J.P. McGowan
Acting • Born 1880-02-23 – Died 1952-03-26
Biography
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.
Filmography
142 credits
Covered Wagon Trails
Movie • 1930
The Canyon of Missing Men
Movie • 1930
Slug Sagel
Arizona Days
Movie • 1928
Ed Hicks
'Neath Western Skies
Movie • 1929
Dugan
The Railroad Raiders
Movie • 1917
Thomas Desmond
The Hazards of Helen
Movie • 1917
Various roles
Two Outlaws
Movie • 1928
Abner Whitcomb
Plunging Hoofs
Movie • 1929
Jim Wales
Stormy Seas
Movie • 1923
Capt. Morgan
Breezy Bill
Movie • 1930
Sheriff
A Texas Cowboy
Movie • 1929
Brute Kettle
The Invaders
Movie • 1929
When Lightning Strikes
Movie • 1934
Lafe Broderick
No More Women
Movie • 1934
Captain of The Hawk
Perils of the Rail
Movie • 1926
Barker's Accomplice at Smelter Junction
Silver Spurs
Movie • 1936
Webb Allison
Whispering Smith
Movie • 1916
Whispering Smith
Somewhere in Sonora
Movie • 1933
Monte Black
The Fast Freight
Movie • 1925
Dust of the Desert
Movie • 1912
Sheik Mohammad
An Arabian Tragedy
Movie • 1912
The Poacher's Pardon
Movie • 1912
Mr. Wallace - the Gamekeeper
The Little Gluers
Movie • 1912
Valentine Hay
Ireland, the Oppressed
Movie • 1912
Lord Kilhannack
The Shaughraun
Movie • 1912
Corry Kinchela
King of the Circus
Movie • 1920
Do or Die
Movie • 1921
Capt. Alvarez / Satan
The Chinatown Mystery
Movie • 1928
The Flying Freight's Captive
Movie • 1914
Rand - a Yeggman
The Black Diamond Express
Movie • 1914
Dan Haddon - a Cowboy
The Escape on the Limited
Movie • 1914
Brandt - a Defaulting Cashier
The Girl Telegrapher's Peril
Movie • 1915
Blake - a Lineman
The Railroad Raiders of '62
Movie • 1915
Lockwood - the old one-armed Flagman
Helen's Sacrifice
Movie • 1914
Benton
His Nemesis
Movie • 1914
Mammoth - Manning's Business Rival
The Broken Train
Movie • 1915
Warren - Railroad Employee
A Railroader's Bravery
Movie • 1915
Thomas - the Chief of the Gang
The Broken Rail
Movie • 1915
Trow - of the Working Crew
The Mettle of Jerry McGuire
Movie • 1915
Jerry McGuire
A Desperate Leap
Movie • 1915
Medicine Bend
Movie • 1916
Whispering Smith
Hit the Saddle
Movie • 1937
Rance McGowan
Guns and Guitars
Movie • 1936
Dave Morgan
Elmo the Fearless
Movie • 1920
Stampede
Movie • 1936
Matt Stevens
Secret Patrol
Movie • 1936
Blacksmith Barstow
The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
Movie • 1938
Scudder
Railroad Raiders of '62
Movie • 1911
Federal Officer
Jungle Jim
Movie • 1937
Ship Captain J.S. Robinson
Kaintucky Bill
Movie • 1914
Kaintucky Bill - a Moonshiner
Lawless Valley
Movie • 1932
Big Mike Carter, aka El Lobo, aka Texas Rand
The Girl and the Game
Movie • 1915
Spike
Dugan of the Dugouts
Movie • 1928
Capt. von Brinken
Hills of Missing Men
Movie • 1922
Capt. Brandt / The Dragon
Senor Daredevil
Movie • 1926
Jesse Wilks
The Red Raiders
Movie • 1927
Captain Ortwell
Gun Gospel
Movie • 1927
Bill Brogan
The Code of the Scarlet
Movie • 1928
Blake
The Lawless Legion
Movie • 1929
Matson
Señor Americano
Movie • 1929
Maddox
The Royal American
Movie • 1927
Capt. Burke
The Leap from the Water Tower
Movie • 1915
Rand - the Fireman
From the Manger to the Cross
Movie • 1912
Wise Man 1
Fury and the Woman
Movie • 1936
Anderson
The Silent Code
Movie • 1935
Commissioner
Ships of the Night
Movie • 1928
Motilla
The Last Roundup
Movie • 1929
Hash
Robin Hood of El Dorado
Movie • 1936
Danglong
Code of the Fearless
Movie • 1939
Undetermined Minor Role
Ride 'Em Cowboy
Movie • 1936
Jim Howard
Borderland
Movie • 1937
El Rio Sheriff
Mississippi
Movie • 1935
Dealer (uncredited)
Stagecoach
Movie • 1939
Bit Part (uncredited)
The Call of the Savage
Movie • 1935
Freighter Captain
Bar 20 Rides Again
Movie • 1935
Buck Peters
Murder in the Fleet
Movie • 1935
Chief of Police (Uncredited)
The Outlaw Tamer
Movie • 1935
Sheriff Jim Porter
Kidnapped
Movie • 1938
Clansman
Whispering Smith Speaks
Movie • 1935
Caboose Passenger (uncredited)
Quick Trigger Lee
Movie • 1931
Brings note / Director
The Red Rider
Movie • 1934
Scotty McKee
Empty Holsters
Movie • 1937
U.S. Marshal Billy O'Neill
Slim Jim's Last Chance
Movie • 1911
The Rancher
The Three Mesquiteers
Movie • 1936
Brack Canfield
Heart of the Rockies
Movie • 1937
Ed Dawson
Rough Riding Rhythm
Movie • 1937
Pete Hobart
By a Woman's Wit
Movie • 1911
Prairie Thunder
Movie • 1937
Col. Stanton
Headin' Westward
Movie • 1929
Sneezer Clark
Border Brigands
Movie • 1935
Inspector Winston - RCMP
Diamond Jim
Movie • 1935
Engineer
Sinner Take All
Movie • 1936
Police Officer Murphy (uncredited)
Rustlers of Red Dog
Movie • 1935
Capt. Trent [Chs. 3-4]
The Lost Express
Movie • 1925
Train Engineer
Flaming Gold
Movie • 1932
Mack
The Lad from Old Ireland
Movie • 1910
Election Agent
Slave Ship
Movie • 1937
Helmsman
The Cowboy and the Outlaw
Movie • 1929
Pepper Hardcastle
The Buccaneer
Movie • 1938
Jailer
When the Dead Return
Movie • 1911
Jacques
Below the Deadline
Movie • 1929
Taggart
The Colleen Bawn
Movie • 1911
Hardress Cregan
The Accusing Finger
Movie • 1936
Inner Guard
The Lady and the Bandit
Movie • 1951
Old Man
East of Java
Movie • 1935
Sergeant, Rescue Party
Outwitted
Movie • 1925
Tiger McGuire
The Fighting Terror
Movie • 1929
Crack O' Dawn
Movie • 1926
Earle Thorpe Sr.
Barriers of the Law
Movie • 1925
Steve Redding
The Black Ace
Movie • 1928
When Lovers Part
Movie • 1910
The Fiddler’s Requiem
Movie • 1911
Dolores' father
Rory O'More
Movie • 1911
Commander of the English troops
A Sawmill Hero
Movie • 1911
Captured by Bedouins
Movie • 1912
Lt. Greig
Winning a Widow
Movie • 1912
His Mother
Movie • 1912
John Foster
The Law of the Plains
Movie • 1929
Seagrue
The Oklahoma Kid
Movie • 1929
Arizona Nights
Movie • 1927
Jeff Decker
She Had to Eat
Movie • 1937
Police Sergeant (uncredited)
The Special Messenger
Movie • 1911
Royal
The Whipping Boss
Movie • 1924
Livingston
Red Signals
Movie • 1927
Jim Twyler
O'Malley Rides Alone
Movie • 1930
Angus McGregor
Les Misérables
Movie • 1935
Javert's Plainclothesman
Tragedy of the Desert
Movie • 1912
The Arab Sheik
Crossed Trails
Movie • 1924
'Pepper' Baldwin
Baffled
Movie • 1924
Jack Norton
A Two Fisted Tenderfoot
Movie • 1924
Stephen Lawlor
The Wives of Jamestown
Movie • 1913
The O’Rourke
Hunted Men
Movie • 1938
Cop
Far from Erin's Isle
Movie • 1912
Vagabonds
Movie • 1912
Big Jim
The Fishermaid of Ballydavid
Movie • 1911
Policeman
The Mayor from Ireland
Movie • 1912
Shamus Foley
The Prisoner of Shark Island
Movie • 1936
Ship's Captain (uncredited)
Savage Fury
Movie • 1956
Ship's Captain
Pioneers of the West
Movie • 1929
Tom Dorgan
The Grit of the Girl Telegrapher
Movie • 1912
Bad Men's Money
Movie • 1929
Sheriff Bud Jennings
Wagon Wheels
Movie • 1934
Couch