Jack L. Warner

Overview

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jack Leonard "J. L." Warner (August 2, 1892 – September 9, 1978), born Jacob Warner in London, Ontario, was a Canadian-American film executive who was the president and driving force behind the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California. Warner's career spanned some 45 years, its duration surpassing that of any other of the seminal Hollywood studio moguls.

As co-head of production at Warner Bros. Studios, he worked with his brother, Sam Warner, to procure the technology for the film industry's first talking picture. After Sam's death, Jack clashed with his surviving older brothers, Harry and Albert Warner. He assumed exclusive control of the film production company in the 1950s, when he secretly purchased his brothers' shares in the business after convincing them to participate in a joint sale of stocks.

Although Warner was feared by many of his employees and inspired ridicule with his uneven attempts at humor, he earned respect for his shrewd instincts and tough-mindedness. He recruited many of Warner Bros.' top stars and promoted the hard-edged social dramas for which the studio became known. Given to decisiveness, Warner once commented, "If I'm right fifty-one percent of the time, I'm ahead of the game."

Throughout his career, he was viewed as a contradictory and enigmatic figure. Although he was a staunch Republican, Warner encouraged film projects that promoted the agenda of Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. He opposed European fascism and criticized Nazi Germany well before America's involvement in World War II. An opponent of Communism, after the war Warner appeared as a friendly witness before the House Un-American Activities Committee, voluntarily naming screenwriters who had been fired as suspected Communists or sympathizers. Despite his controversial public image, Warner remained a force in the motion picture industry until his retirement in the early 1970s.

Known for

Acting
2020	Audrey	Actor	Self - Film Producer (archive footage)	60 Fair
2019	Sid & Judy	Actor	Self (archive photos)	59 Average
2014	And the Oscar Goes To...	Actor	Self (archive footage)	59 Average
2009	Paris Hilton Inc.: The Selling of Celebrity	Actor	Self (archive footage)	59 Average
2009	1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year	Actor	Self (archive footage)	59 Average
2006	Stardust: The Bette Davis Story	Actor	Self (voice) (archive footage)	59 Average
2006	42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage	Actor	Self (archive footage)	59 Average
2005	The Adventures of Errol Flynn	Actor	Self (archive footage)	59 Average
2003	Discovering Treasure: The Story of 'The Treasure of the Sierra Madre'	Actor	Self (archive footage)	59 Average
1993	Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul	Actor	Himself (archive footage)	59 Average
1983	Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage	Actor	Self (archive footage) (uncredited)	59 Average
1973	A Look at the World of 'Soylent Green'	Actor	Self (archive footage)	N/A N/A
1955	'Giant' Stars Are Off to Texas	Actor	Himself (uncredited)	N/A N/A
1954	A Star Is Born World Premiere	Actor	Self	59 Average
1946	Okay for Sound	Actor		59 Average
1943	The Voice That Thrilled the World	Actor	Self (archive footage)	58 Average
1943	Show-Business at War	Actor	Self	59 Average
1940	Cavalcade of the Academy Awards	Actor	Self	59 Average
1935	A Dream Comes True	Actor	Himself (uncredited)	59 Average
1933	The 42nd Street Special	Actor	Self (uncredited)	59 Average
1919	Open Your Eyes	Actor	Soldier (uncredited)	59 Average
Directing
1925	Africa F.O.B.	Directing	Director	N/A N/A
1922	A Dangerous Adventure	Directing	Director	N/A N/A
1921	Cleaned and Dry	Directing	Director	N/A N/A
Writing
1929	Sonny Boy	Writing	Story	N/A N/A
1928	Five and Ten Cent Annie	Writing	Story	N/A N/A
Production
1972	1776	Production	Producer	60 Fair
1972	Dirty Little Billy	Production	Producer	58 Average
1967	Camelot	Production	Producer	59 Average
1964	My Fair Lady	Production	Producer	70 Good
1962	About Time	Production	Producer	N/A N/A
1955	Battle Cry	Production	Producer	58 Average
1954	A Star Is Born	Production	Executive Producer	63 Fair
1949	Beyond the Forest	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1949	Night Unto Night	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1948	Whiplash	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1948	June Bride	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1948	Silver River	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1948	The Woman in White	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1948	Winter Meeting	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1948	The Treasure of the Sierra Madre	Production	Executive Producer	73 Good
1948	The Friendship Train	Production	Executive Producer	N/A N/A
1947	My Wild Irish Rose	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1947	Escape Me Never	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1947	Life with Father	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1947	Dark Passage	Production	Executive Producer	64 Fair
1947	Cry Wolf	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1947	Deep Valley	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1947	The Unfaithful	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1947	Possessed	Production	Executive Producer	60 Fair
1947	Love and Learn	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1947	Stallion Road	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1947	The Two Mrs. Carrolls	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1947	Nora Prentiss	Production	Producer	59 Average
1947	Humoresque	Production	Executive Producer	60 Fair
1946	The Man I Love	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1946	The Verdict	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1946	Never Say Goodbye	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1946	Nobody Lives Forever	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1946	Deception	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1946	Shadow of a Woman	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1946	The Big Sleep	Production	Executive Producer	70 Good
1946	Of Human Bondage	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1946	Janie Gets Married	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1946	A Stolen Life	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1946	Devotion	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1946	Cinderella Jones	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1946	Three Strangers	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1946	My Reputation	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1945	San Antonio	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1945	Danger Signal	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1945	Mildred Pierce	Production	Executive Producer	66 Fair
1945	Pride of the Marines	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1945	Christmas in Connecticut	Production	Executive Producer	61 Fair
1945	Conflict	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1945	Pillow to Post	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1945	Escape in the Desert	Production	Executive Producer	N/A N/A
1945	The Horn Blows at Midnight	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1945	The Corn Is Green	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1945	Hotel Berlin	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1945	Objective, Burma!	Production	Executive Producer	60 Fair
1945	Roughly Speaking	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1945	To Have and Have Not	Production	Executive Producer	67 Fair
1944	I Am an American	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1944	Hollywood Canteen	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1944	The Conspirators	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1944	Janie	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1944	Arsenic and Old Lace	Production	Producer	69 Fair
1944	The Adventures of Mark Twain	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1944	The Mask of Dimitrios	Production	Executive Producer	60 Fair
1944	Make Your Own Bed	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1944	Mr. Skeffington	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1944	Between Two Worlds	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1944	The Shining Future	Production	Producer	59 Average
1944	Uncertain Glory	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1944	Passage to Marseille	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1944	Shine on Harvest Moon	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1944	In Our Time	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1943	Destination Tokyo	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1943	Old Acquaintance	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1943	Northern Pursuit	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1943	Thank Your Lucky Stars	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1943	Watch on the Rhine	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1943	This Is the Army	Production	Producer	58 Average
1943	Background to Danger	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1943	The Constant Nymph	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1943	Action in the North Atlantic	Production	Executive Producer	60 Fair
1943	Mission to Moscow	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1943	Edge of Darkness	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1943	Air Force	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1943	Casablanca	Production	Executive Producer	79 Good
1943	The Hard Way	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1943	The United States Service Bands	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1942	Yankee Doodle Dandy	Production	Executive Producer	62 Fair
1942	Winning Your Wings	Production	Producer	58 Average
1942	Murder in the Big House	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1941	The Man Who Came to Dinner	Production	Producer	60 Fair
1941	Law of the Tropics	Production	Production Manager	59 Average
1941	Underground	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1941	Honeymoon for Three	Production	Executive In Charge Of Production	58 Average
1940	Santa Fe Trail	Production	Producer	58 Average
1940	The Letter	Production	Executive In Charge Of Production	63 Fair
1940	Always a Bride	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1940	Knute Rockne All American	Production	Executive In Charge Of Production	58 Average
1940	City for Conquest	Production	Production Manager	59 Average
1940	No Time for Comedy	Production	Producer	58 Average
1940	Flowing Gold	Production	Executive In Charge Of Production	59 Average
1940	Money and the Woman	Production	Production Executive	58 Average
1940	River's End	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1940	They Drive by Night	Production	Production Manager	60 Fair
1940	Gambling on the High Seas	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1940	A Fugitive from Justice	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1940	Murder in the Air	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1940	Torrid Zone	Production	Production Manager	59 Average
1940	Tear Gas Squad	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1940	An Angel from Texas	Production	Production Manager	58 Average
1940	It All Came True	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1940	Virginia City	Production	Executive In Charge Of Production	59 Average
1940	Castle on the Hudson	Production	Executive In Charge Of Production	59 Average
1940	The Fighting 69th	Production	Production Manager	58 Average
1939	Four Wives	Production	Executive In Charge Of Production	58 Average
1939	Private Detective	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1939	The Return of Doctor X	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1939	On Dress Parade	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1939	The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex	Production	Executive In Charge Of Production	59 Average
1939	Smashing the Money Ring	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1939	Espionage Agent	Production	Executive In Charge Of Production	59 Average
1939	No Place to Go	Production	Executive Producer	N/A N/A
1939	Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1939	Torchy Blane.. Playing with Dynamite	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1939	Indianapolis Speedway	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1939	Waterfront	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1939	Daughters Courageous	Production	Executive In Charge Of Production	58 Average
1939	Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1939	Juarez	Production	Executive In Charge Of Production	59 Average
1939	Code of the Secret Service	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1939	Sweepstakes Winner	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1939	Torchy Runs for Mayor	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1939	Confessions of a Nazi Spy	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1939	Dark Victory	Production	Executive In Charge Of Production	61 Fair
1939	The Adventures of Jane Arden	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1939	The Oklahoma Kid	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1939	Nancy Drew... Reporter	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1939	Torchy Blane in Chinatown	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1939	They Made Me a Criminal	Production	Production Manager	59 Average
1938	Breakdowns of 1938	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1938	The Dawn Patrol	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1938	Angels with Dirty Faces	Production	Executive Producer	65 Fair
1938	Torchy Gets Her Man	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1938	The Sisters	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1938	Broadway Musketeers	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1938	Boy Meets Girl	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1938	Four's a Crowd	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1938	Penrod's Double Trouble	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1938	The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse	Production	Executive Producer	60 Fair
1938	Men Are Such Fools	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1938	Mystery House	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1938	The Adventures of Robin Hood	Production	Producer	68 Fair
1938	Crime School	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1938	Torchy Blane in Panama	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1938	Fools for Scandal	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1938	Accidents Will Happen	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1938	Over the Wall	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1938	Penrod and His Twin Brother	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1938	A Slight Case of Murder	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1938	Gold Is Where You Find It	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1938	Blondes at Work	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1938	Hollywood Hotel	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1937	Tovarich	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1937	Missing Witnesses	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1937	The Adventurous Blonde	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1937	West of Shanghai	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1937	Love Is on the Air	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1937	The Littlest Diplomat	Production	Producer	59 Average
1937	That Certain Woman	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1937	Back in Circulation	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1937	Confession	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1937	Talent Scout	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1937	They Won't Forget	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1937	Public Wedding	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1937	Another Dawn	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1937	Slim	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1937	Fly Away Baby	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1937	Kid Galahad	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1937	The Go-Getter	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1937	Draegerman Courage	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1937	The Cherokee Strip	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1937	Melody for Two	Production	Executive Producer	N/A N/A
1937	That Man's Here Again	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1937	Green Light	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1937	Black Legion	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1937	Once a Doctor	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1936	Gold Diggers of 1937	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1936	Fugitive in the Sky	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1936	California Mail	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1936	The Case of the Black Cat	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1936	The Charge of the Light Brigade	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1936	Cain and Mabel	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1936	Give Me Your Heart	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1936	Trailin' West	Production	Executive Producer	N/A N/A
1936	Love Begins at Twenty	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1936	China Clipper	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1936	Jailbreak	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1936	The Green Pastures	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1936	Bengal Tiger	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1936	Two Against the World	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1936	The Big Noise	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1936	Hearts Divided	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1936	Murder by an Aristocrat	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1936	Bullets or Ballots	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1936	The Golden Arrow	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1936	Colleen	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1936	The Story of Louis Pasteur	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1935	Captain Blood	Production	Executive Producer	63 Fair
1935	Dangerous	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1935	Miss Pacific Fleet	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1935	A Midsummer Night's Dream	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1935	Black Fury	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1935	'G' Men	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1935	Bordertown	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1934	The St. Louis Kid	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1934	Housewife	Production	Producer	59 Average
1934	The Man with Two Faces	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1934	Here Comes the Navy	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1934	The Merry Frinks	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
1934	Jimmy the Gent	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1934	Dark Hazard	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1934	Hi, Nellie!	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1933	The Working Man	Production	Producer	59 Average
1933	Parachute Jumper	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1932	So Big!	Production	Producer	58 Average
1932	The Man Who Played God	Production	Executive Producer	59 Average
1930	Outward Bound	Production	Producer	59 Average
1928	The Terror	Production	Executive Producer	58 Average
Crew
1962	Red Nightmare	Crew	Supervisor of Production Resources	58 Average
1946	Never Say Goodbye	Crew	Presenter	58 Average
1944	The Mask of Dimitrios	Crew	Presenter	60 Fair
1944	Uncertain Glory	Crew	Presenter	59 Average
1943	Northern Pursuit	Crew	Presenter	59 Average
1943	The Hard Way	Crew	Presenter	59 Average

About

Jack L. Warner

Overview

Known for

Acting

Directing

Writing

Production

Crew