Bill L. Norton Explained

Bill L. Norton is an American film director, writer and producer. Among many projects, he is the writer-director of Cisco Pike and More American Graffiti.

Career

Norton is most notable as a film director, including his first feature film, Cisco Pike in 1972, 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, , Lincoln Heights and Roswell.

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.[5]

Sometimes he is credited as B.W.L. Norton, Bill Norton or William Lloyd Norton.

Filmography

Films

!Year!Title!Director!Writer
1964How to Succeed with Girls
1972Cisco Pike
1977Outlaw Blues
1978Convoy
1979More American Graffiti
1983Losin' It
1985
1987Back to the Beach
Three for the Road
Other credits!Year!Title!Role
1965Girl HappyUncredited camera operator
1966The Chase
The Fortune Cookie
1973Messiah of EvilActor

Television

As Director!Title!Year(s)!Episode!Notes
Gargoyles1972TV movie
The Twilight Zone1985-1986"Teacher's Aide"
''Monsters!"
Tour of Duty1987-1989''Pilot''|Also co-executive producer|-|''Notes from the Underground''| rowspan="3" |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 Slam1990''Grand Slam''
''Chop Shop''||-|Angel of Death|| rowspan="2" |TV movies|-|False Arrest|1991||-|The Boys of Twilight| rowspan="2" |1992|"A Bend in the River"||-|Crossroads|||-| rowspan="2" |Seaquest DSV| rowspan="2" |1993|''Brothers and Sisters''
''Give Me Liberte''||-| rowspan="2" |Hercules: The Legendary| rowspan="2" |1994|''Hercules and the Amazon Women''||-|''Hercules in the Underworld''
The Women of Spring Break1995TV movies
Deadly Whispers
Stolen Innocence
Gone in the Night1996
Them
Vows of Deception
A Deadly Vision1997
Our Mother's Murder
Bad to the Bone
Every Mother's Worst Fear1998
Thirst
Vengeance Unlimited1998-1999''Justice''||-|''Legalese''||-|Sons of Thunder| rowspan="2" |1999|''Moment of Truth''||-|A Crime of Passion||TV movie|-| rowspan="2" |Profiler| rowspan="3" |2000|''Quid Pro Quo''
''Pianissimo''
The Fugitive''Sanctuary''||-| rowspan="2" |Roswell| rowspan="2" |2000-2001|''The End of the World''||-|''Control''
FreakyLinks2001''Subject: Sunrise at Sunset Streams''
The Invisible Man''Going Postal''
''Den of Thieves''
''Flash to Bang''||-| rowspan="6" |Angel| rowspan="6" |2001-2003|''Happy Anniversary''||-|''That Vision Thing''
''Provider''
''Supersymmetry''||-|''Calvary''
''Life of the Party''||-|Buffy the Vampire Slayer| rowspan="4" |2002|''Two to Go''||-|Pasadena|''Someone to Talk To''
Haunted''Last Call''||-|John Doe|''Past Imperfect''
Hack2003''Sinners and Saints''
The Guardian2004''Amends''
''Remember''
Medium2005''Coded''||-|''A Priest, a Doctor and a Medium Walk Into an Execution Chamber''||-|Threshold|''Pulse''||-|Ghost Whisperer|''Hope and Mercy''
2005-2006''Ex Stasis''||-|''Slither''
''Country Crossover''||-| rowspan="5" |The Unit| rowspan="5" |2006-2009|''Unannounced''||-|''Silver Star''
''Two Coins''||-|''Inside Out''||-| ''Bad Beat''
Heartland2007''Picking Up Little Things''
Lincoln Heights2007-2009''Missing''||-|''The Old Man and the G''
''Ode to Joy''
''Persons of Interest''||-|Las Vegas| rowspan="2" |2008|''Three Weddings and a Funeral: Part 1''
Generation GapTV movie
As Producer only!Title!Year(s)!Episode!Notes
Tour of Duty1987-1988''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 Slam1990''Who's Crazy?''Executive producer

Video Game

Notes and References

  1. News: Canby. Vincent. 1972-01-15. ' Cisco Pike':Tale of Has-Been Rock Star Opens at Forum. en-US. The New York Times. 2020-05-05. 0362-4331.
  2. Web site: The Celluloid Time Capsule. 2006-05-28. Los Angeles Times. en-US. 2020-05-05.
  3. Book: Horwath. Alexander. The Last Great American Picture Show: New Hollywood Cinema in the 1970s. Elsaesser. Thomas. King. Noel. 2004. Amsterdam University Press. 978-90-5356-631-2. en.
  4. Book: Taylor, Tadhg. Masters of the Shoot-'Em-Up: Conversations with Directors, Actors and Writers of Vintage Action Movies and Television Shows. October 27, 2015. McFarland. 9781476620985. Google Books.
  5. News: William W. 'Bill' Norton dies at 85; screenwriter became gunrunner. Elaine. Woo. Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. October 10, 2010. September 17, 2017.