The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1951-06-12
The
Corner
BY
Charles Duerkes

According to a Hollywood re-
port the venerable H. B. Warner
IS getting fan mail since the re-
lease of some of his old silent
films to the television business.
It has been many semesters
since I enjoyed the acting of Mr..
Warner and it did not take this
Hollywood report to recall him
to my muddled mind. He was
one of my heroes of the dear,
departed silent films and l have
often wondered if those movies
weren't better for US, in many
ways, than some of the present
day million dollar super-produc-
tions.
In retrospect the scenes that
stand out most clearly are the
ones from the old silent pictures.
Perhaps that is because there
weren't so many things. like
radio and television, to immed
lately blot a good movie from our
thoughts. AT any rate, as a guy
who has seen a right smart pas
sci of movies since 1914, not too
many were of the calibre to
leave indehble impressions on
the scratch pad of my mind,
The last time saw H. b.
Warner was in one of the first
talkie-color production There
was a prologue in which he play
cd the, role of Prologue, and be
was hanged on the scaffold. Pro
logue, it was 10 be understood,
was to be doomed on the screen
that day hence.
Mr.. II. B. Warner, I regret to
report, died in vain
My personal Oscar goes to a
scene in a picture titled dice OF
Destiny" starring H. B. himself.
I was in knee pants and so was
the movie industry but that pic
ture had me on the edge of my
seat, gnawing my nails and hold
ing my breath as has no film
since. II. b., you see. was a surg
con. There was a dame, And a
guy who was not only a villain
but H. BIS rival and enemy to
boot The scene where my Mr..
Warner was called upon to OPP
crate on the dirty villain was the
one that had me in such a tizzy,
Was he to save the heel and
let the heel get the grip (H. B.
grimly adjusted his mask. Make
the heel squirm meath. the scall
pei? CWarner's eyes blazed with.
fierce Light. XIII the louise neat
ly? Who would know? CA scowl,
as ne stripped on his rubber
gloves). Is love-, hatred, lust for
revenge. greater than my oath as
surgeon? lAgonized eyes raised
to the ceiling) What of Hipproeae
ties? Head down, sweat breaking
cut on forehead, as he picked. up
a cuttin' knifel.
The theater organ doomed and
growled and set the house to
trembling with suspense music.
Then Warner was staring down
at his man. Patient or victim?
The heel didn't know H. B. be-
meath that mask. The nurse, q
think she was the dame in the
case) showed her fist in her mouth
and allowed her eyes to pop.
Warmers brow was drenched
with sweat. $50 was mine). He
had crazy look in his eyes.
Brother, that was tense
scene. I'll never forget it.
/ often wish | could remember
how it came out.
In King George, Warner por-
trayed The Christ. A superb per-
Torrance. One scene that still
stands out is the one in which.
Christ is on his way to Calvary.
He is. bowed down beneath his
heavy cross. A handsome. young
man steps out of the crowd, lifts
the cross from the shoulders Of
Jesus and carries it beside his.
Master.
The vo,tnp man WAS WiIl;ann
Boyd. Hopalong Cassidy to to-
days fans. These days he goes
about shooting hell out of people.
II just goes to show how people