Jack Warner, OBE (born Horace John Waters, 24 October 1895 – 24 May 1981) was a British actor. He is closely associated with the role of PC George Dixon, which he played in the 1950 film ''

The Blue Lamp ''The Blue Lamp'' is a 1950 British police procedural film directed by Basil Dearden and starring Jack Warner as PC Dixon, Jimmy Hanley as newcomer PC Mitchell, and Dirk Bogarde as criminal Tom Riley. The title refers to the blue lamps that t ...

'' and later in the television series '' Dixon of Dock Green'' from 1955 until 1976, but he was also for some years one of Britain's most popular film stars.

Early life

Warner was born Horace John WatersWarner (1975), p. 2. in Bromley, Poplar, London, the third child of Edward William Waters, master fulling maker and undertaker's warehouseman, and Maud Mary Best.''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography''. OUP Oxford. His sisters,

Elsie and Doris Waters Florence Elsie Waters (19 August 1893–14 June 1990) and her sister Doris Ethel Waters (20 December 1899–18 August 1978) were English comic actresses and singers who performed as a double act. They are remembered for creating the c ...

, were comediennes who usually performed as " Gert and Daisy".Warner (1975), pp. 74–75. Warner attended the Coopers' Company's Grammar School for Boys in

Mile End Mile End is a district of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in the East End of London, England, east-northeast of Charing Cross. Situated on the London-to-Colchester road, it was one of the earliest suburbs of London. It became part of the m ...

,Warner (1975), p. 10. while his sisters both attended the nearby sister school, Coborn School for Girls in Bow. The three children were choristers at St. Leonard's Church,

Bromley-by-Bow Bromley, commonly known as Bromley-by- Bow, is a district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in East London, located on the western banks of the River Lea, in the Lower Lea Valley in East London. The area is distinct from Bow, which l ...

, and for a time, Warner was the choir's soloist. After leaving school, he studied automobile engineering at the

Northampton Institute City, University of London, is a public research university in London, United Kingdom, and a member institution of the federal University of London. It was founded in 1894 as the Northampton Institute, and became a university when The City Univ ...

(now part of the

City University, London City, University of London, is a public research university in London, United Kingdom, and a member institution of the federal University of London. It was founded in 1894 as the Northampton Institute, and became a university when The City Univ ...

) but being more practical than academic he left after a year to work at the repair facilities of F.W. Berwick and Company in

Balham Balham () is an area in south London, England, mostly within the London Borough of Wandsworth with small parts within the neighbouring London Borough of Lambeth. The area has been settled since Saxon times and appears in the Domesday Book as B ...

, where he started by sweeping the floors for 2 d per hour.''Tell Me Another'', personal anecdotes as told to Dick Hills.

Southern Television Southern Television was the ITV broadcasting licence holder for the South and South-East of England from 30 August 1958 to 31 December 1981. The company was launched as 'Southern Television Limited' and the title 'Southern Television' was co ...

, first broadcast 10 August 1977. Frederick William Berwick became a partner in the Anglo-French automobile manufacturing company Sizaire-Berwick and, in August 1913, Warner was sent to work as a mechanic in Paris. He drove completed chassis to the coast from where they were shipped to England, road-testing them ''en route''. He acquired a working knowledge of French which stood him in good stead throughout his life; an imitation of

Maurice Chevalier Maurice Auguste Chevalier (; 12 September 1888 – 1 January 1972) was a French singer, actor and entertainer. He is perhaps best known for his signature songs, including " Livin' In The Sunlight", " Valentine", " Louise", " Mimi", and " Thank H ...

became a part of his repertoire. During the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, he served in France as a driver in the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

and was awarded the

Meritorious Service Medal A Meritorious Service Medal is an award presented to denote acts of meritorious service, and sometimes gallantry, that are worthy of recognition. Notable medals with similar names include: * Meritorious Civilian Service Award *Meritorious Service Me ...

in 1918. He returned to England and the motor trade in 1919, graduating from hearses to occasional car racing at

Brooklands Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England, United Kingdom. It opened in 1907 and was the world's first purpose-built 'banked' motor racing circuit as well as one of Britain's first airfields ...

. He was over thirty before he became a professional entertainer.

Career

Warner first became known to the general public in

music hall Music hall is a type of British theatrical entertainment that was popular from the early Victorian era, beginning around 1850. It faded away after 1918 as the halls rebranded their entertainment as variety. Perceptions of a distinction in Br ...

and radio. By the early years of the

Second World War 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 vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, he was nationally known and starred in a BBC radio comedy show, '' Garrison Theatre'', invariably opening with "A Monologue Entitled...".

Film

Warner's first film was '' The Dummy Talks'' (1943), in which he had the lead role. He had a support role in '' The Captive Heart'' (1946), a successful film. Also successful were ''

Hue and Cry In common law, a hue and cry is a process by which bystanders are summoned to assist in the apprehension of a criminal who has been witnessed in the act of committing a crime. History By the Statute of Winchester of 1285, 13 Edw. I statute 2. c ...

'' and '' Dear Murderer'' (both 1947). Warner was the

patriarch The highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, the Catholic Church (above major archbishop and primate), the Hussite Church, Church of the East, and some Independent Catholic Churches are termed patriarchs (and in c ...

of the Huggett family in ''

Holiday Camp A holiday camp is a type of holiday accommodation that encourages holidaymakers to stay within the site boundary, and provides entertainment and facilities for them throughout the day. Since the 1970s, the term has fallen out of favour with term ...

'' (1947) which was a big hit. He played a policeman in '' It Always Rains on Sunday'' (1947), and was another family man in the comedy '' Easy Money'' (1948). He was in a war film, '' Against the Wind'' (1948), and starred in a thriller, '' My Brother's Keeper'' (1948). The Huggett family had been so well received in ''Holiday Camp'' that production company

Gainsborough Pictures Gainsborough Pictures was a British film studio based on the south bank of the Regent's Canal, in Poole Street, Hoxton in the former Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch, north London. Gainsborough Studios was active between 1924 and 1951. The com ...

decided to give them their own series, so Warner was seen in '' Here Come the Huggetts'' (1948), '' Vote for Huggett'' (1949) and '' The Huggetts Abroad'' (1949). He was one of several names in ''

Train of Events ''Train of Events'' is a 1949 British portmanteau film made by Ealing Studios and directed by Sidney Cole, Charles Crichton and Basil Dearden. It begins with a train that is heading for a crash into a stalled petrol tanker at a level crossing a ...

'' and played the governor of a borstal institution in ''

Boys in Brown ''Boys in Brown'' is a 1949 black and white British drama film directed by Montgomery Tully, which depicts life in a borstal for young offenders. It stars Jack Warner, Richard Attenborough, Dirk Bogarde and Jimmy Hanley. It is based on a 1940 ...

'' (both 1949). Warner was by now established as one of the most popular British actors in the country. His stock rose further when he played PC George Dixon in ''

'' (1950), the most successful film at the box office that year.Warner (1975), p. 108. One observer predicted, "This film will make Jack the most famous policeman in Britain." Warner performed in a comedy ''

Talk of a Million ''Talk of a Million'' (also known as ''You Can't Beat the Irish'') is a 1951 British comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs, starring Jack Warner, with an early appearance from Sid James. Premise Shakespeare-loving Bartley Murnahan, (Jac ...

'' (1951) and a thriller ''

Valley of Eagles ''Valley of Eagles'' (US release title ''Valley of the Eagles'') is a 1951 British thriller film written and directed by Terence Young and starring Jack Warner, Nadia Gray and John McCallum.Scrooge'' (1951) then played a policeman again in ''

Emergency Call Most public switched telephone networks have a single emergency telephone number (sometimes known as the universal emergency telephone number or the emergency services number) that allows a caller to contact local emergency services for assista ...

'' (1952). He was one of several stars in '' Meet Me Tonight'' (1952) and returned to comedy for ''

Those People Next Door ''Those People Next Door'' is a 1953 British second feature comedy film directed by John Harlow and starring Jack Warner, Charles Victor and Marjorie Rhodes. Plot In Second World War era Britain, working-class Sam Twigg (Jack Warner) and hi ...

'' (1953). He was top-billed in ''

The Square Ring ''The Square Ring'' is a 1953 British tragi-comic drama, directed by Basil Dearden and made at Ealing Studios. It stars Jack Warner, Robert Beatty and Bill Owen. The film, based on a stage play by Ralph Peterson, centres on one night at a f ...

'' and '' The Final Test'' (both 1953). In the POW film ''

Albert R.N. ''Albert R.N.'' is a 1953 British war film directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Jack Warner, Anthony Steel and Robert Beatty. Plot An escape tunnel for the naval officer prisoners during the Second World War at a German prisoner-of-war cam ...

'' (1953) he was billed beneath Anthony Steel. Additional thrillers followed: ''

Bang! You're Dead ''Bang! You're Dead'' is a 1954 British psychological drama film directed by Lance Comfort and starring Jack Warner, Anthony Richmond, Veronica Hurst, Derek Farr and Sean Barrett. The film takes as its subject the accidental killing of a ma ...

'' (1954) and '' Forbidden Cargo'' (1954). He co-starred in the

Hammer A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nails into wood, to shape metal (as wi ...

film version of '' The Quatermass Xperiment'' (1955) and had a cameo-like supporting role as the

police superintendent Superintendent (Supt) is a rank in the British police and in most English-speaking Commonwealth nations. In many Commonwealth countries, the full version is superintendent of police (SP). The rank is also used in most British Overseas Territories ...

in the 1955

Ealing Studios Ealing Studios is a television and film production company and facilities provider at Ealing Green in West London. Will Barker bought the White Lodge on Ealing Green in 1902 as a base for film making, and films have been made on the site ever ...

black comedy '' The Ladykillers''. Even with his success that followed in television, Warner performed in the occasional film such as '' Now and Forever'' (1956), ''

Home and Away ''Home and Away'' (often abbreviated as ''H&A'') is an Australian television soap opera. It was created by Alan Bateman and commenced broadcast on the Seven Network on 17 January 1988. Bateman came up with the concept of the show during a tri ...

'' (1956), ''

Carve Her Name with Pride ''Carve Her Name with Pride'' is a 1958 British war drama film based on the book of the same name by R. J. Minney. The film, directed by Lewis Gilbert, is based on the true story of Special Operations Executive agent Violette Szabo, GC, who w ...

'' (1958) and '' Jigsaw'' (1962). His last film appearance was in '' Dominique'' (1978).

Television

Although the

police constable A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in criminal law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. A constable is commonly the rank of an officer within the police. Other pe ...

he played in ''The Blue Lamp'' was shot dead in the film, the character was revived in 1955 for the BBC television series '' Dixon of Dock Green'', which ran until 1976. In the series' later years, Warner's character, long past retirement age, was confined to a less prominent desk sergeant role. The series had a prime-time slot on Saturday evenings, and always opened with Dixon giving a little soliloquy to the camera, beginning with the words, "Good evening, all". According to Warner's autobiography, ''Jack of All Trades'', Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states durin ...

once visited the television studio where the series was made, and told Warner "that she thought ''Dixon of Dock Green'' had become part of the British way of life".Warner (1975), p. 84. Jack Warner

Personal life and death

In 1933, Warner married company secretary Muriel Winifred ("Mollie"), daughter of independently wealthy Roberts Peters. The couple had no children. Warner was appointed an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(OBE) in 1965.Warner (1975), p. 201. In 1973, he was made a Freeman of the City of London. Warner commented in his autobiography that the honour "entitles me to a set of 18th century rules for the conduct of life urging me to be sober and temperate". Warner added, "Not too difficult with Dixon to keep an eye on me!"Warner (1975), p. 207. He died, aged 85, 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 the

Royal Masonic Hospital The Royal Masonic Hospital was a hospital in the Ravenscourt Park area of Hammersmith, west London, built and opened in 1933. The Grade II* listed building became the Ravenscourt Park Hospital in 2002, but this closed in 2006. As of May 2015 ...

, Ravenscourt Park,

Hammersmith Hammersmith is a district of West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London ...

, London, in 1981. The characterisation by Warner of Dixon was held in such high regard that officers from Paddington Green Police Station bore the coffin at his funeral.Sydney-Smith (2002), pp. 105–106. Warner is buried in

East London Cemetery The East London Cemetery and Crematorium are located in West Ham in the London Borough of Newham. It is owned and operated by the Dignity Funeral Group. History The cemetery was founded in 1871 and laid out in 1872 to meet the increasing deman ...

Filmography

Box-office ranking

For a number of years, British film exhibitors voted him among the top ten British stars at the box office via an annual poll in the ''Motion Picture Herald''. *1948 – 7th-most popular British star *1949 – 10th-most popular British star *1950 – 3rd (5th-most popular overall) *1952 – 8th-most popular British star *1953 – 7th-most popular British star

Notes

References

* Sydney-Smith, Susan (2002). ''Beyond Dixon of Dock Green: Early British Police Series''. London: I. B. Tauris. *Warner, Jack (1975). ''Jack of All Trades: The Autobiography of Jack Warner''. London: W.H. Allen.

External links

Jack Warner
British movie community * {{DEFAULTSORT:Warner, Jack 1895 births 1981 deaths English male film actors English male stage actors English male television actors Male actors from London Officers of the Order of the British Empire 20th-century English male actors People from Poplar, London British male comedy actors Deaths from pneumonia in England