Norman Bird
Acting
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).
TV Shows(51)
After Henry
Mr Henderson
1988
Lytton's Diary
Charles Adams
1985
Screen Two
Grandfather
1985
Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense
Henry Bircher
1984
The Fourth Arm
Col. Cole
1983
Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years
Sir Maurice Hanley
1981
To Serve Them All My Days
Alderman Blunt
1980
Hammer House of Horror
Basil
1980
Yes Minister
1980
Friday Night, Saturday Morning
1979
Worzel Gummidge
Mr. Braithwaite
1979
Thomas & Sarah
1979
The Glums
Office Manager
1978
Return of the Saint
Morgan
1978
Life Begins at Forty
Dr Gardiner
1978
All Creatures Great and Small
Farmer Benson
1978
Miss Jones And Son
1977
Raffles
1977
Yanks Go Home
1976
Fawlty Towers
Mr. Arrad
1975
Two's Company
Mr. Bunn
1975
Angels
1975
Up The Workers
Sid Stubbins
1973
Arthur of the Britons
Ambrose
1972
Crown Court
1972
The Adventurer
Brooks
1972
My Wife Next Door
1972
The Organization
Ken Grist
1972
Shirley's World
1972
The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes
Inspector Trent
1971
Jason King
1971
The Guardians
1971
Budgie
Inspector Charles Upton
1971
Softly Softly: Task Force
Samuel Tomkins
1969
Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)
Elliot
1969
Department S
Drayton
1969
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
Father
1969
Sanctuary
1967
Till Death Us Do Part
Landlord
1966
Thirty-Minute Theatre
Arthur Pendlebury
1965
It's Not Me - It's Them!
Mr. Partridge
1965
Gideon's Way
Supt. Fred Lee
1965
Public Eye
Arthur Biddle
1965
Theatre 625
William Oaks
1964
The Saint
Mr. Spode
1962
Z-Cars
1962
Drama 61-67
Father
1961
The Avengers
1961
Coronation Street
Frank Jackson
1960
No Hiding Place
1959
Armchair Theatre
Walter
1956
Movies(67)
The Funny Blokes of British Comedy
Mr. Arrad (archive footage) (uncredited)
2005
Crossing the Floor
Grandfather
1996
Shadowlands
Taxi Driver Witness
1993
Born Kicking
Mr Radley
1992
Miss Pym's Day Out
Man on Bus
1992
Buddy
Mr Normington
1986
This Office Life
Seeds
1984
Black Carrion
Henry Bircher
1984
A Voyage Round My Father
Ham
1984
The Ghost Downstairs
Mr. Morris
1982
If You Go Down in the Woods Today
Doctor
1981
The Final Conflict
Dr. Philmore
1981
A Cup O' Tea An' A Slice O' Cake - Worzel Gummidge Christmas Special
Mr Braithwaite
1980
The Lord of the Rings
Bilbo (voice)
1978
The Medusa Touch
Major Henry Morlar
1978
The Slipper and the Rose
Dress Shop Proprieter
1976
Baby Sitters
1976
On the Tiles
1976
The Big Kick
1976
Double Trouble
1976
Wedding Bells
1976
Monkey Tricks
1976
Pot Luck
Farmer
1976
King Arthur, the Young Warlord
Ambrose
1975
Elementary, My Dear Watson
Inspector Street
1973
Ooh...You Are Awful
Warder Burke
1972
Young Winston
Party Chairman
1972
Doomwatch
Brewer
1972
Hands of the Ripper
Police Inspector
1971
Please Sir!
Reynolds
1971
The Raging Moon
Dr Matthews
1971
The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer
Alderman Poot
1970
Up Among the Cuckoos
Walter
1970
The Virgin and the Gypsy
Uncle Fred
1970
Run a Crooked Mile
Sgt. Hooper
1969
Takeover
Father
1969
Oh! What a Lovely War
Training Sgt (uncredited)
1969
The Limbo Line
1969
All at Sea
Mr. Danvers
1969
A Dandy in Aspic
Copperfield
1968
The Wrong Box
Clergyman
1966
Sky West and Crooked
Mr. Cheeseman - undertaker
1966
The Hill
Commandant
1965
The Black Torment
Harris
1964
The Trial of Dr. Fancy
Charles Lincoln
1964
The Beauty Jungle
Mr. Edward Freeman
1964
First Men in the Moon
Stuart
1964
The Bargee
Waterways Supervisor Albert Williams
1964
Hot Enough for June
Employment Exchange Clerk
1964
80,000 Suspects
Harold Davis
1963
Maniac
Salon
1963
The Punch and Judy Man
Reginald Fletcher
1963
Bitter Harvest
Mr. Pitt
1963
The Mind Benders
Aubrey
1963
The Cracksman
Policeman
1963
In Search of the Castaways
Senior Yacht Guard
1962
Term of Trial
Mr. Taylor
1962
Night of the Eagle
Doctor
1962
Cash on Demand
Arthur Sanderson
1961
Victim
Harold Doe
1961
Whistle Down the Wind
Eddie
1961
The Secret Partner
Ralph Beldon
1961
Very Important Person
Senior British Officer Travers
1961
Man in the Moon
Herbert
1960
The League of Gentlemen
Weaver
1960
The Angry Silence
Roberts
1960
An Inspector Calls
Jones-Collins - Foreman
1954