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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
October 25, 1875
Died
December 21, 1958
Place of Birth
London, England, UK
Also Known As
- Harry Byron Lickfold
- Henry B. Warner
- H. B. Warner
- Henry Byron Warner
H.B. Warner
0.9 Popularity
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
7.4
The Son of God
Lux Æterna: The Art of Filmmaking
2019
6.0
Self (archive footage)
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
1987
7.8
Amminadab
The Ten Commandments
1956
6.0
Wiz, the Wino
Journey Into Light
1951
5.2
Uncle Elihu
Here Comes the Groom
1951
6.0
Maou
Savage Drums
1951
6.8
Father José Sierra
The First Legion
1951
8.3
H.B. Warner
Sunset Boulevard
1950
6.1
Brother Joseph
Hellfire
1949
5.7
Judge Fletcher
El Paso
1949
Credits
Lux Æterna: The Art of Filmmaking
as The Son of God
2019
7.4
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
as Self (archive footage)
1987
6.0
The Ten Commandments
as Amminadab
1956
7.8
Journey Into Light
as Wiz, the Wino
1951
6.0
Here Comes the Groom
as Uncle Elihu
1951
5.2
Savage Drums
as Maou
1951
6.0
The First Legion
as Father José Sierra
1951
6.8
Sunset Boulevard
as H.B. Warner
1950
8.3
Hellfire
as Brother Joseph
1949
6.1
El Paso
as Judge Fletcher
1949
5.7
The Prince of Thieves
as Gilbert Head
1948
5.8
High Wall
as Mr. Slocum
1947
6.3
The Judge Steps Out
as Chief Justice Hayes
1947
7.0
Driftwood
as Rev. Hollingsworth
1947
6.1
It's a Wonderful Life
as Mr. Gower
1946
8.3
Gentleman Joe Palooka
as Sen. McCarden
1946
0.0
Strange Impersonation
as Dr. Mansfield, plastic surgeon
1946
6.0
Prospecting for Petroleum
as The Voice of History (voice)
1946
0.0
Captain Tugboat Annie
as Judge Abbott
1945
0.0
Rogues' Gallery
as Professor Reynolds
1944
4.9
Faces in the Fog
as Defense Attorney Rankins
1944
3.0
Enemy of Women
as Col. Eberhart Brandt
1944
4.8
Action in Arabia
as Abdul al-Rashid
1944
5.9
Women in Bondage
as Pastor Renz
1943
5.7
Hitler's Children
as The Bishop
1943
5.9
The Boss of Big Town
as Jeffrey Moore
1942
5.0
A Yank in Libya
as Herbert Forbes
1942
3.5
Crossroads
as Prosecuting Attorney
1942
5.8
The Corsican Brothers
as Dr. Enrico Paoli
1941
6.9
South of Tahiti
as High Chief Kawalima
1941
6.0
All That Money Can Buy
as Justice Hawthorne
1941
7.0
Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime
as Ray Jardin
1941
5.8
City of Missing Girls
as Capt. McVeigh
1941
4.0
Topper Returns
as Mr. Carrington
1941
6.4
New Moon
as Father Michel
1940
6.5
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
as Senate Majority Leader
1939
7.8
The Rains Came
as Maharajah
1939
5.8
Nurse Edith Cavell
as Hugh Gibson
1939
6.4
Bulldog Drummond's Bride
as Colonel Nielson
1939
6.1
The Gracie Allen Murder Case
as Richard Lawrence
1939
5.6
Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police
as Colonel Nielson
1939
6.1
Let Freedom Ring
as Rutledge
1939
6.0
Arrest Bulldog Drummond
as Colonel Nielsen
1938
6.6
You Can't Take It with You
as Mr. Ramsey
1938
7.5
Army Girl
as Col. Armstrong
1938
6.0
Bulldog Drummond in Africa
as Colonel J. A. Nielsen
1938
5.5
The Toy Wife
as Victor Brigard
1938
4.3
Kidnapped
as Angus Rankeiller
1938
4.7
The Adventures of Marco Polo
as Chen Tsu
1938
6.0
The Girl of the Golden West
as Father Sienna
1938
4.6
🎬
Our Fighting Navy
as British Consul Brent
1937
2.3
Victoria the Great
as Lord Melbourne
1937
5.4
Lost Horizon
as Chang
1937
7.0
Along Came Love
as Dr. Martin
1936
5.0
Blackmailer
as Michael Rankin
1936
5.0
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
as Judge May
1936
7.5
Moonlight Murder
as Godfrey Chiltern
1936
4.2
The Garden Murder Case
as Major Fenwicke-Ralston
1936
5.4
Rose of the Rancho
as Don Pasqual Castro
1936
0.0
A Tale of Two Cities
as Theophile Gabelle
1935
6.8
Born to Gamble
as Carter Mathews
1935
4.8
Night Alarm
as Henry B. Smith
1934
3.7
Behold My Wife!
as Hubert Carter
1934
7.0
In Old Santa Fe
as Charlie Miller
1934
5.0
Grand Canary
as Dr Ismay
1934
4.1
Viva Villa!
as Man
1934
6.3
Sorrell and Son
as Captain Stephen Sorrell
1934
5.0
Christopher Bean
as Maxwell Davenport
1933
0.0
Jennie Gerhardt
as William Gerhardt
1933
4.0
Supernatural
as Dr. Carl Houston
1933
6.1
The Son-Daughter
as Sin Kai
1932
7.0
The Phantom of Crestwood
as Priam Andes
1932
5.9
🎬
The Crusader
as Phillip Brandon
1932
6.3
Tom Brown of Culver
as Dr. Brown
1932
5.2
Unholy Love
as Dr. Daniel Gregory
1932
2.5
Cross-Examination
as Gerald Waring
1932
4.6
A Woman Commands
as Col. Stradimirovitsch
1932
8.0
The Menace
as Inspector Tracy
1932
4.5
Charlie Chan's Chance
as Inspector Fife
1932
6.5
Expensive Women
as Melville Raymond
1931
4.8
Five Star Final
as Michael Townsend
1931
6.6
The Reckless Hour
as Walter Nichols
1931
7.0
A Woman of Experience
as Hugh Schmidt
1931
5.2
The Princess and the Plumber
as Prince Conrad of Daritzia
1930
0.0
Liliom
as Chief Magistrate
1930
6.8
On Your Back
as Raymond Pryor
1930
0.0
Wild Company
as Henry Grayson
1930
5.0
The Second Floor Mystery
as Inspector Bray
1930
0.0
The Furies
as Oliver Bedlow
1930
0.0
The Green Goddess
as Major Crespin
1930
4.5
Wedding Rings
as Lewis Dike
1929
0.0
Tiger Rose
as Dr. Cusick
1929
0.0
The Show of Shows
as The Victim - Guillotine Sequence (uncredited)
1929
5.5
The Argyle Case
as Hurley
1929
0.0
The Gamblers
as James Darwin
1929
0.0
The Trial of Mary Dugan
as District Attorney Galway
1929
6.0
Stark Mad
as Prof. Dangerfield
1929
3.0
The Doctor's Secret
as Richard Garson
1929
0.0
The Divine Lady
as Sir William Hamilton
1928
5.2
Conquest
as James Farnham
1928
0.0
Romance of a Rogue
as Bruce Lowry
1928
0.0
Man-Made Women
as Jules Moret
1928
0.0
French Dressing
as Phillip Grey
1927
1.0
Sorrell and Son
as Stephen Sorrell
1927
5.7
The King of Kings
as Jesus, The Christ
1927
6.4
Silence
as Jim Warren
1926
7.0
Whispering Smith
as 'Whispering Smith'
1926
0.0
Is Love Everything?
as Jordan Southwick
1924
0.0
The Man from Broadway
as James Sanford Richardson
1924
0.0
Zaza
as Bernard Dufresne
1923
6.0
When We Were Twenty-One
as Richard Carewe
1921
0.0
Felix O'Day
as Felix O'Day
1920
0.0
One Hour Before Dawn
as George Clayton
1920
0.0
The Gray Wolf's Ghost
as Doctor West / Harry West
1919
0.0
The Pagan God
as Bruce Winthrop
1919
0.0
Danger Trail
as John Howland
1917
0.0
God's Man
as Arnold L'Hommedieu
1917
0.0
The Seventh Sin
as Feodor
1917
0.0
Seven Deadly Sins: Wrath
as Feodor
1917
0.0
🎬
The Vagabond Prince
as Prince Tonio
1916
0.0
Shell 43
as William Berner
1916
0.0
The Market of Vain Desire
as John Armstrong
1916
0.0
🎬
The Beggar of Cawnpore
as Dr. Robert Lowndes
1916
0.0
The Raiders
as Scott Wells
1916
0.0
The Ghost Breaker
as Warren Jarvis
1914
0.0
The Lost Paradise
as Reuben Warren
1914
0.0
🎬
English Nell
as Duke of Monmouth
1900
0.0