eagle
Film · 1962
Term of Trial
Film · 1962
Z-Cars
Series · 1962
The Saint
Series · 1962
The Saint
Series · 1962
Steptoe and Son
Series · 1962
Steptoe and Son
Series · 1962
Whistle Down the Wind
Film · 1961
Cash on Demand
Film · 1961
The Secret Partner
Film · 1961
Victim
Film · 1961
Very Important Person
Film · 1961
The Avengers
Series · 1961
Drama 61-67
Series · 1961
The League of Gentlemen
Film · 1960
The Angry Silence
Film · 1960
Man in the Moon
Film · 1960
Coronation Street
Series · 1960
No Hiding Place
Series · 1959
No Hiding Place
Series · 1959
Armchair Theatre
Series · 1956
Armchair Theatre
Series · 1956
Armchair Theatre
Series · 1956
An Inspector Calls
Film · 1954