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H.B. Warner

Actor | * 10/26/1875 († 83, 12/21/1958) | London, England (United Kingdom (UK))
Henry Byron Warner (born Henry Byron Lickfold; 26 October 1876 – 21 December 1958) was an English film and theatre actor. He was popular during the silent era and played Jesus Christ in The King of Kings. In later years, he successfully moved into supporting roles and appeared in numerous films directed by Frank Capra. Warner's most recognizable role to modern audiences is Mr. Gower in It's a Wonderful Life, directed by Capra. He appeared in the original 1937 version of Lost Horizon as Chang, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. ()
Photo 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).

Most frequent genres for this person: Drama | Romance / Love | Comedies

Known for these Movies & Shows

Awards & Nominations for H.B. Warner

Star On Hollywood Walk of Fame Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
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Movies with H.B. Warner as Actor(121)

as Self (archive footage)1988 James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
as Amminadab1956 The Ten Commandments
as Maou1951 Savage Drums
as Father José Sierra1951 The First Legion
as Wiz, the Wino1951 Journey Into Light
as Uncle Elihu1951 Here Comes the Groom
as himself1950 Sunset Boulevard
as Judge Fletcher1949 El Paso
as Brother Joseph1949 Hellfire
as Gilbert Head1948 The Prince Of Thieves
as Rev. Hollingsworth1947 Driftwood
as Chief Justice Hayes1947 The Judge Steps Out
as Mr. Slocum1947 High Wall
as The Voice of History (voice)1946 Prospecting for Petroleum
as Sen. McCarden1946 Gentleman Joe Palooka
as Mr. Gower1946 It's a Wonderful Life
as Dr. Mansfield, plastic surgeon1946 Strange Impersonation
as Judge Abbott1945 Captain Tugboat Annie
as Defense Attorney Rankins1944 Faces in the Fog
as Abdul El Rashid1944 Action in Arabia
as Col. Eberhart Brandt1944 Enemy of Women
as Professor Reynolds1944 Rogues' Gallery
as Pastor Renz1943 Women in Bondage
as The Bishop1943 Hitler's Children
as Prosecuting Attorney1942 Crossroads
as Jeffrey Moore1942 The Boss of Big Town
as Herbert Forbes1942 A Yank In Libya
as Mr. Carrington1941 Topper Returns
as High Chief Kawalima1941 South of Tahiti
as Justice Hawthorne1941 All That Money Can Buy
as Dr. Enrico Paoli1941 The Corsican Brothers
as Capt. McVeigh1941 City of Missing Girls
as Father Michel1940 New Moon
as Rutledge1939 Let Freedom Ring
as Senate Majority Leader1939 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
as Colonel Nielson1939 Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police
as Hugh Gibson1939 Nurse Edith Cavell
as Richard Lawrence1939 The Gracie Allen Murder Case
as Maharajah1939 The Rains Came
as Colonel Nielson1939 Bulldog Drummond's Bride
as Colonel J. A. Nielsen1938 Bulldog Drummond in Africa
as Mr. Ramsey1938 You Can't Take It with You
as Colonel Nielsen1938 Arrest Bulldog Drummond
as Angus Rankeiller1938 Kidnapped
as Victor Brigard1938 The Toy Wife
as Col. Armstrong1938 Army Girl
as Father Sienna1938 The Girl of the Golden West
as British Consul Brent1937 Our Fighting Navy
as Chang1937 Lost Horizon
as Lord Melbourne1937 Victoria the Great
as Judge May1936 Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
as Godfrey Chiltern1936 Moonlight Murder
as Michael Rankin1936 Blackmailer
as Dr. Martin1936 Along Came Love
as Major Fenwicke-Ralston1936 The Garden Murder Case
as Don Pasqual Castro1936 Rose of the Rancho
as Theophile Gabelle1935 A Tale of Two Cities
as Carter Mathews1935 Born to Gamble
as Henry B. Smith1934 Night Alarm
as Hubert Carter1934 Behold My Wife!
as Charlie Miller1934 In Old Santa Fe
as Man1934 Viva Villa!
as Dr Ismay1934 Grand Canary
as Captain Stephen Sorrell1934 Sorrell and Son
as Dr. Carl Houston1933 Supernatural
as William Gerhardt1933 Jennie Gerhardt
as Maxwell Davenport1933 Christopher Bean
as Col. Stradimirovitsch1932 A Woman Commands
as Inspector Tracy1932 The Menace
as Dr. Daniel Gregory1932 Unholy Love
as Phillip Brandon1932 The Crusader
as Dr. Brown1932 Tom Brown of Culver
as Sin Kai1932 The Son-Daughter
as Inspector Fife1932 Charlie Chan's Chance
as Gerald Waring1932 Cross-Examination
as Priam Andes1932 The Phantom of Crestwood
as Walter Nichols1931 The Reckless Hour
as Hugh Schmidt1931 A Woman of Experience
as Melville Raymond1931 Expensive Women
as Michael Townsend1931 Five Star Final
as Raymond Pryor1930 On Your Back
as Major Crespin1930 The Green Goddess
as Chief Magistrate1930 Liliom
as Prince Conrad of Daritzia1930 The Princess and the Plumber
as Inspector Bray1930 The Second Floor Mystery
as Henry Grayson1930 Wild Company
as Lewis Dike1929 Wedding Rings
as District Attorney Galway1929 The Trial Of Mary Dugan
as James Darwin1929 The Gamblers
as Sir William Hamilton1929 The Divine Lady
as Prof. Dangerfield1929 Stark Mad
as Dr. Cusick1929 Tiger Rose
as Richard Garson1929 The Doctor's Secret
as The Victim - Guillotine Sequence (uncredited)1929 Show of Shows
as James Farnham1928 Conquest
as Bruce Lowry1928 Romance of a Rogue
as Jules Moret1928 Man-Made Women
as Jesus, The Christ1927 The King of Kings
as Stephen Sorrell1927 Sorrell and Son
as Phillip Grey1927 French Dressing
as 'Whispering Smith'1926 Whispering Smith
as Jim Warren1926 Silence
as Jordan Southwick1924 Is Love Everything?
as James Sanford Richardson1924 The Man from Broadway
as Bernard Dufresne1923 Zaza
as Richard Carewe1921 When We Were Twenty-One
as Felix O'Day1920 Felix O'Day
as Arnold L'Hommedieu1917 God's Man
as John Howland1917 Danger Trail
as William Berner1916 Shell 43
as Prince Tonio1916 The Vagabond Prince
as Scott Wells1916 The Raiders
as Dr. Robert Lowndes1916 The Beggar of Cawnpore
as Warren Jarvis1914 The Ghost Breaker
as Reuben Warren1914 The Lost Paradise

Full Name: Henry Byron Warner
Citizenship: United Kingdom (UK)
Born: Tuesday, 10/26 1875 (October) in London, England (United Kingdom (UK))
Died: Sunday, 12/21 1958 (December) in Woodland Hills (aged: 83)
Zodiac sign: Scorpio (Chinese zodiac sign: Pig)
Languages: English (EN)
Educated at: Bedford School
Spouses (current/former): Rita Stanwood
Siblings: Grace Warner
Father: Charles Warner
Other names for H.B. Warner (nicknames, foreign languages etc.):
"Harry Byron Lickfold"
"Henry B. Warner"
"H. B. Warner"
"Henry Byron Charles Stewart Warner-Lickford"
H.B. Warner frequently works together with these people:
Frank Capra (13x, Crew)
Cecil B. DeMille (11x, Crew)
Cedric Gibbons (8x, Crew)
Hans Dreier (7x, Crew)
Frank O'Connor (7x, Actor)
Oscar Apfel (7x, Actor)
Edward Keane (6x, Actor)
Adrian (6x, Crew)
Irving Bacon (6x, Actor)
Charles Lane (6x, Actor)
Lois Wilson (6x, Actress)
WatchPlayStream ID: PEOPLE:111764, Added: 06/27/2018, Last updated: 03/22/2024