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person_profile-H.B. Warner

H.B. Warner Died at age: 83

Actor | Producer

Fullname:

H.B. Warner

Date of Birth:

Oct 25, 1875

Country of birth:

UK

Died:

Dec 21, 1958

Biography of

H.B. Warner

    Henry Byron Warner was the definitive cinematic Jesus Christ in Cecil B. DeMille's The King of Kings (1927). He was born into a prominent theatrical family on October 26, 1875 in London. His father was Charles Warner, and his grandfather was James Warner, both prominent English actors. He replaced J.B. Warner as Jesus in The King of Kings (1927) when J.B. died of tuberculosis at age 29. (J.B. was not Henry's brother. J.B. had taken the professional last name "Warner" because Henry's family took him in.)

    Henry Warner's family wanted him to become a doctor, and he graduated from London University but eventually gave up his medical studies. The theater was in his blood, and he studied acting in Paris and Italy before joining his father's stock company, making his debut in the English production of "Drink." It was from his father that he honed his craft.

    Warner made it to America in the early 1900s, after touring the British Empire. Billed as Harry Warner, he made his Broadway debut in the American colonial drama "Audrey" at Hoyt's Theatre on November 24, 1902, starring James O'Neill, the father of playwright Eugene O'Neill. He was billed as H.B. Warner in his next appearance on Broadway, in the 1906 comedy "Nurse Marjorie." He appeared in 13 more Broadway productions in his career, from the twin-bill of "Susan in Search of a Husband" & "A Tenement Tragedy" (also 1906) to "Silence" in 1925.

    He moved into motion pictures, making his debut in the Mutual short Harp of Tara (1914). Also in 1914, he appeared in a film written by Cecil B. DeMille for Famous Players Lasky, The Ghost Breaker (1914), in which he had played on Broadway the year before. Warner became a leading man and a star in silent pictures, reaching the zenith of his career playing Jesus in DeMille's The King of Kings (1927). His excellent performance was actually enhanced by the silent screen, allowing the audience to imagine how Jesus would sound. Warner could be extremely moving in silent pictures, notably in the melodrama Sorrell and Son (1927) as a war veteran father who sacrifices all for his son.

    When talkies arrived, he became a busy supporting player. A favorite of Frank Capra , appeared in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936). Cast again by Capra, he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in Lost Horizon (1937). He also appeared in You Can't Take It with You (1938), and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939). Other major talkies included The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941) and Topper Returns (1941). Other than Jesus, the role he is best remembered role for today is in It's a Wonderful Life (1946), in which he played Mr. Gower, the druggist who is saved from committing a lethal medication error by the young George Bailey (the James Stewart character as a child). H.B. Warner appeared in Sunset Blvd. (1950) as himself. His last credited role was as Amminadab in DeMille's The Ten Commandments (1956), a remake of the earlier silent The Ten Commandments (1923). He last role was an uncredited bit part in Darby's Rangers (1958).

Photos of

H.B. Warner

Photos ( 3 Photos

Filmography of

H.B. Warner

Found 117 Movies in total

James Stewart: A Wonderful Life

Self (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 1988

The Ten Commandments

Amminadab ( Actor )

... 1956

Journey Into Light

Wiz, the Wino ( Actor )

... 1951

Here Comes the Groom

Uncle Elihu ( Actor )

... 1951

The First Legion

Father José Sierra ( Actor )

... 1951

Sunset Boulevard

H.B. Warner ( Actor )

... 1950

Hellfire

Brother Joseph ( Actor )

... 1949

El Paso

Judge Fletcher ( Actor )

... 1949

The Prince Of Thieves

Gilbert Head ( Actor )

... 1948

High Wall

Mr. Slocum ( Actor )

... 1947

The Judge Steps Out

Chief Justice Hayes ( Actor )

... 1947

Driftwood

Rev. Hollingsworth ( Actor )

... 1947

It's a Wonderful Life

Mr. Gower ( Actor )

... 1946

Gentleman Joe Palooka

Sen. McCarden ( Actor )

... 1946

Strange Impersonation

Dr. Mansfield, plastic surgeon ( Actor )

... 1946

Captain Tugboat Annie

Judge Abbott ( Actor )

... 1945

Rogues' Gallery

Professor Reynolds ( Actor )

... 1944

Faces in the Fog

Defense Attorney Rankins ( Actor )

... 1944

Enemy of Women

Col. Eberhart Brandt ( Actor )

... 1944

Action in Arabia

Abdul El Rashid ( Actor )

... 1944

Women in Bondage

Pastor Renz ( Actor )

... 1943

Hitler's Children

The Bishop ( Actor )

... 1943

The Boss of Big Town

Jeffrey Moore ( Actor )

... 1942

A Yank in Libya

Herbert Forbes ( Actor )

... 1942

Crossroads

Prosecuting Attorney ( Actor )

... 1942

The Corsican Brothers

Dr. Enrico Paoli ( Actor )

... 1941

All That Money Can Buy

Justice Hawthorne ( Actor )

... 1941

South of Tahiti

High Chief Kawalima ( Actor )

... 1941

... 1941

City of Missing Girls

Capt. McVeigh ( Actor )

... 1941

Topper Returns

Mr. Carrington ( Actor )

... 1941

New Moon

Father Michel ( Actor )

... 1940

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Senate Majority Leader ( Actor )

... 1939

The Rains Came

Maharajah ( Actor )

... 1939

Nurse Edith Cavell

Hugh Gibson ( Actor )

... 1939

Bulldog Drummond's Bride

Colonel Nielson ( Actor )

... 1939

The Gracie Allen Murder Case

Richard Lawrence ( Actor )

... 1939

Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police

Colonel Nielson ( Actor )

... 1939

Let Freedom Ring

Rutledge ( Actor )

... 1939

Arrest Bulldog Drummond

Colonel Nielsen ( Actor )

... 1938

You Can't Take It with You

Mr. Ramsey ( Actor )

... 1938

Army Girl

Col. Armstrong ( Actor )

... 1938

Bulldog Drummond in Africa

Colonel J. A. Nielsen ( Actor )

... 1938

The Toy Wife

Victor Brigard ( Actor )

... 1938

Kidnapped

Angus Rankeiller ( Actor )

... 1938

... 1938

The Girl of the Golden West

Father Sienna ( Actor )

... 1938

Victoria the Great

Lord Melbourne ( Actor )

... 1937

Lost Horizon

Chang ( Actor )

... 1937

Blackmailer

Michael Rankin ( Actor )

... 1936

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

Judge May ( Actor )

... 1936

Moonlight Murder

Godfrey Chiltern ( Actor )

... 1936

The Garden Murder Case

Major Fenwicke-Ralston ( Actor )

... 1936

Rose of the Rancho

Don Pasqual Castro ( Actor )

... 1936

A Tale of Two Cities

Theophile Gabelle ( Actor )

... 1935

Born to Gamble

Carter Mathews ( Actor )

... 1935

Night Alarm

Henry B. Smith ( Actor )

... 1934

Behold My Wife!

Hubert Carter ( Actor )

... 1934

In Old Santa Fe

Charlie Miller ( Actor )

... 1934

Grand Canary

Dr Ismay ( Actor )

... 1934

Viva Villa!

Man ( Actor )

... 1934

Sorrell and Son

Captain Stephen Sorrell ( Actor )

... 1934

Christopher Bean

Maxwell Davenport ( Actor )

... 1933

Jennie Gerhardt

William Gerhardt ( Actor )

... 1933

Supernatural

Dr. Carl Houston ( Actor )

... 1933

The Son-Daughter

Sin Kai ( Actor )

... 1932

The Phantom of Crestwood

Priam Andes ( Actor )

... 1932

The Crusader

Phillip Brandon ( Actor )

... 1932

Tom Brown of Culver

Dr. Brown ( Actor )

... 1932

Unholy Love

Dr. Daniel Gregory ( Actor )

... 1932

Cross-Examination

Gerald Waring ( Actor )

... 1932

A Woman Commands

Col. Stradimirovitsch ( Actor )

... 1932

The Menace

Inspector Tracy ( Actor )

... 1932

Charlie Chan's Chance

Inspector Fife ( Actor )

... 1932

Expensive Women

Melville Raymond ( Actor )

... 1931

Five Star Final

Michael Townsend ( Actor )

... 1931

The Reckless Hour

Walter Nichols ( Actor )

... 1931

A Woman of Experience

Hugh Schmidt ( Actor )

... 1931

The Princess and the Plumber

Prince Conrad of Daritzia ( Actor )

... 1930

Liliom

Chief Magistrate ( Actor )

... 1930

On Your Back

Raymond Pryor ( Actor )

... 1930

Wild Company

Henry Grayson ( Actor )

... 1930

The Second Floor Mystery

Inspector Bray ( Actor )

... 1930

The Furies

Oliver Bedlow ( Actor )

... 1930

The Green Goddess

Major Crespin ( Actor )

... 1930

Wedding Rings

Lewis Dike ( Actor )

... 1929

Tiger Rose

Dr. Cusick ( Actor )

... 1929

Show of Shows

The Victim - Guillotine Sequence (uncredited) ( Actor )

... 1929

The Argyle Case

Hurley ( Actor )

... 1929

The Gamblers

James Darwin ( Actor )

... 1929

The Trial of Mary Dugan

District Attorney Galway ( Actor )

... 1929

Stark Mad

Prof. Dangerfield ( Actor )

... 1929

The Doctor's Secret

Richard Garson ( Actor )

... 1929

The Divine Lady

Sir William Hamilton ( Actor )

... 1928

Conquest

James Farnham ( Actor )

... 1928

Romance of a Rogue

Bruce Lowry ( Actor )

... 1928

Man-Made Women

Jules Moret ( Actor )

... 1928

French Dressing

Phillip Grey ( Actor )

... 1927

Sorrell and Son

Stephen Sorrell ( Actor )

... 1927

The King of Kings

Jesus, The Christ ( Actor )

... 1927

Silence

Jim Warren ( Actor )

... 1926

Whispering Smith

'Whispering Smith' ( Actor )

... 1926

Is Love Everything?

Jordan Southwick ( Actor )

... 1924

Zaza

Bernard Dufresne ( Actor )

... 1923

When We Were Twenty-One

Richard Carewe ( Actor )

... 1921

Felix O'Day

Felix O'Day ( Actor )

... 1920

... 1920

The Pagan God

Bruce Winthrop ( Actor )

... 1919

Danger Trail

John Howland ( Actor )

... 1917

God's Man

Arnold L'Hommedieu ( Actor )

... 1917

... 1917

Shell 43

William Berner ( Actor )

... 1916

The Raiders

Scott Wells ( Actor )

... 1916

The Ghost Breaker

Warren Jarvis ( Actor )

... 1914

The Lost Paradise

Reuben Warren ( Actor )

... 1914