H.B. Warner

About H.B. Warner

Who is it?: Actor
Birth Day: October 26, 1876
Birth Place:  London, England, United Kingdom
Died On: 21 December 1958(1958-12-21) (aged 82)\nWoodland Hills, California, United States
Birth Sign: Scorpio
Cause of death: Heart attack
Resting place: Chapel of the Crematory, Los Angeles, California
Occupation: Actor
Years active: 1896–1958
Spouse(s): Mrs. Fred R. Hamlin (1907-1914) (her death) Rita Stanwood (1915-1933, divorced) 3 children

H.B. Warner Net Worth

H.B. Warner was born on October 26, 1876 in  London, England, United Kingdom, is Actor. 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 All That Money Can Buy (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).Henry Warner died on December 21, 1958 in Woodland Hills, California. He was 83 years old.
H.B. Warner is a member of Actor

💰 Net worth: Under Review

Some H.B. Warner images

Biography/Timeline

1876

Born Henry Byron Lickfold in St John's Wood, London, England in 1876, H. B. Warner was educated at Bedford School. His father, Charles Warner, was an actor, and though young Henry initially thought about studying Medicine, he eventually followed in his father's footsteps and performed on the stage. He had an older sister, Grace Warner (1873-1925), who was a stage Actress and manager.

1905

Warner's stage debut came in It's Never Too Late to Mend when he was 21. He acted in a several plays before coming to the United States for the 1905-1906 season. His Broadway credits include Silence (1924), You and I (1922), Danger (1921), Sleeping Partners (1918), Out There (1917), and Blackbirds (1912).

1914

H. B. Warner began his film career in silent films in 1914, when he debuted in The Lost Paradise. He played lead roles in the silent era and also appeared in numerous Broadway plays. His greatest success was the role of Jesus Christ in Cecil B. DeMille's silent film epic The King of Kings in 1927. He received good reviews for this role, but with the advent of sound era, he turned towards supporting roles, mostly because of his age. He usually was cast in dignified roles in numerous films of the 1930s and 1940s. He played in the 1930 version of Liliom (as the Heavenly Magistrate), in Five Star Final (1931, as Michael Townsend), in Grand Canary (1934, as Dr. Ismay), and the 1935 version of A Tale of Two Cities as Gabelle. He also portrayed the strict judge in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) with Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur. 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.

1938

Among his later films were You Can't Take It With You (1938), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), The Rains Came (1939), and The Corsican Brothers. In It's a Wonderful Life (1946) he played what was for him an atypical role, as the drunken druggist. Occasionally, Warner was seen in sinister roles, as in the 1941 film version of The Devil and Daniel Webster, in which he played the ghost of John Hathorne. Also that year he played the villainous role of Mr. Carrington in Topper Returns. He also appeared in Sunset Boulevard (1950) in which he played himself, playing cards with some other former silent film stars including Buster Keaton and Anna Q Nilsson. His last film role was an uncredited cameo in Darby's Rangers (1958).

1958

Warner was married twice, first to the former Mrs. F.R. Hamlin who died in 1914 and from 1915 until 1933 to Marguerite L. 'Rita' Stanwood. On 21 December 1958 Warner died in Los Angeles, California of a heart attack, and is buried in the Chapel of the Pines Crematory in Los Angeles, California.