Norman Bird
Known for Acting · 119 credits
- Born
- 1920-10-30
- Died
- 2005-04-22
- Place of birth
- Coalville, Leicestershire, England, UK
- Also known as
- Норман Бёрд · John George Norman Bird
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).
Known For
TV Shows (53)
Coronation Street
1960
as Frank Jackson
The Avengers
1961
Crown Court
1972
The Saint
1962
as Mr. Spode / Weems
Z-Cars
1962
Screen Two
1985
as Grandfather
Theatre 625
1964
as William Oaks
No Hiding Place
1959
All Creatures Great and Small
1978
as Farmer Benson
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
1969
as Father / Stanley Nicholson
Thirty-Minute Theatre
1965
as Arthur Pendlebury
Angels
1975
Public Eye
1965
as Arthur Biddle
Fawlty Towers
1975
as Mr. Arrad
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes
1971
as Inspector Trent
Return of the Saint
1978
as Morgan
Gideon's Way
1965
as Supt. Fred Lee
Drama 61-67
1961
as Father
Softly Softly: Task Force
1969
as Samuel Tomkins
Department S
1969
as Drayton
Yes Minister
1980
The Adventurer
1972
as Brooks
Hammer House of Horror
1980
as Basil
Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense
1984
as Henry Bircher
Till Death Us Do Part
1966
as Landlord
Jason King
1971
Budgie
1971
as Inspector Charles Upton
Worzel Gummidge
1979
as Mr. Braithwaite
Shirley's World
1972
Half Hour Story
1967
as Harry
Two's Company
1975
as Mr. Bunn
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)
1969
as Elliot
Arthur of the Britons
1972
as Ambrose
Raffles
1977
The Guardians
1971
as Tom Henryson
Lytton's Diary
1985
as Charles Adams
After Henry
1988
as Mr Henderson
The Fourth Arm
1983
as Col. Cole
Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years
1981
as Sir Maurice Hanley
W. Somerset Maugham
1969
as Arthur Low
Life Begins at Forty
1978
as Dr Gardiner
Armchair Theatre
1956
as Walter / Charles Lincoln / Spooner
Friday Night, Saturday Morning
1979
To Serve Them All My Days
1980
as Alderman Blunt
Thomas & Sarah
1979
Yanks Go Home
1976
Sanctuary
1967
Up The Workers
1973
as Sid Stubbins
The Organization
1972
as Ken Grist
The Glums
1978
as Office Manager
My Wife Next Door
1972
Miss Jones And Son
1977
It's Not Me - It's Them!
1965
as Mr. Partridge
Movies (66)
The Lord of the Rings
1978
as Bilbo (voice)
The Final Conflict
1981
as Dr. Philmore
Victim
1961
as Harold Doe
Shadowlands
1993
as Taxi Driver Witness
The Medusa Touch
1978
as Major Henry Morlar
The Hill
1965
as Commandant
Black Carrion
1984
as Henry Bircher
Oh! What a Lovely War
1969
as Training Sgt (uncredited)
The Raging Moon
1971
as Dr Matthews
The Slipper and the Rose
1976
as Dress Shop Proprieter
Young Winston
1972
as Party Chairman
The Funny Blokes of British Comedy
2005
as Mr. Arrad (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Bargee
1964
as Waterways Supervisor Albert Williams
In Search of the Castaways
1962
as Senior Yacht Guard
First Men in the Moon
1964
as Stuart
The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer
1970
as Alderman Poot
A Voyage Round My Father
1984
as Ham
Doomwatch
1972
as Brewer
Hot Enough for June
1964
as Employment Exchange Clerk
The League of Gentlemen
1960
as Weaver
Whistle Down the Wind
1961
as Eddie
The Wrong Box
1966
as Clergyman
80,000 Suspects
1963
as Harold Davis
King Arthur, the Young Warlord
1975
as Ambrose
Cash on Demand
1961
as Arthur Sanderson
Night of the Eagle
1962
as Doctor
The Angry Silence
1960
as Roberts
Sky West and Crooked
1966
as Mr. Cheeseman - undertaker
An Inspector Calls
1954
as Jones-Collins - Foreman
Very Important Person
1961
as Senior British Officer Travers
Man in the Moon
1960
as Herbert
Crossing the Floor
1996
as Grandfather
A Dandy in Aspic
1968
as Copperfield
Term of Trial
1962
as Mr. Taylor
Wedding Bells
1976
Run a Crooked Mile
1969
as Sgt. Hooper
The Mind Benders
1963
as Aubrey
Maniac
1963
as Salon
The Cracksman
1963
as Policeman
Please Sir!
1971
as Reynolds
This Office Life
1984
as Seeds
The Limbo Line
1969
Baby Sitters
1976
If You Go Down in the Woods Today
1981
as Doctor
The Beauty Jungle
1964
as Mr. Edward Freeman
Bitter Harvest
1963
as Mr. Pitt
The Black Torment
1964
as Harris
Ooh...You Are Awful
1972
as Warder Burke
Buddy
1986
as Mr Normington
Hands of the Ripper
1971
as Police Inspector
The Virgin and the Gypsy
1970
as Uncle Fred
Miss Pym's Day Out
1992
as Man on Bus
Up Among the Cuckoos
1970
as Walter
The Punch and Judy Man
1963
as Reginald Fletcher
The Secret Partner
1961
as Ralph Beldon
Born Kicking
1992
as Mr Radley
On the Tiles
1976
A Cup O' Tea An' A Slice O' Cake - Worzel Gummidge Christmas Special
1980
as Mr Braithwaite
All at Sea
1969
as Mr. Danvers
Monkey Tricks
1976
Pot Luck
1976
as Farmer
Double Trouble
1976
Elementary, My Dear Watson
1973
as Inspector Street
Takeover
1969
as Father
The Big Kick
1976
The Ghost Downstairs
1982
as Mr. Morris
About 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… With 119 credits spanning from 1954 to 2005, Norman Bird has appeared in 66 films and 53 TV shows.
Fans searching for Norman Bird movies, Norman Bird filmography, or the latest projects starring Norman Bird can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Norman Bird Movies
- The Lord of the Rings (1978) — as Bilbo (voice)
- The Final Conflict (1981) — as Dr. Philmore
- Victim (1961) — as Harold Doe
- Shadowlands (1993) — as Taxi Driver Witness
- The Medusa Touch (1978) — as Major Henry Morlar
Where to Watch Norman Bird Films
Most Norman Bird movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Norman Bird, check our movies catalogue and browse page.