Person Details

Birthday:

Aliases: Michael S. Creighton-Balfour , Michael Creighton Balfour

Gender: Male

Place of birth: Dover, Kent, England, UK

Homepage:

Movie Involvements: 57

TV Involvements: 19


Most Famous Work

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

Most Famous Work

Dixon of Dock Green
Average
5

Dixon of Dock Green

(1955) Nicky Medwin
The Avengers
Average
8

The Avengers

(1961) Tom
Dempsey and Makepeace
Average
6

Dempsey and Makepeace

(1985) Jim Kelly
The Prisoner
Average
8

The Prisoner

(1967) Will
Batman
Average
7

Batman

(1989) Scientist
Interpol Calling
Average
7

Interpol Calling

(1959) Inspector Hill
Quatermass 2
Average
6

Quatermass 2

(1957) Harry
Fahrenheit 451
Average
7

Fahrenheit 451

(1966) Book Person: Machiavelli's 'The Prince' (uncredited)

Acting

Year Character Movie/Tv
1992 Gyles MacDonald
1990 Referee
1989 Scientist
1985 Hard Hat
Jim Kelly
1979 N/A
N/A
N/A
1977 Mr. McCress
Sam
1976 Benny Baker
1972 The Carpenter
Heart Attack Victim (uncredited)
1971 First Murderer
Donkey Cart Driver
1970 Cabby
Cafe Owner
Detective
1969 Eccles
Ruddock
Mr. Gutteridge
Albert
1968 Tom Meatyard
1967 Will
1966 Book Person: Machiavelli's 'The Prince' (uncredited)
Poker Player
Sewerman
1965 John Vichelski
Luigi
1964 Emilio
1963 Newsagent
1962 Bandit
Bernie
1961 Fisher
Bert
Tom
1960 Harry
Freddy
Tourist Guide
Gaston
Matt
Able Seaman - Lookout on 'Suffolk' (uncredited)
Drunken Sailor
1959 Picky Shopper (uncredited)
Russ
Inspector Hill
1958 Sharkey
Sgt. Kasper
'Wilberforce'
Pte. Thomas
1957 Spade
The Major
Harry
1956 Barney
N/A
Ward
Mr. Bollanger
N/A
Len
1955 Stevens
Boxer
Hobbs
Joe Ward
Pip Rutley
Bill Nelson
Nicky Medwin
Barney Wilson
(uncredited)
Sammy
Charlie Mead's Mate
1954 Bennett, short henchman
Honey
Dray
Coffee Stallkeeper
Barman
Hoxie
Adams
uncredited
1953 Carter, boxing fan
Joe
Hank
Alaric
The Drunk
Ted Birston
American Sergeant
Parkes
N/A
Trumpeter (Uncredited)
'The Mae McCleod' Captain
1952 Dodo (uncredited)
Jersey Sailor
Moretto
Joey Long
1951 Chubby Price
Lefty Brown
1950 Pete
Charlie
(voice)
1949 Male Billet Sergeant (uncredited)
American Sailor Promoting Book
Jim Kennedy
Max
Crook (uncredited)
Barman
1948 N/A
Frankie
Reporter (uncredited)
Spiegel
Barney
1947 Tonks
Year Character Movie/Tv

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