33 Facts About Warner Baxter

Warner Leroy Baxter was an American film actor from the 1910s to the 1940s.

Warner Baxter frequently played womanizing, charismatic Latin bandit types in Westerns, and played the Cisco Kid or a similar character throughout the 1930s, but had a range of other roles throughout his career.

Warner Baxter began his movie career in silent films with his most notable roles being in The Great Gatsby and The Awful Truth.

Baxter's father died before Warner was five, and he and his mother went to live with her brother.

Warner Baxter began his film career as an extra in 1914 in a stock company.

Warner Baxter had his first starring role in 1921 in Sheltered Daughters.

Warner Baxter is the fellow the girls meet around the corner, that is, if the fellow were Warner Baxter.

Warner Baxter was certainly the inspiration for artwork in mail-order catalogues and adverts for pipes, the prototype for men modelling cardigans or pullovers or tweeds.

Warner Baxter was a good work-horse of an actor, often at the mercy of his material.

Warner Baxter starred in 42nd Street, Grand Canary, Broadway Bill, and Kidnapped.

Warner Baxter had roles in more than 100 films from 1914 to 1950.

In 1936, Warner Baxter had what Leonard Maltin considered his finest job of acting in John Ford's The Prisoner of Shark Island.

Warner Baxter said he was envious of his friend Ronald Colman.

Warner Baxter only makes one or two pictures a year.

Warner Baxter's MGM loan out for Robin Hood of El Dorado was an example.

Warner Baxter, according to Wellman, was aging and troubled by that, as evidenced by a major drinking problem.

Warner Baxter told Wellman he was fine during the day but as evening approached he was "gone".

Warner Baxter said working with Loretta Young was fine as she had been around since the silent days and fans did not view her as a youngster, but the new crop such as Lynn Bari and Arleen Whelan made him feel very uncomfortable.

The reported $284,000 Warner Baxter earned in 1936 was the highest paid contract actor that year.

Warner Baxter was more comfortable both with his career and his life, giving much credit to his wife.

Warner Baxter said he no longer cared about high budget films or being a star.

Warner Baxter felt that the best role in motion pictures was being a leading man in a series.

Warner Baxter had reached that conclusion during the production years of the various Crime Doctor films.

Warner Baxter married Viola Caldwell in 1911, but they were soon separated and then divorced in 1913.

Warner Baxter married actress Winifred Bryson in 1918, remaining married until his death in 1951.

Warner Baxter had a cabin in the San Jacinto Mountains.

Warner Baxter was very active in Malibu civic affairs and was named honorary mayor of Malibu from 1946, replacing Brian Donlevy, through 1949.

Warner Baxter was a close friend of William Powell, with whom he had starred in three silent films, the best of which was The Great Gatsby now considered lost.

Warner Baxter was at Powell's side when Jean Harlow died in 1937.

Warner Baxter developed a radio device that allowed emergency crews to change traffic signals from two blocks away, providing them with safe passage through intersections.

Warner Baxter financed the device's installation at a Beverly Hills intersection in 1940.

Warner Baxter suffered from arthritis for several years, as well as a chronic illness which caused eating difficulties and induced malnutrition.

In 1960, Warner Baxter posthumously received a motion pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6284 Hollywood Boulevard.