Warren William — Minnesota’s Mighty Man of the Movies (1933) 🇺🇸

Warren William (Warren William Krech) (1894–1948) | www.vintoz.com

January 05, 2026

From a role as a pickle salesman in “Mrs. Jimmie Thompson” to stardom in more pictures than the average player even appears in, is the shortest way of describing the remarkable record of Warren William. For overcoming difficulties he has proven to be a veritable William the Conqueror.

by A. R. Roberts

He was born in Atkin, Minn., on December 2d, 1896. His family name is Krech; but you’ll not hear him say much about the “Krech” name any more.

His father sprang from German parentage and his mother from English. His grandfather left Germany because he was unsympathetic with the German military regime. He settled in St. Paul, Minn., where he opened a school of foreign languages. Warren inherited this ability to speak well.

Warren William’s earliest ambition was to be a sea captain. He still has this ambition and loves the sea and ships. He owns a small schooner and hopes to sail it to the South Seas. During his school days he wanted to be an architect, an engineer, or a builder of bridges. As it turned out his loathing for all forms of mathematics is probably what saved him for a different soil of career. At school he specialized in football and basketball.

Warren is one of five children, who, despite all the efforts of their parents, refused to study their piano lessons. Warren was mischievous as a boy in school, but used to work after hours to earn the money to get tools for his workshop. He is still fond of tinkering with mechanical gadgets, and likes aviation.

Having been successful in high-school plays, he began to be interested in the theatre: he had the yearning to act and to direct plays.

He says he decided to become an actor when he came to New York on a visit and saw the plays and the Great White Way. Later he returned to New York and enrolled in the American Academy of Dramatic Art. That was the beginning of a great career.

His first play was Mrs. Jimmie Thompson in which, as I’ve said, he played the role of a pickle salesman. Shortly after he scored in Expressing Willie and soon became one of Broadway’s most popular leading men. About this time he made his celluloid debut in a serial [Plunder (1923)], playing the hero to Pearl White. His favorite stage role was in Twelve Miles Out. His particular style of love-making appealed to the matinée fans, and it must be admitted that his screen kisses are in no way apathetic.

During his early days in New York he was often mistaken for Carpentier, the French heavyweight prize-fighter. Now his appearance is often compared to John Barrymore’s. While William disagrees, this comparison does not bother him, but he never apes the Barrymore mannerisms at any time.

After being signed by Warner Bros, he had few idle hours, for his pictures were instant box office hits, and always in demand. At a time when the moviegoing public were being treated to a run of criminal-lawyer films, and each studio sought to outdo the others, Warren’s role in the Mouthpiece was generally considered the best. So much so that relatives of William Fallon attempted to have the picture stopped during its run in New York State.

His work in The Dark Horse added lustre to his name, The Mind Reader, and Skyscraper in which Aline McMahon again played his secretary, stamped him as one who made good. His interpretation of The Match King, Ivar Kreuger, — crooked financier who set such a sorry example for some of our American bankers, received world-wide plaudits. In the March issue of Psychology Magazine, there appeared an article on the subject of the so-called Match King, a story, by the way, which is amazingly interesting.

His own favorite screen play is The Honor of the Family.

Other roles he has had comprise Employees’ Entrance, Woman from Monte Carlo, Under Eighteen, Expensive Women and The Captain’s Wife. His latest picture is Gold Diggers of 1933, in which Joan Blondell, Aline McMahon and Dick Powell are also cast. Woman from Monte Carlo was changed, becoming The Captain’s Wife.

He believes he prefers the stage to the screen but Mr. William qualifies his statement, declaring that he has not been in pictures quite long enough to be sure. He is enchanted with California, likes the outdoor life, dislikes earthquakes, the sea and mountains. He believes that pictures should be rehearsed for at least two weeks before the shooting starts. (His views coincide with those of George Arliss and the studio executives, for this method is now in force.) If you ask him what he would do if he left stage or screen he will declare, “I don’t know.” And he doesn’t care, because he has confidence in himself and could soon “land” were he to quit Hollywood’s lights.

Aside from his love of the sea, and a constant desire to be sailing somewhere, tennis is his favorite game. He has built a platform on his hillside home site, where he indulges in fencing. He has rigged up a robot sort of device to practice with, and is at it for hours at a time on occasions, being, right now, a real master of the foils.

Strange as it sounds, he has not taken up golf, whether because he’s too young or not, I can’t say. Another and perhaps stranger fact, is that he has never even seen a baseball game. He loathes card games of any sort, but enjoys a good fight or a football game, preferably a college game. And he loves horseback riding; what man doesn’t?

Warren has been married for a number of years, and believe it or not, she answers his fan mail. He met his wife while in the service. His sister introduced them when he was stationed at Camp Dix, New Jersey. Her husband says she is very sensible and has never been jealous of his cinema loves. No wonder they’re happy. He stands six feet tall and weighs 165 pounds. His eyes are blue and he has a wealth of dark brown hair which he keeps slicked down.

He dresses immaculately and always in the latest style. Believe it or not, Warren has already been rated as one of the most fashionably dressed men in Hollywood, and that’s saying a lot, for, with our “Buy in America” slogan, Broadway and Hollywood are setting the style pace for the whole United States, — for men as well as women.

Warren William — Minnesota’s Mighty Man of the Movies (1933) | www.vintoz.com