
H.B. Warner
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1875-10-25
Day of Death
1958-12-21 (83 years old)
Place of Birth
London, England, UK
H.B. Warner
Biography
Henry Byron Warner (often credited as H.B. Warner; 25 October 1875 – 21 December 1958) 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).
Known For
Acting
(2019)
Lux Æterna: The Art of Filmmaking
as The Son of God
(1988)
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
as Self (archive footage)
(1956)
The Ten Commandments
as Amminadab
(1951)
Here Comes the Groom
as Uncle Elihu
(1951)
Journey Into Light
as Wiz, the Wino
(1951)
The First Legion
as Father José Sierra
(1951)
Savage Drums
as Maou
(1950)
Sunset Boulevard
as H.B. Warner
(1949)
El Paso
as Judge Fletcher
(1949)
Hellfire
as Brother Joseph
(1948)
The Prince Of Thieves
as Gilbert Head
(1947)
High Wall
as Mr. Slocum
(1947)
Driftwood
as Rev. Hollingsworth
(1947)
The Judge Steps Out
as Chief Justice Hayes
(1946)
It's a Wonderful Life
as Mr. Gower
(1946)
Strange Impersonation
as Dr. Mansfield, plastic surgeon
(1946)
Gentleman Joe Palooka
as Sen. McCarden
(1946)
Prospecting for Petroleum
as The Voice of History (voice)
(1945)
Captain Tugboat Annie
as Judge Abbott
(1944)
Action in Arabia
as Abdul al-Rashid
(1944)
Rogues' Gallery
as Professor Reynolds
(1944)
Faces in the Fog
as Defense Attorney Rankins
(1944)
Enemy of Women
as Col. Eberhart Brandt
(1943)
Women in Bondage
as Pastor Renz
(1943)
Hitler's Children
as The Bishop
(1942)
Crossroads
as Prosecuting Attorney
(1942)
A Yank in Libya
as Herbert Forbes
(1942)
The Boss of Big Town
as Jeffrey Moore
(1941)
Topper Returns
as Mr. Carrington
(1941)
City of Missing Girls
as Capt. McVeigh
(1941)
All That Money Can Buy
as Justice Hawthorne
(1941)
The Corsican Brothers
as Dr. Enrico Paoli
(1941)
Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime
as Ray Jardin
(1941)
South of Tahiti
as High Chief Kawalima
(1940)
New Moon
as Father Michel
(1939)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
as Senate Majority Leader
(1939)
Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police
as Colonel Nielson
(1939)
The Rains Came
as Maharajah
(1939)
The Gracie Allen Murder Case
as Richard Lawrence
(1939)
Nurse Edith Cavell
as Hugh Gibson
(1939)
Let Freedom Ring
as Rutledge
(1939)
Bulldog Drummond's Bride
as Colonel Nielson
(1938)
You Can't Take It with You
as Mr. Ramsey
(1938)
Bulldog Drummond in Africa
as Colonel J. A. Nielsen
(1938)
The Adventures of Marco Polo
as Chen Tsu
(1938)
The Girl of the Golden West
as Father Sienna
(1938)
Kidnapped
as Angus Rankeiller
(1938)
Arrest Bulldog Drummond
as Colonel Nielsen
(1938)
The Toy Wife
as Victor Brigard
(1938)
Army Girl
as Col. Armstrong
(1937)
Lost Horizon
as Chang
(1937)
Victoria the Great
as Lord Melbourne
(1937)
Our Fighting Navy
as British Consul Brent
(1936)
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
as Judge May
(1936)
Moonlight Murder
as Godfrey Chiltern
(1936)
Rose of the Rancho
as Don Pasqual Castro
(1936)
The Garden Murder Case
as Major Fenwicke-Ralston
(1936)
Blackmailer
as Michael Rankin
(1936)
Along Came Love
as Dr. Martin
(1935)
A Tale of Two Cities
as Theophile Gabelle
(1935)
Born to Gamble
as Carter Mathews
(1934)
Grand Canary
as Dr Ismay
(1934)
Viva Villa!
as Man
(1934)
In Old Santa Fe
as Charlie Miller
(1934)
Night Alarm
as Henry B. Smith
(1934)
Behold My Wife!
as Hubert Carter
(1934)
Sorrell and Son
as Captain Stephen Sorrell
(1933)
Supernatural
as Dr. Carl Houston
(1933)
Jennie Gerhardt
as William Gerhardt
(1933)
Christopher Bean
as Maxwell Davenport
(1932)
Unholy Love
as Dr. Daniel Gregory
(1932)
The Phantom of Crestwood
as Priam Andes
(1932)
A Woman Commands
as Col. Stradimirovitsch
(1932)
Cross-Examination
as Gerald Waring
(1932)
The Crusader
as Phillip Brandon
(1932)
The Son-Daughter
as Sin Kai
(1932)
The Menace
as Inspector Tracy
(1932)
Tom Brown of Culver
as Dr. Brown
(1932)
Charlie Chan's Chance
as Inspector Fife
(1931)
Five Star Final
as Michael Townsend
(1931)
Expensive Women
as Melville Raymond
(1931)
A Woman of Experience
as Hugh Schmidt
(1931)
The Reckless Hour
as Walter Nichols
(1930)
The Second Floor Mystery
as Inspector Bray
(1930)
Wild Company
as Henry Grayson
(1930)
The Green Goddess
as Major Crespin
(1930)
Liliom
as Chief Magistrate
(1930)
The Princess and the Plumber
as Prince Conrad of Daritzia
(1930)
The Furies
as Oliver Bedlow
(1930)
On Your Back
as Raymond Pryor
(1929)
Show of Shows
as The Victim - Guillotine Sequence (uncredited)
(1929)
The Trial of Mary Dugan
as District Attorney Galway
(1929)
Stark Mad
as Prof. Dangerfield
(1929)
Wedding Rings
as Lewis Dike
(1929)
Tiger Rose
as Dr. Cusick
(1929)
The Doctor's Secret
as Richard Garson
(1929)
The Argyle Case
as Hurley
(1929)
The Gamblers
as James Darwin
(1928)
Conquest
as James Farnham
(1928)
The Divine Lady
as Sir William Hamilton
(1928)
Man-Made Women
as Jules Moret
(1928)
Romance of a Rogue
as Bruce Lowry
(1927)
The King of Kings
as Jesus, The Christ
(1927)
French Dressing
as Phillip Grey
(1927)
Sorrell and Son
as Stephen Sorrell
(1926)
Whispering Smith
as 'Whispering Smith'
(1926)
Silence
as Jim Warren
(1924)
Is Love Everything?
as Jordan Southwick
(1924)
The Man from Broadway
as James Sanford Richardson
(1923)
Zaza
as Bernard Dufresne
(1921)
When We Were Twenty-One
as Richard Carewe
(1920)
One Hour Before Dawn
as George Clayton
(1920)
Felix O'Day
as Felix O'Day
(1919)
The Pagan God
as Bruce Winthrop
(1917)
God's Man
as Arnold L'Hommedieu
(1917)
The Seventh Sin
as Feodor
(1917)
Danger Trail
as John Howland
(1917)
Seven Deadly Sins: Wrath
as Feodor
(1916)
Shell 43
as William Berner
(1916)
The Vagabond Prince
as Prince Tonio
(1916)
The Raiders
as Scott Wells
(1916)
The Beggar of Cawnpore
as Dr. Robert Lowndes
(1916)
The Market of Vain Desire
as John Armstrong
(1914)
The Lost Paradise
as Reuben Warren
(1914)
The Ghost Breaker
as Warren Jarvis
(1900)
English Nell
as Duke of Monmouth