J.P. McGowan
Acting
🎂 1880-02-23
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.
Cast credits(138)
Monte Black
1933
Bit Part (uncredited)
1939
Danglong
1936
Ed Dawson
1937
Col. Stanton
1937
Blake
1928
Cop
1938
Javert's Plainclothesman
1935
Helmsman
1937
Capt. Trent [Chs. 3-4]
1935
Maddox
1929
Jesse Wilks
1926
Scudder
1938
Old Man
1951
Jeff Decker
1927
Mack
1932
El Rio Sheriff
1937
Captain of The Hawk
1934
Inner Guard
1936
Scotty McKee
1934
Caboose Passenger (uncredited)
1935
Ship's Captain
1936
Chief of Police (Uncredited)
1935
Buck Peters
1935
Jailer
1938
Matson
1929
Clansman
1938
Police Sergeant (uncredited)
1937
Engineer
1935
Bill Brogan
1927
Captain Ortwell
1927
Dealer (uncredited)
1935
Train Engineer
1925
Police Officer Murphy (uncredited)
1936
1929
Sergeant, Rescue Party
1935
Capt. Burke
1927
U.S. Marshal Billy O'Neill
1937
Freighter Captain
1935
Angus McGregor
1930
1928
Jim Howard
1936
Undetermined Minor Role
1939
Earle Thorpe Sr.
1926
Dave Morgan
1936
Webb Allison
1936
Rance McGowan
1937
Corry Kinchela
1912
Mr. Wallace - the Gamekeeper
1912
1929
Jack Norton
1924
Wise Man 1
1912
Brute Kettle
1929
Sneezer Clark
1929
Big Mike Carter, aka El Lobo, aka Texas Rand
1932
Sheriff
1930
Whispering Smith
1916
Inspector Winston - RCMP
1935
Various roles
1917
Matt Stevens
1936
Livingston
1924
1928
Pete Hobart
1937
Commissioner
1935
Barker's Accomplice at Smelter Junction
1926
Taggart
1929
Election Agent
1910
Brack Canfield
1936
1930
Sheriff Jim Porter
1935
1912
Shamus Foley
1912
Hash
1929
Stephen Lawlor
1924
Ship's Captain
1956
Brings note / Director
1931
Blacksmith Barstow
1936
Capt. Alvarez / Satan
1921
The O’Rourke
1913
Valentine Hay
1912
Motilla
1928
Capt. Brandt / The Dragon
1922
Spike
1915
Policeman
1911
Hardress Cregan
1911
Steve Redding
1925
Ed Hicks
1928
The Rancher
1911
Slug Sagel
1930
Anderson
1936
Capt. Morgan
1923
1912
Royal
1911
Lt. Greig
1912
Dan Haddon - a Cowboy
1914
Dugan
1929
Capt. von Brinken
1928
Jim Wales
1929
Brandt - a Defaulting Cashier
1914
Dolores' father
1911
Abner Whitcomb
1928
Thomas Desmond
1917
Pepper Hardcastle
1929
1920
Ship Captain J.S. Robinson
1937
Jacques
1911
Jim Twyler
1927
Mammoth - Manning's Business Rival
1914
'Pepper' Baldwin
1924
Commander of the English troops
1911
Big Jim
1912
Lafe Broderick
1934
Federal Officer
1911
1920
Tiger McGuire
1925
Seagrue
1929
Lockwood - the old one-armed Flagman
1915
1912
Rand - the Fireman
1915
Lord Kilhannack
1912
Jerry McGuire
1915
1910
Whispering Smith
1916
Blake - a Lineman
1915
Benton
1914
John Foster
1912
1929
1911
Trow - of the Working Crew
1915
1915
Kaintucky Bill - a Moonshiner
1914
Thomas - the Chief of the Gang
1915
Warren - Railroad Employee
1915
Rand - a Yeggman
1914
1911
1925
The Arab Sheik
1912
Sheik Mohammad
1912
Writing (14)
Directing (142)
Director
1932
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1938
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