Bill L. Norton
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Bill L. Norton | |
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Born | August 13, 1943 |
Occupation(s) | Film and television director, writer, and producer |
Spouse | |
Father | William W. Norton |
Bill L. Norton (born August 13, 1943) is an American film and television director, writer, and producer. Among many projects, he is the writer-director of the films Cisco Pike (1971) and More American Graffiti (1979).
Life and career
[edit]Norton is most notable as a film director, including his first feature film, Cisco Pike in 1971, which he also wrote.[1][2][3] He worked as a screenwriter in the 1970s and '80s, writing the scripts for Convoy and Outlaw Blues, among other films.[4]
He also has directed many television series, among them Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, John Doe, Hack, Las Vegas, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Lincoln Heights and Roswell.
He was married to costume designer Rosanna Norton.[5] He is the son of screenwriter William W. Norton, who was convicted in 1986 of importing arms to Northern Ireland for the IRA and the INLA.[6]
Sometimes, he is credited as B.W.L. Norton, Bill Norton or William Lloyd Norton.
Filmography
[edit]Films
[edit]Year | Title | Director | Writer |
---|---|---|---|
1964 | How to Succeed with Girls | No | Yes |
1971 | Cisco Pike | Yes | Yes |
1977 | Outlaw Blues | No | Yes |
1978 | Convoy | No | Yes |
1979 | More American Graffiti | Yes | Yes |
1982 | Losin' It | No | Yes |
1985 | Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend | Yes | No |
1987 | Back to the Beach | No | Story |
Three for the Road | Yes | No |
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
1965 | Girl Happy | Uncredited camera operator |
1966 | The Chase | |
The Fortune Cookie | ||
1973 | Messiah of Evil | Actor |
Television
[edit]Title | Year(s) | Episode | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Gargoyles | 1972 | — | TV movie |
The Twilight Zone | 1985-1986 | "Teacher's Aide" | |
''Monsters!" | |||
Tour of Duty | 1987-1989 | ''Pilot'' | Also co-executive producer |
''Notes from the Underground'' | Also writer & co-executive producer | ||
''Brothers, Fathers, and Sons'' | |||
''Battling Baker Brothers'' | |||
''Pushin' Too Hard'' | Also co-executive producer | ||
''Soldiers'' | |||
''Angel of Mercy'' | |||
''Saigon: Part 1'' | |||
''Saigon: Part 2" | |||
''Popular Forces'' | |||
Grand Slam | 1990 | ''Grand Slam'' | |
''Chop Shop'' | |||
Angel of Death | — | TV movies | |
False Arrest | 1991 | — | |
The Boys of Twilight | 1992 | "A Bend in the River" | |
Crossroads | Unknown episodes | ||
Seaquest DSV | 1993 | ''Brothers and Sisters'' | |
''Give Me Liberte'' | |||
Hercules: The Legendary | 1994 | ''Hercules and the Amazon Women'' | |
''Hercules in the Underworld'' | |||
The Women of Spring Break | 1995 | — | TV movies |
Deadly Whispers | — | ||
Stolen Innocence | — | ||
Gone in the Night | 1996 | — | |
Them | — | ||
Vows of Deception | — | ||
A Deadly Vision | 1997 | — | |
Our Mother's Murder | — | ||
Bad to the Bone | — | ||
Every Mother's Worst Fear | 1998 | — | |
Thirst | — | ||
Vengeance Unlimited | 1998-1999 | ''Justice'' | |
''Legalese'' | |||
Sons of Thunder | 1999 | ''Moment of Truth'' | |
A Crime of Passion | — | TV movie | |
Profiler | 2000 | ''Quid Pro Quo'' | |
''Pianissimo'' | |||
The Fugitive | ''Sanctuary'' | ||
Roswell | 2000-2001 | ''The End of the World'' | |
''Control'' | |||
FreakyLinks | 2001 | ''Subject: Sunrise at Sunset Streams'' | |
The Invisible Man | ''Going Postal'' | ||
''Den of Thieves'' | |||
''Flash to Bang'' | |||
Angel | 2001-2003 | ''Happy Anniversary'' | |
''That Vision Thing'' | |||
''Provider'' | |||
''Supersymmetry'' | |||
''Calvary'' | |||
''Life of the Party'' | |||
Buffy the Vampire Slayer | 2002 | ''Two to Go'' | |
Pasadena | ''Someone to Talk To'' | ||
Haunted | ''Last Call'' | ||
John Doe | ''Past Imperfect'' | ||
Hack | 2003 | ''Sinners and Saints'' | |
The Guardian | 2004 | ''Amends'' | |
''Remember'' | |||
Medium | 2005 | ''Coded'' | |
''A Priest, a Doctor and a Medium Walk Into an Execution Chamber'' | |||
Threshold | ''Pulse'' | ||
Ghost Whisperer | ''Hope and Mercy'' | ||
Law & Order: Criminal Intent | 2005-2006 | ''Ex Stasis'' | |
''Slither'' | |||
''Country Crossover'' | |||
The Unit | 2006-2009 | ''Unannounced'' | |
''Silver Star'' | |||
''Two Coins'' | |||
''Inside Out'' | |||
''Bad Beat'' | |||
Heartland | 2007 | ''Picking Up Little Things'' | |
Lincoln Heights | 2007-2009 | ''Missing'' | |
''The Old Man and the G'' | |||
''Ode to Joy'' | |||
''Persons of Interest'' | |||
Las Vegas | 2008 | ''Three Weddings and a Funeral: Part 1'' | |
Generation Gap | — | TV movie |
Title | Year(s) | Episode | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Tour of Duty | 1987-1988 | ''Dislocations'' | Co-executive producer |
''War Lover'' | |||
''Sitting Ducks'' | |||
''Burn Baby, Burn'' | |||
''The Good, the Bad, and the Dead'' | |||
''Nowhere to Run'' | |||
''Roadrunner'' | |||
''USO Down'' | |||
''Under Siege'' | |||
''Gray-Brown Odyssey'' | |||
''Blood Brothers'' | |||
''The Short Timer'' | |||
''Paradise Lost'' | |||
''The Hill'' | |||
Grand Slam | 1990 | ''Who's Crazy?'' | Executive producer |
Video game
[edit]- Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2005, director)
References
[edit]- ^ Canby, Vincent (1972-01-15). "' Cisco Pike':Tale of Has-Been Rock Star Opens at Forum". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
- ^ "The Celluloid Time Capsule". Los Angeles Times. 2006-05-28. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
- ^ Horwath, Alexander; Elsaesser, Thomas; King, Noel (2004). The Last Great American Picture Show: New Hollywood Cinema in the 1970s. Amsterdam University Press. ISBN 978-90-5356-631-2.
- ^ Taylor, Tadhg (October 27, 2015). Masters of the Shoot-'Em-Up: Conversations with Directors, Actors and Writers of Vintage Action Movies and Television Shows. McFarland. ISBN 9781476620985 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Rosanna Norton, Oscar-Nominated Costume Designer on 'Tron,' Dies at 80". The Hollywood Reporter. May 9, 2025. Retrieved May 11, 2025.
- ^ Woo, Elaine (October 10, 2010). "William W. 'Bill' Norton dies at 85; screenwriter became gunrunner". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. Retrieved September 17, 2017.