H.B. Warner

H.B. Warner

Born: October 25, 1875
Died: December 21, 1958
in London, England, UK
Henry Byron Warner was the definitive cinematic Jesus Christ in Cecil B. DeMille's The King of Kings (1927). He was born into a prominent theatrical family on October 26, 1875 in London. His father was Charles Warner, and his grandfather was James Warner, both prominent English actors. He replaced J.B. Warner as Jesus in The King of Kings (1927) when J.B. died of tuberculosis at age 29. (J.B. was not Henry's brother. J.B. had taken the professional last name "Warner" because Henry's family took him in.)

Henry Warner's family wanted him to become a doctor, and he graduated from London University but eventually gave up his medical studies. The theater was in his blood, and he studied acting in Paris and Italy before joining his father's stock company, making his debut in the English production of "Drink." It was from his father that he honed his craft.

Warner made it to America in the early 1900s, after touring the British Empire. Billed as Harry Warner, he made his Broadway debut in the American colonial drama "Audrey" at Hoyt's Theatre on November 24, 1902, starring James O'Neill, the father of playwright Eugene O'Neill. He was billed as H.B. Warner in his next appearance on Broadway, in the 1906 comedy "Nurse Marjorie." He appeared in 13 more Broadway productions in his career, from the twin-bill of "Susan in Search of a Husband" & "A Tenement Tragedy" (also 1906) to "Silence" in 1925.

He moved into motion pictures, making his debut in the Mutual short Harp of Tara (1914). Also in 1914, he appeared in a film written by Cecil B. DeMille for Famous Players Lasky, The Ghost Breaker (1914), in which he had played on Broadway the year before. Warner became a leading man and a star in silent pictures, reaching the zenith of his career playing Jesus in DeMille's The King of Kings (1927). His excellent performance was actually enhanced by the silent screen, allowing the audience to imagine how Jesus would sound. Warner could be extremely moving in silent pictures, notably in the melodrama Sorrell and Son (1927) as a war veteran father who sacrifices all for his son.

When talkies arrived, he became a busy supporting player. A favorite of Frank Capra , appeared in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936). Cast again by Capra, he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in Lost Horizon (1937). He also appeared in You Can't Take It with You (1938), and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939). Other major talkies included The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941) and Topper Returns (1941). Other than Jesus, the role he is best remembered role for today is in It's a Wonderful Life (1946), in which he played Mr. Gower, the druggist who is saved from committing a lethal medication error by the young George Bailey (the James Stewart character as a child). H.B. Warner appeared in Sunset Blvd. (1950) as himself. His last credited role was as Amminadab in DeMille's The Ten Commandments (1956), a remake of the earlier silent The Ten Commandments (1923). He last role was an uncredited bit part in Darby's Rangers (1958).

Movies for H.B. Warner...

The Art of Filmmaking
Title: The Art of Filmmaking
Character: The Son of God
Released: May 18, 2019
Type: Movie
The French premiere of Lux Æterna at L'Étrange Festival was screened a surprise: a 15-minute short film entitled "The Art of Filmmaking."
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James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
Title: James Stewart: A Wonderful Life
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: November 22, 1988
Type: Movie
Documentary about James Stewart's long career as an actor and positive personal life.
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The Ten Commandments
Title: The Ten Commandments
Character: Amminadab
Released: October 5, 1956
Type: Movie
Escaping death, a Hebrew infant is raised in a royal household to become a prince. Upon discovery of his true heritage, Moses embarks on a personal quest to reclaim his destiny as the leader and liberator of the Hebrew people.
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Journey Into Light
Title: Journey Into Light
Character: Wiz, the Wino
Released: September 28, 1951
Type: Movie
John Burrows, an ordained minister from a small village in the East, envisions himself with a larger congregation. He is mortified when his wife drunkenly interrupts a sermon, then despondent after her suicide. Burrows travels to Los Angeles for a fresh start, but takes to the bottle himself and ends up arrested for public intoxication. A skid-row con man, Gandy, finds him a bed at a flop house, while a street preacher, Doc Thorssen, and daughter Christine take him to a local mission. Christine is blind. She falls in love with Burrows, enjoying his discussions of the spirit and the soul but knowing little of his past. One day she is struck by a streetcar and knocked unconscious, causing Burrows to once again question his faith. He ultimately accepts the Lord's will and is offered a better place to live and preach. Burrows decides he is better suited to the mission, with Christine by his side.
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Here Comes the Groom
Title: Here Comes the Groom
Character: Uncle Elihu
Released: September 20, 1951
Type: Movie
Foreign correspondent Pete Garvey has 5 days to win back his former fiancée, or he'll lose the orphans he adopted.
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Savage Drums
Title: Savage Drums
Character: Maou
Released: June 22, 1951
Type: Movie
There is this little small-island kingdom located off the South China coast and the United States offers a pact of economic aid and military assistance if needed.
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The First Legion
Title: The First Legion
Character: Father José Sierra
Released: May 4, 1951
Type: Movie
A Catholic priest fights against his colleagues' immediate acceptance of an ambiguous “miracle”.
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Sunset Boulevard
Title: Sunset Boulevard
Character: H.B. Warner
Released: August 10, 1950
Type: Movie
A hack screenwriter writes a screenplay for a former silent film star who has faded into Hollywood obscurity.
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Hellfire
Title: Hellfire
Character: Brother Joseph
Released: May 29, 1949
Type: Movie
Zeb Smith is a gambler with a larcenous streak, but when an itinerant preacher takes a bullet meant for him, Zeb vows to fulfill the preacher's mission of building a church. Frustrated in his attempts to get donations, Zeb attempts to capture fugitive Doll Brown in order to obtain the reward. But he finds that there's more to Doll than meets the eye. When his old friend Bucky McLean shows up gunning for Doll, Zeb sees a chance to redeem them all... one way or another.
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El Paso
Title: El Paso
Character: Judge Fletcher
Released: March 22, 1949
Type: Movie
Ex-confederate officer Clay Fletcher jumps at the chance to reunite with his once lady-friend, Susan Jeffers, when his father, Judge Fletcher, sends him on an errand to El Paso, Texas to get the signature of Susan's father, Judge Jeffers, on a legal document. Once there he finds the judge has become a drunk and a laughing stock, doing the bidding of local magnate Bert Donner and his running dog, Sheriff La Farge. Just as Clay starts straightening out the town's problems, events occur which force him to abandon the legal system and instead adopt the murderous tactics of a vigilante.
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The Prince Of Thieves
Title: The Prince Of Thieves
Character: Gilbert Head
Released: January 16, 1948
Type: Movie
After fighting in the Crusades alongside Richard I of England Sir Allan Claire is returning home to marry his betrothed Lady Christable. Accompanied by his sister Lady Marian Claire, the two are intercepted by Robin Hood and his band of Merrie Men. Recognising a friend of King Richard, Robin informs them that Lady Christabel is the be married to another against her well in the interest of politics and her father's fortune. The three team up to rescue the fair lady.
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High Wall
Title: High Wall
Character: Mr. Slocum
Released: December 17, 1947
Type: Movie
Steven Kenet, suffering from a recurring brain injury, appears to have strangled his wife. Having confessed, he's committed to an understaffed county asylum full of pathetic inmates. There, Dr. Ann Lorrison is initially skeptical about Kenet's story and reluctance to undergo treatment. But against her better judgement, she begins to doubt his guilt.
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The Judge Steps Out
Title: The Judge Steps Out
Character: Chief Justice Hayes
Released: December 15, 1947
Type: Movie
A judge flees the pressures of professional and family life for a job as a short-order cook.
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Driftwood
Title: Driftwood
Character: Rev. Hollingsworth
Released: September 15, 1947
Type: Movie
An orphan helps a doctor fight an epidemic in a small western town, in one of Allan Dwan’s closely observed studies in Americana.
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It's a Wonderful Life
Title: It's a Wonderful Life
Character: Mr. Gower
Released: December 20, 1946
Type: Movie
A holiday favourite for generations... George Bailey has spent his entire life giving to the people of Bedford Falls. All that prevents rich skinflint Mr. Potter from taking over the entire town is George's modest building and loan company. But on Christmas Eve the business's $8,000 is lost and George's troubles begin.
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Gentleman Joe Palooka
Title: Gentleman Joe Palooka
Character: Sen. McCarden
Released: October 5, 1946
Type: Movie
In the second film of Monogram's Joe Palooka series, Joe is 'used', by two state senators scheming to obtain oil-rich lands, in a publicity campaign to get the land transferred to the state, supposedly for a park. When Joe learns that he has been used as a dupe he becomes disillusioned and leaves the prize=fighting profession. But, his manager, sparring partners, and fiancée manage to expose the land-grab scheme, clear Joe's name and discredit the crooked politicians.
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Strange Impersonation
Title: Strange Impersonation
Character: Dr. Mansfield, plastic surgeon
Released: March 16, 1946
Type: Movie
A female research scientist conducting experiments on a new anesthetic has a very bad week. Her scheming assistant intentionally scars her face, her almost-fiancee appears to have deserted her and she finds herself being blackmailed by a women she accidentally knocked down with her car.
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Prospecting for Petroleum
Title: Prospecting for Petroleum
Character: The Voice of History (voice)
Released: January 1, 1946
Type: Movie
All-puppet animation tells the story of how oil is formed through ages of geological change, how it is found, extracted and put to use by man.
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Captain Tugboat Annie
Title: Captain Tugboat Annie
Character: Judge Abbott
Released: November 17, 1945
Type: Movie
This tale of two tugboats focuses upon the rivalries between two operators competing to win a major shipping contract. Meanwhile a tugboat office secretary and an ex-con who wants to go straight, fall in love. Tugboat Annie is put in charge of a child violinist. When a waterfront fire breaks out, the two warring captains join forces to put it out.
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Rogues' Gallery
Title: Rogues' Gallery
Character: Professor Reynolds
Released: December 6, 1944
Type: Movie
Reporter Patsy Reynolds and photographer Eddie Porter are assigned to interview John Foster, head of the Emmerson Foundation regarding a listening device the organization is working on. Foster evades them and they to the lab to see Professor Reynolds, the real inventor. Soon, they are involved in several shootings, blueprints that change hands several times, a corpse in their car that appears and disappears a few times, the loss of their jobs and several people who either think they are killers or candidates for being killed.
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Faces in the Fog
Title: Faces in the Fog
Character: Defense Attorney Rankins
Released: November 30, 1944
Type: Movie
Tom and Cora Elliott love their active social life so much that they neglect their daughter Mary and son Les. Fred Mason, Tom's neighbor and the doctor at the defense plant employing Tom, worries about the effect that Tom and Cora's drinking and socializing have on the children....
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Enemy of Women
Title: Enemy of Women
Character: Col. Eberhart Brandt
Released: November 10, 1944
Type: Movie
Playwright Joseph Goebbels turns Nazi propagandist and loses his girlfriend to another man.
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Action in Arabia
Title: Action in Arabia
Character: Abdul al-Rashid
Released: February 18, 1944
Type: Movie
Reporter Michael Gordon uncovers intrigue in Damascus, where the Allies and Nazis struggle for control of Arab sympathies.
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Women in Bondage
Title: Women in Bondage
Character: Pastor Renz
Released: December 16, 1943
Type: Movie
Women in Bondage is a 1943 World War II film about conditions for women under Hitler's regime. The plot involves two women imprisoned for speaking out against the government. It was directed by Steve Sekely and starred Gail Patrick and Nancy Kelly.
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Hitler's Children
Title: Hitler's Children
Character: The Bishop
Released: January 6, 1943
Type: Movie
This lurid exposé of the Hitler Youth follows the woes of an American girl declared legally German by the Nazi government.
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The Boss of Big Town
Title: The Boss of Big Town
Character: Jeffrey Moore
Released: December 7, 1942
Type: Movie
Quality was seldom a consideration in the low-budget films of PRC Studios; still, the company was a welcome harbor for character actors who aspired to occasional leading roles. In Boss of Big Town, veteran supporting player John Litel is top-billed as crusading city market official Michael Lynn. When a criminal gang muscles in on the local food distribution markets, Lynn vows to throw the rascals out. First, however, he pretends to join the villains as a paid government stooge, the better to find out the identity of the "Mister Big" behind the distribution racket. The exposure of the "mystery villain" will come as a shock to fans of the 1927 Cecil B. DeMille epic The King of Kings--but not to dyed-in-the-wool movie buffs.
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A Yank in Libya
Title: A Yank in Libya
Character: Herbert Forbes
Released: July 24, 1942
Type: Movie
American correspondent Mike Malone uncovers a Nazi plot for an uprising of the Arab tribes in Lybia. Pursued by Sheik David and his men, Mike takes refuge in the suite of Nancy Brooks, who is in the British Intelligence. He asks her to hide a gun and escapes through a window. Reporting the affair to British Consul Herbert Forbes, the latter tries to discourage him from further investigation, as the British are aware of the plot and are planning on staging a coup. He goes with Mike to Nancy's apartment, and she denies having ever seen him before. Sheik Ibrahim, next in command of the Arab tribe to Sheik David, is plotting with Nazi agent Yussof Streyer to kill David who is friendly with the British. Mike and Nancy have gone to David's camp, escape from Ibrahim's henchmen, and get back to El Moktar before the Arabs attack the garrison.
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Crossroads
Title: Crossroads
Character: Prosecuting Attorney
Released: July 23, 1942
Type: Movie
A French diplomat who's recovered from amnesia is blackmailed over crimes he can't remember.
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The Corsican Brothers
Title: The Corsican Brothers
Character: Dr. Enrico Paoli
Released: November 28, 1941
Type: Movie
Cultured Mario and outlaw Lucien, twins separated at birth, join forces to avenge their parents' death at the hands of evil Colonna. Because each feels all the same sensations experienced by the other, swordplay is difficult for them. Worse yet, raised very differently, they struggle to find common ground between their conflicting personalities. But to defeat their enemy, the two will have to overcome the obstacles and work as a team.
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South of Tahiti
Title: South of Tahiti
Character: High Chief Kawalima
Released: October 17, 1941
Type: Movie
Three men survive a plane crashes on an uncharted Pacific island, south of Tahiti. One falls in love with the the daughter of the tribe's leader, heiress to the throne after the death of her brother, who is as savage as her pet leopard. The others try to devise a plan to rob the tribe's gold.
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All That Money Can Buy
Title: All That Money Can Buy
Character: Justice Hawthorne
Released: October 17, 1941
Type: Movie
Farmer Jabez Stone, about to lose his land, agrees to sell his soul to the devil, known as Mr. Scratch, who gives Jabez seven years to enjoy the fruits of his sale before he collects. Over that time, Jabez pays off his debts and helps many neighboring farmers, then becomes an advocate for the upstanding Sen. Daniel Webster. When Jabez's contract with Mr. Scratch concludes, he desperately turns to Webster to represent him in a trial for his soul.
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Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime
Title: Ellery Queen and the Perfect Crime
Character: Ray Jardin
Released: August 14, 1941
Type: Movie
Several days after one of his company's dams burst, ruining the life savings of several investors, a shady power company president is found stabbed to death. Ellery Queen gets to the bottom of the mystery.
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City of Missing Girls
Title: City of Missing Girls
Character: Capt. McVeigh
Released: March 27, 1941
Type: Movie
A female reporter goes undercover to investigate the series of mysterious disappearances of young women, who were all linked to a local drama school.
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Topper Returns
Title: Topper Returns
Character: Mr. Carrington
Released: March 21, 1941
Type: Movie
Topper is once again tormented by a fun-loving spirit. This time, it's Gail Richards, accidentally murdered while vacationing at the home of her wealthy friend, Ann Carrington, the intended victim. With Topper's help, Gail sets out to find her killer with the expected zany results.
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New Moon
Title: New Moon
Character: Father Michel
Released: June 28, 1940
Type: Movie
A revolutionary leader romances a French aristocrat in Louisiana.
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Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Title: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Character: Senate Majority Leader
Released: October 19, 1939
Type: Movie
Naive and idealistic Jefferson Smith, leader of the Boy Rangers, is appointed to the United States Senate by the puppet governor of his state. He soon discovers, upon going to Washington, many shortcomings of the political process as his earnest goal of a national boys' camp leads to a conflict with the state political boss.
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The Rains Came
Title: The Rains Came
Character: Maharajah
Released: September 15, 1939
Type: Movie
Indian aristocrat Rama Safti returns from medical training in the U.S. to give his life to the poor folk of Ranchipur. Lady Edwina and her drunken artist ex-lover Tom Ransome get in the way, but everyone shapes up when faced by earthquake, flooding, and plague.
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Nurse Edith Cavell
Title: Nurse Edith Cavell
Character: Hugh Gibson
Released: August 31, 1939
Type: Movie
British nurse Edith Cavell is stationed at a hospital in Brussels during World War I. When the son of a former patient escapes from a German prisoner-of-war camp, she helps him flee to Holland. Outraged at the number of soldiers detained in the camps, Edith, along with a group of sympathizers, devises a plan to help the prisoners escape. As the group works to free the soldiers, Edith must keep her activities secret from the Germans
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Bulldog Drummond's Bride
Title: Bulldog Drummond's Bride
Character: Colonel Nielson
Released: July 12, 1939
Type: Movie
Hugh “Bulldog” Drummond is on the precipice of matrimony to his beloved Phyllis -- but a bank robbery and a daring escape is going to get in their way before they reach the altar.
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The Gracie Allen Murder Case
Title: The Gracie Allen Murder Case
Character: Richard Lawrence
Released: June 2, 1939
Type: Movie
The zany plot follows nitwit Gracie Allen trying to help master sleuth Philo Vance solve a murder.
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Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police
Title: Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police
Character: Colonel Nielson
Released: March 29, 1939
Type: Movie
Captain Drummond and his girlfriend want to marry but a hidden treasure in the house in which they want to celebrate their marriage is complicating the situation involving a series of deaths and an elusive murderer.
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Let Freedom Ring
Title: Let Freedom Ring
Character: Rutledge
Released: February 24, 1939
Type: Movie
A Harvard man fights a railroad baron with a disguise and the power of the press.
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Arrest Bulldog Drummond
Title: Arrest Bulldog Drummond
Character: Colonel Nielsen
Released: November 25, 1938
Type: Movie
The invention of a machine that can cause remote explosions brings the attention of Scotland Yard and Bulldog Drummond.
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You Can't Take It with You
Title: You Can't Take It with You
Character: Mr. Ramsey
Released: September 1, 1938
Type: Movie
Alice, the only relatively normal member of the eccentric Sycamore family, falls in love with Tony Kirby, but his wealthy banker father and snobbish mother strongly disapprove of the match. When the Kirbys are invited to dinner to become better acquainted with their future in-laws, things don't turn out the way Alice had hoped.
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Army Girl
Title: Army Girl
Character: Col. Armstrong
Released: August 11, 1938
Type: Movie
A young captain hoping to replace the U.S. Army's horses with mechanized vehicles faces court-martial after his commanding officer, who's opposed to modern changes, is killed.
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Bulldog Drummond in Africa
Title: Bulldog Drummond in Africa
Character: Colonel J. A. Nielsen
Released: August 5, 1938
Type: Movie
Drummond has to leave for Morocco on his wedding day with his fiancee and trusted friends to rescue his friend Nielsen who is kidnapped by an international criminal.
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The Toy Wife
Title: The Toy Wife
Character: Victor Brigard
Released: June 10, 1938
Type: Movie
A Southern belle finds herself torn between two suitors.
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Kidnapped
Title: Kidnapped
Character: Angus Rankeiller
Released: May 27, 1938
Type: Movie
Robert Louis Stevenson's hero David Balfour joins rebel Alan Breck Stewart in 18th-century Scotland.
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The Adventures of Marco Polo
Title: The Adventures of Marco Polo
Character: Chen Tsu
Released: April 7, 1938
Type: Movie
The Venetian traveler Marco Polo meets Kublai Khan and foils a plotter with fireworks in medieval China.
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The Girl of the Golden West
Title: The Girl of the Golden West
Character: Father Sienna
Released: March 18, 1938
Type: Movie
Mary Robbins is a moderately educated, beautiful, young woman who owns the saloon called "The Poker". She is the only woman in the town of Couldee - making her the fancy of all the men there, especially to Sheriff Jack Rance. On the way to Monterey to sing at a mass officiated by Father Sienna, her stagecoach is held up by the infamous masked bandit, Ramerez. He too takes a fancy to Mary, and decides to secretly follow her, taking on the identity of an officer named, Lieutenant Johnson. While in Monterey, he dances, sings and courts Mary, who has now fallen in love with him. He then has to make a quick getaway. In the mean-time, Sheriff Jack has set up a trap to catch Ramerez at "The Poker". When Ramerez does arrive he soon discovers that Mary is the owner, and quickly changes to the identity of Lieutenant Johnson. How long can this charade last?
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Our Fighting Navy
Title: Our Fighting Navy
Character: British Consul Brent
Released: September 25, 1937
Type: Movie
Trouble is brewing in the banana republic of Bianco for both His Excellency, El Presidente, and the British Consul, Brant. Rebels, led by Diego De Costa, the trusted "Minister of the Marines and the Customs" and Lieutenant Enricquo, the gunnery officer of the small republic's one battleship, have taken over the battleship, and the town. Most of the British citizens have taken refuge at the Consulate or have been evacuated to the small cruiser in Bianco's port, the "H. M. S. Audacious." But there are two major issues; the Consul's daughter, Pamela, and Canadian Lieutenant Bill Armstrong have been kidnapped by the rebels and now held hostage on the battleship "El Mirante," and El Presidente was visiting the consulate when the war broke out and is now under the protective custody of the British Empire.
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Victoria the Great
Title: Victoria the Great
Character: Lord Melbourne
Released: September 1, 1937
Type: Movie
The film biography of Queen Victoria focussing initially on the early years of her reign with her marriage to Prince Albert and her subsequent rule after Albert's death in 1861.
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Lost Horizon
Title: Lost Horizon
Character: Chang
Released: March 3, 1937
Type: Movie
British diplomat Robert Conway and a small group of civilians crash land in the Himalayas, and are rescued by the people of the mysterious, Eden-like valley of Shangri-la. Protected by the mountains from the world outside, where the clouds of World War II are gathering, Shangri-la provides a seductive escape for the world-weary Conway.
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Along Came Love
Title: Along Came Love
Character: Dr. Martin
Released: November 5, 1936
Type: Movie
The shop girl Emmy Grant meets the handsome doorman John Patrick O'Ryan outside of a theater and she is convinced that he is her true love. O'Ryan is a zealous medical student, soon to be a pediatrician, and is oblivious to Emmy's frantic attempts to gain his attention. O'Ryan is totally focused on babies. Undaunted, she 'borrows' a baby and a buggy, determined to catch O'Ryan.
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Blackmailer
Title: Blackmailer
Character: Michael Rankin
Released: July 23, 1936
Type: Movie
Dinner party guests become murder suspects when an extortionist they all hated turns up dead.
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Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
Title: Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
Character: Judge May
Released: April 9, 1936
Type: Movie
Longfellow Deeds lives in a small town, leading a small town kind of life. When a relative dies and leaves Deeds a fortune, Longfellow moves to the big city where he becomes an instant target for everyone. Deeds outwits them all until Babe Bennett comes along. When small-town boy meets big-city girl anything can, and does, happen.
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Moonlight Murder
Title: Moonlight Murder
Character: Godfrey Chiltern
Released: March 27, 1936
Type: Movie
An escaped lunatic, a mysterious swami, and various lovers all have designs on a famous opera singer.
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The Garden Murder Case
Title: The Garden Murder Case
Character: Major Fenwicke-Ralston
Released: February 21, 1936
Type: Movie
Detective Philo Vance is in charge of the investigation of several mysterious murders. Things take a turn when he gathers evidence against Major Fenwicke-Ralston.
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Rose of the Rancho
Title: Rose of the Rancho
Character: Don Pasqual Castro
Released: January 9, 1936
Type: Movie
It is California in 1852 that only recently being surrendered by Mexico to the United States and admitted into the union. Most of the land-owners of California were the descendants of the Dons who had colonized it a hundred years before and whose title deeds bore the signature and seal of a long-dead Spanish king. But, by a loop-hole in the law, the title-deeds of the Dons could not be recognized, and this opened the door of organized gangs of land-grabbers, such as the one led by Joe Kincaid, to operate with a prime excuse for legitimate plunder and robbery. In most cases the law was unable to cope with the situation. Then Rosita Castro, the daughter of Don Pasqual Castro, masked and disguised as a man, organized a band of vigilantes to fight against the tyranny of the outlaws, aided by an undercover federal agent, Jim Kearney.
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A Tale of Two Cities
Title: A Tale of Two Cities
Character: Theophile Gabelle
Released: December 25, 1935
Type: Movie
The exciting story of Dr. Manette, who escapes the horrors of the infamous Bastille prison in Paris. The action switches between London and Paris on the eve of the revolution where we witness 'the best of times and the worst of times' - love, hope, the uncaring French Aristocrats and the terror of a revolutionary citizen's army intent on exacting revenge.
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Born to Gamble
Title: Born to Gamble
Character: Carter Mathews
Released: July 9, 1935
Type: Movie
A wealthy man relates how gambling had tragic consequences for his family.
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Night Alarm
Title: Night Alarm
Character: Henry B. Smith
Released: December 10, 1934
Type: Movie
A reporter itching to get off the boring gardening "beat" gets a chance to investigate a series of arson fires that have been plaguing the city. He believes the fires are tied into a web of political corruption involving a wealthy businessman, the mayor and the police chief. Complicatins ensue when the girl assigned to help him turns out to be the businessman's daughter.
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Behold My Wife!
Title: Behold My Wife!
Character: Hubert Carter
Released: December 6, 1934
Type: Movie
After Michael Carter's fiancée commits suicide, Michael vows to seek revenge on his wealthy family, who sabotaged their marriage. He drives across the country angrily, and lands up at a saloon, where he is shot by an Indian, Pete. Pete's girlfriend, Tonita nurses Michael's wound and falls in love with him. Michael realizes this, proposes marriage to Tonita - a perfect revenge for his prejudice family. They marry and he takes her to New York, in full Indian dress hoping to embarrass the family.
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In Old Santa Fe
Title: In Old Santa Fe
Character: Charlie Miller
Released: November 15, 1934
Type: Movie
Gangster Chandler and his accomplice Tracy arrive at a dude ranch. Cowboy Kentucky arrives at the same time. When Tracy double-crosses his boss and has the stage robbed, Kentucky finds the outlaws and brings them in. Tracy frames him for the murder of the driver but his pal Cactus gets him out of jail. He returns just as Chandler shoots Tracy and Kentucky finds himself arrested for another murder.
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Grand Canary
Title: Grand Canary
Character: Dr Ismay
Released: July 20, 1934
Type: Movie
Based on an AJ Cronin novel, a disgraced doctor exiled to the Canary Islands, meets and falls in love with a married woman.
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Viva Villa!
Title: Viva Villa!
Character: Man
Released: April 27, 1934
Type: Movie
In this fictionalized biography, young Pancho Villa takes to the hills after killing an overseer in revenge for his father's death.
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Sorrell and Son
Title: Sorrell and Son
Character: Captain Stephen Sorrell
Released: March 5, 1934
Type: Movie
Stephen Sorrell, a decorated war hero, raises his son Kit alone after Kit's mother deserts husband and child in the boy's infancy. Sorrell loses a promising job offer and is forced to take work as a menial. Both his dignity and his health are damaged as he suffers under the exhausting labor and harsh treatment he receives as a hotel porter. But Sorrell thrives in the knowledge that his son will benefit from his labors. Sorrell has allowed the boy to believe his mother dead, but when the mother shows up, wanting to re-enter the young man's life, Sorrell must make hard decisions.
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Christopher Bean
Title: Christopher Bean
Character: Maxwell Davenport
Released: November 17, 1933
Type: Movie
When the painter Christopher Bean dies, some unscrupulous art dealers try to get several of his paintings cheaply from a family who have no idea of their value.
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Jennie Gerhardt
Title: Jennie Gerhardt
Character: William Gerhardt
Released: June 8, 1933
Type: Movie
This turn-of-the-century tragedy chronicles the sorrowful travails of a woman who endures a series of devastating losses.
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Supernatural
Title: Supernatural
Character: Dr. Carl Houston
Released: April 21, 1933
Type: Movie
After her brother's death, Roma Courtney becomes the heiress to his fortune. When fake psychic Paul Bavian claims to have a message from Roma's dead brother, he coaxes Roma into participating in a séance. Although Roma's fiancé, Grant, first believes the séance is nothing more than a scam, he eventually realizes that the vengeful spirit of an executed murderer has possessed Roma's body.
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The Son-Daughter
Title: The Son-Daughter
Character: Sin Kai
Released: December 23, 1932
Type: Movie
Young Asians in San Francisco find their love thwarted by clan warfare.
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The Phantom of Crestwood
Title: The Phantom of Crestwood
Character: Priam Andes
Released: October 14, 1932
Type: Movie
Five men have to prove their innocence when a blackmailer is murdered.
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The Crusader
Title: The Crusader
Character: Phillip Brandon
Released: October 4, 1932
Type: Movie
Gangsters scheme to get rid of a crusading District Attorney by blackmailing him through his daughter.
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Tom Brown of Culver
Title: Tom Brown of Culver
Character: Dr. Brown
Released: June 30, 1932
Type: Movie
Boy who thought his father a war hero finds he was really a deserter.
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Unholy Love
Title: Unholy Love
Character: Dr. Daniel Gregory
Released: June 8, 1932
Type: Movie
An adaptation of Madame Bovary transported to Rye, New York in the 1930's. All characters have been renamed.
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Cross-Examination
Title: Cross-Examination
Character: Gerald Waring
Released: February 13, 1932
Type: Movie
Defense Atorney Gerald Waring uses great skill and ingenuity in his efforts to save the life of a young man charged with the murder of his father. Witness after witness piles up damaging evidence against the accused youth, but expert cross-examination by Waring digs out the startling truth behind the killing and subsequently reveals the identity of the real killer in a surprise-twist ending.
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A Woman Commands
Title: A Woman Commands
Character: Col. Stradimirovitsch
Released: February 12, 1932
Type: Movie
In order to keep his lover, Maria Draga, in luxury, Captain Alex Pastitsch contracts huge debts which threaten his military career. To save Alex's career, his superior officer, Colonel Strádimirovitsch has an idea of how to fix it.
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The Menace
Title: The Menace
Character: Inspector Tracy
Released: January 29, 1932
Type: Movie
A man framed for murder escapes from prison in order to prove his innocence.
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Charlie Chan's Chance
Title: Charlie Chan's Chance
Character: Inspector Fife
Released: January 24, 1932
Type: Movie
Charlie is the intended murder victim here, and he avoids death only by chance. To find the murderer (since, of course, murder does occur), Charlie must outguess Scotland Yard and New York City police.
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Expensive Women
Title: Expensive Women
Character: Melville Raymond
Released: October 24, 1931
Type: Movie
A wealthy young woman struggles to find love while surrounded by possible suitors.
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Five Star Final
Title: Five Star Final
Character: Michael Townsend
Released: September 26, 1931
Type: Movie
Searching for headlines at any cost, an unscrupulous newspaper owner forces his editor to print a serial based on a past murder, tormenting a woman involved.
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The Reckless Hour
Title: The Reckless Hour
Character: Walter Nichols
Released: August 15, 1931
Type: Movie
Seduced and abandoned, with child, by a charming cad, a former New York fashion model learns to detest the male race in general until befriended by a warm-hearted artist-type who shows her that life -- and men -- ain't so bad in this early talkie drama.
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A Woman of Experience
Title: A Woman of Experience
Character: Hugh Schmidt
Released: July 8, 1931
Type: Movie
It is 1915 in Vienna and the Great War has caused many casualties. Elsa, a beautiful prostitute, wants to help the war effort, but is rejected as a nurse, but a government official thinks that she will make an excellent spy.
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The Princess and the Plumber
Title: The Princess and the Plumber
Character: Prince Conrad of Daritzia
Released: December 21, 1930
Type: Movie
A derogated prince hopes to restore his wealth and power by marrying off his daughter to royalty. Unfortunately, she has fallen in love with a young man who has been hired to fix the plumbing in their run-down castle.
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Liliom
Title: Liliom
Character: Chief Magistrate
Released: September 27, 1930
Type: Movie
A carousel barker falls in love with a young woman. Both are fired from their jobs, and when the young woman becomes pregnant, the carousel barker tries to help pull off a robbery, which goes wrong. Because of the robbery, he dies, and after spending time in hell, is sent back to earth for one day to try to make amends.
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On Your Back
Title: On Your Back
Character: Raymond Pryor
Released: September 14, 1930
Type: Movie
On Your Back is a 1930 American drama film directed by Guthrie McClintic and written by Howard J. Green. The film stars Irene Rich, Raymond Hackett, H. B. Warner, Wheeler Oakman, Marion Shilling and Ilka Chase.
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Wild Company
Title: Wild Company
Character: Henry Grayson
Released: July 5, 1930
Type: Movie
The son of a wealthy politician falls in with a notorious gangster planning to rob a night club.
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The Second Floor Mystery
Title: The Second Floor Mystery
Character: Inspector Bray
Released: April 26, 1930
Type: Movie
In this mystery, a man and woman have been corresponding through a "personal" column under the names Lord Strawberries and Lady Grapefruit. When the man's neighbor is found dead upstairs, he and the lady are the prime suspects of a police inspector, who has his own very good reason for blaming them.
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The Furies
Title: The Furies
Character: Oliver Bedlow
Released: March 16, 1930
Type: Movie
Fifi Sands, whose husband is constantly unfaithful, is prevented from obtaining a divorce by Bedlow, her husband's lawyer. At a dinner party given by Smith, a columnist, she announces that her husband has at last granted her freedom; but Owen McDonald, her childhood sweetheart, whom she still loves, is disappointed to learn that she is not asking for alimony or a settlement. When her young son, Alan, announces that his father has been murdered, he accuses his mother of trying to shield McDonald, whom he suspects of the crime. Fifi goes to Bedlow for aid, and learning that she no longer loves McDonald, he agrees to help; but Bedlow locks her in the apartment, then confesses his love for her and admits to the murder of her husband. Dr. Cummings and Alan come to her aid; and returning to the drawing room, they find that Bedlow has leaped to his death. Fifi finds happiness at last with the doctor.
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The Green Goddess
Title: The Green Goddess
Character: Major Crespin
Released: February 13, 1930
Type: Movie
An airplane carrying three Brits crash lands in the kingdom of Rukh. The Rajah holds them prisoner because the British are about to execute his three half-brothers in neighboring India.
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Wedding Rings
Title: Wedding Rings
Character: Lewis Dike
Released: December 29, 1929
Type: Movie
Two sisters battle for the love of a man.
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Tiger Rose
Title: Tiger Rose
Character: Dr. Cusick
Released: December 21, 1929
Type: Movie
A mountie pursues a man wanted for murder.
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Show of Shows
Title: Show of Shows
Character: The Victim - Guillotine Sequence (uncredited)
Released: November 21, 1929
Type: Movie
Now hear this. The studio that gave the cinema its voice offered 1929 audiences a chance to see and hear multiple silent-screen favorites for the first time in a gaudy, grandiose music-comedy-novelty revue that also included Talkie stars, Broadway luminaries and of course, Rin-Tin-Tin. Frank Fay hosts a jamboree that, among its 70+ stars, features bicyclers, boxing champ Georges Carpentier, chorines in terpsichore kickery, sister acts, Myrna Loy in two-strip Technicolor as an exotic Far East beauty, John Barrymore in a Shakespearean soliloquy (adding an on-screen voice to his legendary profile for the first time) and Winnie Lightner famously warbling the joys of Singing in the Bathtub. Watch, rinse, repeat!
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The Argyle Case
Title: The Argyle Case
Character: Hurley
Released: August 17, 1929
Type: Movie
A multimillionaire is murdered, and his will leaves all his money to a beautiful young blonde. The murdered man's son thinks something is fishy, and a homicide cop sets out to find out who was behind the man's death. Complications ensue.
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The Gamblers
Title: The Gamblers
Character: James Darwin
Released: June 29, 1929
Type: Movie
A father-and-son team of cons gamble their firm’s assets. The son is caught investing money that doesn't belong to him and is indicted on a swindling charge. The plot gets spicy when the District Attorney handling the case is his former sweetheart's husband. This situation gives the DA an opportunity to prosecute his romantic rival.
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The Trial of Mary Dugan
Title: The Trial of Mary Dugan
Character: District Attorney Galway
Released: June 8, 1929
Type: Movie
A woman is tried for the murder of her lover. Director Bayard Veiller's 1929 courtroom drama stars Norma Shearer, Lewis Stone, Lilyan Tashman and H. B. Warner.
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Stark Mad
Title: Stark Mad
Character: Prof. Dangerfield
Released: February 2, 1929
Type: Movie
An expedition sets out through the jungle to find a missing explorer, but stumbles upon an ancient Mayan temple that houses a giant ape.
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The Doctor's Secret
Title: The Doctor's Secret
Character: Richard Garson
Released: January 26, 1929
Type: Movie
The Doctor's Secret is a 1929 American drama film directed by William C. deMille and written by William C. deMille. The film stars Ruth Chatterton, H. B. Warner, John Loder, Robert Edeson, Wilfred Noy and Ethel Wales. It is based on a play by J. M. Barrie.
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The Divine Lady
Title: The Divine Lady
Character: Sir William Hamilton
Released: December 26, 1928
Type: Movie
Lady Hamilton's love affair with Admiral Horatio Nelson rocks the British Empire.
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Conquest
Title: Conquest
Character: James Farnham
Released: December 22, 1928
Type: Movie
Two pilots are in love with the same girl. On a flight over the Antarctic, the plane suddenly spins out of control and crashes into a snowbank. One of the pilots is injured and the other leaves him to die, so he can have the girl all to himself. However, the injured pilot survives and when he recovers he vows vengeance on the man who left him to die--especially after he finds out that he married the girl they were both after.
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Romance of a Rogue
Title: Romance of a Rogue
Character: Bruce Lowry
Released: October 1, 1928
Type: Movie
A low-key silent drama of a man seeking vengeance on the villain whose lies sent him to prison on the night of his wedding.
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Man-Made Women
Title: Man-Made Women
Character: Jules Moret
Released: September 9, 1928
Type: Movie
The man who loved her showed her how to hold the man she loved. A novel picture story packed with drama, thrills and laughs.
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French Dressing
Title: French Dressing
Character: Phillip Grey
Released: December 10, 1927
Type: Movie
Philip and Cynthia Grey are a pair of recently-wed Bostonians, and Cynthia is properly back-bay no-action quiet and dowdy, and Philip resigns himself to the quietness (no action) regularity of their home. But then along comes a blonde, Peggy Nash, who adds some action and outside-regularity to Philip's life. Cynthia is somewhat upset at this turn of events, and decides to go to Paris - the Wickedest City in the World - and get a quiet divorce. Cynthia soon finds out that Paris is a really gay city, especially after Henri de Briac, shows up and offers to be her guide to the delights of Paris (primarily him). Cynthia quickly sheds some of her dowdy ways and dowdy clothes, and is having herself what was once quaintly described as a gay old time. Philip then shows up in Paris, deciding he wants Cynthia back as his wife, and Peggy shows up right behind him and, soon, it is up to Henri to make the pairing-arrangements for the foursome.
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Sorrell and Son
Title: Sorrell and Son
Character: Stephen Sorrell
Released: December 2, 1927
Type: Movie
Stephen Sorrell, a decorated war hero, raises his son Kit alone after Kit's mother deserts husband and child in the boy's infancy. Sorrell loses a promising job offer and is forced to take work as a menial. Both his dignity and his health are damaged as he suffers under the exhausting labor and harsh treatment he receives as a hotel porter. But Sorrell thrives in the knowledge that his son will benefit from his labors. Sorrell has allowed the boy to believe his mother dead, but when the mother shows up, wanting to re-enter the young man's life, Sorrell must make hard decisions.
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The King of Kings
Title: The King of Kings
Character: Jesus, The Christ
Released: April 19, 1927
Type: Movie
The King of Kings is the Greatest Story Ever Told as only Cecil B. DeMille could tell it. In 1927, working with one of the biggest budgets in Hollywood history, DeMille spun the life and Passion of Christ into a silent-era blockbuster. Featuring text drawn directly from the Bible, a cast of thousands, and the great showman’s singular cinematic bag of tricks, The King of Kings is at once spectacular and deeply reverent—part Gospel, part Technicolor epic.
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Silence
Title: Silence
Character: Jim Warren
Released: April 25, 1926
Type: Movie
Jim Warren, a crook, is married to Norma, but there was a flaw in their marriage papers and he must marry her again to protect their unborn child. He returns home and gives her some money but it has been stolen and she is sent to jail as an accomplice. To get her out, he is forced to marry another woman and Norma, thinking Jim has deserted her marries Phil Powers, and gives birth to Jim's daughter. Years later, Jim meets his daughter in the midst of a blackmail scheme against Norma over her earlier imprisonment. The daughter shoots the blackmailer, and Jim takes the blame.
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Whispering Smith
Title: Whispering Smith
Character: 'Whispering Smith'
Released: March 28, 1926
Type: Movie
Railroad foreman Murray Sinclair is dismissed by George McCloud, division superintendent, for ransacking wrecks. Sinclair along with his henchmen, retire to his ranch and forays against the railroad. "Whispering Smith," engaged by the railroad to restore order, is hesitant in dealing with Sinclair when he falls in love with Marion, Sinclair's wife, who is separated from her husband and operates a small shop in Medicine Bend. Dicksie, McCloud's sweetheart, overhears Sinclair threaten McCloud, and she rides through a storm to warn him; Smith, with the aid of Bill Dancing, tracks down Sinclair and his men, and Bill kills the villain. Dicksie and McCloud marry and take Marion under their protection.
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Is Love Everything?
Title: Is Love Everything?
Character: Jordan Southwick
Released: November 30, 1924
Type: Movie
Virginia Carter accedes to her family's pressures and marries Jordan Southwick, who comes from a wealthy and socially prominent family. However, she soon regrets her actions because she still loves her ex-boyfriend, Robert Whitney. Due to the instigation of his jealous brother Boyd, Jordan suspects Virginia of being unfaithful with Whitney.
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The Man from Broadway
Title: The Man from Broadway
Character: James Sanford Richardson
Released: October 1, 1924
Type: Movie
Tiring of Broadway, James Sanford "Jim" Richardson moves to Arizona, where he finds trouble of another sort when two woman fall in love with him.
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Zaza
Title: Zaza
Character: Bernard Dufresne
Released: October 21, 1923
Type: Movie
Zaza is an actress and the favorite at an open-air theater in a small French town. When diplomat Bernard Dufresne comes to the village, he stays away for fear he will fall for her. But during one performance, while Zaza is singing on a swing, her rival cuts the rope and she falls. Zaza is badly injured and she makes Dufresne's acquaintance. A romance quickly springs up and he installs her in a villa. Their happiness is marred, however, when his wife appears.
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When We Were Twenty-One
Title: When We Were Twenty-One
Character: Richard Carewe
Released: January 1, 1921
Type: Movie
Dick Audaine, known affectionately as the "Imp," is engaged to Phyllis Ericson, even though she is in love with his guardian, Richard Carewe. Meanwhile, the Imp has fallen in love with Kara Glynesk, who is only interested in his money.
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Felix O'Day
Title: Felix O'Day
Character: Felix O'Day
Released: September 12, 1920
Type: Movie
Felix O'Day lives to fulfill but one desire: to impose revenge on Austin Bennett, the man who stole his wife Barbara and caused his father's death.
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One Hour Before Dawn
Title: One Hour Before Dawn
Released: July 11, 1920
Type: Movie
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The Pagan God
Title: The Pagan God
Character: Bruce Winthrop
Released: August 4, 1919
Type: Movie
Bruce Winthrop, disguised as a clerk in the American consulate near the Mongolian border, is actually a secret United States government operative sent to quell a Chinese rebellion led by Tai Chen.
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Danger Trail
Title: Danger Trail
Character: John Howland
Released: April 30, 1917
Type: Movie
John Howland travels to the frozen North to build a branch of the Hudson Bay Railroad. There he meets and falls in love with Meleese Thoreau who warns him that her three bloodthirsty brothers, Max, Pierre and François, have sworn vengeance against a man named John Howland, the son of a man who killed their mother, and that torture and death await him along the route to his station.
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God's Man
Title: God's Man
Character: Arnold L'Hommedieu
Released: April 1, 1917
Type: Movie
Arnold L'Hommedieu and his friends Archie Hartogensis and Hugo Waldemar go to New York to find work after being unfairly expelled from college. Arnold starts off as helpful and idealistic, but after being beaten down by life, he decides he is only after money and becomes an opium smuggler. His pals have fared no better: Archie becomes a drug addict and is in debt thanks to his spendthrift fiancee, while Hugo has lost his money after investing in a show that flopped. The two go to Arnold for financial aid. They await a shipment of opium, but the police are onto them and raid the hideout; only Arnold evades the cops.
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The Seventh Sin
Title: The Seventh Sin
Released: March 17, 1917
Type: Movie
One of seven films based on the Seven Deadly Sins.
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Seven Deadly Sins: Wrath
Title: Seven Deadly Sins: Wrath
Released: March 5, 1917
Type: Movie
One in a series of seven films dealing with the Seven Deadly Sins.
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The Vagabond Prince
Title: The Vagabond Prince
Character: Prince Tonio
Released: October 22, 1916
Type: Movie
Prince Tonio of Bothalia, a mythical kingdom in the Balkan Mountains, escapes an arranged marriage to Princess Athalia, the elderly daughter of a neighboring king. Filled with wanderlust, he becomes a sailor and goes to San Francisco where he meets a young singer...
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Shell 43
Title: Shell 43
Character: William Berner
Released: August 13, 1916
Type: Movie
William Berner is an English spy who is doing his job behind German lines. While working for the allies, he proves sympathetic toward a German Lieutenant and saves his life. He gives up his own romance for the cause and is killed when the Allies shell the German trench where he happens to be.
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The Market of Vain Desire
Title: The Market of Vain Desire
Released: May 28, 1916
Type: Movie
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The Beggar of Cawnpore
Title: The Beggar of Cawnpore
Character: Dr. Robert Lowndes
Released: April 29, 1916
Type: Movie
Dr. Robert Lowndes of the British army practices in a small Indian outpost during a cholera epidemic, and to ease his fever, uses morphine. He becomes an addict, but his sweetheart, Betty Archer, makes him promise to reform. Another of Betty's suitors, however, Captain Guy Douglas, uses drugs to tempt Lowndes.
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The Raiders
Title: The Raiders
Character: Scott Wells
Released: February 27, 1916
Type: Movie
Scott Wells, a lowly clerk in the offices of railroad magnate David Haldeman, overhears a plot to ruin Haldeman.
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The Ghost Breaker
Title: The Ghost Breaker
Character: Warren Jarvis
Released: December 7, 1914
Type: Movie
Carmen, a maid, steals a locket belonging to the Aragon princess Maria Theresa and sells it to Gaines, a New York art collector, not knowing that the locket contains the clue to the Aragon family fortune's whereabouts. Based on the 1909 Broadway play of the same name by Paul Dickey and Charles W. Goddard.
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The Lost Paradise
Title: The Lost Paradise
Character: Reuben Warren
Released: September 1, 1914
Type: Movie
Unknown to Reuben Warren, the foreman of an ironworks, his invention, the volta-dynamo, was stolen years earlier by his employer, Knowlton, and is the foundation for the iron magnate's financial empire. Reuben is in love with Knowlton's daughter Margaret, who is engaged to Ralph Standish, the son of Reuben's deceased mentor. A strike against inhumane working conditions at the mill coincides with the discovery of Knowlton's theft by Reuben, who confronts the employer with proof of his treachery. Margaret later breaks her engagement to Ralph and proclaims her love for Reuben. As Margaret's husband, Reuben now owns half of the mill and gladly meets the strikers' demands. -From TCM.com Database, powered by the AFI.