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Jack Leonard Warner (born Jacob Warner; August 2, 1892 – September 9, 1978) was a Canadian-American film executive, who was the president and driving force behind the Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank,
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
. Warner's career spanned some forty-five years, its duration surpassing that of any other of the seminal
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...
studio moguls.Thomas (1990), p. 4. As co-head of production at Warner Bros. Studios, Warner worked with his brother,
Sam Warner Samuel Louis Warner (born Szmuel Wonsal, August 10, 1885 – October 5, 1927) was an American film producer who was the co-founder and chief executive officer of Warner Bros. He established the studio along with his brothers Harry, Albert, and ...
, to procure the technology for the film industry's first talking picture, ''
The Jazz Singer ''The Jazz Singer'' is a 1927 American musical drama film directed by Alan Crosland. It is the first feature-length motion picture with both synchronized recorded music score as well as lip-synchronous singing and speech (in several isolate ...
'' (1927).Thomas (1990), pp. 52–62. After Sam's death, Jack clashed with his surviving older brothers,
Harry Harry may refer to: TV shows * ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...
and Albert Warner. He assumed exclusive control of the 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 starsThomas (1990), pp. 45–49. and promoted the hard-edged social dramas for which the studio became known.Buhle and Wagner (2002), p. 59. 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, Warner was viewed as a contradictory and enigmatic figure.Thomas (1990), pp. 4–7. Although he was a staunch
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, he encouraged film projects that promoted the policies of Democratic
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
. He also opposed European
fascism Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy and t ...
and criticized
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
well before America's involvement in
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
.Buhle and Wagner (2002), p. 68. An opponent of
communism Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, ...
, after the war Warner appeared as a friendly witness before the
House Un-American Activities Committee The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HCUA), popularly dubbed the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), was an investigative United States Congressional committee, committee of the United States House of Representatives, create ...
, voluntarily naming
screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...
s who had been fired as suspected communists or sympathizers.Buhle and Wagner (2002), pp. 377–378. Despite his controversial public image, Warner remained a force in the motion picture industry until his retirement in the early 1970s.Thomas (1990), p. 3.


Early years

Jacob Warner (as he was named at birth) was born in
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
,
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, Canada, in 1892. His parents were
Polish-Jewish The history of the Jews in Poland dates back at least 1,000 years. For centuries, Poland was home to the largest and most significant Ashkenazi Jewish community in the world. Poland was a principal center of Jewish culture, because of the l ...
immigrants from
Congress Poland Congress Poland, Congress Kingdom of Poland, or Russian Poland, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland, was a polity created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna as a semi-autonomous Polish state, a successor to Napoleon's Duchy of Warsaw. I ...
(then part of the
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War ...
), who spoke mainly
Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ve ...
. He was the fifth surviving son of Benjamin WarnerSperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 20. (originally "Wonsal" or "Wonskolaser"), a cobbler from Krasnosielc, and his wife, the former Pearl Leah Eichelbaum. Following their marriage in 1876, the couple had three children in Poland, one of whom died at a young age.Thomas (1990), pp. 9–10. One of the surviving children was Jack's eldest brother, Hirsch (later
Harry Harry may refer to: TV shows * ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...
).Warner and Jennings (1964), p. 18. The Warner family had occupied a "hostile world" where the "night-riding of
cossacks The Cossacks , es, cosaco , et, Kasakad, cazacii , fi, Kasakat, cazacii , french: cosaques , hu, kozákok, cazacii , it, cosacchi , orv, коза́ки, pl, Kozacy , pt, cossacos , ro, cazaci , russian: казаки́ or ...
, the burning of houses, and the raping of women (during
pogroms A pogrom () is a violent riot incited with the aim of massacring or expelling an ethnic or religious group, particularly Jews. The term entered the English language from Russian to describe 19th- and 20th-century attacks on Jews in the Russian ...
) were part of life's burden for the Jews of the '
shtetl A shtetl or shtetel (; yi, שטעטל, translit=shtetl (singular); שטעטלעך, romanized: ''shtetlekh'' (plural)) is a Yiddish term for the small towns with predominantly Ashkenazi Jewish populations which existed in Eastern Europe before ...
'".Thomas (1990), p. 9. In 1888, in search of a better future for his family and himself, Benjamin made his way to
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...
,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
, and then took a ship to the United States. The Warner surname was perhaps originally "Wonsal" or "Wonskolaser" Upon arriving in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, Benjamin introduced himself as "Benjamin Warner", and the surname "Warner" remained with him for the rest of his life. Pearl Warner and the couple's two children joined him in
Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
,
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...
, less than a year later. In Baltimore, the couple had five more children, including Abraham (later known as
Albert Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Alber ...
) and
Sam Warner Samuel Louis Warner (born Szmuel Wonsal, August 10, 1885 – October 5, 1927) was an American film producer who was the co-founder and chief executive officer of Warner Bros. He established the studio along with his brothers Harry, Albert, and ...
.Warner and Jennings (1964), p. 20. Benjamin Warner's decision to move to Canada in the early 1890s was inspired by a friend's advice that he could make an excellent living bartering tin wares with trappers in exchange for furs. Their sons Jack and David were born in
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
.Thomas (1990), p. 11. After two arduous years in Canada, Benjamin and Pearl Warner returned to Baltimore, bringing along their growing family.Warner and Jennings (1964), pp. 23–24. Two more children, Sadie and Milton, were added to the household there. In 1896, the family relocated to Youngstown,
Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...
, following the lead of Harry Warner, who established a shoe repair shop in the heart of the emerging industrial town.Warner and Jennings (1964), pp. 24–25. Benjamin worked with his son Harry in the shoe repair shop until he secured a loan to open a meat counter and grocery store in the city's downtown area.Thomas (1990), pp. 12–13. Jack spent much of his youth in Youngstown. He observed in his autobiography that his experiences there molded his sensibilities. He wrote: "
J. Edgar Hoover John Edgar Hoover (January 1, 1895 – May 2, 1972) was an American law enforcement administrator who served as the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He was appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation  ...
told me that Youngstown in those days was one of the toughest cities in America, and a gathering place for Sicilian thugs active in
the Mafia "Mafia" is an informal term that is used to describe criminal organizations that bear a strong similarity to the original “Mafia”, the Sicilian Mafia and Italian Mafia. The central activity of such an organization would be the arbitration of d ...
. There was a murder or two almost every Saturday night in our neighborhood, and knives and
brass knuckles Brass knuckles (variously referred to as knuckles, knucks, brass knucks, knucklebusters, knuckledusters, knuckle daggers, English punch, iron fist, paperweight, or a classic) are "fist-load weapons" used in hand-to-hand combat. Brass knuckle ...
were standard equipment for the young hotheads on the prowl."Warner and Jennings (1964), p. 29. Warner claimed that he briefly belonged to a street gang based at Westlake's Crossing, a notorious neighborhood located just west of the city's downtown area.Warner and Jennings (1964), pp. 35–36. Meanwhile, he received his first taste of
show business Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz or showbiz (since 1945), is a vernacular term for all aspects of the entertainment industry.''Oxford English Dictionary'' 2nd Ed. (1989) From the business side (including managers, agents, produce ...
in the burgeoning steel town, singing at local theaters and forming a brief business partnership with another aspiring "song-and-dance man".Thomas (1990), pp. 17–18. During his brief career in
vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...
, he officially changed his name to Jack Leonard Warner.Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 23. Jack's older brother Sam disapproved of these youthful pursuits. "Get out front where they pay the actors," he advised Jack. "That's where the money is."Thomas (1990), p. 18.


Professional career


Early business ventures

In Youngstown, the Warner brothers took their first tentative steps into the entertainment industry. In the early 20th century, Sam formed a business partnership with another local resident and "took over" the city's Old Grand Opera House, which he used as a venue for "cheap vaudeville and photoplays". The venture failed after one summer. Sam then secured a job as a
projectionist A projectionist is a person who operates a movie projector, particularly as an employee of a movie theater. Projectionists are also known as "operators". Historical background N.B. The dates given in the subject headings are approximate. Early ...
at
Idora Park Idora Park was a Victorian era trolley park in north Oakland, California constructed in 1904 on the site of an informal park setting called Ayala Park on the north banks of Temescal Creek. It was leased by the Ingersoll Pleasure and Amusement P ...
, a local amusement park. He convinced the family of the new medium's possibilities and negotiated the purchase of a Model B
Kinetoscope The Kinetoscope is an early motion picture exhibition device, designed for films to be viewed by one person at a time through a peephole viewer window. The Kinetoscope was not a movie projector, but it introduced the basic approach that woul ...
from a projectionist who was "down on his luck".Warner and Jennings (1964), pp. 49–50. The purchase price was $1,000, and Jack contributed $150 to the venture by
pawning A pawnbroker is an individual or business (pawnshop or pawn shop) that offers secured loans to people, with items of personal property used as Collateral (finance), collateral. The items having been ''pawned'' to the broker are themselves c ...
a horse, according to his obituary. The enterprising brothers screened a well-used copy of '' The Great Train Robbery'' throughout Ohio and
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
before renting a vacant store in
New Castle, Pennsylvania New Castle is a city in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Lawrence County. It is northwest of Pittsburgh, and near the Pennsylvania–Ohio border, just southeast of Youngstown, Ohio. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, ...
.Warner and Jennings (1964), pp. 54–55. This makeshift theatre, called the Bijou, was furnished with chairs borrowed from a local undertaker. Jack, who was still living in Youngstown at the time, arrived on weekends "to sing illustrated song-slides during
reel A reel is an object around which a length of another material (usually long and flexible) is wound for storage (usually hose are wound around a reel). Generally a reel has a cylindrical core (known as a '' spool'') with flanges around the ends ...
changes". In 1906, the brothers purchased a small theater in New Castle, which they called the Cascade Movie Palace. They maintained the theater until moving into film distribution in 1907.Warner and Jennings (1964), pp. 54–57. That year, the Warner brothers established the
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
-based Duquesne Amusement Company, a distribution firm that proved lucrative until the advent of
Thomas Edison Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847October 18, 1931) was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in fields such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventi ...
's
Motion Picture Patents Company The Motion Picture Patents Company (MPPC, also known as the Edison Trust), founded in December 1908 and terminated seven years later in 1915 after conflicts within the industry, was a trust of all the major US film companies and local foreign-bra ...
(also known as the Edison Trust), which charged distributors exorbitant fees.Warner and Jennings (1964), pp. 65–66. In 1909, Harry agreed to bring Jack into the family business; he sent his younger brother to
Norfolk Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the Nor ...
,
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
, where Jack assisted Sam in the operation of a second film exchange company.Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 42. Later that year, the Warners sold the family business to the General Film Company for "$10,000 in cash, $12,000 in preferred stock, and payments over a four-year period, for a total of $52,000"Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), pp. 45–46 (equivalent to $ today).


Formation of Warner Bros.

The Warner brothers pooled their resources and moved into film production in 1910.Warner and Jennings (1964), p. 73. Then, in 1912, they lent their support to filmmaker
Carl Laemmle Carl Laemmle (; born Karl Lämmle; January 17, 1867 – September 24, 1939) was a film producer and the co-founder and, until 1934, owner of Universal Pictures. He produced or worked on over 400 films. Regarded as one of the most important o ...
's Independent Motion Picture Company, which challenged the monopolistic control of the Edison Trust. That same year, Jack acquired a job as a film splicer in New York,Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 47. where he assisted Sam with the production of the film ''Dante's Inferno''.Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 48. Despite the film's success at the box office, Harry remained concerned about the economic threat presented by the Edison Trust. He subsequently broke with Laemmle and sent Jack to establish a film exchange in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17t ...
, while Sam did the same in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
.Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 54. The brothers were soon poised to exploit the expanding
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
movie market.Thomas (1990), p. 29. In 1917, Jack was sent to Los Angeles to open another film exchange company.Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 59. Their first opportunity to produce a major film came in 1918, when they purchased the film rights for ''My Four Years in Germany'', a bestselling novel that condemned German wartime atrocities. The
film adaptation A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dia ...
proved to be a commercial and critical success,Thomas (1990), pp. 34–35. and the four brothers were able to establish a studio in California.Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), pp. 65–66. In the new studio, Jack became co-head of production along with his older brother, Sam.Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), pp. 100–101. In this capacity, the two brothers secured new
scripts Script may refer to: Writing systems * Script, a distinctive writing system, based on a repertoire of specific elements or symbols, or that repertoire * Script (styles of handwriting) ** Script typeface, a typeface with characteristics of handw ...
and story lines, managed film production, and looked for ways to reduce production costs. Warner Bros. Studios followed up the success of ''My Four Years in Germany'' with a popular serial titled ''The Tiger's Claw'' in 1919. That same year, the studio was less successful in its efforts to promote '' Open Your Eyes'', a tract on the dangers of
venereal disease Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also referred to as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and the older term venereal diseases, are infections that are spread by sexual activity, especially vaginal intercourse, anal sex, and ora ...
that featured Jack's sole screen appearance.Thomas (1990), p. 37. During this period, the studio earned few profits;Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), pp. 71–73. and in 1920, the Warners secured a bank loan to settle outstanding debts. Shortly thereafter, they relocated their production studio from
Culver City, California Culver City is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,779. Founded in 1917 as a "whites only" sundown town, it is now an ethnically diverse city with what was called the "third-most ...
, to
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...
, where they purchased a lot on the corner of
Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades east to Figueroa Street in Downtown Los Angeles. It is a major thoroughfare in ...
and Bronson Avenue,Thomas (1990), p. 38. known today as Sunset Bronson Studios. The new location and upgraded facilities did not significantly improve the studio's image, which remained defined by its low-budget comedies and racy films on declining morality.Thomas (1990), p. 39. In 1923, the studio discovered a trained
German Shepherd The German Shepherd or Alsatian is a German breed of working dog of medium to large size. The breed was developed by Max von Stephanitz using various traditional German herding dogs from 1899. It was originally bred as a herding dog, for ...
named Rin Tin Tin. The canine made his debut in ''
Where the North Begins ''Where the North Begins'' is a 1923 American silent drama film produced and distributed by Warner Bros. This was the third film for up-and-coming canine actor Rin Tin Tin. The film survives today and lapsed into the public domain on January 1 ...
'', a film about an abandoned pup who is raised by wolves and befriends a fur trapper.Thomas (1990), p. 42. According to one biographer, Jack's initial doubts about the project were quelled when he met Rin Tin Tin, "who seemed to display more intelligence than some of the Warner comics." Rin Tin Tin proved to be the studio's most important commercial asset until the introduction of sound.Behlmer (1985), p. 4. Screenwriter
Darryl F. Zanuck Darryl Francis Zanuck (September 5, 1902December 22, 1979) was an American film producer and studio executive; he earlier contributed stories for films starting in the silent era. He played a major part in the Hollywood studio system as one of ...
produced several scripts for Rin Tin Tin vehicles and, during one year, wrote more than half of the studio's features.Thomas (1990), p. 45. Between 1928 and 1933, Zanuck served as Jack's right-hand man and
executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights ...
, a position whose responsibilities included the day-to-day production of films.Behlmer (1985), p. xii. Despite the success of Rin Tin Tin and other projects, Warner Bros. was unable to compete with Hollywood's "Big Three" – Paramount,
Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a t ...
, and First National studios. In 1925, the studio expanded its operations and acquired the
Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
-based theater company
Vitagraph Vitagraph Studios, also known as the Vitagraph Company of America, was a United States motion picture studio. It was founded by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York, as the American Vitagraph Company. By 1907, ...
. Later that year, Sam urged Harry to sign an agreement with
Western Electric The Western Electric Company was an American electrical engineering and manufacturing company officially founded in 1869. A wholly owned subsidiary of American Telephone & Telegraph for most of its lifespan, it served as the primary equipment ma ...
to develop a series of talking "shorts" using the newly developed
Vitaphone Vitaphone was a sound film system used for feature films and nearly 1,000 short subjects made by Warner Bros. and its sister studio First National from 1926 to 1931. Vitaphone was the last major analog sound-on-disc system and the only one ...
technology.Thomas (1990), 52–55. Sam died of
pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severit ...
in 1927 (just before the premiere of the first feature-length talking picture, ''
The Jazz Singer ''The Jazz Singer'' is a 1927 American musical drama film directed by Alan Crosland. It is the first feature-length motion picture with both synchronized recorded music score as well as lip-synchronous singing and speech (in several isolate ...
''), and Jack became sole head of production.Warner and Jennings (1964), pp. 180–181. His death left Jack inconsolable. One biographer writes, "Throughout his life, Jack had been warmed by Sam's sunshiny optimism, his thirst for excitement, his inventive mind, his gambling nature. Sam had also served as a buffer between Jack and his stern eldest brother, Harry.Thomas (1990), p. 62. In the years to come, Jack ran the Warner Bros. Burbank studio with an iron hand. Following his brother's death, he became increasingly difficult to deal with and inspired the resentment of many of his employees. As the family grieved over Sam's sudden passing, the success of ''The Jazz Singer'' helped establish Warner Bros. as a major studio. While Warner Bros. invested only $500,000 in the film, the studio reaped $3 million in profits.Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), pp. 142–145 Hollywood's five major studios, which controlled most of the nation's movie theaters, initially attempted to block the growth of "talking pictures".Thomas (1990), p. 63. In the face of such organized opposition, Warner Bros. produced twelve "talkies" in 1928 alone. The following year, the newly formed
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motion ...
recognized Warner Bros. for "revolutionizing the industry with sound".Thomas (1990), p. 66. Despite Warner Bros.' new prosperity, Jack kept a tight rein on costs. He placed the studio's directors on a quota system and decreed a flat, low-key lighting style to make the sets look cheaper than they were.


Depression era

The studio emerged relatively unscathed from the
Wall Street Crash of 1929 The Wall Street Crash of 1929, also known as the Great Crash, was a major American stock market crash that occurred in the autumn of 1929. It started in September and ended late in October, when share prices on the New York Stock Exchange coll ...
and produced a broad range of films, including "backstage
musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwo ...
s," "crusading
biopic A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of a non-fictional or historically-based person or people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudr ...
s," "
swashbuckler A swashbuckler is a genre of European adventure literature that focuses on a heroic protagonist stock character who is skilled in swordsmanship, acrobatics, guile and possesses chivalrous ideals. A "swashbuckler" protagonist is heroic, daring, ...
s," and "women's pictures." As Thomas Schatz observed, this repertoire was "a means of stabilizing marketing and sales, of bringing efficiency and economy into the production of some fifty feature films per year, and of distinguishing Warners' collective output from that of its competitors".Schatz (1988), p. 7. Warner Bros. became best known, however, for its hard-hitting social dramas, whose production Jack tended to support. These included gangster classics such as '' Little Caesar'' and '' The Public Enemy'' as well as the critically acclaimed ''
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang ''I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang'' is a 1932 American pre-Code crime-drama film directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Paul Muni as a wrongfully convicted man on a chain gang who escapes to Chicago. It was released on November 10, 1932. The f ...
'', starring
Paul Muni Paul Muni (born Frederich Meshilem Meier Weisenfreund; September 22, 1895– August 25, 1967) was an American stage and film actor who grew up in Chicago. Muni was a five-time Academy Award nominee, with one win. He started his acting career in ...
.Thomas (1990), p. 77. Some of these films reflected a surprising (albeit temporary) shift in Jack's political outlook. By 1932, despite his longstanding association with the
Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa * Republican Party (Liberia) *Republican Party ...
, he openly supported Democratic presidential candidate
Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
, staging a "Motion Picture and Electrical Parade Sports Pageant" at the
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (also known as the L.A. Coliseum) is a multi-purpose stadium in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Conceived as a hallmark of civic pride, the Coliseum was commissioned in 1921 as a me ...
in Roosevelt's honor. This development foreshadowed an "era in which Warner would recruit the most
New Deal The New Deal was a series of programs, public work projects, financial reforms, and regulations enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1939. Major federal programs agencies included the Civilian Con ...
-ish (often simultaneously the most
left-wing Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...
) writers". During this period, Jack took an active role in recruiting talent. To furnish Warner Bros. with much needed "star power", he raided contract players from rival studios, in some cases offering to double their salaries. This strategy yielded three leading stars from Paramount –
William Powell William Horatio Powell (July 29, 1892 – March 5, 1984) was an American actor. A major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the '' Thin Man'' series based on the Nick and Nora Charles characters cr ...
, Kay Francis, and Ruth Chatterton.Thomas (1990), pp. 75–76. In 1929, Jack persuaded British stage and screen actor
George Arliss George Arliss (born Augustus George Andrews; 10 April 1868 – 5 February 1946) was an English actor, author, playwright, and filmmaker who found success in the United States. He was the first British actor to win an Academy Award – which he ...
to play the title role in a
remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the sam ...
of the 1921
United Artists United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stu ...
film ''
Disraeli Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman and Conservative Party (UK), Conservative politician who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a centr ...
'', a project that turned out to be a box-office hit.Thomas (1990), pp. 76–77. Then, in 1930, he spotted future stars
James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor, dancer and film director. On stage and in film, Cagney was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He ...
,
Joan Blondell Joan Blondell (born Rose Joan Bluestein; August 30, 1906 – December 25, 1979) was an American actress who performed in film and television for 50 years. Blondell began her career in vaudeville. After winning a beauty pageant, she embarked on ...
, and
Frank McHugh Francis Curry McHugh (May 23, 1898 – September 11, 1981) was an American stage, radio, film and television actor. Early years Born in Homestead, Pennsylvania, of Irish descent, McHugh came from a theatrical family. His parents, Edward A ...
in the cast of a New York play called ''Penny Arcade''.Thomas (1990), pp. 79–80. Although Cagney turned out to be Jack's greatest prize, he was also the studio executive's biggest professional challenge.Thomas (1990), pp. 80–81. During their frequent arguments, Cagney often resorted to screaming the Yiddish obscenities he learned during his upbringing in the Yorkville district of New York City.Thomas (1990), p. 81.Behlmer (1985), p. 63. According to a 1937 ''Fortune'' magazine article, Jack's most intense contract disputes involved Cagney, "who got sick of being typed as a girl-hitting mick and of making five pictures a year instead of four." Zanuck resigned during a contract dispute with Harry Warner in 1933.Behlmer (1985), p. 12. According to a 1933 letter that Jack wrote to
Will H. Hays William Harrison Hays Sr. (; November 5, 1879 – March 7, 1954) was an American Republican politician. As chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1918–1921, Hays managed the successful 1920 presidential campaign of Warren G. H ...
, then president of the
Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the five major film studios of the United States, as well as the video streaming service Netflix. Founded in 1922 as the Motion Picture Producers and Distribu ...
, Zanuck requested a higher salary and "indicated his desire to raise the salaries of the actors and personnel in the motion pictures we were producing". That year, Zanuck established
Twentieth Century Pictures Twentieth Century Pictures, Inc. was an independent Hollywood motion picture production company created in 1933 by Joseph Schenck (the former president of United Artists) and Darryl F. Zanuck from Warner Bros. Financial backing came from Sche ...
, which merged with
Fox Film Corporation The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American Independent film production studio formed by William Fox (1879–1952) in 1915, by combining his earlier Greater New York Film Rental Company and Box Office Attractions Film C ...
in 1935.Behlmer (1985), p. 13. Longtime producer for the studio,
Hal B. Wallis Harold Brent Wallis (born Aaron Blum Wolowicz; October 19, 1898 – October 5, 1986) was an American film producer. He is best known for producing '' Casablanca'' (1942), '' The Adventures of Robin Hood'' (1938), and ''True Grit'' (1969), along ...
, took over as the studio's executive producer.Thomas (1990), p. 88. Jack, however, denied Wallis the sweeping powers enjoyed by Zanuck, and the result was a decentralization of creative and administrative control that often created confusion at the studio.Schatz (1988), pp. 199–200. Under the new system, each picture was assigned a supervisor who was usually plucked from the ranks of the studio's
screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...
s.Schatz (1988), p. 200. Although Warner Bros. maintained a high rate of production throughout the 1930s, some pictures showed an uneven quality that reflected "not only the difficulty of shifting to a supervisory system but also the consequences of dispersing authority into the creative ranks". Meanwhile, Jack's role in production became somewhat limited. After acquiring a creative property, he often had little to do with a film's production until it was ready for preview.Schatz (1988), p. 212. Nevertheless, he could be heavy-handed in his dealings with employees, and he was "merciless in his firings." Film director
Gottfried Reinhardt Gottfried Reinhardt (20 March 1913 – 19 July 1994) was an Austrian-born American film director and producer. Biography Reinhardt was born in Berlin, the son of the Austrian theater director Max Reinhardt (until 1904: Max Goldmann), manage ...
claimed that Jack "derived pleasure" from humiliating subordinates.Thomas (1990), p. 209. "
Harry Cohn Harry Cohn (July 23, 1891 – February 27, 1958) was a co-founder, president, and production director of Columbia Pictures Corporation. Life and career Cohn was born to a working-class Jewish family in New York City. His father, Joseph Cohn, w ...
was a sonofabitch," Reinhardt said, "but he did it for business; he was not a sadist. Mayer could be a monster, but he was not mean for the sake of meanness. Jack was." Jack's management style frustrated many studio employees. Comedian
Jack Benny Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky, February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success playing violin on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century wit ...
, who once worked at Warner Bros., quipped, "Jack Warner would rather tell a bad joke than make a good movie".Thomas (1990), p. 156. Jack frequently clashed with actors and supposedly banned them from the studio's executive dining room, with the explanation, "I don't need to look at actors when I eat."David (1981), p. 52. The studio executive did, however, win the affection of a few film personalities. Among these was
Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her p ...
, one of the studio's leading stars, who once fled to England to secure release from her contract.Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), pp. 219–221. In later years, Davis defended Jack against rumors of sexual impropriety when she wrote: "No lecherous boss was he! His sins lay elsewhere. He was the father. The power. The glory. And he was in business to make money." Davis revealed that, after the birth of her child, Jack's attitude toward her became warm and protective. "We became father and child, no question about it." she said. "He told me I didn't have to come back to work until I really felt like it. He was a thoughtful man. Not many nice things were said about him." Warner also earned the gratitude and affection of
Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, freque ...
. In 1935, the studio head personally selected Flynn for the title role of '' Captain Blood'', even though he was an unknown actor at the time.Thomas (1990), p. 111. In 1936, following the success of another costume epic, ''
The Charge of the Light Brigade The Charge of the Light Brigade was a failed military action involving the British light cavalry led by Lord Cardigan against Russian forces during the Battle of Balaclava on 25 October 1854 in the Crimean War. Lord Raglan had intended to se ...
'', Jack tore up Flynn's contract and signed him to a long-term deal that doubled his weekly salary.Schatz (1988), pp. 209–210.


The prewar and war years

As the 1930s came to an end, both Jack and Harry Warner became increasingly alarmed over the rise of
Nazism Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) i ...
.Thomas (1990), p. 129. As Bernard F. Dick observed, the Warners, "as sons of Polish Jews who fled their homeland because of antisemitic pogroms ... had a personal interest in exposing Nazism." Moreover, the attraction to films critical of German
militarism Militarism is the belief or the desire of a government or a people that a state should maintain a strong military capability and to use it aggressively to expand national interests and/or values. It may also imply the glorification of the mili ...
had a long history with the Warners that predated their production of ''My Four Years in Germany'' in 1918. In 1917, while it was still in distribution, the Warners had secured the rights for ''
War Brides War brides are women who married military personnel from other countries in times of war or during military occupations, a practice that occurred in great frequency during World War I and World War II. Among the largest and best documented exa ...
'', a movie that featured
Alla Nazimova Alla Nazimova (Russian: Алла Назимова; born Marem-Ides Leventon, Russian: Марем-Идес Левентон; June 3 Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O.S._May_22.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>O ...
as "a woman who kills herself rather than breed children for an unidentified country whose army looks suspiciously Teutonic."Dick (1985), p. 55. Beyond this, Jack was shaken by the 1936 murder of studio salesman Joe Kaufman, who was beaten to death by Nazi stormtroopers in
Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...
.Dick (1985), pp. 55–56.Friedman (1982), p. 82. He later described the incident in the following terms: "Like many an outnumbered Jew he was trapped in an alley. They azi hoodlumshit him with fists and clubs and then kicked the life out of him with their boots and left him dying there."Warner and Jennings (1964), p. 249. Hence, while other
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...
studios sidestepped the issue, fearing domestic criticism and the loss of European markets, Warner Bros. produced films that were openly critical of
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
. In 1939, the studio published ''
Confessions of a Nazi Spy ''Confessions of a Nazi Spy'' is a 1939 American spy political thriller film directed by Anatole Litvak for Warner Bros. It was the first explicitly anti-Nazi film to be produced by a major Hollywood studio, being released in May 1939, several ...
'', starring
Edward G. Robinson Edward G. Robinson (born Emanuel Goldenberg; December 12, 1893January 26, 1973) was a Romanian-American actor of stage and screen, who was popular during the Hollywood's Golden Age. He appeared in 30 Broadway plays and more than 100 films duri ...
. The project, which was recommended to Jack by
FBI Director The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, a United States' federal law enforcement agency, and is responsible for its day-to-day operations. The FBI Director is appointed for a single ...
J. Edgar Hoover John Edgar Hoover (January 1, 1895 – May 2, 1972) was an American law enforcement administrator who served as the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He was appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation  ...
, drew on the real-life experiences of Agent Leon G. Turrou, who had worked as an undercover agent. Despite legal ramifications preventing the use of actual names, the studio aimed for an "aura of authenticity" and Wallis initially recommended eliminating credits to give the film "the appearance of a newsreel."Dick (1985), p. 56. ''Confessions of a Nazi Spy'' was widely criticized. The critic Pare Lorentz wrote, "The Warner brothers have declared war on Germany with this one." The German ambassador responded by issuing a protest to Secretary of State
Cordell Hull Cordell Hull (October 2, 1871July 23, 1955) was an American politician from Tennessee and the longest-serving U.S. Secretary of State, holding the position for 11 years (1933–1944) in the administration of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt ...
, and the German dictator,
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and the ...
, who watched the film at
Berchtesgaden Berchtesgaden () is a municipality in the district Berchtesgadener Land, Bavaria, in southeastern Germany, near the border with Austria, south of Salzburg and southeast of Munich. It lies in the Berchtesgaden Alps, south of Berchtesgaden; th ...
, was outraged.Thomas (1990). pp. 129–130. Meanwhile, the studio received stern warnings from U.S. Congressman Martin Dies Jr. about defaming a "friendly country". Initially, the studio bowed to pressure from the Roosevelt Administration, the
Hays Office The Motion Picture Production Code was a set of industry guidelines for the self-censorship of content that was applied to most motion pictures released by major studios in the United States from 1934 to 1968. It is also popularly known as the ...
, and
isolationist Isolationism is a political philosophy advocating a national foreign policy that opposes involvement in the political affairs, and especially the wars, of other countries. Thus, isolationism fundamentally advocates neutrality and opposes entan ...
lawmakers to desist from similar projects. Jack announced that the studio would release no more "propaganda pictures" and promptly ordered the shelving of several projects with an anti-Nazi theme.Ceplair and Englund (1980), p. 310. In time, however, Warner Bros. produced more films with anti-Nazi messages, including '' Underground'' and '' All Through the Night''. In 1940, the studio produced short films that dramatically documented the devastation wrought by the German bombing raids on
London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
. Meanwhile, the studio celebrated the exploits of the
Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
with films such as ''
Captains of the Clouds ''Captains of the Clouds'' ( ''Shadows of Their Wings'') is a 1942 American war film in Technicolor, directed by Michael Curtiz and starring James Cagney. It was produced by William Cagney (Cagney's brother), with Hal B. Wallis as executive p ...
''.Thomas (1990), p. 130. In 1941, Warner also produced the influential war film ''
Sergeant York Alvin Cullum York (December 13, 1887 – September 2, 1964), also known as Sergeant York, was one of the most decorated United States Army soldiers of World War I. He received the Medal of Honor for leading an attack on a German machi ...
''.Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 246. Contemporary reports that Jack had banned the use of the
German language German ( ) is a West Germanic language mainly spoken in Central Europe. It is the most widely spoken and official or co-official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Italian province of South Tyrol. It is also a ...
throughout the company's studios were denied by studio representatives who indicated that this move would have prevented scores of studio employees from communicating with each other. After the American declaration of war against the
Axis Powers The Axis powers, ; it, Potenze dell'Asse ; ja, 枢軸国 ''Sūjikukoku'', group=nb originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis, was a military coalition that initiated World War II and fought against the Allies. Its principal members were ...
, Jack, like some other studio heads, was commissioned as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Air Corps.Thomas (1990), pp. 130–132. In 1943 the studio's film ''Casablanca (film), Casablanca'' won the Academy Award for Best Picture. When the award was announced, Wallis got up to accept, only to find Jack had rushed onstage "with a broad, flashing smile and a look of great self-satisfaction" to take the trophy, Wallis later recalled. "I couldn't believe it was happening. ''Casablanca'' had been my creation; Jack had absolutely nothing to do with it. As the audience gasped, I tried to get out of the row of seats and into the aisle, but the entire Warner family sat blocking me. I had no alternative but to sit down again, humiliated and furious. ... Almost forty years later, I still haven't recovered from the shock." Also in 1943, Jack, at the advice of President Roosevelt, produced a film adaptation of the controversial book ''Mission to Moscow'',Thomas (1990), p. 146. a film intended to inspire public support of the uneasy military alliance between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Later, while testifying before the
House Un-American Activities Committee The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HCUA), popularly dubbed the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), was an investigative United States Congressional committee, committee of the United States House of Representatives, create ...
(HUAC) on October 27, 1947,Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 272 Jack dismissed allegations during the Cold War that this film was subversive, and he argued that ''Mission to Moscow'' was produced "only to help a desperate war effort, and not for posterity." After the film's lackluster response under distribution, the Republican National Committee accused him of producing "New Deal propaganda."Thomas (1990), p. 147. In line with the Warner brothers' early opposition to Nazism, Warner Bros. produced more pictures about the war than any other studio, covering every branch of the armed services.Thomas (1990), p. 132. In addition, the studio produced patriotic musicals such as ''This Is the Army'' and ''Yankee Doodle Dandy''.


Postwar era

Warner responded grudgingly to the rising popularity of television in the late 1940s.Thomas (1990), p. 190. Initially he tried to compete with the new medium, introducing gimmicks such as 3-D films, which soon lost their appeal among moviegoers.Thomas (1990), p. 191. In 1954, Warner finally engaged the new medium, providing American Broadcasting Company, ABC with a weekly show, ''Warner Bros. Presents''.Thomas (1990), p. 192. The studio followed up with a series of Western (genre), Western dramas, such as ''Maverick (TV series), Maverick'', ''Bronco (TV series), Bronco'', and ''Colt .45 (TV series), Colt .45''.Thomas (1990), p. 194. Accustomed to dealing with actors in a high-handed manner, within a few years Jack provoked hostility among emerging TV stars like James Garner, who filed a lawsuit against Warner Bros. over a contract dispute.Thomas (1990), pp. 196–198. Warner was angered by the perceived ingratitude of television actors, who evidently showed more independence than film actors, and this deepened his contempt for the new medium.Thomas (1990), p. 199. Following his deal with ABC, Warner also made his son, Jack Jr., head of the company's new Warner Bros. Television, television department.Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 291. During this period, Warner showed little foresight in his treatment of the studio's Warner Bros. Cartoons, cartoon operation. Animated characters such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Porky Pig, while embraced by cartoon lovers, "were always stepchildren at Warner Bros."Thomas (1990), p. 211. As biographer Bob Thomas wrote, "Jack Warner...considered cartoons no more than an extraneous service provided to exhibitors who wanted a full program for their customers." In 1953, during a rare meeting between the Warners and the studio's cartoon makers, Jack confessed that he didn't "even know where the hell the cartoon studio is", and Harry added, "The only thing I know is that we make Mickey Mouse," a reference to the flagship character of a competing company, Walt Disney Productions.Thomas (1990), pp. 211–212. Several years later, Jack sold all of the 400 cartoons Warner Bros. made before 1948 for $3,000 apiece. As Thomas noted, "They have since earned millions, but not for Warner Bros."Thomas (1990), p. 212. Jack's tumultuous relationship with his brother Harry worsened in February 1956, when Harry learned of Jack's decision to sell the Warner Bros.' pre-1950 films to Associated Artists Productions (soon to merge with United Artists Television) for the modest sum of $21 million.Thomas (1990), p. 225.Schickel and Perry (2008), p. 255. "This is our heritage, what we worked all our lives to create, and now it is gone," Harry exclaimed, upon hearing of the deal. The breach between Jack and Harry widened later that year. In July 1956, Jack, Harry, and Albert announced that they were putting Warner Bros. on the market.Thomas (1990), p. 226. Jack, however, secretly organized a syndicate that purchased control of the company.Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 303. By the time Harry and Albert learned of their brother's dealings, it was too late. Jack, as the company's largest stockholder, appointed himself as the new company president.Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 306. Shortly after the deal was closed, he announced that the company and its subsidiaries would be "directed more vigorously to the acquisition of the most important story properties, talents, and to the production of the finest motion pictures possible". The two brothers had often argued, and earlier in the decade, studio employees claimed they saw Harry chase Jack through the studio with a lead pipe, shouting, "I'll get you for this, you son of a bitch" and threatening to kill him.Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 283. This subterfuge, however, proved too much for Harry. He never spoke to Jack again. When Harry died on July 27, 1958, Jack did not attend the funeral, and he departed for his annual vacation at Antibes, Cap d'Antibes.Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 313. Asked to respond to his brother's death, he said, "I didn't give a shit about Harry."Thomas (1990), pp. 226–227. At the same time, Jack took pride in the fact that President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent him a letter of condolence.


The Sixties

In the 1960s, Warner kept pace with rapid changes in the industry and played a key role in developing films that were commercial and critical successes. In February 1962, he purchased the My Fair Lady (film), film rights for the Broadway musical ''My Fair Lady'', paying an unprecedented $6.5 million. The previous owner, CBS director William S. Paley set terms that included fifty percent of the distributor's gross profits "plus ownership of the negative at the end of the contract."Thomas (1990), p. 259. Despite the "outrageous" purchase price, and the ungenerous terms of the contract, the deal proved lucrative for Warner Bros., securing the studio $12 million in profits. Warner was criticized for choosing a non-singing star, Audrey Hepburn, to play the leading role of Eliza Doolittle; indeed, the 1964 Academy Award for Best Actress went to Julie Andrews, who had played Eliza in both the Broadway and London productions of the musical, for ''Mary Poppins (film), Mary Poppins'', while Hepburn wasn't even nominated. However, the film won the Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Picture Oscar for 1964.Thomas (1990), pp. 262–263. In 1965, Warner surprised many industry observers when he purchased the rights to ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (film), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'', Edward Albee's searing play about a destructive marriage.Thomas (1990), pp. 266–267. From the beginning, the project was beset by controversy. Ernest Lehman's script, which was extremely faithful to Albee's play, stretched the U.S. film industry's United States Motion Picture Production Code of 1930, Production Code to the limit.Thomas (1990), p. 270. Jack Valenti, who just assumed leadership of the Motion Picture Association of America, recalled that a meeting with Warner and studio aide Ben Kalmenson left him "uneasy".Corey and Ochoa (2002), p. 216. "I was uncomfortable with the thought that this was just the beginning of an unsettling new era in film, in which we would lurch from crisis to crisis without any suitable solution in sight," Valenti wrote. Meanwhile, Lehman and the film's director, Mike Nichols, battled with studio executives and exhibitors who insisted that the film be shot in color rather than black and white.Thomas (1990), p. 271. These controversies soon faded into the background while Warner challenged the validity of the Production Code by publicly requiring theaters showing the film to post an "adults only" label and restrict ticket sales accordingly, all as a marketing tease to entice audiences to see what warranted that restriction. At this, the MPAA — wary of a repeat of the embarrassment it had trying to censor the highly acclaimed film ''The Pawnbroker (film), The Pawnbroker'' — gave in and approved the film as a special exception because of its quality, which led to other filmmakers to challenge the Code themselves even more aggressively. Upon its release, ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' was embraced by audiences and critics alike. It secured thirteen nominations from the Academy, including one for Best Picture of 1966.Thomas (1990), p. 278. Despite these achievements, Warner grew weary of making films, and he sold a substantial amount of his studio stock to Seven Arts Productions on November 14, 1966. Some observers believed that Ben Kalmenson, Warner Bros.' executive vice president, persuaded Warner to sell his stock so that Kalmenson could assume leadership of the studio.Thomas (1990), p. 280. Warner, however, had personal reasons for seeking retirement. His wife, Ann, continually pressured him to "slow down", and the aging studio head felt a need to put his affairs in order. He sold his 1.6 million shares of studio stock shortly after producing the Camelot (film), film adaptation of Lerner & Loewe's ''Camelot''.Thomas (1990), p. 279. The sale yielded, after capital gains taxes, about $24 million (equivalent to $ million today). Eight months after the sale, Warner quipped, "Who would ever have thought that a butcher boy from Youngstown, Ohio, would end up with twenty-four million smackers in his pocket?" At the time of the sale, he had earned the distinction of being the second production chief to also serve as company president, after Columbia Pictures' Harry Cohn. Warner's decision to sell came at a time when he was losing the formidable power that he once took for granted. He had already survived the dislocations of the 1950s, when other studio heads – including Mayer, David O. Selznick, and Samuel Goldwyn – were pushed out by stockholders who "sought scapegoats for dwindling profits".Friedman (1982), p. 139. Structural changes that occurred in the industry during this period ensured that studios would become "more important as backers of independent producers than as creators of their own films", a situation that left little room for the traditional movie mogul. By the mid-1960s, most of the film moguls from the Golden Age of Hollywood had died, and Warner was regarded as one of the last of a dying breed. Evidence of his eroding control at Warner Bros. included his failure to block production of the controversial but highly influential film ''Bonnie and Clyde (film), Bonnie and Clyde'', a project he initially "hated".Thomas (1990), pp. 280–281. Similarly, as producer of the film adaptation of ''Camelot'', he was unable to persuade director Joshua Logan to cast Richard Burton and Julie Andrews in the leading roles. Instead, Logan selected Richard Harris and Vanessa Redgrave, a move that contributed to the project's critical – and commercial – failure.Thomas (1990), pp. 285–286. Another factor was that Logan was able to manipulate Warner's ego to persuade him from cutting the screenplay's length, despite the fact that the studio executive had already agreed with the film's unofficial producer, Joel Freeman, that it was overlong. Warner officially retired from the studio in 1969.


After Warner Bros.

Warner remained active as an independent producer until the early 1970s to run some of the company's distributions and exhibition division.Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), pp. 332–334. Among his last productions was a film adaptation of a Broadway musical, ''1776 (film), 1776'', which was released through Columbia Pictures.Thomas (1990), pp. 295–300. Before the film's release, Warner showed a preview cut to President Richard Nixon, who recommended substantial changes, including the removal of the song 'Cool, Cool, Considerate Men' that struck him as veiled criticisms of the ongoing Vietnam War.Thomas (1990), p. 299. Without consulting the film's director, Peter H. Hunt, Warner ordered the film re-edited. The cuts have since been restored in most television showings and in the film's DVD release. In November 1972, the film opened to enthusiastic audiences at Radio City Music Hall, but it fared poorly in theaters. Faced with a polarized political climate, few Americans were drawn to "a cheery exercise in prerepublic civics".Thomas (1990), pp. 299–300. Warner's efforts to promote the film were sometimes counterproductive; during an interview with talk show host Merv Griffin, the elderly producer engaged in a lengthy tirade against "pinko communists". This would become his only television interview.


Personal life

On October 14, 1914, Warner married Irma Claire Salomon, the daughter of Sam Salomon and Bertha Franklin Salomon from one of San Francisco's pioneer Jewish families. Irma gave birth to the couple's only child, Jack M. Warner, on March 27, 1916. Jack Sr. named the child after himself, disregarding an Eastern European Jewish custom that children should not be named after living relatives. Although his son bore a different middle initial, he "has been called Junior all his life".Thomas (1990), pp. 29–30. Warner's first marriage ended in 1935, when he left his wife for another woman, Ann Page, with whom he had a daughter named Barbara.Thomas (1990), p. 338. Irma sued her husband for divorce on the grounds of desertion. Harry Warner reflected the family's feelings about the marriage when he exclaimed, "Thank God our mother didn't live to see this". Jack married Ann after the divorce. The Warners, who took Irma's side in the affair, refused to accept Ann as a family member.Thomas (1990), pp. 102–103. In the wake of this falling out, Warner's relationship with his son, Jack Jr., also became strained.Thomas (1990), pp. 229–230. In the late 1950s, Warner was almost killed in a car accident that left him in a coma for several days. On August 5, 1958, after an evening of Baccarat (card game), baccarat at the Palm Beach Casino in Cannes, his Alfa Romeo roadster (automobile), roadster swerved into the path of a coal truck on a stretch of road located near the seaside villa of Prince Aly Khan. Warner was thrown from the car, which burst into flames upon impact. Shortly after the accident, Jack Jr. joined other family members in France, where the unconscious studio head was hospitalized. In an interview with reporters, Jack Jr. suggested that his father was dying. Then, during a visit to his father's hospital room, the young man offended Ann, whom he largely blamed for his parents' divorce.Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 215. When Warner regained consciousness, he was enraged by reports of his son's behavior and their "tenuous" relationship came to an end.Thomas (1990), pp. 228–229. On December 30, 1958, Jack Jr. was informed, by Jack Sr.'s lawyer Arnold Grant, that the elder Warner had released him from the company.Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 321. When he attempted to report for work, studio guards denied him entry.Thomas (1990), p. 230. The two men never achieved a reconciliation, and Jack Jr. is not mentioned in his father's 1964 autobiography.Thomas (1990), p. 249. Warner made no pretense of faithfulness to his second wife, Ann, and kept a series of mistresses throughout the 1950s and 1960s.Thomas (1990), p. 248. The most enduring of these "girlfriends" was an aspiring actress named Jackie Park, who bore a "startling" resemblance to his second wife.Thomas (1990), p. 246. The relationship was in its fourth year when Ann pressed her husband to terminate the affair. Although Ann did once have an affair with studio actor Eddie Albert in 1941, she was much more devoted to the marriage by contrast.Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 242. In the 1960s, she insisted that, despite his reputation for ruthlessness, Warner had a softer side. In a note to author Dean Jennings, who assisted Jack on his 1964 autobiography, ''My First Hundred Years in Hollywood'', Ann wrote: "He is extremely sensitive, but there are few who know that because he covers it with a cloak."Thomas (1990), pp. 210–211. In 1937, Warner bought a mansion in Beverly Hills that he would develop into the later named Jack Warner Estate. After his death in 1978, Ann, his widow, lived there until her death in 1990. Douglas Warner is sole heir his mother is Ruth Warner


Political views

An "ardent Republican", Warner nevertheless supported President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal in the early 1930s. Later in the decade, he made common cause with opponents of Nazi Germany. In 1947, however, he served as a "friendly witness" for the HUAC, thereby lending support to allegations of a "Red" infiltration of Hollywood. Warner felt that communists were responsible for the studio's month-long labor strike, strike that occurred in the fall of 1946,Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 273. and on his own initiative he provided the names of a dozen screenwriters who were dismissed because of suspected communist sympathies, a move that effectively destroyed their careers.Thomas (1990), p. 165. Former studio employees named by Warner included Alvah Cecil Bessie, Alvah Bessie, Howard Koch (screenwriter), Howard Koch, Ring Lardner Jr., John Howard Lawson, Albert Maltz, Robert Rossen, Dalton Trumbo, Clifford Odets, and Irwin Shaw.Ceplair and Englund (1980), pp. 279–280. As one biographer observed, Warner "was furious when Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Paul Henreid and John Huston joined other members of the stellar Committee for the First Amendment in a flight to Washington, D.C., Washington to preach against the threat to free expression". Lester D. Friedman noted that Warner's response to the HUAC hearings was similar to other Jewish studio heads who "feared that a blanket equation of Communists with Jews would destroy them and their industry".Friedman (1982), p. 141. Warner publicly supported Richard Nixon during the United States presidential election, 1960, 1960 presidential election and paid for full-page ads in ''The New York Times'' "to proclaim why Nixon should be elected".Thomas (1990), p. 237. In the wake of Nixon's loss to John F. Kennedy, however, the studio head made arrangements to attend a fundraiser at the Hollywood Palladium in honor of the president-elect. Several weeks later, Warner received a phone call from the new chief executive's father, Joseph P. Kennedy, and within a short time, Warner Bros. purchased the film rights for Robert Donovan's book, ''PT 109 (film), PT 109'', a bestseller concerning John Kennedy's exploits during World War II.Thomas (1990), p. 238. "I don't think President Kennedy would object to my friendship with Dick Nixon," Warner said later. "I would have voted for both of them if I could. You might think this is a form of fence-straddling, but I love everybody."Warner and Jennings (1964), p. 326. In the late 1960s, he emerged as an outspoken proponent of the Vietnam War.Thomas (1990), p. 303.


Death and legacy

By the end of 1973, those closest to Warner became aware of signs that he was becoming disoriented. Shortly after losing his way in the building that housed his office, Warner retired.Thomas (1990), p. 304. In 1974, Warner suffered a stroke that left him blind and enfeebled. During the next several years, he gradually lost the ability to speak and became unresponsive to friends and relatives.Thomas (1990), pp. 304–305. Finally, on August 13, 1978, Warner was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Cedars-Sinai Hospital, where he died of a heart inflammation (''edema'') on September 9. He was 86 years old.Thomas (1990), p. 305. A funeral service was held at the Wilshire Boulevard Temple, the synagogue to which many members of the Warner family belonged.Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), ps. 206, 313. He was interred at Home of Peace Cemetery (East Los Angeles), Home of Peace Cemetery in East Los Angeles, California.Sperling, Millner, and Warner (1998), p. 334. Warner left behind an estate estimated at $15 million.Thomas (1990), p. 306. Much of the Warner estate, including property and memorabilia, was bequeathed to his widow, Ann. However, Warner also left $200,000 to his estranged son, Jack Jr., perhaps in an effort to discourage him from contesting the last will and testament, will. In the days following his death, newspaper obituaries recounted the familiar story of "the four brothers who left the family butcher shop for nickelodeon (movie theater), nickelodeons" and went on to revolutionize American cinema.Thomas (1990), p. 307. A front-page story in Warner's adopted hometown of Youngstown featured accounts of the family's pre-Hollywood struggles in Ohio, describing how Warner drove a wagon for his father's business when he was only seven years old. The late movie mogul was widely eulogized for his role in "shaping Hollywood's 'Golden Age'". Several months after Warner's death, a more personal tribute was organized by the Friends of the Libraries at the University of Southern California. The event, called "The Colonel: An Affectionate Remembrance of Jack L. Warner", drew Hollywood notables such as entertainers Olivia de Havilland and Debbie Reynolds, and cartoon voice actor Mel Blanc.Thomas (1990), p. 308. Blanc closed the event with a rendition of Porky Pig's famous farewell, "A-bee-a-bee-a-bee–that's all, folks." In recognition of his contributions to the motion picture industry, Warner was accorded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located at 6541 Hollywood Boulevard. He is also represented on Canada's Walk of Fame (where he was inducted in 2004) in Toronto, which honours outstanding Canadians from all fields. Warner is portrayed by Richard Dysart in ''Bogie (film), Bogie'' (1980), Michael Lerner (actor), Michael Lerner in ''This Year's Blonde'' (1980), Jason Wingreen in ''Malice in Wonderland (1985 film), Malice in Wonderland'' (1985), Mike Connors in ''James Dean: Race with Destiny'' (1997), Tim Woodward in ''RKO 281'' (1999), Len Kaserman in ''The Three Stooges (2000 film), The Three Stooges'' (2000), Richard M. Davidson in ''Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows'' (2001), Mark Rydell in ''James Dean (2001 film), James Dean'' (2001), Danny Wells in ''Gleason (2002 film), Gleason'' (2002), Barry Langrishe in ''The Mystery of Natalie Wood'' (2004), Ben Kingsley in ''Life (2015 film), Life'' (2015) and Stanley Tucci in ''Feud (TV series), Feud'' (2017).


See also

* Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood


Source citations and notes


References

* Behlmer, Rudy (1985). ''Inside Warner Bros. (1935–1951)''. New York: Viking Press. * Buhle, Paul; Wagner, Dave (2002). ''Radical Hollywood: The Untold Story Behind America's Favorite Movies''. New York: The New Press. * Ceplair, Larry; Englund, Steven (1980). ''The Inquisition in Hollywood: Politics in the Film Community, 1930–1960.'' Garden City, NY: Anchor Press/ Doubleday. * Corey, Melinda; Ochoa, George (2002). ''The American Film Institute Desk Reference''. New York: Dorling Kindersley Publishing. * David, Saul (1981). ''The Industry: Life in the Hollywood Fast Lane''. New York: Times Books. * Dick, Bernard F. (1985). ''The Star-Spangled Screen: The American World War II Film''. Lexington, KY: The University Press of Kentucky. * Friedman, Lester D. (1982). ''Hollywood's Image of the Jew''. New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co. * * Schatz, Thomas (1988). ''The Genius of the System: Hollywood Filmmaking in the Studio Era''. New York: Pantheon Books. * Richard Schickel, Schickel, Richard; Perry, George (2008). ''You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story''. Philadelphia: Running Press. * Sperling, Cass Warner; Millner, Cork; Warner, Jack Jr. (1998). ''Hollywood Be Thy Name: The Warner Brothers Story''. Lexington, KY: University Press of Kentucky. * Thomas, Bob (1990). ''Clown Prince of Hollywood: The Antic Life and Times of Jack L. Warner''. New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company. * Warner, Jack; Jennings, Dean (1964). ''My First Hundred Years in Hollywood: An Autobiography ''. New York: Random Books


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Warner, Jack 20th-century American businesspeople 1892 births 1978 deaths Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences founders American anti-communists American anti-fascists American film production company founders American film studio executives American people of Polish-Jewish descent American people of Russian-Jewish descent Burials at Home of Peace Cemetery Businesspeople from London, Ontario Businesspeople from Los Angeles Businesspeople from Youngstown, Ohio Canadian Ashkenazi Jews Canadian people of Russian-Jewish descent Cecil B. DeMille Award Golden Globe winners Canadian emigrants to the United States Deaths from edema Film producers from California Film producers from Ohio First Motion Picture Unit personnel Golden Globe Award-winning producers Jews from the Russian Empire Producers who won the Best Picture Academy Award Silent film directors Silent film producers Warner Bros. people Warner family, Jack L.