From Wikipedia John Paterson McGowan (February 24, 1880 – March 26, 1952) was a pioneering Hollywood actor and director and occasionally a screenwriter and producer. J. P. McGowan, as he was usually known, remains the only Australian to have been made a life member of the Screen Directors Guild (now Directors Guild of America). Born in the then-bustling railway centre of Terowie in South Australia, McGowan grew up in Adelaide (Islington) and Sydney. He was a capable horseman and served in the Second Boer War with Montmorency's Scouts as a special dispatch rider. McGowan directed and often acted in the first 33 episodes of Kalem's 1914 adventure film series, The Hazards of Helen, which eventually ran to 54 episodes, some still with McGowan's participation. While filming he began a relationship with Helen Holmes, the film's star, and the two married. They left Kalem to set up their own production company, Signal Films, which successfully made a series of railroad melodramas but lost out when their distributor (Mutual) failed. The collaboration ended when they divorced in 1925. There was an adopted daughter, Kaye. McGowan successfully made the transition from silent film to talkies. While never a major star, in a busy career that spanned four decades he is credited with acting in 232 films—mostly strong roles like sheriff or villain—writing 26 screenplays and directing 242 productions. In 1932 he directed a young John Wayne in the 12-episode rail vs airplane serial The Hurricane Express for the independent Mascot Pictures. From 1938 to 1951, as Executive Secretary of the Screen Directors Guild, he fought to secure recognition for the director within the studio systems of the film and emerging television industry. J.P. McGowan died in 1952 in Hollywood and was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.
Movie | The Lady and the Bandit | Old Man | 1951-08-13 |
Movie | Code of the Fearless | Undetermined Minor Role | 1939-01-05 |
Movie | Stagecoach | (uncredited) | 1939-03-03 |
Movie | The Buccaneer | Jailer | 1938-02-04 |
Movie | Kidnapped | Clansman | 1938-05-27 |
Movie | The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok | Scudder | 1938-06-30 |
Movie | Slave Ship | Helmsman | 1937-06-16 |
Movie | Hit the Saddle | Rance McGowan | 1937-03-03 |
Movie | Borderland | El Rio Sheriff | 1937-02-26 |
Movie | She Had to Eat | Police Sergeant (uncredited) | 1937-07-02 |
Movie | Jungle Jim | Ship Captain J.S. Robinson | 1937-01-18 |
Movie | Empty Holsters | U.S. Marshal Billy O'Neill | 1937-07-10 |
Movie | Heart of the Rockies | Ed Dawson | 1937-09-06 |
Movie | Prairie Thunder | Col. Stanton | 1937-09-10 |
Movie | Rough Riding Rhythm | Pete Hobart | 1937-08-14 |
Movie | Ride 'Em Cowboy | Jim Howard | 1936-09-20 |
Movie | Guns and Guitars | Dave Morgan | 1936-06-22 |
Movie | Secret Patrol | Blacksmith Barstow | 1936-06-02 |
Movie | Robin Hood of El Dorado | Danglong | 1936-03-17 |
Movie | The Three Mesquiteers | Brack Canfield | 1936-09-22 |
Movie | Fury and the Woman | Anderson | 1936-09-22 |
Movie | Sinner Take All | Police Officer Murphy (uncredited) | 1936-12-18 |
Movie | Stampede | Matt Stevens | 1936-11-26 |
Movie | The Accusing Finger | Inner Guard | 1936-11-17 |
Movie | The Call of the Savage | Freighter Captain | 1935-04-14 |
Movie | Mississippi | Dealer | 1935-03-22 |
Movie | Whispering Smith Speaks | Caboose Passenger (uncredited) | 1935-05-15 |
Movie | Rustlers of Red Dog | Capt. Trent [Chs. 3-4] | 1935-01-01 |
Movie | The Outlaw Tamer | Sheriff Jim Porter | 1935-03-15 |
Movie | Bar 20 Rides Again | Buck Peters | 1935-12-06 |
Movie | East of Java | Sergeant, Rescue Party | 1935-12-01 |
Movie | Murder in the Fleet | Chief of Police (Uncredited) | 1935-05-24 |
Movie | The Silent Code | Commissioner | 1935-11-20 |
Movie | Diamond Jim | Engineer | 1935-09-01 |
Movie | Border Brigands | Inspector Winston - RCMP | 1935-05-31 |
Movie | The Red Rider | Scotty McKee | 1934-07-16 |
Movie | When Lightning Strikes | Lafe Broderick | 1934-12-18 |
Movie | Somewhere in Sonora | Monte Black | 1933-05-27 |
Movie | Lawless Valley | Big Mike Carter, aka El Lobo, aka Texas Rand | 1932-03-03 |
Movie | Flaming Gold | Mack | 1932-09-28 |
Movie | Quick Trigger Lee | Brings note / Director | 1931-11-24 |
Movie | O'Malley Rides Alone | Angus McGregor | 1930-01-01 |
Movie | Breezy Bill | Sheriff | 1930-01-24 |
Movie | The Lawless Legion | Matson | 1929-02-17 |
Movie | Plunging Hoofs | Jim Wales | 1929-04-10 |
Movie | Headin' Westward | Sneezer Clark | 1929-02-15 |
Movie | 'Neath Western Skies | Dugan | 1929-01-01 |
Movie | The Last Roundup | Hash | 1929-06-30 |
Movie | Below the Deadline | Taggart | 1929-01-02 |
Movie | Señor Americano | Maddox | 1929-11-10 |
Movie | The Fighting Terror | 1929-08-01 | |
Movie | A Texas Cowboy | Brute Kettle | 1929-12-26 |
Movie | The Oklahoma Kid | 1929-11-01 | |
Movie | Law of the Plains | Seagrue | 1929-08-19 |
Movie | The Cowboy and the Outlaw | Pepper Hardcastle | 1929-10-01 |
Movie | Arizona Days | Ed Hicks | 1928-08-01 |
Movie | The Chinatown Mystery | 1928-09-01 | |
Movie | The Code of the Scarlet | Blake | 1928-07-01 |
Movie | Two Outlaws | Abner Whitcomb | 1928-11-18 |
Movie | Ships of the Night | Motilla | 1928-11-27 |
Movie | The Royal American | Capt. Burke | 1927-07-01 |
Movie | Gun Gospel | Bill Brogan | 1927-11-06 |
Movie | The Red Raiders | Captain Ortwell | 1927-09-27 |
Movie | Senor Daredevil | Jesse Wilks | 1926-08-01 |
Movie | Perils of the Rail | Barker's Accomplice at Smelter Junction | 1926-10-22 |
Movie | Barriers of the Law | Steve Redding | 1925-03-26 |
Movie | The Lost Express | Train Engineer | 1925-07-28 |
Movie | The Whipping Boss | Livingston | 1924-02-09 |
Movie | Do or Die | Capt. Alvarez / Satan | 1921-01-02 |
Movie | King of the Circus | 1920-01-02 | |
Movie | Elmo the Fearless | 1920-01-02 | |
Movie | The Hazards of Helen | Various roles | 1917-02-24 |
Movie | Whispering Smith | Whispering Smith | 1916-06-05 |
Movie | Medicine Bend | Whispering Smith | 1916-07-03 |
Movie | The Girl Telegrapher's Peril | Blake - a Lineman | 1915-01-02 |
Movie | The Girl and the Game | Spike | 1915-01-02 |
Movie | A Railroader's Bravery | Thomas - the Chief of the Gang | 1915-05-29 |
Movie | The Broken Train | Warren - Railroad Employee | 1915-05-22 |
Movie | The Hazards of Helen Ep09: The Leap from the Water Tower | Rand - the Fireman | 1915-01-09 |
Movie | His Nemesis | Mammoth - Manning's Business Rival | 1914-11-18 |
Movie | From the Manger to the Cross | Wise Man 1 | 1912-10-03 |
Movie | Winning a Widow | 1912-07-05 | |
Movie | Slim Jim's Last Chance | The Rancher | 1911-04-13 |
Movie | By a Woman's Wit | 1911-04-04 | |
Movie | When the Dead Return | Jacques | 1911-05-05 |
Movie | Railroad Raiders of '62 | Federal Officer | 1911-06-15 |
Movie | The Colleen Bawn | Hardress Cregan | 1911-10-16 |
Movie | The Lad from Old Ireland | Election Agent | 1910-01-01 |
Movie | When Lovers Part | 1910-12-23 |