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).
Acted in
Lux Æterna: The Art of Filmmaking
2019
as The Son of God
James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
1988
as Self (archive footage)
The Ten Commandments
1956
as Amminadab
Journey Into Light
1951
as Wiz, the Wino
Here Comes the Groom
1951
as Uncle Elihu
Savage Drums
1951
as Maou
The First Legion
1951
as Father José Sierra
Sunset Boulevard
1950
as H.B. Warner
Hellfire
1949
as Brother Joseph
El Paso
1949
as Judge Fletcher
The Prince Of Thieves
1948
as Gilbert Head
High Wall
1947
as Mr. Slocum
The Judge Steps Out
1947
as Chief Justice Hayes
Driftwood
1947
as Rev. Hollingsworth
It's a Wonderful Life
1946
as Mr. Gower
Gentleman Joe Palooka
1946
as Sen. McCarden
Strange Impersonation
1946
as Dr. Mansfield, plastic surgeon
Prospecting for Petroleum
1946
as The Voice of History (voice)
Captain Tugboat Annie
1945
as Judge Abbott
Rogues' Gallery
1944
as Professor Reynolds
Faces in the Fog
1944
as Defense Attorney Rankins
Enemy of Women
1944
as Col. Eberhart Brandt
Action in Arabia
1944
as Abdul al-Rashid
Women in Bondage
1943
as Pastor Renz
Hitler's Children
1943
as The Bishop
The Boss of Big Town
1942
as Jeffrey Moore
A Yank in Libya
1942
as Herbert Forbes
Crossroads
1942
as Prosecuting Attorney
The Corsican Brothers
1941
as Dr. Enrico Paoli
All That Money Can Buy
1941
as Justice Hawthorne
South of Tahiti
1941
as High Chief Kawalima
Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime
1941
as Ray Jardin
City of Missing Girls
1941
as Capt. McVeigh
Topper Returns
1941
as Mr. Carrington
New Moon
1940
as Father Michel
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
1939
as Senate Majority Leader
The Rains Came
1939
as Maharajah
Nurse Edith Cavell
1939
as Hugh Gibson
Bulldog Drummond's Bride
1939
as Colonel Nielson
The Gracie Allen Murder Case
1939
as Richard Lawrence
Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police
1939
as Colonel Nielson
Let Freedom Ring
1939
as Rutledge
Arrest Bulldog Drummond
1938
as Colonel Nielsen
You Can't Take It with You
1938
as Mr. Ramsey
Army Girl
1938
as Col. Armstrong
Bulldog Drummond in Africa
1938
as Colonel J. A. Nielsen
The Toy Wife
1938
as Victor Brigard
Kidnapped
1938
as Angus Rankeiller
The Adventures of Marco Polo
1938
as Chen Tsu
The Girl of the Golden West
1938
as Father Sienna
Our Fighting Navy
1937
as British Consul Brent
Victoria the Great
1937
as Lord Melbourne
Lost Horizon
1937
as Chang
Along Came Love
1936
as Dr. Martin
Blackmailer
1936
as Michael Rankin
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
1936
as Judge May
Moonlight Murder
1936
as Godfrey Chiltern
The Garden Murder Case
1936
as Major Fenwicke-Ralston
Rose of the Rancho
1936
as Don Pasqual Castro
A Tale of Two Cities
1935
as Theophile Gabelle
Born to Gamble
1935
as Carter Mathews
Night Alarm
1934
as Henry B. Smith
Behold My Wife!
1934
as Hubert Carter
In Old Santa Fe
1934
as Charlie Miller
Grand Canary
1934
as Dr Ismay
Viva Villa!
1934
as Man
Sorrell and Son
1934
as Captain Stephen Sorrell
Christopher Bean
1933
as Maxwell Davenport
Jennie Gerhardt
1933
as William Gerhardt
Supernatural
1933
as Dr. Carl Houston
The Son-Daughter
1932
as Sin Kai
The Phantom of Crestwood
1932
as Priam Andes
The Crusader
1932
as Phillip Brandon
Tom Brown of Culver
1932
as Dr. Brown
Unholy Love
1932
as Dr. Daniel Gregory
Cross-Examination
1932
as Gerald Waring
A Woman Commands
1932
as Col. Stradimirovitsch
The Menace
1932
as Inspector Tracy
Charlie Chan's Chance
1932
as Inspector Fife
Expensive Women
1931
as Melville Raymond
Five Star Final
1931
as Michael Townsend
The Reckless Hour
1931
as Walter Nichols
A Woman of Experience
1931
as Hugh Schmidt
The Princess and the Plumber
1930
as Prince Conrad of Daritzia
Liliom
1930
as Chief Magistrate
On Your Back
1930
as Raymond Pryor
Wild Company
1930
as Henry Grayson
The Second Floor Mystery
1930
as Inspector Bray
The Furies
1930
as Oliver Bedlow
The Green Goddess
1930
as Major Crespin
Wedding Rings
1929
as Lewis Dike
Tiger Rose
1929
as Dr. Cusick
Show of Shows
1929
as The Victim - Guillotine Sequence (uncredited)
The Argyle Case
1929
as Hurley
The Gamblers
1929
as James Darwin
The Trial of Mary Dugan
1929
as District Attorney Galway
Stark Mad
1929
as Prof. Dangerfield
The Doctor's Secret
1929
as Richard Garson
The Divine Lady
1928
as Sir William Hamilton
Conquest
1928
as James Farnham
Romance of a Rogue
1928
as Bruce Lowry
Man-Made Women
1928
as Jules Moret
French Dressing
1927
as Phillip Grey
Sorrell and Son
1927
as Stephen Sorrell
The King of Kings
1927
as Jesus, The Christ
Silence
1926
as Jim Warren
Whispering Smith
1926
as 'Whispering Smith'
Is Love Everything?
1924
as Jordan Southwick
The Man from Broadway
1924
as James Sanford Richardson
Zaza
1923
as Bernard Dufresne
When We Were Twenty-One
1921
as Richard Carewe
Felix O'Day
1920
as Felix O'Day
One Hour Before Dawn
1920
as George Clayton
The Pagan God
1919
as Bruce Winthrop
Danger Trail
1917
as John Howland
God's Man
1917
as Arnold L'Hommedieu
The Seventh Sin
1917
as Feodor
Seven Deadly Sins: Wrath
1917
The Vagabond Prince
1916
as Prince Tonio
Shell 43
1916
as William Berner
The Market of Vain Desire
1916
as John Armstrong
The Beggar of Cawnpore
1916
as Dr. Robert Lowndes
The Raiders
1916
as Scott Wells
The Ghost Breaker
1914
as Warren Jarvis
The Lost Paradise
1914
as Reuben Warren