John "Jack" Warner (1916–1977), known professionally as John Warren, was a British screenwriter and support actor. Specialising in comedy writing, he worked with several figures at the forefront of British comedy, such as
Tommy Cooper
Thomas Frederick Cooper (19 March 1921 – 15 April 1984) was a Welsh prop comedian and magician. As an entertainer, his appearance was large and lumbering at , and he habitually wore a red fez when performing. He served in the British Army ...
,
Peter Sellers
Peter Sellers (born Richard Henry Sellers; 8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was an English actor and comedian. He first came to prominence performing in the BBC Radio comedy series ''The Goon Show''. Sellers featured on a number of hit comi ...
,
Dick Emery
Richard Gilbert Emery (19 February 19152 January 1983) was an English comedian and comic actor. His broadcasting career began on radio in the 1950s, and his self-titled television series ran from 1963 to 1981.
Life and career
Richard Gilbert Emer ...
and
Mike and Bernie Winters.
He had several screenwriting projects with film director
Val Guest
Val Guest (born Valmond Maurice Grossman; 11 December 1911 – 10 May 2006) was an English film director and screenwriter. Beginning as a writer (and later director) of comedy films, he is best known for his work for Hammer Film Productions, ...
whom he first encountered as an actor in 1948.
Biography
Warren was born on 13 November 1916 in England, UK. He was a writer and actor.
In the Second World War he served in the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
. Following his discharge, John pursued a career in films but only served in minor roles. He did however make many contacts and moved into scriptwriting in the late 50s, having considerably more success in this field.
John was known for Up the Creek (1958), Further Up the Creek (1958) and Hell Below Zero (1954).
He died on 9 February 1977 in
Kingston upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames, colloquially known as Kingston, is a town in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, south-west London, England. It is situated on the River Thames, south-west of Charing Cross. It is an ancient market town, notable as ...
.
Film Scripts
*
Up The Creek (1958)
*
Further Up the Creek (1959)
*
Two-Way Stretch
''Two-Way Stretch'', also known as ''Nothing Barred'', is a 1960 British comedy film directed by Robert Day and starring Peter Sellers, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Lionel Jeffries and Bernard Cribbins. The screenplay is by Vivian Cox, John Warren ...
(1960)
*
Life is a Circus (1960)
*
Operation Snatch
''Operation Snatch'' (also known as ''Top Secret'' ) is a 1962 British comedy film starring Terry-Thomas and George Sanders and directed by Robert Day (director), Robert Day. It was written by Alan Hackney, Len Heath and John Warren (actor), ...
(1962)
*
The Wrong Arm of the Law (1963)
*
Rotten to the Core (1965)
*
Ooh… You Are Awful (1972)
TV Show Scripts
*
Dave's Kingdom (1964)
*
Fire Crackers (two episodes, 1965)
*
Cooperama (1966) a showcase for
Tommy Cooper
Thomas Frederick Cooper (19 March 1921 – 15 April 1984) was a Welsh prop comedian and magician. As an entertainer, his appearance was large and lumbering at , and he habitually wore a red fez when performing. He served in the British Army ...
*Mike and Bernie's Show (1966) comedy showcase for
Mike and Bernie Winters
*Life With Cooper (1966–1968) long-running showcase for
Tommy Cooper
Thomas Frederick Cooper (19 March 1921 – 15 April 1984) was a Welsh prop comedian and magician. As an entertainer, his appearance was large and lumbering at , and he habitually wore a red fez when performing. He served in the British Army ...
*The Stanley Baxter Show (one episode 1968) long-running showcase for
Stanley Baxter
Stanley Livingstone Baxter (born 24 May 1926) is a retired Scottish actor, comedian, impressionist and author. Baxter began his career as a child actor on BBC Scotland and later became known for his British television comedy shows '' The Stanley ...
*
As Good Cooks Go (seven episodes, 1969–70)
*Bernie (1878–1980) a series centred upon
Bernie Winters
Bernie Winters (born Bernie Weinstein; 6 September 1930 – 4 May 1991) was an English comedian, actor, musician and TV presenter, and the comic foil of the double act Mike and Bernie Winters with his older brother, Mike. Winters later perfo ...
*
The Dick Emery Show
''The Dick Emery Show'' is a British sketch comedy show starring Dick Emery. It was broadcast on the BBC from 1963 to 1981. It was directed and produced by Harold Snoad. The show was broadcast over 18 series with 166 episodes. The show experien ...
multiple scripts from 1963 to 1977
*It's Lulu (one episode, 1973) long-running showcase for
Lulu
Lulu may refer to:
Companies
* LuLu, an early automobile manufacturer
* Lulu.com, an online e-books and print self-publishing platform, distributor, and retailer
* Lulu Hypermarket, a retail chain in Asia
* Lululemon Athletica or simply Lulu, a C ...
*The
Dick Emery
Richard Gilbert Emery (19 February 19152 January 1983) was an English comedian and comic actor. His broadcasting career began on radio in the 1950s, and his self-titled television series ran from 1963 to 1981.
Life and career
Richard Gilbert Emer ...
Christmas Show (1974)
*
Dick Whittington
Richard Whittington ( March 1423) of the parish of St Michael Paternoster Royal,Will of Richard Whittington: " I leave to my executors named below the entire tenement in which I live in the parish of St. Michael Paternoster Royal, Londo/ ...
TV movie (1972)
*Sacha's In Town (two episodes, 1972) showcase for
Sacha Distel
Alexandre "Sacha" Distel (29 January 1933 – 22 July 2004) was a French musician and singer who had hits with a cover version of "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" in 1970, which reached No 10 in the UK Charts, " Scoubidou", and " The Good Lif ...
*A Christmas Night to Remember, annual show broadcast in UK on
Christmas Day
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A liturgical feast central to Christianity, Chri ...
- 1963, 1970 and 1971
*
From a Bird's Eye View (one episode, 1970)
Film Roles
A very frequent actor in support roles Warren was a well-known face but not a well-known name (and often went uncredited). His need to choose a new name stemmed from the pre-existence of the actor
Jack Warner who was operating out of the same studios.
*
When the Bough Breaks (1947) guest at party (uncredited)
*
The Mark of Cain (1947) as Mr Wilkins (uncredited)
*
One Night With You (1948) as ticket collector
*
My Brother's Keeper (1948) as motorist at Nora's Garage (uncredited)
*
Mr. Perrin and Mr. Traill (1948) as chauffeur
*
William Comes to Town (1948) as circus official
*
Warning to Wantons (1949) (uncredited)
*
It's Not Cricket (1949) as orderly
*
Marry Me! (1949) as newspaper reporter (uncredited)
*
Up for the Cup (1950) as Cartwright
*
Traveller's Joy (1950) as embassy manager (uncredited)
*
Seven Days to Noon
''Seven Days to Noon'' (also known as ''Ultimatum'') is a 1950 British political thriller film directed and produced by John and Roy Boulting and starring Barry Jones, Olive Sloane and André Morell. It was written by Frank Harvey and Roy Bou ...
(1950) (uncredited)
*
Shadow of the Past (1950) as furniture man
*
The Reluctant Widow (1950)
*
The Astonished Heart (1950) as barman
*
Boys in Brown (1949) signalman (uncredited)
*
A Case of Poisoning (1949) as the butcher
*
Diamond City (1949) as the town crier
*
The Franchise Affair (1951) as Charlie the pub landlord
*
Laughter in Paradise
''Laughter in Paradise'' is a 1951 British comedy film directed by Mario Zampi, starring Alastair Sim, Fay Compton, George Cole, and Guy Middleton. It was written by Jack Davies and Michael Pertwee.
The film was remade as '' Some Will, S ...
(1951) as card player (uncredited)
*
A Case for PC 49 (1951) as Coffee Dan
*
High Treason
Treason is the crime of attacking a state authority to which one owes allegiance. This typically includes acts such as participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its d ...
(1951) as barman (uncredited)
*
Encore
An encore is an additional performance given by performers at the conclusion of a show or concert, usually in response to extended applause from the audience.Lalange Cochrane, in ''Oxford Companion to Music'', Alison Latham, ed., Oxford Universi ...
(1951) as ship's officer in "Winter's Cruise" section
*
Mr. Denning Drives North (1951) as Mr Ash
*
Stolen Face (1952) as railway guard
*
Gift Horse (1952) as man in crowd (uncredited)
*
The Lost Hours (1952) as man with dog
*
Made in Heaven
''Made In Heaven'' is the fifteenth and final studio album by the British rock band Queen, released on 6 November 1995 by Parlophone Records in the United Kingdom and by Hollywood Records in the United States. It is the final studio album to ...
(1952) as Keeper of the Wheel (uncredited)
*
The Net (1953) as Ted (uncredited)
*
Top of the Form (1953) as bookie (uncredited)
*
Glad Tidings (1953) as barman
*
Personal Affair (1953) as man in news room (uncredited)
*
Meet Mr. Lucifer (1953) as man with hammer (uncredited)
*
36 Hours (1953) as clerk (uncredited)
*
Trouble in Store (1953) as
Master of Ceremonies (uncredited)
*
Stryker of the Yard (1953)
*
Hell Below Zero (1954) as hotel receptionist
*
Fast and Loose (1954) as chauffeur
*
Up to His Neck (1954) as Collins
*
To Dorothy a Son
''To Dorothy a Son'' (U.S. title: ''Cash on Delivery'') is a black and white 1954 British comedy film in the form of a farce directed by Muriel Box and starring Shelley Winters, John Gregson and Peggy Cummins. It was written by Peter Rogers b ...
(1954) as waiter (uncredited)
*
Police Dog
A police dog, also known as a K-9 (phonemic abbreviation of canine), is a dog that is trained to assist police and other law enforcement officers. Their duties may include searching for drugs and explosives, locating missing people, findin ...
(1955) as Clerk of Works
*
Passage Home (1955) as Cook
*
One Good Turn (1955) as ticket collector (with
Norman Wisdom
Sir Norman Joseph Wisdom, (4 February 1915 – 4 October 2010), was an English actor, comedian, musician, and singer, best known for his series of comedy films produced between 1953 and 1966, in which he portrayed the endearingly inept charact ...
)
*
Bride of the Monster (1955) as Jake
*
The Woman for Joe (1955) as workman in pub (uncredited)
*
Secret Venture (1955) as bargee (uncredited)
*
Portrait of Alison (1955) as postman (uncredited)
*
Private's Progress
''Private's Progress'' is a 1956 British comedy film directed by John Boulting and starring Richard Attenborough, Dennis Price, Terry-Thomas and Ian Carmichael. The script was by John Boulting and Frank Harvey, based on the novel of the same ...
as Sgt Major Gradwick
*
Jumping for Joy (1956) as commentator at racetrack (uncredited)
*
The Feminine Touch (1956) (uncredited)
*
The Iron Petticoat
''The Iron Petticoat'' (also known as ''Not for Money'') is a 1956 British Cold War comedy film starring Bob Hope and Katharine Hepburn, and directed by Ralph Thomas. The screenplay by Ben Hecht became the focus of a contentious history behind t ...
(1956) as airport official (uncredited)
*
Eyewitness (1956) as Joe the barman at
British Legion
The Royal British Legion (RBL), formerly the British Legion, is a British Charitable organization, charity providing financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the British Armed Forces, their families and dependants.
...
(uncredited)
*
The Last Man to Hang (1956) as passport official (uncredited)
*
The Battle of the River Plate (1956) as chief signalman on
HMS Exeter (uncredited)
*
Brothers in Law (1957) as Mr Venner
*
A Night To Remember (1958) as crewman on Titanic (uncredited)
*
Up the Creek (1958) as Cooky
*
Further Up the Creek (1959) as Cooky
*
Free Love Confidential (1970)
TV roles
*
She Stoops to Conquer (1949 TV movie) as Stingo and Jeremy
*
Stryker of the Yard (1961)
*
Homicide
Homicide is an act in which a person causes the death of another person. A homicide requires only a Volition (psychology), volitional act, or an omission, that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from Accident, accidenta ...
(1967) as Sikorski
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Warren, John
1916 births
1977 deaths
British actors
British male screenwriters
20th-century British screenwriters
Royal Navy personnel of World War II