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H.B. Warner

H.B. Warner

Acting October 25, 1876 (82 years old) December 21, 1958 London, England, UK

Biography

Henry Byron Warner (often credited as H.B. Warner) was an English actor. He 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).

Movies 134

It's a Wonderful Life 8.3

It's a Wonderful Life

as Mr. Gower

1946
The Ten Commandments 7.8

The Ten Commandments

as Amminadab

1956
Sunset Boulevard 8.3

Sunset Boulevard

as H.B. Warner

1950
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington 7.8

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

as Senate Majority Leader

1939
You Can't Take It with You 7.5

You Can't Take It with You

as Ramsey

1938
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town 7.5

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

as Judge May

1936
Lost Horizon 7.0

Lost Horizon

as Chang

1937
The King of Kings 6.4

The King of Kings

as Jesus, The Christ

1927
All That Money Can Buy 7.0

All That Money Can Buy

as Justice Hawthorne

1941
A Tale of Two Cities 6.9

A Tale of Two Cities

as Theophile Gabelle

1935
Driftwood 6.8

Driftwood

as Rev. Hollingsworth

1947
The Girl of the Golden West 5.3

The Girl of the Golden West

as Father Sienna

1938
The Adventures of Marco Polo 6.1

The Adventures of Marco Polo

as Chen Tsu

1938
Strange Impersonation 6.1

Strange Impersonation

as Dr. Mansfield, plastic surgeon

1946
The Judge Steps Out 6.8

The Judge Steps Out

as Chief Justice Hayes

1947
Here Comes the Groom 5.4

Here Comes the Groom

as Uncle Elihu

1951
El Paso 6.0

El Paso

as Judge Fletcher

1949
The Corsican Brothers 7.0

The Corsican Brothers

as Dr. Enrico Paoli

1942
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life 6.5

James Stewart: A Wonderful Life

as Self (archive footage)

1987
Rose of the Rancho 7.0

Rose of the Rancho

as Don Pasqual Castro

1936
The Phantom of Crestwood 5.9

The Phantom of Crestwood

as Priam Andes

1932
Topper Returns 6.5

Topper Returns

as Mr. Carrington

1941
Hellfire 6.4

Hellfire

as Brother Joseph

1949
High Wall 6.4

High Wall

as Mr. Slocum

1947
Zaza 6.3

Zaza

as Bernard Dufresne

1923
Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police 6.2

Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police

as Colonel Nielson

1939
The Prince of Thieves 6.4

The Prince of Thieves

as Gilbert Head

1948
The Show of Shows 6.6

The Show of Shows

as The Victim - Guillotine Sequence (uncredited)

1929
The Son-Daughter 6.5

The Son-Daughter

as Sin Kai

1932
One Hour Before Dawn 10.0

One Hour Before Dawn

as George Clayton

1920
Army Girl 6.8

Army Girl

as Col. Armstrong

1938
Victoria the Great 5.6

Victoria the Great

as Lord Melbourne

1937
Let Freedom Ring 6.8

Let Freedom Ring

as Rutledge

1939
The Garden Murder Case 5.7

The Garden Murder Case

as Major Fenwicke-Ralston

1936
Crossroads 5.9

Crossroads

as Prosecuting Attorney

1942
New Moon 6.9

New Moon

as Father Michel

1940
Action in Arabia 5.9

Action in Arabia

as Abdul al-Rashid

1944
French Dressing 3.7

French Dressing

as Phillip Grey

1927
The Rains Came 6.1

The Rains Came

as Maharajah

1939
The Gracie Allen Murder Case 6.3

The Gracie Allen Murder Case

as Richard Lawrence

1939
Charlie Chan's Chance 7.3

Charlie Chan's Chance

as Inspector Fife

1932
Nurse Edith Cavell 6.6

Nurse Edith Cavell

as Hugh Gibson

1939
Silence 8.0

Silence

as Jim Warren

1926
Tom Brown of Culver 6.8

Tom Brown of Culver

as Dr. Brown

1932
Five Star Final 6.6

Five Star Final

as Michael Townsend

1931
Captain Tugboat Annie 8.0

Captain Tugboat Annie

as Judge Abbott

1945
Kidnapped 6.0

Kidnapped

as Angus Rankeiller

1938
Bulldog Drummond in Africa 5.8

Bulldog Drummond in Africa

as Colonel J. A. Nielsen

1938
Romance of a Rogue 10.0

Romance of a Rogue

as Bruce Lowry

1928
Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime 5.8

Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime

as Ray Jardin

1941
A Woman of Experience 6.2

A Woman of Experience

as Hugh Schmidt

1931
The Menace 5.6

The Menace

as Inspector Tracy

1932
Supernatural 6.1

Supernatural

as Dr. Carl Houston

1933
In Old Santa Fe 5.8

In Old Santa Fe

as Charlie Miller

1934
For a Woman's Honor 10.0

For a Woman's Honor

as Captain Clyde Mannering

1919
Wild Company 7.0

Wild Company

as Henry Grayson

1930
Tiger Rose 7.0

Tiger Rose

as Dr. Cusick

1929
Expensive Women 5.7

Expensive Women

as Melville Raymond

1931
Liliom 6.8

Liliom

as Chief Magistrate

1930
Dice of Destiny 7.0

Dice of Destiny

as Jimmy Doyle

1920
The Second Floor Mystery 8.0

The Second Floor Mystery

as Inspector Bray

1930
Arrest Bulldog Drummond 6.8

Arrest Bulldog Drummond

as Colonel Nielsen

1938
Savage Drums 7.0

Savage Drums

as Maou

1951
Behold My Wife! 8.0

Behold My Wife!

as Hubert Carter

1934
Bulldog Drummond's Bride 6.3

Bulldog Drummond's Bride

as Colonel Nielson

1939
Faces in the Fog 4.3

Faces in the Fog

as Defense Attorney Rankins

1944
The Princess and the Plumber 10.0

The Princess and the Plumber

as Prince Conrad of Daritzia

1930
A Yank in Libya 4.7

A Yank in Libya

as Herbert Forbes

1942
The Toy Wife 5.0

The Toy Wife

as Victor Brigard

1938
The Gray Wolf's Ghost 10.0

The Gray Wolf's Ghost

as Doctor West / Harry West

1919
The Trial of Mary Dugan 6.4

The Trial of Mary Dugan

as District Attorney Galway

1929
Sorrell and Son 6.0

Sorrell and Son

as Stephen Sorrell

1927
The Doctor's Secret 7.0

The Doctor's Secret

as Richard Garson

1929
The Man Who Turned White 7.0

The Man Who Turned White

as Captain Rand / Ali Zaman

1919
Blackmailer 6.5

Blackmailer

as Michael Rankin

1936
Rogues' Gallery 5.9

Rogues' Gallery

as Professor Reynolds

1944
When We Were Twenty-One 7.0

When We Were Twenty-One

as Richard Carewe

1921
City of Missing Girls 4.7

City of Missing Girls

as Capt. McVeigh

1941
The Gamblers 9.0

The Gamblers

as James Darwin

1929
The First Legion 7.4

The First Legion

as Father José Sierra

1951
Hitler's Children 6.1

Hitler's Children

as The Bishop

1943
Journey Into Light 6.5

Journey Into Light

as Wiz, the Wino

1951
Moonlight Murder 4.8

Moonlight Murder

as Godfrey Chiltern

1936
Viva Villa! 6.2

Viva Villa!

as Man

1934
Women in Bondage 6.8

Women in Bondage

as Pastor Renz

1943
Justice Takes a Holiday 8.0

Justice Takes a Holiday

as John Logan

1933
The Boss of Big Town 6.2

The Boss of Big Town

as Jeffrey Moore

1942
Along Came Love 6.3

Along Came Love

as Dr. Martin

1936
Enemy of Women 5.1

Enemy of Women

as Col. Eberhart Brandt

1944
Night Alarm 5.4

Night Alarm

as Henry B. Smith

1934
A Woman Commands 9.0

A Woman Commands

as Col. Stradimirovitsch

1932
The Naughty Duchess

The Naughty Duchess

1928
The Pagan God 9.0

The Pagan God

as Bruce Winthrop

1919
Christopher Bean 8.0

Christopher Bean

as Maxwell Davenport

1933
A Fugitive from Matrimony 9.0

A Fugitive from Matrimony

as Stephen Van Courtlandt

1919
Grand Canary 4.8

Grand Canary

as Dr Ismay

1934
The Reckless Hour 6.6

The Reckless Hour

as Walter Nichols

1931
The Beggar of Cawnpore

The Beggar of Cawnpore

as Dr. Robert Lowndes

1916
Felix O'Day 10.0

Felix O'Day

as Felix O'Day

1920
Lux Æterna: The Art of Filmmaking 6.9

Lux Æterna: The Art of Filmmaking

as The Son of God

2019
The Vagabond Prince

The Vagabond Prince

as Prince Tonio

1916
Wedding Rings 8.0

Wedding Rings

as Lewis Dike

1929
Gentleman Joe Palooka

Gentleman Joe Palooka

as Sen. McCarden

1946
The Green Goddess 4.9

The Green Goddess

as Major Crespin

1930
South of Tahiti 6.5

South of Tahiti

as High Chief Kawalima

1941
English Nell

English Nell

as Duke of Monmouth

1900
Whispering Smith 9.0

Whispering Smith

as 'Whispering Smith'

1926
The Man from Broadway

The Man from Broadway

as James Sanford Richardson

1924
Seven Deadly Sins: Wrath

Seven Deadly Sins: Wrath

as Feodor

1917
Stark Mad 5.5

Stark Mad

as Prof. Dangerfield

1929
The Divine Lady 5.3

The Divine Lady

as Sir William Hamilton

1928
Is Love Everything? 9.0

Is Love Everything?

as Jordan Southwick

1924
Sorrell and Son 5.0

Sorrell and Son

as Captain Stephen Sorrell

1934
The Furies 7.0

The Furies

as Oliver Bedlow

1930
On Your Back 8.0

On Your Back

as Raymond Pryor

1930
Jennie Gerhardt 5.7

Jennie Gerhardt

as William Gerhardt

1933
The Market of Vain Desire

The Market of Vain Desire

as John Armstrong

1916
Our Fighting Navy 3.5

Our Fighting Navy

as British Consul Brent

1937
Danger Trail

Danger Trail

as John Howland

1917
Haunting Shadows

Haunting Shadows

as John Glenarm

1919
Man-Made Women 9.0

Man-Made Women

as Jules Moret

1928
Unholy Love 4.0

Unholy Love

as Dr. Daniel Gregory

1932
The Lost Paradise

The Lost Paradise

as Reuben Warren

1914
The Ghost Breaker

The Ghost Breaker

as Warren Jarvis

1914
The Crusader 7.2

The Crusader

as Phillip Brandon

1932
Born to Gamble 5.2

Born to Gamble

as Carter Mathews

1935
The Seventh Sin 7.0

The Seventh Sin

as Feodor

1917
God's Man

God's Man

as Arnold L'Hommedieu

1917
The Raiders

The Raiders

as Scott Wells

1916
The Argyle Case 10.0

The Argyle Case

as Hurley

1929
Prospecting for Petroleum

Prospecting for Petroleum

as The Voice of History (voice)

1946
Cross-Examination 5.1

Cross-Examination

as Gerald Waring

1932
Conquest 8.0

Conquest

as James Farnham

1928
Shell 43

Shell 43

as William Berner

1916

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