Jack Warner (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 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. He also periodically released novelty records - comic songs or collections related to his Dixon role - for example his 1958 release "An Ordinary Copper" which was released by Oriole Records - and reissued twice afterward.
Early life
Warner was born Horace John Waters in Bromley-by-Bow, Poplar, London, the third child of Edward William Waters, master fulling maker and undertaker's warehouseman, and Maud Mary Best.
Warner attended the Coopers' Company's Grammar School for Boys in Mile End, 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 in Bromley-by-Bow, and for a time, Warner was the choir's soloist. 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 became a part of his repertoire. He was over thirty before he became a professional entertainer. One observer predicted, "This film will make Jack the most famous policeman in Britain."
Personal life
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 (OBE) in 1965. 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!"
He died, aged 85, of pneumonia in the Royal Masonic Hospital, Ravenscourt Park, Hammersmith, London, in 1981.
Filmography
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| rowspan="1"| 1943
| The Dummy Talks
| Jack
|
|-
| rowspan="1"| 1946
| The Captive Heart
| Cpl. Horsfall
|
|-
| rowspan="4"| 1947
| Hue and Cry
| Nightingale
|
|-
| Dear Murderer
| Insp. Penbury
|
|-
| Holiday Camp
| Joe Huggett
|
|-
| It Always Rains on Sunday
| Detective Sergeant Fothergill
|
|-
| rowspan="4"| 1948
| Easy Money
| Philip Stafford
|
|-
| Against the Wind
| Max Cronk
|
|-
| My Brother's Keeper
| George Martin
|
|-
| Here Come the Huggetts
| rowspan="3"| Joe Huggett
|
|-
| rowspan="4"| 1949
| Vote for Huggett
|
|-
| The Huggetts Abroad
|
|-
| Train of Events
| Jim Hardcastle
| (segment: "The Engine Driver")
|-
| Boys in Brown
| Governor
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1950
| The Services Show
|
| TV series
|-
| The Blue Lamp
| PC George Dixon
|
|-
| rowspan="3"| 1951
| Talk of a Million
| Bartley Murnahan
|
|-
| Valley of Eagles
| Inspector Peterson
|
|-
| Scrooge
| Mr. Jorkin
|
|-
| rowspan="3"| 1952
| The Monster of Killoon
| Bill Anderson
| TV movie
|-
| Emergency Call
| Inspector Lane
|
|-
| Meet Me Tonight
| Murdoch: Ways and Means
|
|-
| rowspan="4"| 1953
| Those People Next Door
| Sam Twigg
|
|-
| The Square Ring
| Danny Felton
|
|-
| The Final Test
| Sam Palmer
|
|-
| Albert R.N.
| Capt. Maddox
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1954
| Bang! You're Dead
| Bonsell
|
|-
| Forbidden Cargo
| Maj. Alec White
|
|-
| rowspan="3"| 1955
| The Quatermass Xperiment
| Insp. Lomax
|
|-
| The Ladykillers
| The Superintendent
|
|-
| Dixon of Dock Green
| P.C. (later Sgt) George Dixon
| TV series (432 episodes: 1955–1976)
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1956
| Now and Forever
| Mr. J. Pritchard
|
|-
| Home and Away
| George Knowles
|
|-
|rowspan ="1"| 1957
| The Big Gamble (from BBC series 'Eye to Eye')
| Commentary
| One 1/2 hour narration within the short series.
|-
| rowspan="1"| 1958
| Carve Her Name with Pride
| Mr. Bushell
|
|-
| rowspan="1"| 1960
| Upgreen – And at 'Em
|
|
|-
| rowspan="1"| 1962
| Jigsaw
| Det. Insp. Fred Fellows
|
|-
| rowspan="1"| 1979
| Dominique
| George
| (final film role)
|}
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.