Jack L. Warner

Is portrayed by Tim Woodward in RKO 281 (1999), by Richard Dysart in Bogie (1980), by Hal Linden in My Wicked, Wicked Ways: The Legend of Errol Flynn (1985), by Danny Wells in Gleason (2002), by Mike Connors in James Dean: Race with Destiny (1997), by Richard M. Davidson in Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows (2001), by Len Kaserman in The Three Stooges (2000), by Barry Langrishe in The Mystery of Natalie Wood (2004), by Mark Rydell in James Dean (2001), by Jason Wingreen in Malice in Wonderland (1985) and by Michael Lerner in This Year's Blonde (1980).

In a 1990 interview with Barry Norman, Warren Beatty recalled a disastrous private screening of Bonnie and Clyde (1967) at Warner's home. If Warner disliked a film, he would visit the bathroom during a screening, and if he strongly disliked it would go twice. During "Bonnie and Clyde" he made three trips, saying in disgust afterwards, "That was a three-piss movie!".

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 own office, Warner retired. In 1974, the former studio chief 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.

Produced The Green Berets (1968) as he strongly believed in the Vietnam War.

Tried to block the production of Bonnie and Clyde (1967), a film he hated, until he saw the long lines of people waiting to see it. Then he said: "Now I like it".

In the 1960s he was a fierce critic of opponents of the Vietnam War.

Narrowly escaped death in a car crash on 5 August 1958.

Co-founder of Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc., along with brothers Harry M. Warner (the company's president), Sam Warner (the CEO) and Albert Warner (the treasurer). Was the studio's executive in charge of production until 1957 when he sold the studio to Seven Arts. One day later they sold it back to him leaving Harry and Albert out of the company then making him President. As far as I know the brothers never spoke to him again.

He was a staunch conservative Republican and an active supporter of the Hollywood blacklist. He personally testified as a friendly witness before the House Unamerican Activities Committee (HUAC) in 1947, naming twelve screenwriters as Communist sympathizers (all were subsequently blacklisted).

At the 16th Academy Awards ceremony, when Casablanca (1942) was named Best Picture, Hal B. Wallis, the film's producer, was on his way to the stage to accept the Oscar when Jack cut him off and accepted on behalf of the studio. At the time, the Oscar for Best Picture customarily went to the studio. But, Jack's public rudeness had two consequences: first, Wallis resigned from Warner Brothers in protest; second, producers began exerting more power with the Academy. Within eight years, starting with An American in Paris (1951), the Oscar for Best Picture would go to the film's producer(s) instead of the studio.

Jack L. Warner was a visionary in 1940, who had the authority to be totally inspired to bring the entire Frenchman's founding director Rene Blum's Parisian based "Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo" ensemble dance troupe from their New York City temporary company based headquartered location to his California Burbank Studio after the ballet company's impresario Sol Hurok's American and South American international 1938-1939/40 tour had concluded. Jack Warner had seen the Rene Blum dance company's live performances in Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium during the impresario Sol Hurok's Rene Blum produced "The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo" sponsored American and South American Tour. Jack Warner's determined sponsorship for presenting filmed stage theatricals as part of his prestigious film catalogue causing his impetus to produce two "WB feature-film shorts" using the ballet company's featured international Russian and French principal soloists and ensemble. Jack L. Warner demanded - new "film costumes" for his two "film shorts" - replacing all the original ballet company's worn and shabby tour costume wardrobe, originally designed and built by Madam Barbara Karinska in either her Paris, London, and New York City costume shops. The Ballet Company's wardrobe trunks had been delivered to Warner Brothers' Burbank film studio prior to the Ballet Russe Dance Company's personnel and management arrival at the film studio. The Warner Brothers' costume-wardrobe department meticulously copied every costume for the two short featurettes. The dance company's original ballet costumes were supervised and maintained by Barbara Karinska, who had toured with the ballet company's whirl-wind American and South American International Tour as the company's wardrobe mistress. Although Tamara Tormanova had been featured in the company's tour repertoire in "the glove role", she did not perform the role in this "Gay Parisian" film short. Tormanova performed in the Warner's second feature film short "Spanish Fiesta". Both film shorts were filmed in 1941, with the studio releasing "Gay Parisian" first in January, 1942, and the second short "Spanish Fiesta" in March, 1942.

Executive producer for two Oscar Best Picture winners: The Life of Emile Zola (1937) and Casablanca (1942), and 10 other nominees: Here Comes the Navy (1934), A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935), Captain Blood (1935), The Story of Louis Pasteur (1936), Anthony Adverse (1936), The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), Watch on the Rhine (1943), Mildred Pierce (1945) and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948).

In the 1930s they gave employment to a parade of stars, including Bette Davis, Errol Flynn and Paul Muni, as well as James Cagney, Edward G.

They released the first motion picture with synchronized sound, The Jazz Singer (1927) with Al Jolson.

With his brothers Harry M. Warner, Albert Warner, and Sam Warner, he founded Warner Bros. Pictures Inc. in 1923.

His second wife was actress Ann Boyar (1908-1990), aka Ann Page or Ann Paige. She was the daughter of Russian Jewish immigrants. Actress Joy Page was his stepdaughter.

In 1903, his father bought a nickelodeon in New Castle, Pennsylvania. Jack was a boy soprano who sang between films. He went on a singing tour of vaudeville theaters in the Mid-Atlantic States, but returned home when his brothers decided to go into movie production.

Removed the song "Cool Considerate Man" from the musical 1776 (1972) on the suggestion of President Richard Nixon, who felt it could be used as anti-Republican propaganda in an election year. The song has since been restored to the film when shown on television, distributed online or on DVD.