H.B. Warner
Age: 83 | From: London, England, UK
Person Details
Birthday: 1875-10-26 18:31:57
Death: 1958-12-21 18:31:57
Aliases: Harry Byron Lickfold , Henry B. Warner , H. B. Warner
Gender: Male
Place of birth: London, England, UK
Homepage:
Movie Involvements: 100
TV Involvements: 0
Most Famous Work
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).
Most Famous Work
The Ten Commandments
(1956) Amminadab
It's a Wonderful Life
(1946) Mr. Gower
Sunset Boulevard
(1950) H.B. Warner
Lost Horizon
(1937) Chang
All That Money Can Buy
(1941) Justice Hawthorne
A Tale of Two Cities
(1935) Theophile Gabelle
Supernatural
(1933) Dr. Carl Houston
Hitler's Children
(1943) The BishopActing
| Year | Character | Movie/Tv |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | The Son of God | |
| 1988 | Self (archive footage) | |
| 1956 | Amminadab | |
| 1951 | Wiz, the Wino | |
| Uncle Elihu | ||
| Maou | ||
| Father José Sierra | ||
| 1950 | H.B. Warner | |
| 1949 | Brother Joseph | |
| Judge Fletcher | ||
| 1948 | Gilbert Head | |
| 1947 | Mr. Slocum | |
| Chief Justice Hayes | ||
| Rev. Hollingsworth | ||
| 1946 | Mr. Gower | |
| Sen. McCarden | ||
| Dr. Mansfield, plastic surgeon | ||
| The Voice of History (voice) | ||
| 1945 | Judge Abbott | |
| 1944 | Professor Reynolds | |
| Defense Attorney Rankins | ||
| Col. Eberhart Brandt | ||
| Abdul El Rashid | ||
| 1943 | Pastor Renz | |
| The Bishop | ||
| 1942 | Jeffrey Moore | |
| Herbert Forbes | ||
| Prosecuting Attorney | ||
| 1941 | Dr. Enrico Paoli | |
| High Chief Kawalima | ||
| Justice Hawthorne | ||
| Ray Jardin | ||
| Capt. McVeigh | ||
| Mr. Carrington | ||
| 1940 | Father Michel | |
| 1939 | Senate Majority Leader | |
| Maharajah | ||
| Hugh Gibson | ||
| Colonel Nielson | ||
| Richard Lawrence | ||
| Colonel Nielson | ||
| Rutledge | ||
| 1938 | Colonel Nielsen | |
| Mr. Ramsey | ||
| Col. Armstrong | ||
| Colonel J. A. Nielsen | ||
| Victor Brigard | ||
| Angus Rankeiller | ||
| Chen Tsu | ||
| Father Sienna | ||
| 1937 | British Consul Brent | |
| Lord Melbourne | ||
| Chang | ||
| 1936 | Dr. Martin | |
| Michael Rankin | ||
| Judge May | ||
| Godfrey Chiltern | ||
| Major Fenwicke-Ralston | ||
| Don Pasqual Castro | ||
| 1935 | Theophile Gabelle | |
| Carter Mathews | ||
| 1934 | Henry B. Smith | |
| Hubert Carter | ||
| Charlie Miller | ||
| Dr Ismay | ||
| Man | ||
| Captain Stephen Sorrell | ||
| 1933 | Maxwell Davenport | |
| William Gerhardt | ||
| Dr. Carl Houston | ||
| 1932 | Sin Kai | |
| Priam Andes | ||
| Phillip Brandon | ||
| Dr. Brown | ||
| Dr. Daniel Gregory | ||
| Gerald Waring | ||
| Col. Stradimirovitsch | ||
| Inspector Tracy | ||
| Inspector Fife | ||
| 1931 | Melville Raymond | |
| Michael Townsend | ||
| Walter Nichols | ||
| Hugh Schmidt | ||
| 1930 | Prince Conrad of Daritzia | |
| Chief Magistrate | ||
| Raymond Pryor | ||
| Henry Grayson | ||
| Inspector Bray | ||
| Oliver Bedlow | ||
| Major Crespin | ||
| 1929 | Lewis Dike | |
| Dr. Cusick | ||
| The Victim - Guillotine Sequence (uncredited) | ||
| James Darwin | ||
| District Attorney Galway | ||
| Prof. Dangerfield | ||
| Richard Garson | ||
| 1928 | Sir William Hamilton | |
| James Farnham | ||
| Bruce Lowry | ||
| Jules Moret | ||
| 1927 | Phillip Grey | |
| Stephen Sorrell | ||
| Jesus, The Christ | ||
| 1926 | Jim Warren | |
| 'Whispering Smith' | ||
| 1924 | Jordan Southwick | |
| James Sanford Richardson | ||
| 1923 | Bernard Dufresne | |
| 1921 | Richard Carewe | |
| 1920 | Felix O'Day | |
| N/A | ||
| 1919 | Bruce Winthrop | |
| 1917 | John Howland | |
| Arnold L'Hommedieu | ||
| N/A | ||
| N/A | ||
| 1916 | Prince Tonio | |
| William Berner | ||
| N/A | ||
| Dr. Robert Lowndes | ||
| Scott Wells | ||
| 1914 | Warren Jarvis | |
| Reuben Warren | ||
| Year | Character | Movie/Tv |
