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Harry Warner. The rain to Jack Warner's sunshine *according to Jack*. The downside to his upside. The tragedy to his comedy. Yes, Harry was the big brother, all right...
1881 - 1958
Harry was born Hirsz Mojżesz Wonsal, in Poland (then part of the Russian Empire) to a Jewish family. His father, Benjamin, changed the family name to Warner when he immigrated to the U.S. in 1888. The rest of the family followed in 1889, and another Warner child was added to the family shortly after they arrived. As many immigrant families did at the time, the Warner children began using anglicized names in their new country. Hirsz became known as "Harry".
Not long after they'd arrived in Baltimore, Benjamin moved the family to Canada, where a friend said there was money to be made in the fur trade. But two years later....the Warners were back in Baltimore, with 2 additional children born during their time in Canada. Sound advice: never move a growing family to a foreign country, to work in a trade you're not familiar with, on the word of ONE friend. Just saying.
In 1896, teenager Harry led the family (another 2 children born in Baltimore) to Youngstown, Ohio and opened a shoe repair shop. Benjamin worked with his eldest son, as shoe repair had been his trade in Poland. Harry also managed to open a bicycle shop and a bowling alley with his younger brother Albert. None of the businesses made as much as Harry had hoped, and after trying to work as a salesman, Harry had no choice but to move back in to his parent's crowded household at the age of 19. There were 11 Warner children - so it was VERY crowded!
In 1903, Harry, Albert and their brother Sam began showing the short film "The Great Train Robbery" at carnivals in Ohio and Pennsylvania. By 1905, Harry sold his bicycle shop and devoted himself to the growing film business. The 3 brothers established their first theater in Pennsylvania, and it was so successful that they were able to open a second theater shortly after (with chairs borrowed from a local undertaker!).
A mere 2 years in, Harry had married his girlfriend Rea Levinson, the brothers had a whopping 15 theaters throughout Pennsylvania, and they were establishing their own film exchange with an office in Pittsburgh. A LOT. CAN HAPPEN. IN 2 YEARS, PEOPLE. The film exchange went so well, they decided to open a second one in Virginia - and Harry (somewhat reluctantly, maybe?) decided to let his little brother Jack into the business.
Being the big brother, Harry knew that Jack was always out to push his buttons, and that Jack got along much better with their brother Sam. So Harry sent Jack to Virginia to help Sam, while Harry stayed in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately around this time, Thomas Edison practically forced the Warners to sell out to his infamous Motion Picture Patents Company, so the brothers sold their business to him (at a hefty price) - and immediately joined forces with good ol' Carl Laemmle's Independent Motion Picture Company, essentially giving Mr. Edison "the bird" and distributing films for the independent filmmakers who wouldn't be bullied by him. Now THAT'S a burn!
A rare photo of the two feuding brothers, during Warner Brothers' brief involvement with broadcast radio (circa 1926)
After a few successful years with Carl's company, Harry and his brothers decided to part ways and start their own. They named their new company "Warner Features", and set up offices in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Harry and Albert remained in New York, while Sam and Jack went to California. Again, Harry had the foresight to put Jack on the other side of the country - out of his hair! In 1912, the brothers started producing their own films (distribution was getting expensive!).
Mr. and Mrs. Warner
In 1917, Harry made a deal to produce a film based on the book "My Four Years in Germany". The film did extremely well at the box office, and in 1918 the brothers established a studio in Culver City, California. Sam and Jack would be the co-heads of production there. The first couple of years were less than ideal, financially speaking - but the brothers were lucky enough to have a banker on their side who helped them pay off their debts. Early on, Harry felt it was important to use movies to promote unity and educate the public on topics like religious tolerance and social justice. Many years later, he said:
“If we are honest with ourselves we must admit that in the world there is much religion but little faith; many opinions, but little tolerance; many worthy causes, but little sincerity.”
Well, the brothers moved their studio to Hollywood, and in 1921, Warner Features finally showed a profit. The company became Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc., they were raking in the dollars....and Harry, Rea and their 3 children moved to Hollywood. ...where Jack was. Oy vey...
In 1927, Warner Brothers proudly released the first "talkie"!
Being closer in proximity to his younger brother made their relationship disastrous, as Harry and Jack disagreed on practically everything - business and personal. Harry was a devout Jew who was somewhat staunch and puritanical. Jack was not religious, outrageous and irreverent. Harry married a conservative Jewish girl, as was the custom for Jewish people. Jack ran around with a lot of "fast women" even after he was married....and wound up marrying the "other woman" (actress Ann Page) after his divorce.
It was Jack's infidelity in particular that Harry found most offensive. He never acknowledged Jack's second wife as part of the family - or even Sam's Catholic wife, for that matter! Lots of drama there. We'll get to it in Sam's profile later on! Over the decades to come at Warner Brothers, there would be countless conflicts between the two. However....the family drama went to new heights in 1956...
With granddaughter Cass Warner (1949)
Warner Brothers announced in 1956 that they would be on the stock market. Unbeknownst to Harry, Jack had did some early, underhanded dealings - and wound up holding most of the stock, making himself President of the company. Get out, Harry. When Harry read the news in Variety, he collapsed of a minor heart attack. He was taken to the hospital where he also suffered a stroke, but recovered.
When he left the hospital, Harry also left Warner Brothers, never working in the movie business or speaking to Jack again. He and his wife decided to focus on raising horses, which had been a hobby of his for a long time. Later on, Harry withdrew the $6M he had in his studio account, divided it up between his family and sold his stock in Warner Brothers so he would have no further involvement in the company...that he built from the ground up. 2 years later, Harry suffered a brain clot and passed away. He was survived by his wife and 2 daughters. His son had passed away in 1931.
Warner Brothers had numerous successes that would not have been possible without Harry's leadership and business sense. He was also one of the most charitable moguls in Old Hollywood, donating a great deal of money to numerous humanitarian causes. In 1947, Harry published an inspiring message (that still rings true today) in their studio newsletter. We close this post with an excerpt, and encourage you to read the first article below for more!
“We have grown too far away from the simple virtues. We have led ourselves to believe that we are somehow entitled to peace as a matter of right. We have forgotten that this blessing comes only from hard work and an unselfish devotion to the welfare of mankind.” - Harry Warner
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