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Michael Balfour

Michael Balfour

Acting February 11, 1918 (79 years old) October 24, 1997 Dover, Kent, England, UK

Biography

Michael Creighton Balfour (11 February 1918 – 24 October 1997) was an English actor, working mainly in British films and TV, following his TV debut in the BBC's The Marvellous History of St Bernard, in 1938. He was a recognisable face, often in small character parts and supporting roles, in nearly two hundred films and TV shows, from the 1940s to the 1990s, often playing comical heavies or otherwise shady characters notable for their "loud" clothes, sometimes convincingly cast as an American. He worked for a roll call of film directors, including Tony Richardson, Pete Walker, Billy Wilder, Lewis Gilbert, Roman Polanski, Leslie Norman, Tim Burton, John Frankenheimer, François Truffaut, John Gilling, Stanley Donen, Ken Annakin, Cavalcanti, Lance Comfort, Terence Young, Gerald Thomas, Pasolini, John Paddy Carstairs, Terence Fisher, Val Guest, Frank Launder, John Huston, Basil Dearden and Howard Hawks. Balfour had parts in many popular TV shows of the era including Educated Evans, Mess Mates, Danger Man, The Avengers, Hancock's Half Hour, Dixon of Dock Green, Rogue's Gallery, Z-Cars, The Onedin Line, and the detective drama The Vise, playing Saber's assistant Barney O'Keefe. Balfour was also known as the passenger in a Jaguar XK120 car driven by actor Bonar Colleano when it crashed, killing Colleano. Balfour's injuries required him to have 98 stitches, but he was released from hospital in time to attend Colleano's funeral. As his screen career began to slow down in the late 1970s, Michael Balfour went on tour with European circuses, as a clown. He founded Circus Hazzard, and created his own clown character. His son later became a circus manager. As well as performing, Balfour was a dedicated painter and sculptor, and in later years turned increasingly to sculpture and the arts, even running his own gallery for a while. For his subjects, he frequently drew on his own family career as a circus clown

Movies 97

Batman 7.2

Batman

as Scientist

1989
Fahrenheit 451 7.1

Fahrenheit 451

as Book Person: Machiavelli's 'The Prince' (uncredited)

1966
Macbeth 7.1

Macbeth

as First Murderer

1971
The Canterbury Tales 6.1

The Canterbury Tales

as The Carpenter

1972
Sink the Bismarck! 6.9

Sink the Bismarck!

as Able Seaman - Lookout on 'Suffolk' (uncredited)

1960
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes 6.8

The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes

as Cabby

1970
The Krays 6.1

The Krays

as Referee

1990
Moulin Rouge 6.6

Moulin Rouge

as Dodo (uncredited)

1952
Quatermass 2 6.4

Quatermass 2

as Harry

1957
I Was a Male War Bride 6.9

I Was a Male War Bride

as Male Billet Sergeant (uncredited)

1949
The Flesh and the Fiends 6.6

The Flesh and the Fiends

as Drunken Sailor

1960
Candleshoe 6.9

Candleshoe

as Mr. McCress

1977
Look Back in Anger 6.7

Look Back in Anger

as Picky Shopper (uncredited)

1959
Fiend Without a Face 6.0

Fiend Without a Face

as Sgt. Kasper

1958
The Holcroft Covenant 5.5

The Holcroft Covenant

as Hard Hat

1985
The Prisoner of Zenda 5.7

The Prisoner of Zenda

1979
Casanova 4.1

Casanova

1987
The Adventurers 4.7

The Adventurers

as Detective

1970
A Stitch in Time 7.3

A Stitch in Time

as Workman with Mallet (uncredited)

1963
Genevieve 6.7

Genevieve

as Trumpeter (Uncredited)

1953
The Sea Shall Not Have Them 7.2

The Sea Shall Not Have Them

as Dray

1954
The Fast Lady 5.8

The Fast Lady

as Bandit

1962
Kaleidoscope 5.3

Kaleidoscope

as Poker Player

1966
3 Steps to the Gallows 6.7

3 Steps to the Gallows

as Carter, boxing fan

1953
Too Hot to Handle 4.8

Too Hot to Handle

as Tourist Guide

1960
Obsession 6.8

Obsession

as American Sailor Promoting Book

1949
The Oblong Box 5.8

The Oblong Box

as Ruddock

1969
Barbados Quest 5.1

Barbados Quest

as Barney Wilson

1955
The Red Beret 6.6

The Red Beret

as American Sergeant

1953
Carry On Constable 6.3

Carry On Constable

as Matt

1960
No Orchids for Miss Blandish 6.1

No Orchids for Miss Blandish

as Barney

1948
Sleeping Car to Trieste 6.8

Sleeping Car to Trieste

as Spiegel

1948
Joseph Andrews 5.4

Joseph Andrews

as Ruffian

1977
Johnny on the Run 8.3

Johnny on the Run

1953
One Good Turn 6.2

One Good Turn

as Boxing Spectator (uncredited)

1955
Venetian Bird 6.2

Venetian Bird

as Moretto

1952
Stop Press Girl 5.9

Stop Press Girl

as Crook (uncredited)

1949
Press for Time 5.9

Press for Time

as Sewerman

1966
Helter Skelter 6.4

Helter Skelter

as Barman (uncredited)

1949
Man from Tangier 5.1

Man from Tangier

as Spade

1957
Three's Company 9.0

Three's Company

as The Drunk

1953
The Small Voice 6.4

The Small Voice

as Frankie

1948
The Quiet Woman 6.2

The Quiet Woman

as Lefty Brown

1951
Melody Club 7.3

Melody Club

as Max

1949
A Case For P.C. 49 7.0

A Case For P.C. 49

as Chubby Price

1951
Her Favourite Husband 6.0

Her Favourite Husband

as Pete

1950
Surprise Package 6.5

Surprise Package

as Oscar

1960
Don't Ever Leave Me 7.7

Don't Ever Leave Me

as Jim Kennedy

1949
Just William's Luck 7.8

Just William's Luck

as Tonks

1947
Top Secret 8.0

Top Secret

as Jersey Sailor

1952
Gentlemen Marry Brunettes 5.3

Gentlemen Marry Brunettes

as Stage Doorman

1955
Revenge of Billy the Kid 4.9

Revenge of Billy the Kid

as Gyles MacDonald

1992
Impulse 4.6

Impulse

as uncredited

1954
William Comes to Town 9.0

William Comes to Town

as Stall-holder

1948
Park Plaza 605 4.7

Park Plaza 605

as Ted Birston

1953
Pit of Darkness 6.2

Pit of Darkness

as Fisher

1961
It's a Great Day 6.4

It's a Great Day

as Charlie Mead's Mate

1955
Small Town Story 5.9

Small Town Story

as Turner

1953
The Delavine Affair 5.5

The Delavine Affair

as Sammy

1955
Light Fingers 9.0

Light Fingers

as The Major

1957
The Monster of Highgate Ponds 6.7

The Monster of Highgate Ponds

as Bert

1961
Scrapbook for 1933 6.0

Scrapbook for 1933

as (voice)

1950
The Diamond Wizard 5.9

The Diamond Wizard

as Hoxie

1954
The Secret of the Forest 10.0

The Secret of the Forest

as Len

1956
The Steel Key 6.2

The Steel Key

as 'The Mae McCleod' Captain

1953
Love in Pawn 7.2

Love in Pawn

as Alaric

1953
She Always Gets Their Man 6.0

She Always Gets Their Man

as Runkle

1962
Man of Violence 5.5

Man of Violence

as Cafe Owner

1970
Albert R.N. 7.3

Albert R.N.

as Hank

1953
Recoil 5.8

Recoil

as Parkes

1953
Hot Ice 7.0

Hot Ice

as Jacobson

1953
The Steel Bayonet 5.7

The Steel Bayonet

as Pte. Thomas

1958
Woman Hater 7.7

Woman Hater

as Reporter (uncredited)

1948
The Reluctant Bride 6.3

The Reluctant Bride

as Boxer

1955
Five Have a Mystery to Solve 7.0

Five Have a Mystery to Solve

as Emilio

1964
The Big Money 7.0

The Big Money

as 'Wilberforce'

1958
Strangler's Web 7.7

Strangler's Web

as John Vichelski

1965
Delayed Action 5.8

Delayed Action

as Honey

1954
Prelude to Fame 6.8

Prelude to Fame

as Lucio

1950
The Ship That Couldn't Stop

The Ship That Couldn't Stop

as Mr. Bollanger

1961
All Coppers Are... 7.1

All Coppers Are...

as Heart Attack Victim (uncredited)

1972
River Beat 6.3

River Beat

as Adams

1954
Resting Rough 7.0

Resting Rough

1979
Black 13 7.0

Black 13

as Joe

1953
13 East Street 6.0

13 East Street

as Joey Long

1952
The Stick Up 5.6

The Stick Up

as Sam

1977
Echo of Diana 5.8

Echo of Diana

as Newsagent

1963
The Rescue Squad 6.0

The Rescue Squad

as Barrow-Boy

1963
Scarlet Web 5.7

Scarlet Web

as Barman

1954
The Copter Kids 10.0

The Copter Kids

as Benny Baker

1976
Secret Venture 6.5

Secret Venture

as Stevens

1955
Devil's Point 7.0

Devil's Point

as Bennett, short henchman

1954
Breakaway 5.5

Breakaway

as Barney

1956
Meet Mr. Callaghan 6.5

Meet Mr. Callaghan

as Coffee Stallkeeper

1954
Hoverbug 9.0

Hoverbug

as Mr. Gutteridge

1969
Help Yourself

Help Yourself

as Charlie

1950
Design for Loving 6.7

Design for Loving

as Bernie

1962

TV Shows 38

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