
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

The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes
1971
as Inspector Trent

Fawlty Towers
1975
as Mr. Arrad

Return of the Saint
1978
as Morgan
Drama 61-67
1961
as Father

Public Eye
1965
as Arthur Biddle

Gideon's Way
1965
as Supt. Fred Lee

Softly Softly: Task Force
1969
as Samuel Tomkins

Department S
1969
as Drayton

Yes Minister
1980

Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense
1984
as Henry Bircher

The Adventurer
1972
as Brooks

Till Death Us Do Part
1966
as Landlord

Hammer House of Horror
1980
as Basil

Jason King
1971

Budgie
1971
as Inspector Charles Upton
W. Somerset Maugham
1969
as Arthur Low

Worzel Gummidge
1979
as Mr. Braithwaite

Shirley's World
1972

Arthur of the Britons
1972
as Ambrose

Two's Company
1975
as Mr. Bunn

Half Hour Story
1967
as Harry

Lytton's Diary
1985
as Charles Adams

Raffles
1977

The Guardians
1971
as Tom Henryson

After Henry
1988
as Mr Henderson

Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)
1969
as Elliot

Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years
1981
as Sir Maurice Hanley

Friday Night, Saturday Morning
1979

Armchair Theatre
1956
as Walter / Charles Lincoln / Spooner

The Fourth Arm
1983
as Col. Cole

To Serve Them All My Days
1980
as Alderman Blunt
Life Begins at Forty
1978
as Dr Gardiner
Yanks Go Home
1976

Thomas & Sarah
1979
Sanctuary
1967

The Organization
1972
as Ken Grist

Up The Workers
1973
as Sid Stubbins

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

The Raging Moon
1971
as Dr Matthews

Young Winston
1972
as Party Chairman

The Slipper and the Rose
1976
as Dress Shop Proprieter

Black Carrion
1984
as Henry Bircher
The Funny Blokes of British Comedy
2005
as Mr. Arrad (archive footage) (uncredited)

Oh! What a Lovely War
1969
as Training Sgt (uncredited)

First Men in the Moon
1964
as Stuart

In Search of the Castaways
1962
as Senior Yacht Guard

The League of Gentlemen
1960
as Weaver

The Bargee
1964
as Waterways Supervisor Albert Williams

An Inspector Calls
1954
as Jones-Collins - Foreman

The Wrong Box
1966
as Clergyman

Doomwatch
1972
as Brewer

The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer
1970
as Alderman Poot

King Arthur, the Young Warlord
1975
as Ambrose

A Voyage Round My Father
1984
as Ham

The Angry Silence
1960
as Roberts

Hot Enough for June
1964
as Employment Exchange Clerk

Whistle Down the Wind
1961
as Eddie

80,000 Suspects
1963
as Harold Davis

Sky West and Crooked
1966
as Mr. Cheeseman - undertaker

A Dandy in Aspic
1968
as Copperfield

Crossing the Floor
1996
as Grandfather

The Cracksman
1963
as Policeman

Cash on Demand
1961
as Arthur Sanderson

Run a Crooked Mile
1969
as Sgt. Hooper

Maniac
1963
as Salon

Night of the Eagle
1962
as Doctor

Man in the Moon
1960
as Herbert

This Office Life
1984
as Seeds

The Mind Benders
1963
as Aubrey

Term of Trial
1962
as Mr. Taylor

Very Important Person
1961
as Senior British Officer Travers
Baby Sitters
1976

Please Sir!
1971
as Reynolds

Bitter Harvest
1963
as Mr. Pitt

The Secret Partner
1961
as Ralph Beldon
Wedding Bells
1976

If You Go Down in the Woods Today
1981
as Doctor

The Beauty Jungle
1964
as Mr. Edward Freeman

The Black Torment
1964
as Harris

The Limbo Line
1969

Ooh...You Are Awful
1972
as Warder Burke
Up Among the Cuckoos
1970
as Walter

The Punch and Judy Man
1963
as Reginald Fletcher

The Virgin and the Gypsy
1970
as Uncle Fred

Buddy
1986
as Mr Normington

Born Kicking
1992
as Mr Radley

A Cup O' Tea An' A Slice O' Cake - Worzel Gummidge Christmas Special
1980
as Mr Braithwaite

Hands of the Ripper
1971
as Police Inspector
Monkey Tricks
1976
On the Tiles
1976

Miss Pym's Day Out
1992
as Man on Bus
Double Trouble
1976
Pot Luck
1976
as Farmer

Elementary, My Dear Watson
1973
as Inspector Street

All at Sea
1969
as Mr. Danvers
The Big Kick
1976
Takeover
1969
as Father

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 CineFlixo, 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 CineFlixo 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.