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 edit

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, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, 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 edit

Films edit

Year Title Director Writer
1964 How to Succeed with Girls No Yes
1972 Cisco Pike Yes Yes
1977 Outlaw Blues No Yes
1978 Convoy No Yes
1979 More American Graffiti Yes Yes
1983 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
Other credits
Year Title Role
1965 Girl Happy Uncredited camera operator
1966 The Chase
The Fortune Cookie
1973 Messiah of Evil Actor

Television edit

As Director
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
As Producer only
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

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ "The Celluloid Time Capsule". Los Angeles Times. 2006-05-28. Retrieved 2020-05-05.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ Woo, Elaine (October 10, 2010). "William W. 'Bill' Norton dies at 85; screenwriter became gunrunner". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. Retrieved September 17, 2017.

External links edit