Norman Bird
Born October 30, 1920 (Age: 105)
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Coalville, Leicestershire, England, UK
Biography
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).
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).
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Filmography
Crossing the Floor
1996
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as Grandfather
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Age: 75
Shadowlands
1993
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as Taxi Driver Witness
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Age: 73
Born Kicking
1992
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as Mr Radley
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Age: 71
Miss Pym's Day Out
1992
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as Man on Bus
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Age: 71
This Office Life
1984
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as Seeds
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Age: 64
Black Carrion
1984
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as Henry Bircher
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Age: 64
If You Go Down in the Woods Today
1981
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as Doctor
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Age: 60
The Final Conflict
1981
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as Dr. Philmore
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Age: 60
A Cup O' Tea An' A Slice O' Cake - Worzel Gummidge Christmas Special
1980
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as Mr Braithwaite
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Age: 60
The Lord of the Rings
1978
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as Bilbo (voice)
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Age: 58
The Medusa Touch
1978
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as Major Henry Morlar
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Age: 57
Elementary, My Dear Watson
1973
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as Inspector Street
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Age: 52
Ooh...You Are Awful
1972
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as Warder Burke
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Age: 52
Young Winston
1972
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as Party Chairman
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Age: 51
Doomwatch
1972
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as Brewer
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Age: 51
No Image
Up Among the Cuckoos
1970
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as Walter
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Age: 49
Run a Crooked Mile
1969
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as Sgt. Hooper
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Age: 49
No Image
Takeover
1969
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as Father
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Age: 48
Oh! What a Lovely War
1969
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as Training Sgt (uncredited)
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Age: 48
The Limbo Line
1969
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as
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Age: 48
All at Sea
1969
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as Mr. Danvers
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Age: 48
The Hill
1965
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as Commandant
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Age: 44
The Black Torment
1964
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as Harris
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Age: 43
No Image
The Trial of Dr. Fancy
1964
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as Charles Lincoln
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Age: 43
The Beauty Jungle
1964
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as Mr. Edward Freeman
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Age: 43
First Men in the Moon
1964
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as Stuart
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Age: 43
The Bargee
1964
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as Waterways Supervisor Albert Williams
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Age: 43
Hot Enough for June
1964
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as Employment Exchange Clerk
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Age: 43
80,000 Suspects
1963
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as Harold Davis
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Age: 42
Maniac
1963
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as Salon
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Age: 42
The Punch and Judy Man
1963
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as Reginald Fletcher
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Age: 42
Bitter Harvest
1963
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as Mr. Pitt
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Age: 42
The Mind Benders
1963
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as Aubrey
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Age: 42
The Cracksman
1963
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as Policeman
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Age: 42
In Search of the Castaways
1962
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as Senior Yacht Guard
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Age: 42
Term of Trial
1962
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as Mr. Taylor
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Age: 41
Night of the Eagle
1962
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as Doctor
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Age: 41
Cash on Demand
1961
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as Arthur Sanderson
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Age: 41
Victim
1961
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as Harold Doe
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Age: 40
Whistle Down the Wind
1961
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as Eddie
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Age: 40
The Secret Partner
1961
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as Ralph Beldon
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Age: 40
Very Important Person
1961
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as Senior British Officer Travers
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Age: 40
Man in the Moon
1960
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as Herbert
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Age: 40
The League of Gentlemen
1960
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as Weaver
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Age: 39
The Angry Silence
1960
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as Roberts
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Age: 39
An Inspector Calls
1954
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as Jones-Collins - Foreman
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Age: 33