Michael 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,. He worked for a rollcall 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 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 a passenger in the 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.
He was a passenger in the car driven by Bonar Colleano when it crashed, killing Bonar. His injuries required 98 stitches, but he was released from hospital in time to attend Bonar's funeral.
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Children with Stuart: Shane and Perry
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Pit of Darkness
1961
Fisher
Armchair Theatre
1958-1961
TV Series
Mr. Bollanger / Ward
The Secret of Monte Cristo
1961
Pepe
The Monster of Highgate Ponds
1961
Bert
The Charlie Drake Show
1960-1961
TV Series
The Hellfire Club
1961
John the Juggler (uncredited)
International Detective
1959-1961
TV Series
Juan Martinez / Nick Bonito / 2nd Warden
The Pursuers
1961
TV Series
Benny
Surprise Package
1960
Oscar (uncredited)
The Larkins
1960
TV Series
Sharkey
Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School
1960
TV Series
Jones
Man from Interpol
1960
TV Series
Barney / George
Charlie Drake
1960
TV Series
Luigi / Joe
Make Mine Mink
1960
Rowson's Butler
Leave It to Pastry
1960
TV Mini-Series
Fingers Boone
Playgirl After Dark
1960
Tourist guide
The Lenny the Lion Show
1958-1960
TV Series
Interpol Calling
1960
TV Series
Inspector Hill / Russ
The Splendid Spur
1960
TV Series
Black Dick
Carry on Constable
1960
Matt
Sink the Bismarck!
1960
Able Seaman - Lookout on 'Suffolk' (uncredited)
The Flesh and the Fiends
1960
Drunken Sailor
Sykes and A...
1960
TV Series
Probation Officer
1960
TV Series
Farrell
Hancock's Half Hour
1957-1959
TV Series
Cinema manager / Charlie
The Vise
1955-1959
TV Series
Barney O'Keefe / O'Keefe, Barney
Look Back in Anger
1959
Picky Shopper (uncredited)
Alfred Marks Time
1959
TV Series
Musical Playhouse
1959
TV Series
Jackson
Jo's Boys
1959
TV Series
Nicolo
Dial 999
1959
TV Series
Carson
Fiend Without a Face
1958
Sgt. Kasper
Educated Evans
1957-1958
TV Series
Man in Pub
Run to Earth
1958
TV Series
Captain Gaunt
The Silver Sword
1958
TV Series
Joe Wolski
Thunder Over Tangier
1957
Spade
The New Adventures of Charlie Chan
1957
TV Series
Bert Conway
Italian Love Story
1957
TV Movie
Nick
Light Fingers
1957
The Major
Sailor of Fortune
1956-1957
TV Series
Alphonso / Alphonso Italian Ship's Engineer / Alphonso #1, Italian Ship's Engineer
The Steel Bayonet
1957
Pvt. Thomas
The Case of the Frightened Lady
1957
TV Movie
Brooks
Enemy from Space
1957
Harry
Tread Softly
1957
TV Movie
Enrico
Hour of Decision
1957
Barman
Aggie
1957
TV Series
Luigi
Potts, Gangbuster
1956
TV Series
Mogs
The Big Money
1956
'Wilberforce'
BBC Sunday-Night Theatre
1952-1956
TV Series
Salesman / Rudolfo / Charlie / ...
David Copperfield
1956
TV Series
Pawnbroker
Nom-de-Plume
1956
TV Series
Henry Atwell / Police Sergeant / Pete Daggett
Breakaway
1956
Barney
Reach for the Sky
1956
Orderly (uncredited)
The Secret of the Forest
1956
Len
Strange Experiences
1956
TV Series
It's a Great Day
1955
Charlie Mead's Mate
Secret Venture
1955
Stevens
Gentlemen Marry Brunettes
1955
Stage Doorman
London Playhouse
1955
TV Series
Reporter
Two Grooms for a Bride
1955
Boxer
Murder on Approval
1955
Barney Wilson
Track the Man Down
1955
uncredited
Rheingold Theatre
1953-1955
TV Series
Finch / Pete / The Drunk
The Gilded Cage
1955
USAF staff (uncredited)
Lies My Father Told Me
1955
TV Movie
Yosel
One Good Turn
1955
Boxing Booth Spectator (uncredited)
The Delavine Affair
1955
Sammy
Three's Company
1954
The Drunk (segment "Take a Number' story)
Devil's Harbor
1954
Bennett, short henchman
The Sea Shall Not Have Them
1954
Dray
The Concert
1954
TV Movie
Taxi Driver
The Belles of St. Trinian's
1954
Bus Driver (uncredited)
Dear Dotty
1954
TV Series
Max
Delayed Action
1954
Honey
Meet Mr. Callaghan
1954
Coffee Stallkeeper (uncredited)
The Scarlet Web
1954
The Diamond Wizard
1954
Hoxie
River Beat
1954
Adams (crewman)
Impulse
1954
Sailor (uncredited)
Love in Pawn
1953
Alaric
Small Town Story
1953
Turner (uncredited)
Escape by Night
1953
Bearded Reporter (uncredited)
Break to Freedom
1953
Hank
Black 13
1953
Joe
Norman Conquest
1953
Ted Birston
Paratrooper
1953
American Sergeant
Recoil
1953
Parkes
The Captain's Paradise
1953
Customs official #2
Johnny on the Run
1953
Fingers
The Steel Key
1953
Sailor (uncredited)
Genevieve
1953
Trumpeter (uncredited)
Your Favorite Story
1953
TV Series
White Fire
1953
Carter - boxing fan
Moulin Rouge
1952
Dodo (uncredited)
Hot Ice
1952
Jacobson
Mr. Potts Goes to Moscow
1952
Jersey Sailor
The Assassin
1952
Moretto
13 East Street
1952
Joey Long
The Inch Man
1951-1952
TV Series
Dirk Lasalle / Chubby Fox
How Do You View?
1951
TV Series
Marvin Crum
A Case for PC 49
1951
Chubby Price
The Quiet Woman
1951
Lefty
Help Yourself
1950
Short
Charlie
The Taming of Dorothy
1950
Pete
Cage of Gold
1950
American Soldier (uncredited)
Blackout
1950
Tom (uncredited)
Prelude to Fame
1950
Lucio
I Was a Male War Bride
1949
Male Billet Sergeant (uncredited)
The Hidden Room
1949
American sailor
Helter Skelter
1949
Barman (uncredited)
Don't Ever Leave Me
1949
Jim Kennedy
Melody Club
1949
Max Calypso
Stop Press Girl
1949
Crook (uncredited)
William Comes to Town
1948
Stall-holder
The Hideout
1948
Frankie
Woman Hater
1948
Reporter (uncredited)
Lady Luck
1948
TV Movie
Maitre d'Hotel / Speed Cop
Sleeping Car to Trieste
1948
Spiegel (uncredited)
The Front Page
1948
TV Movie
Woodenshoes Eichhorn
No Orchids for Miss Blandish
1948
Barney
Just William's Luck
1948
Tonks
They Travel by Air
1947
Short
Smoky Cell
1938
TV Movie 1939 version
Libel!
1938
TV Movie
Undetermined role (1939 version)
The Marvellous History of St. Bernard
1938
TV Movie
Servant / Pilgrim
Revenge of Billy the Kid
1992
Gyles MacDonald
The Krays
1990
Referee
Batman
1989
Scientist
Casanova
1987
TV Movie
Jailer
The December Rose
1986
TV Mini-Series
Customer
Dempsey and Makepeace
1985
TV Series
Jim Kelly
The Holcroft Covenant
1985
Hard Hat
Jemima Shore Investigates
1983
TV Series
Moxon
Tom, Dick and Harriet
1983
TV Series
Bert
Kelly Monteith
1982
TV Series
Brendon Chase
1980-1981
TV Series
Rumbold
Angels
1979
TV Series
Bob Rawlings
Resting Rough
1979
Short
The Prisoner of Zenda
1979
Luger
The Nativity
1978
TV Movie
The Stick Up
1977
Sam
Candleshoe
1977
Mr. McCress
Odd Man Out
1977
TV Series
Fisherman
Come Play with Me
1977
Nosher
Joseph Andrews
1977
Ruffian
Doctor on the Go
1977
TV Series
Herbert
The Copter Kids
1976
Benny Baker
A Little Bit of Wisdom
1975
TV Series
Magnifico
Marked Personal
1974
TV Series
Pedro
The Onedin Line
1974
TV Series
Bartholomew
Late Night Theatre
1973
TV Series
Alf
New Scotland Yard
1972
TV Series
Freddy Larch / Fred Larch
Madigan
1972
TV Series
Joey Chapman
Wreck Raisers
1972
Mr. Trevor
The Canterbury Tales
1972
John the carpenter
The Magnificent Six and ½: Time Flies
1971
Short
Macbeth
1971
First Murderer
The Persuaders!
1971
TV Series
Donkey cart Driver
Man of Violence
1971
Cafe Owner
The Flaxton Boys
1970
TV Series
Seamus
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
1970
Cabby
Z Cars
1967-1970
TV Series
Mervyn Ritchie / Arthur Hopwood / Smokey Bacon / ...
Steptoe and Son
1970
TV Series
Charlie Miller
The Adventurers
1970
Detective
Hoverbug
1969
Mr. Gutteridge
The Undertakers
1969
Short
Window Cleaner
ITV Saturday Night Theatre
1969
TV Series
Tom Meatyard
Mr. H. Simon
Meatyard
Slim John
1969
TV Series
Henry
Pickwick
1969
TV Movie
Roker
The Oblong Box
1969
Ruddock
Rogues' Gallery
1969
TV Series
Tom Meatyard
The Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder
1969
TV Series
Albert
The Avengers
1969
TV Series
Tom
Department S
1969
TV Series
Eccles
Horizon
1968
TV Series documentary
Magic Lantern showman
The Fixer
1968
Boatman (uncredited)
The Ugliest Girl in Town
1968
TV Series
Allen, Publicity Man
The Jazz Age
1968
TV Series
Porky
Cold Comfort Farm
1968
TV Mini-Series
Earl P Neck
The Prisoner
1968
TV Series
Will
Escape
1967
TV Series
Beaver
Mickey Dunne
1967
TV Series
Porridge
Sanctuary
1967
TV Series
Stall keeper
Write a Play
1967
TV Series
Warder
Who Is Sylvia?
1967
TV Series
Vendetta
1966
TV Series
Barber
Press for Time
1966
Sewerman
Fahrenheit 451
1966
Book Person: Machiavelli's 'The Prince' (uncredited)