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
H.B. Warner
Sunset Boulevard
Mr. Gower
It's a Wonderful Life
Senate Majority Leader
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Chang
Lost Horizon
George Clayton
One Hour Before Dawn
The Son of God
Lux Æterna: The Art of Filmmaking
Dr. Mansfield, plastic surgeon
Strange Impersonation
The Voice of History (voice)
Prospecting for Petroleum
Professor Reynolds
Rogues' Gallery
Judge May
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
Priam Andes
The Phantom of Crestwood
Mr. Ramsey
You Can't Take It with You
Bruce Lowry
Romance of a Rogue
Mr. Slocum
High Wall
Richard Garson
The Doctor's Secret
Theophile Gabelle
A Tale of Two Cities
Justice Hawthorne
All That Money Can Buy
John Howland
Danger Trail
Michael Townsend
Five Star Final
Prosecuting Attorney
Crossroads
Colonel Nielsen
Arrest Bulldog Drummond
Father Michel
New Moon
Father Sienna
The Girl of the Golden West
Phillip Grey
French Dressing
Dr. Cusick
Tiger Rose
Jeffrey Moore
The Boss of Big Town
Jesus, The Christ
The King of Kings
Ray Jardin
Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime
Richard Lawrence
The Gracie Allen Murder Case
Melville Raymond
Expensive Women
Colonel Nielson
Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police
Jordan Southwick
Is Love Everything?
'Whispering Smith'
Whispering Smith
Felix O'Day
Felix O'Day
Oliver Bedlow
The Furies
Sir William Hamilton
The Divine Lady
Rev. Hollingsworth
Driftwood
Colonel Nielson
Bulldog Drummond's Bride
Dr. Carl Houston
Supernatural
District Attorney Galway
The Trial of Mary Dugan
Colonel J. A. Nielsen
Bulldog Drummond in Africa
Major Fenwicke-Ralston
The Garden Murder Case
Chief Magistrate
Liliom
Major Crespin
The Green Goddess
Gerald Waring
Cross-Examination
Chen Tsu
The Adventures of Marco Polo
Col. Eberhart Brandt
Enemy of Women
Walter Nichols
The Reckless Hour
Charlie Miller
In Old Santa Fe
Hubert Carter
Behold My Wife!
Bernard Dufresne
Zaza
Victor Brigard
The Toy Wife
Stephen Sorrell
Sorrell and Son
Inspector Bray
The Second Floor Mystery
Carter Mathews
Born to Gamble
Feodor
Seven Deadly Sins: Wrath
Feodor
The Seventh Sin
Dr. Martin
Along Came Love
William Gerhardt
Jennie Gerhardt
Col. Armstrong
Army Girl
Rutledge
Let Freedom Ring
Godfrey Chiltern
Moonlight Murder
Inspector Tracy
The Menace
Judge Fletcher
El Paso
Sin Kai
The Son-Daughter
Dr. Daniel Gregory
Unholy Love
Phillip Brandon
The Crusader
Bruce Winthrop
The Pagan God
Capt. McVeigh
City of Missing Girls
Hugh Gibson
Nurse Edith Cavell
Mr. Carrington
Topper Returns
The Victim - Guillotine Sequence (uncredited)
The Show of Shows
Inspector Fife
Charlie Chan's Chance
Father José Sierra
The First Legion
The Bishop
Hitler's Children
Herbert Forbes
A Yank in Libya
Arnold L'Hommedieu
God's Man
William Berner
Shell 43
Judge Abbott
Captain Tugboat Annie
Hugh Schmidt
A Woman of Experience
Maharajah
The Rains Came
Henry B. Smith
Night Alarm
Henry Grayson
Wild Company
Dr. Enrico Paoli
The Corsican Brothers
Wiz, the Wino
Journey Into Light
Prof. Dangerfield
Stark Mad
Chief Justice Hayes
The Judge Steps Out
Angus Rankeiller
Kidnapped
Defense Attorney Rankins
Faces in the Fog
Don Pasqual Castro
Rose of the Rancho
Hurley
The Argyle Case
Lord Melbourne
Victoria the Great
Dr. Robert Lowndes
The Beggar of Cawnpore
Scott Wells
The Raiders
Prince Tonio
The Vagabond Prince
Pastor Renz
Women in Bondage
Maou
Savage Drums
Dr. Brown
Tom Brown of Culver
Col. Stradimirovitsch
A Woman Commands
Brother Joseph
Hellfire
Reuben Warren
The Lost Paradise
Uncle Elihu
Here Comes the Groom
Raymond Pryor
On Your Back
High Chief Kawalima
South of Tahiti
British Consul Brent
Our Fighting Navy
Jim Warren
Silence
Dr Ismay
Grand Canary
James Darwin
The Gamblers
Amminadab
The Ten Commandments
Captain Stephen Sorrell
Sorrell and Son
Gilbert Head
The Prince of Thieves
James Farnham
Conquest
Abdul al-Rashid
Action in Arabia
Man
Viva Villa!
Prince Conrad of Daritzia
The Princess and the Plumber
James Sanford Richardson
The Man from Broadway
Self (archive footage)
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
Michael Rankin
Blackmailer
Sen. McCarden
Gentleman Joe Palooka
John Armstrong
The Market of Vain Desire
Richard Carewe
When We Were Twenty-One
Maxwell Davenport
Christopher Bean
Jules Moret
Man-Made Women
Lewis Dike
Wedding Rings
Warren Jarvis
The Ghost Breaker
Duke of Monmouth
English Nell
Doctor West / Harry West
The Gray Wolf's Ghost
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
127
Gender
Male
Birthday
1875-10-25
Place of Birth
London, England, UK
Also Known As
Harry Byron Lickfold