Born in London, Ontario, Canada, the youngest of 12 children of Jewish immigrants from Poland. Having arrived in Baltimore in 1883, the family moved about the US and Canada until its head, a pedlar, decided to settle finally in Youngstown, Ohio, where he opened a cobbler's shop, a butchery, and then a bicycle shop. The children all took part in the operation of the expanding family business. In 1903 the family gambled its meager resources on the acquisition of a nickelodeon in Newcastle, Pennsylvania. Jack, who had a fine voice, entertained the audience during intermission. Two years later, aware of the growing potential of the film business, four of the Warner brothers -- Harry (1881-1958), Albert (1884-1967), Sam (1888-1927), and Jack -- ventured into film distribution, but they were soon forced to sell out to the Patents Company. They returned briefly to exhibition and in 1912 took their first stab at production with a series of not-too-successful shorts. They had their first success in 1917 with MY FOUR YEARS IN GERMANY and went on to establish one of Hollywood's major studios, at Burbank, near Hollywood, which they named simply Warner Bros. Harry, the business brains of the family, became the company's president, Sam the chief executive, Albert the treasurer, and Jack the production chief. In 1925 they acquired Vitagraph and its network of exchanges and First National Pictures, and began a systematic acquisition of motion picture theaters. Their biggest coup came in 1927, when they launched the sound era with THE JAZZ SINGER. Jack Warner ran the studio with a firm and frugal hand and often clashed with his producers, writers, and stars, most famously with Bette Davis, Olivia De Havilland, Humphrey Bogart, and James Cagney. A frustrated vaudevillian, he spiced his quarrels with a robust sense of humor and practical jokes. He was also famous for his hawkish political views and occasional tactless cracks. (Once, when he was introduced to Mme. Chiang Kai-chek, he muttered that he had forgotten his laundry.) During WW II he was commissioned a major with the Army Signal Corps and later was elevated in rank to colonel. In 1956, Harry and Albert Warner sold most of their shares in the company, but Jack stayed on as studio boss and largest single stockholder. In 1967 he sold his interest in Warner Bros. to Seven Arts and became an independent producer, releasing through the company, which still bears his name. In 1965 he published his autobiography, My First Hundred Years in Hollywood. Jack and Harry Warner were two of the 36 founding members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1927. The Internet Movie Database lists 207 films that Warner produced or executive produced.  Nominated for Best Picture 1929-30: DISRAELI - Producer  Nominated for Best Picture 1934: FLIRTATION WALK - Producer  Nominated for Best Picture 1940: ALL THIS, AND HEAVEN TOO - Producer  Nominated for Best Picture 1942: YANKEE DOODLE DANDY - Producer  Nominated for Best Picture 1958: AUNTIE MAME - Studio Head  Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award 1958  Best Picture 1964: MY FAIR LADY - Producer 6 nominations, 1 Award, 1 Honorary Award