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.
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
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0050163
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18161447
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Filmography (Movies)
Revenge of Billy the Kid
Character:Gyles MacDonald
Release Date:01/01/1992
The Krays
Character:Referee
Release Date:27/04/1990
Batman
Character:Scientist
Release Date:21/06/1989
The Holcroft Covenant
Character:Hard Hat
Release Date:20/09/1985
The Prisoner of Zenda
Character:
Release Date:17/08/1979
Resting Rough
Character:
Release Date:01/06/1979
Candleshoe
Character:Mr. McCress
Release Date:16/12/1977
The Stick Up
Character:Sam
Release Date:10/04/1977
Joseph Andrews
Character:Ruffian
Release Date:09/03/1977
The Copter Kids
Character:Benny Baker
Release Date:01/02/1976
The Canterbury Tales
Character:The Carpenter
Release Date:02/09/1972
All Coppers Are...
Character:Heart Attack Victim (uncredited)
Release Date:24/01/1972
Macbeth
Character:First Murderer
Release Date:20/12/1971
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
Character:Cabby
Release Date:29/10/1970
Man of Violence
Character:Cafe Owner
Release Date:01/06/1970
The Adventurers
Character:Detective
Release Date:25/03/1970
The Oblong Box
Character:Ruddock
Release Date:11/06/1969
Hoverbug
Character:Mr. Gutteridge
Release Date:01/06/1969
Press for Time
Character:Sewerman
Release Date:08/12/1966
Fahrenheit 451
Character:Book Person: Machiavelli's 'The Prince' (uncredited)
Release Date:07/09/1966
Kaleidoscope
Character:Poker Player
Release Date:01/07/1966
Strangler's Web
Character:John Vichelski
Release Date:01/08/1965
Five Have a Mystery to Solve
Character:Emilio
Release Date:01/05/1964
The Rescue Squad
Character:Barrow-Boy
Release Date:12/12/1963
A Stitch in Time
Character:Workman with Mallet (uncredited)
Release Date:01/12/1963
Echo of Diana
Character:Newsagent
Release Date:01/05/1963
The Fast Lady
Character:Bandit
Release Date:14/12/1962
Design for Loving
Character:Bernie
Release Date:01/03/1962
She Always Gets Their Man
Character:Runkle
Release Date:01/01/1962
Pit of Darkness
Character:Fisher
Release Date:01/10/1961
The Ship That Couldn't Stop
Character:Mr. Bollanger
Release Date:02/07/1961
The Monster of Highgate Ponds
Character:Bert
Release Date:01/05/1961
Too Hot to Handle
Character:Tourist Guide
Release Date:01/12/1960
Surprise Package
Character:Oscar
Release Date:29/09/1960
Carry On Constable
Character:Matt
Release Date:22/02/1960
Sink the Bismarck!
Character:Able Seaman - Lookout on 'Suffolk' (uncredited)
Release Date:11/02/1960
The Flesh and the Fiends
Character:Drunken Sailor
Release Date:02/02/1960
Look Back in Anger
Character:Picky Shopper (uncredited)
Release Date:15/09/1959
Fiend Without a Face
Character:Sgt. Kasper
Release Date:03/07/1958
The Big Money
Character:'Wilberforce'
Release Date:09/06/1958
The Steel Bayonet
Character:Pte. Thomas
Release Date:01/02/1958
Man from Tangier
Character:Spade
Release Date:25/11/1957
Light Fingers
Character:The Major
Release Date:01/08/1957
Quatermass 2
Character:Harry
Release Date:17/06/1957
Breakaway
Character:Barney
Release Date:16/07/1956
The Secret of the Forest
Character:Len
Release Date:01/01/1956
Secret Venture
Character:Stevens
Release Date:10/11/1955
The Reluctant Bride
Character:Boxer
Release Date:01/08/1955
Barbados Quest
Character:Barney Wilson
Release Date:01/07/1955
One Good Turn
Character:Boxing Spectator (uncredited)
Release Date:04/01/1955
The Delavine Affair
Character:Sammy
Release Date:03/01/1955
It's a Great Day
Character:Charlie Mead's Mate
Release Date:01/01/1955
Devil's Point
Character:Bennett, short henchman
Release Date:07/12/1954
Delayed Action
Character:Honey
Release Date:01/07/1954
Meet Mr. Callaghan
Character:Coffee Stallkeeper
Release Date:01/06/1954
Scarlet Web
Character:Barman
Release Date:01/06/1954
The Sea Shall Not Have Them
Character:Dray
Release Date:01/06/1954
The Diamond Wizard
Character:Hoxie
Release Date:01/04/1954
River Beat
Character:Adams
Release Date:01/02/1954
Impulse
Character:uncredited
Release Date:01/01/1954
3 Steps to the Gallows
Character:Carter, boxing fan
Release Date:01/12/1953
Black 13
Character:Joe
Release Date:30/11/1953
Albert R.N.
Character:Hank
Release Date:23/11/1953
Love in Pawn
Character:Alaric
Release Date:23/11/1953
Three's Company
Character:The Drunk
Release Date:26/10/1953
Park Plaza 605
Character:Ted Birston
Release Date:11/09/1953
The Red Beret
Character:American Sergeant
Release Date:11/08/1953
Recoil
Character:Parkes
Release Date:01/08/1953
Johnny on the Run
Character:
Release Date:01/06/1953
Genevieve
Character:Trumpeter (Uncredited)
Release Date:28/05/1953
The Steel Key
Character:'The Mae McCleod' Captain
Release Date:01/05/1953
Hot Ice
Character:Jacobson
Release Date:23/02/1953
Moulin Rouge
Character:Dodo (uncredited)
Release Date:23/12/1952
Top Secret
Character:Jersey Sailor
Release Date:10/11/1952
Venetian Bird
Character:Moretto
Release Date:01/10/1952
13 East Street
Character:Joey Long
Release Date:01/03/1952
A Case For P.C. 49
Character:Chubby Price
Release Date:01/08/1951
The Quiet Woman
Character:Lefty Brown
Release Date:01/03/1951
Her Favourite Husband
Character:Pete
Release Date:11/05/1950
Prelude to Fame
Character:Lucio
Release Date:02/05/1950
Help Yourself
Character:Charlie
Release Date:15/02/1950
Scrapbook for 1933
Character:(voice)
Release Date:06/02/1950
I Was a Male War Bride
Character:Male Billet Sergeant (uncredited)
Release Date:26/08/1949
Helter Skelter
Character:Barman (uncredited)
Release Date:07/08/1949
Obsession
Character:American Sailor Promoting Book
Release Date:03/08/1949
Don't Ever Leave Me
Character:Jim Kennedy
Release Date:19/07/1949
Melody Club
Character:Max
Release Date:01/07/1949
Stop Press Girl
Character:Crook (uncredited)
Release Date:02/06/1949
William Comes to Town
Character:Stall-holder
Release Date:31/12/1948
The Small Voice
Character:Frankie
Release Date:27/11/1948
Woman Hater
Character:Reporter (uncredited)
Release Date:13/10/1948
Sleeping Car to Trieste
Character:Spiegel
Release Date:06/10/1948
No Orchids for Miss Blandish
Character:Barney
Release Date:15/04/1948
Just William's Luck
Character:Tonks
Release Date:17/12/1947
Television Appearances
Dempsey and Makepeace
Character:Jim Kelly
Kelly Monteith
Character:
The Persuaders!
Character:Donkey Cart Driver
Department S
Character:Eccles
The Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder
Character:Albert
The Jazz Age
Character:Porky
Rogues' Gallery
Character:Tom Meatyard
The Prisoner
Character:Will
It's Not Me - It's Them!
Character:Reginald
Reluctant Bandit
Character:Luigi
The Avengers
Character:Tom
The Cheaters
Character:Harry
The Cheaters
Character:Freddy
Danger Man
Character:Gaston
Interpol Calling
Character:Russ
Interpol Calling
Character:Inspector Hill
The Larkins
Character:Sharkey
Sailor of Fortune
Character:Alphonso Italian Ship's Engineer
Armchair Theatre
Character:
Armchair Theatre
Character:Ward
Armchair Theatre
Character:Mr. Bollanger
Hancock's Half Hour
Character:
Strange Experiences
Character:Man
Dixon of Dock Green
Character:Joe Ward
Dixon of Dock Green
Character:Pip Rutley
Dixon of Dock Green
Character:Bill Nelson
Dixon of Dock Green
Character:Nicky Medwin
Dixon of Dock Green
Character:Hobbs
Sunday Night Theatre
Character:Rudolfo
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