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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
February 11, 1918
Died
October 24, 1997
Place of Birth
Dover, Kent, England, UK
Also Known As
- Michael S. Creighton-Balfour
- Michael Creighton Balfour
Michael Balfour
0.3 Popularity
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
Known For
Credits
Revenge of Billy the Kid
as Gyles MacDonald
1992
4.5
The Krays
as Referee
1990
6.1
Batman
as Scientist
1989
7.2
The Holcroft Covenant
as Hard Hat
1985
5.5
Dempsey and Makepeace
as Jim Kelly
1985
6.4
🎬
Kelly Monteith
1979
6.0
The Prisoner of Zenda
1979
5.7
🎬
Resting Rough
1979
0.0
Candleshoe
as Mr. McCress
1977
6.9
The Stick Up
as Sam
1977
5.2
Joseph Andrews
as Ruffian
1977
4.8
🎬
The Copter Kids
as Benny Baker
1976
0.0
The Canterbury Tales
as The Carpenter
1972
6.1
All Coppers Are...
as Heart Attack Victim (uncredited)
1972
6.8
Macbeth
as First Murderer
1971
7.1
The Persuaders!
as Donkey Cart Driver
1971
7.6
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
as Cabby
1970
6.8
Man of Violence
as Cafe Owner
1970
5.5
The Adventurers
as Detective
1970
4.2
Department S
as Eccles
1969
5.0
The Oblong Box
as Ruddock
1969
5.7
🎬
Hoverbug
as Mr. Gutteridge
1969
0.0
The Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder
as Albert
1969
5.0
🎬
The Jazz Age
as Porky
1968
0.0
🎬
Rogues' Gallery
as Tom Meatyard
1968
10.0
The Prisoner
as Will
1967
7.7
Press for Time
as Sewerman
1966
5.6
Fahrenheit 451
as Book Person: Machiavelli's 'The Prince' (uncredited)
1966
7.1
Kaleidoscope
as Poker Player
1966
4.9
Strangler's Web
as John Vichelski
1965
7.5
🎬
It's Not Me - It's Them!
as Reginald
1965
0.0
🎬
Reluctant Bandit
as Luigi
1965
0.0
Five Have a Mystery to Solve
as Emilio
1964
0.0
The Rescue Squad
as Barrow-Boy
1963
4.5
A Stitch in Time
as Workman with Mallet (uncredited)
1963
7.4
🎬
Echo of Diana
as Newsagent
1963
5.2
The Fast Lady
as Bandit
1962
5.7
🎬
Design for Loving
as Bernie
1962
6.0
She Always Gets Their Man
as Runkle
1962
4.0
Pit of Darkness
as Fisher
1961
5.8
🎬
The Ship That Couldn't Stop
as Mr. Bollanger
1961
0.0
The Monster of Highgate Ponds
as Bert
1961
5.0
The Avengers
as Tom
1961
7.7
The Cheaters
as Harry
1960
0.0
The Cheaters
as Freddy
1960
0.0
Too Hot to Handle
as Tourist Guide
1960
4.6
Surprise Package
as Oscar
1960
5.8
Danger Man
as Gaston
1960
7.3
Carry On Constable
as Matt
1960
6.3
Sink the Bismarck!
as Able Seaman - Lookout on 'Suffolk' (uncredited)
1960
6.8
The Flesh and the Fiends
as Drunken Sailor
1960
6.5
Look Back in Anger
as Picky Shopper (uncredited)
1959
6.6
Interpol Calling
as Russ
1959
6.7
Interpol Calling
as Inspector Hill
1959
6.7
The Larkins
as Sharkey
1958
7.0
Fiend Without a Face
as Sgt. Kasper
1958
6.0
The Big Money
as 'Wilberforce'
1958
6.4
The Steel Bayonet
as Pte. Thomas
1958
5.4
Man from Tangier
as Spade
1957
4.6
🎬
Light Fingers
as The Major
1957
0.0
Sailor of Fortune
as Alphonso Italian Ship's Engineer
1957
0.0
Quatermass 2
as Harry
1957
6.4
Breakaway
as Barney
1956
5.2
Armchair Theatre
1956
5.8
Armchair Theatre
as Ward
1956
5.8
Armchair Theatre
as Mr. Bollanger
1956
5.8
Hancock's Half Hour
1956
7.3
🎬
The Secret of the Forest
as Len
1956
0.0
Secret Venture
as Stevens
1955
0.0
🎬
Strange Experiences
as Man
1955
0.0
The Reluctant Bride
as Boxer
1955
5.0
Dixon of Dock Green
as Joe Ward
1955
5.3
Dixon of Dock Green
as Pip Rutley
1955
5.3
Dixon of Dock Green
as Bill Nelson
1955
5.3
Dixon of Dock Green
as Nicky Medwin
1955
5.3
Dixon of Dock Green
as Hobbs
1955
5.3
Barbados Quest
as Barney Wilson
1955
4.4
One Good Turn
as Boxing Spectator (uncredited)
1955
6.1
The Delavine Affair
as Sammy
1955
5.0
It's a Great Day
as Charlie Mead's Mate
1955
5.7
Devil's Point
as Bennett, short henchman
1954
0.0
Delayed Action
as Honey
1954
5.2
Scarlet Web
as Barman
1954
5.0
Meet Mr. Callaghan
as Coffee Stallkeeper
1954
6.0
The Sea Shall Not Have Them
as Dray
1954
7.2
The Diamond Wizard
as Hoxie
1954
5.9
River Beat
as Adams
1954
5.9
Impulse
as uncredited
1954
4.5
3 Steps to the Gallows
as Carter, boxing fan
1953
6.4
Black 13
as Joe
1953
0.0
Love in Pawn
as Alaric
1953
6.5
Albert R.N.
as Hank
1953
7.2
🎬
Three's Company
as The Drunk
1953
0.0
Park Plaza 605
as Ted Birston
1953
4.3
The Red Beret
as American Sergeant
1953
6.6
Recoil
as Parkes
1953
5.5
Johnny on the Run
1953
7.5
Genevieve
as Trumpeter (Uncredited)
1953
6.6
The Steel Key
as 'The Mae McCleod' Captain
1953
6.1
🎬
Hot Ice
as Jacobson
1953
0.0
Moulin Rouge
as Dodo (uncredited)
1952
6.7
Top Secret
as Jersey Sailor
1952
6.0
Venetian Bird
as Moretto
1952
5.9
13 East Street
as Joey Long
1952
5.2
A Case For P.C. 49
as Chubby Price
1951
5.0
The Quiet Woman
as Lefty Brown
1951
5.8
Her Favourite Husband
as Pete
1950
5.6
Prelude to Fame
as Lucio
1950
6.2
🎬
Help Yourself
as Charlie
1950
0.0
🎬
Scrapbook for 1933
as (voice)
1950
6.0
Sunday Night Theatre
as Rudolfo
1950
3.5
I Was a Male War Bride
as Male Billet Sergeant (uncredited)
1949
6.9
Helter Skelter
as Barman (uncredited)
1949
6.2
Obsession
as American Sailor Promoting Book
1949
6.8
Don't Ever Leave Me
as Jim Kennedy
1949
7.5
Melody Club
as Max
1949
6.0
Stop Press Girl
as Crook (uncredited)
1949
5.6
William Comes to Town
as Stall-holder
1948
0.0
The Small Voice
as Frankie
1948
6.2
Woman Hater
as Reporter (uncredited)
1948
7.0
Sleeping Car to Trieste
as Spiegel
1948
6.7
No Orchids for Miss Blandish
as Barney
1948
6.1
Just William's Luck
as Tonks
1947
7.0