Henry Byron Warner (often credited as H.B. Warner) 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).
as The Son of God
as Self (archive footage)
as Amminadab
as Wiz, the Wino
as Uncle Elihu
as Maou
as Father José Sierra
as H.B. Warner
as Brother Joseph
as Judge Fletcher
as Gilbert Head
as Mr. Slocum
as Chief Justice Hayes
as Rev. Hollingsworth
as Mr. Gower
as Sen. McCarden
as Dr. Mansfield, plastic surgeon
as The Voice of History (voice)
as Judge Abbott
as Professor Reynolds
as Defense Attorney Rankins
as Col. Eberhart Brandt
as Abdul al-Rashid
as Pastor Renz
as The Bishop
as Jeffrey Moore
as Herbert Forbes
as Prosecuting Attorney
as Dr. Enrico Paoli
as Justice Hawthorne
as High Chief Kawalima
as Ray Jardin
as Capt. McVeigh
as Mr. Carrington
as Father Michel
as Senate Majority Leader
as Maharajah
as Hugh Gibson
as Colonel Nielson
as Richard Lawrence
as Colonel Nielson
as Rutledge
as Colonel Nielsen
as Ramsey
as Col. Armstrong
as Colonel J. A. Nielsen
as Victor Brigard
as Angus Rankeiller
as Chen Tsu
as Father Sienna
as British Consul Brent
as Lord Melbourne
as Chang
as Dr. Martin
as Michael Rankin
as Judge May
as Godfrey Chiltern
as Major Fenwicke-Ralston
as Don Pasqual Castro
as Theophile Gabelle
as Carter Mathews
as Henry B. Smith
as Hubert Carter
as Charlie Miller
as Dr Ismay
as Man
as Captain Stephen Sorrell
as Maxwell Davenport
as William Gerhardt
as Dr. Carl Houston
as John Logan
as Sin Kai
as Priam Andes
as Phillip Brandon
as Dr. Brown
as Dr. Daniel Gregory
as Gerald Waring
as Col. Stradimirovitsch
as Inspector Tracy
as Inspector Fife
as Melville Raymond
as Michael Townsend
as Walter Nichols
as Hugh Schmidt
as Prince Conrad of Daritzia
as Chief Magistrate
as Raymond Pryor
as Henry Grayson
as Inspector Bray
as Oliver Bedlow
as Major Crespin
as Lewis Dike
as Dr. Cusick
as The Victim - Guillotine Sequence (uncredited)
as Hurley
as James Darwin
as District Attorney Galway
as Prof. Dangerfield
as Richard Garson
as Sir William Hamilton
as James Farnham
as Bruce Lowry
as Jules Moret
as Phillip Grey
as Stephen Sorrell
as Jesus, The Christ
as Jim Warren
as 'Whispering Smith'
as Jordan Southwick
as James Sanford Richardson
as Bernard Dufresne
as Richard Carewe
as Jimmy Doyle
as Felix O'Day
as George Clayton
as John Glenarm
as Stephen Van Courtlandt
as Doctor West / Harry West
as Captain Clyde Mannering
as Bruce Winthrop
as Captain Rand / Ali Zaman
as John Howland
as Arnold L'Hommedieu
as Feodor
as Feodor
as Prince Tonio
as William Berner
as John Armstrong
as Dr. Robert Lowndes
as Scott Wells
as Warren Jarvis
as Reuben Warren
as Duke of Monmouth
