Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Eight A Serial Tribute to Anthony Warde
Born Benjamin Schwartz in Philadelphia on November 4, 1908, he grew up in Danbury, CT, and was trained as a stage actor at Pasadena Playhouse. Although he preferred comedy and found it easier to do (unlike many actors) he did do a play, “Blind Alley”, where he played a psychotic killer which led to film roles. Using the screen name Anthony Warde, he was forever cast as a heavy. Warde called it quits in 1956 (except for a small role in “The Carpetbaggers” in ‘64) and opened a successful clothing store in Hollywood. In “Flash Gordon’s Trip to Mars” in ‘38 Warde was King Fir of the Forest People. He’s well remembered as Killer Kane, arch enemy of Buster Crabbe’s “Buck Rogers” in ‘39. Other important serial roles were in “Masked Marvel” (‘43), “Monster and the Ape” (‘45), “King of the Forest Rangers” (‘46), “Hop Harrigan” (‘46), “Black Widow” (‘47) and “Dangers of the Canadian Mounted” (‘48). Warde told interviewer Greg Jackson in 1974 that he preferred working at Universal because, “…generally speaking, Universal spent more money on their serials. Columbia was the cheapest. But it was a matter of the personalities you worked with at the time. We had fun in those days wherever we were. I only did serials as a livelihood. I wasn’t given the opportunity…the time…to do anything of a serious nature. I always felt self-conscious playing a heavy. I’m really a nice guy. (Laughs)” Warde recalls “Masked Marvel” as a horrible experience because the four leading men, hired because of their similar appearance, could not act or remember their lines. Warde also offered up great praise for the stuntmen… “Duke Green was really the mentor. Dale Van Sickle would double for me for obvious reasons, if he was available.” Anthony Warde died January 8, 1975, of cancer at 66.
Anthony Warde was Relzah in “Secret Service in Darkest Africa” (‘43 Republic).
Anthony Warde was henchman Tony in “The Purple Monster Strikes” (‘45 Republic). No photo available..
Although the Internet Movie Database credits Anthony Warde as a Confederate officer in “Mysterious Island” (‘51 Columbia) it would have to be in Chapter One as no other Confederates are in the 15 Chapter serial. I've watched Chapter One several times but failed to recognize Warde among the Confederates.
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We devout serial watchers distrusted Anthony Warde on sight. Under a snap-brim hat, with thin lips, roughly dimpled, firmly set chin and cold, steely eyes, he was the perfect henchman appearing in 24 serials at Republic, Universal and Columbia beginning with “Tim Tyler’s Luck” in 1937. Fourteen years of serial villainy ending with a small role as a Confederate officer in “Mysterious Island” (‘51 Columbia).
