Jack L. Warner
Biography
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.
Personal Details
Also Known As
Movies (49)
Audrey
as Self - Film Producer (archive footage)
2020
Sid & Judy
as Self (archive photos)
2019
Paris Hilton, Inc.
as Self (archive footage)
2009
1939: Hollywood's Greatest Year
as Self (archive footage)
2009
42nd Street: From Book to Screen to Stage
as Self (archive footage)
2006
The Adventures of Errol Flynn
as Self (archive footage)
2005
Discovering Treasure: The Story of 'The Treasure of the Sierra Madre'
as Self (archive footage)
2003
Jack L. Warner: The Last Mogul
as Self (archive footage)
1993
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1983
A Look at the World of 'Soylent Green'
as Self (archive footage)
1973
1776
Producer (Production)
1972
Dirty Little Billy
Producer (Production)
1972
Camelot
Producer (Production)
1967
My Fair Lady
Producer (Production)
1964
Red Nightmare
Supervisor of Production Resources (Crew)
1962
About Time
Producer (Production)
1962
The Western: A Lost TV Special
as Self
1958
Battle Cry
Producer (Production)
1955
A Star Is Born World Premiere
as Self
1954
Beyond the Forest
Executive Producer (Production)
1949
Night Unto Night
Executive Producer (Production)
1949
Whiplash
Executive Producer (Production)
1948
June Bride
Executive Producer (Production)
1948
Silver River
Executive Producer (Production)
1948
The Woman in White
Executive Producer (Production)
1948
Winter Meeting
Executive Producer (Production)
1948
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Executive Producer (Production)
1948
The Friendship Train
Executive Producer (Production)
1948
My Wild Irish Rose
Executive Producer (Production)
1947
Escape Me Never
Executive Producer (Production)
1947
Life with Father
Executive Producer (Production)
1947
Dark Passage
Executive Producer (Production)
1947
Cry Wolf
Executive Producer (Production)
1947
Deep Valley
Executive Producer (Production)
1947
The Unfaithful
Executive Producer (Production)
1947
Possessed
Executive Producer (Production)
1947
Love and Learn
Executive Producer (Production)
1947
Stallion Road
Executive Producer (Production)
1947
The Two Mrs. Carrolls
Executive Producer (Production)
1947
Nora Prentiss
Producer (Production)
1947
Humoresque
Executive Producer (Production)
1947
The Man I Love
Executive Producer (Production)
1946
The Verdict
Executive Producer (Production)
1946
Never Say Goodbye
Presenter (Crew)
1946
Nobody Lives Forever
Executive Producer (Production)
1946
Deception
Executive Producer (Production)
1946
Shadow of a Woman
Executive Producer (Production)
1946
Okay for Sound
1946
The Big Sleep
Executive Producer (Production)
1946
