H.B. Warner, Acting - KorPlix:Korean Person Archives

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H.B. Warner
Acting

H.B. Warner
Known For
Acting
Birthday
1875-10-25,London, England, UK
Gender
Male
Biography
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).

Filmography

Sunset Boulevard

8.312

Sunset Boulevard
1950-08-10

It's a Wonderful Life

8.274

It's a Wonderful Life
1946-12-20

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

7.879

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
1939-10-19

7.02

Lost Horizon
1937-03-03

Strange Impersonation

6

Strange Impersonation
1946-03-16

Rogues' Gallery

4.875

Rogues' Gallery
1944-12-06

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

7.497

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
1936-04-09

6.2

High Wall
1947-12-17

The Phantom of Crestwood

6.1

The Phantom of Crestwood
1932-10-14

You Can't Take It with You

7.471

You Can't Take It with You
1938-09-01

All That Money Can Buy

7.1

All That Money Can Buy
1941-10-17

Five Star Final

6.5

Five Star Final
1931-09-26

5.941

Crossroads
1942-07-23

Arrest Bulldog Drummond

6.7

Arrest Bulldog Drummond
1938-11-25

6.8

New Moon
1940-06-28

The Girl of the Golden West

4.6

The Girl of the Golden West
1938-03-18

The Boss of Big Town

5

The Boss of Big Town
1942-12-07

The King of Kings

6.5

The King of Kings
1927-04-19

Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime

5.8

Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime
1941-08-14

The Gracie Allen Murder Case

5.5

The Gracie Allen Murder Case
1939-06-02

Expensive Women

4.8

Expensive Women
1931-10-24

Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police

6.1

Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police
1939-03-29

The Divine Lady

5.2

The Divine Lady
1928-12-26

The Trial of Mary Dugan

6

The Trial of Mary Dugan
1929-06-08

Nurse Edith Cavell

6.4

Nurse Edith Cavell
1939-08-31

6.1

Driftwood
1947-09-15

Bulldog Drummond's Bride

6.4

Bulldog Drummond's Bride
1939-07-12

6

Supernatural
1933-04-21

Bulldog Drummond in Africa

5.5

Bulldog Drummond in Africa
1938-08-05

The Garden Murder Case

5.5

The Garden Murder Case
1936-02-21

The Green Goddess

4.5

The Green Goddess
1930-02-13

6.6

Liliom
1930-09-27

A Woman Commands

8

A Woman Commands
1932-02-12

Cross-Examination

5

Cross-Examination
1932-02-13

5.1

Enemy of Women
1944-11-10

The Adventures of Marco Polo

5.9

The Adventures of Marco Polo
1938-04-07

The Reckless Hour

7

The Reckless Hour
1931-08-15

In Old Santa Fe

5

In Old Santa Fe
1934-11-15

Behold My Wife!

7

Behold My Wife!
1934-12-06

6.095

Zaza
1923-10-21

4.8

The Toy Wife
1938-06-10

Sorrell and Son

5

Sorrell and Son
1927-12-02

4.8

Born to Gamble
1935-07-09

Along Came Love

0

Along Came Love
1936-11-05

The Second Floor Mystery

0

The Second Floor Mystery
1930-04-26

Jennie Gerhardt

0

Jennie Gerhardt
1933-06-08

6

Army Girl
1938-08-11

Let Freedom Ring

6

Let Freedom Ring
1939-02-24

Moonlight Murder

5

Moonlight Murder
1936-03-27

4

The Menace
1932-01-29

5.6

El Paso
1949-03-22

The Son-Daughter

7

The Son-Daughter
1932-12-23

5

The Crusader
1932-10-04

3

Unholy Love
1932-06-08

City of Missing Girls

4.1

City of Missing Girls
1941-03-27

6.278

Topper Returns
1941-03-21

5.5

Show of Shows
1929-11-21

Charlie Chan's Chance

7

Charlie Chan's Chance
1932-01-24

The First Legion

6.7

The First Legion
1951-05-04

Hitler's Children

5.8

Hitler's Children
1943-01-06

A Yank in Libya

4.3

A Yank in Libya
1942-07-24

A Woman of Experience

5.2

A Woman of Experience
1931-07-08

5.9

The Rains Came
1939-09-15

3.7

Night Alarm
1934-12-10

5

Wild Company
1930-07-05

The Corsican Brothers

6.8

The Corsican Brothers
1941-11-28

3

Stark Mad
1929-02-02

Journey Into Light

6

Journey Into Light
1951-09-28

The Judge Steps Out

7

The Judge Steps Out
1947-12-15

The Beggar of Cawnpore

0

The Beggar of Cawnpore
1916-04-29

0

Conquest
1928-12-22

6

Kidnapped
1938-05-27

Faces in the Fog

3

Faces in the Fog
1944-11-30

Rose of the Rancho

0

Rose of the Rancho
1936-01-09

Victoria the Great

5.3

Victoria the Great
1937-09-01

The Vagabond Prince

0

The Vagabond Prince
1916-10-22

0

The Raiders
1916-02-27

Women in Bondage

5.7

Women in Bondage
1943-12-16

6

Savage Drums
1951-06-22

Tom Brown of Culver

5.2

Tom Brown of Culver
1932-06-30

5.8

Hellfire
1949-05-29

The Lost Paradise

0

The Lost Paradise
1914-09-01

Here Comes the Groom

5.1

Here Comes the Groom
1951-09-20

0

On Your Back
1930-09-14

South of Tahiti

6

South of Tahiti
1941-10-17

7

Silence
1926-04-25

Our Fighting Navy

3

Our Fighting Navy
1937-09-25

4.1

Grand Canary
1934-07-20

0

The Gamblers
1929-06-29

The Ten Commandments

7.76

The Ten Commandments
1956-10-05

Sorrell and Son

5

Sorrell and Son
1934-03-05

The Prince Of Thieves

5.7

The Prince Of Thieves
1948-01-16

Action in Arabia

5.9

Action in Arabia
1944-02-18

6.3

Viva Villa!
1934-04-27

The Princess and the Plumber

0

The Princess and the Plumber
1930-12-21

The Man from Broadway

0

The Man from Broadway
1924-10-01

James Stewart: A Wonderful Life

6

James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
1988-11-22

5

Blackmailer
1936-07-23

Gentleman Joe Palooka

0

Gentleman Joe Palooka
1946-10-05

The Market of Vain Desire

0

The Market of Vain Desire
1916-05-28

0

Man-Made Women
1928-09-09

When We Were Twenty-One

0

When We Were Twenty-One
1921-01-01

Christopher Bean

0

Christopher Bean
1933-11-17

0

Wedding Rings
1929-12-29

The Ghost Breaker

0

The Ghost Breaker
1914-12-07

One Hour Before Dawn

0

One Hour Before Dawn
1920-07-11

Lux Æterna: The Art of Filmmaking

7.5

Lux Æterna: The Art of Filmmaking
2019-05-18

Romance of a Rogue

0

Romance of a Rogue
1928-10-01

The Doctor's Secret

0

The Doctor's Secret
1929-01-26

A Tale of Two Cities

6.8

A Tale of Two Cities
1935-12-25

0

Danger Trail
1917-04-30

French Dressing

1

French Dressing
1927-12-10

0

Tiger Rose
1929-12-21

Is Love Everything?

0

Is Love Everything?
1924-11-30

Whispering Smith

0

Whispering Smith
1926-03-28

0

Felix O'Day
1920-09-12

Seven Deadly Sins: Wrath

0

Seven Deadly Sins: Wrath
1917-03-05

The Seventh Sin

0

The Seventh Sin
1917-03-17

0

God's Man
1917-04-01

0

Shell 43
1916-08-13

Captain Tugboat Annie

0

Captain Tugboat Annie
1945-11-17

Prospecting for Petroleum

0

Prospecting for Petroleum
1946-01-01

0

The Furies
1930-03-16

0

The Pagan God
1919-08-04

The Argyle Case

0

The Argyle Case
1929-08-17