image of Michael Balfour
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Birthday: Feb 11, 1918
Place of Birth: Dover, Kent, England, UK

Michael Balfour

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

Filmography
Movie Cast Year
Design for Loving Bernie 1962
Obsession American Sailor Promoting Book 1949
No Orchids for Miss Blandish Barney 1948
Five Have a Mystery to Solve Emilio 1964
Meet Mr. Callaghan Coffee Stallkeeper 1954
Press for Time Sewerman 1966
Man of Violence Cafe Owner 1970
Man from Tangier Spade 1957
The Secret of the Forest Len 1956
Recoil Parkes 1953
Scrapbook for 1933 (voice) 1950
Revenge of Billy the Kid Gyles MacDonald 1992
Secret Venture Stevens 1955
Barbados Quest Barney Wilson 1955
3 Steps to the Gallows Carter, boxing fan 1953
Park Plaza 605 Ted Birston 1953
Delayed Action Honey 1954
The Stick Up Sam 1977
Breakaway Barney 1956
A Case For P.C. 49 Chubby Price 1951
The Small Voice Frankie 1948
The Delavine Affair Sammy 1955
The Diamond Wizard Hoxie 1954
The Canterbury Tales The Carpenter 1972
Top Secret Jersey Sailor 1952
Light Fingers The Major 1957
The Steel Bayonet Pte. Thomas 1958
Black 13 Joe 1953
The Oblong Box Ruddock 1969
Impulse uncredited 1954
Just William's Luck Tonks 1947
Help Yourself Charlie 1950
Scarlet Web Barman 1954
The Prisoner of Zenda 1979
Three's Company The Drunk 1953
Look Back in Anger Picky Shopper (uncredited) 1959
River Beat Adams 1954
Moulin Rouge Dodo (uncredited) 1952
Melody Club Max 1949
I Was a Male War Bride Male Billet Sergeant (uncredited) 1949
Macbeth First Murderer 1971
Carry On Constable Matt 1960
Resting Rough 1979
Hoverbug Mr. Gutteridge 1969
Fiend Without a Face Sgt. Kasper 1958
Johnny on the Run 1953
The Copter Kids Benny Baker 1976
Strangler's Web John Vichelski 1965
William Comes to Town 1948
Candleshoe Mr. McCress 1977
The Quiet Woman Lefty Brown 1951
Her Favourite Husband Pete 1950
13 East Street Joey Long 1952
The Monster of Highgate Ponds Bert 1961
Quatermass 2 Harry 1957
All Coppers Are... Heart Attack Victim (uncredited) 1972
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes Cabby 1970
The Red Beret American Sergeant 1953
Devil's Point Bennett, short henchman 1954
Sleeping Car to Trieste Spiegel 1948
Batman Scientist 1989
Albert R.N. Hank 1953
Too Hot to Handle Tourist Guide 1960
Sink the Bismarck! Able Seaman - Lookout on 'Suffolk' (uncredited) 1960
Pit of Darkness Fisher 1961
Don't Ever Leave Me Jim Kennedy 1949
Love in Pawn Alaric 1953
The Adventurers Detective 1970
Genevieve Trumpeter (Uncredited) 1953
The Big Money 'Wilberforce' 1958
Venetian Bird Moretto 1952
Echo of Diana Newsagent 1963
Helter Skelter Barman 1949
The Fast Lady Bandit 1962
The Reluctant Bride Boxer 1955
It's a Great Day Charlie Mead's Mate 1955
The Steel Key 'The Mae McCleod' Captain 1953
Fahrenheit 451 Book Person: Machiavelli's 'The Prince' (uncredited) 1966
The Holcroft Covenant Hard Hat 1985
Stop Press Girl Crook (uncredited) 1949
The Sea Shall Not Have Them Dray 1954
Woman Hater Reporter (uncredited) 1948
The Flesh and the Fiends Drunken Sailor 1960
Kaleidoscope Poker Player 1966
The Krays Referee 1990
Surprise Package Oscar 1960
She Always Gets Their Man Runkle 1962
The Rescue Squad Barrow-Boy 1963
Series Cast Year
Reluctant Bandit Luigi 1965
Interpol Calling Russ 1959
Interpol Calling Inspector Hill 1959
Hancock's Half Hour 1956
Dixon of Dock Green Joe Ward 1955
Dixon of Dock Green Pip Rutley 1955
The Larkins Sharkey 1958
Rogues' Gallery Tom Meatyard 1968
The Prisoner Will 1967
The Persuaders! Donkey Cart Driver 1971
Danger Man Gaston 1960
The Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder Albert 1969
Kelly Monteith 1979
Department S Eccles 1969
The Cheaters Harry 1960
Armchair Theatre Mr. Bollanger 1956
Armchair Theatre Ward 1956
Dixon of Dock Green Bill Nelson 1955
Armchair Theatre 1956
Dixon of Dock Green Nicky Medwin 1955
The Cheaters Freddy 1960
Dixon of Dock Green Hobbs 1955
Dempsey and Makepeace Jim Kelly 1985
The Avengers Tom 1961
Sailor of Fortune Alphonso Italian Ship's Engineer 1957
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