J.P. McGowan
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- February 23, 1880
- Died
- March 26, 1952 (aged 72)
- Birthplace
- Terowie, Australia
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.
Known For
Photos
Filmography
Danger Quest
Movie · as Col. Spiffy
Savage Fury
Movie · as Ship's Captain
The Lady and the Bandit
Movie · as Old Man
Code of the Fearless
Movie · as Undetermined Minor Role
Stagecoach
Movie · as Bit Part (uncredited)
The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
Movie · as Scudder
Kidnapped
Movie · as Clansman
The Buccaneer
Movie · as Jailer
Hunted Men
Movie · as Cop
Hit the Saddle
Movie · as Rance McGowan
Jungle Jim
Movie · as Ship Captain J.S. Robinson
Borderland
Movie · as El Rio Sheriff
Empty Holsters
Movie · as U.S. Marshal Billy O'Neill
Heart of the Rockies
Movie · as Ed Dawson
Rough Riding Rhythm
Movie · as Pete Hobart
Prairie Thunder
Movie · as Col. Stanton
Slave Ship
Movie · as Helmsman
She Had to Eat
Movie · as Police Sergeant (uncredited)
Silverspurs
Movie · as Webb Allison
Guns and Guitars
Movie · as Dave Morgan
Stampede
Movie · as Matt Stevens
Secret Patrol
Movie · as Blacksmith Barstow
Fury and the Woman
Movie · as Anderson
Robin Hood of El Dorado
Movie · as Danglong
Ride 'Em Cowboy
Movie · as Jim Howard
The Three Mesquiteers
Movie · as Brack Canfield
Sinner Take All
Movie · as Police Officer Murphy (uncredited)
The Accusing Finger
Movie · as Inner Guard
The Prisoner of Shark Island
Movie · as Ship's Captain (uncredited)
The Silent Code
Movie · as Commissioner
Mississippi
Movie · as Dealer (uncredited)
The Call of the Savage
Movie · as Freighter Captain
Bar 20 Rides Again
Movie · as Buck Peters
Murder in the Fleet
Movie · as Chief of Police (Uncredited)
The Outlaw Tamer
Movie · as Sheriff Jim Porter
Whispering Smith Speaks
Movie · as Caboose Passenger (uncredited)
Border Brigands
Movie · as Inspector Winston - RCMP
Diamond Jim
Movie · as Engineer
Rustlers of Red Dog
Movie · as Capt. Trent [Chs. 3-4]
East of Java
Movie · as Sergeant, Rescue Party
Les Misérables
Movie · as Javert's Plainclothesman
When Lightning Strikes
Movie · as Lafe Broderick
No More Women
Movie · as Captain of The Hawk
The Red Rider
Movie · as Scotty McKee
Wagon Wheels
Movie · as Couch
Somewhere in Sonora
Movie · as Monte Black
Lawless Valley
Movie · as Big Mike Carter, aka El Lobo, aka Texas Rand
Flaming Gold
Movie · as Mack
Quick Trigger Lee
Movie · as Brings note / Director
Covered Wagon Trails
Movie
The Canyon of Missing Men
Movie · as Slug Sagel
Breezy Bill
Movie · as Sheriff
O'Malley Rides Alone
Movie · as Angus McGregor
'Neath Western Skies
Movie · as Dugan
Plunging Hoofs
Movie · as Jim Wales
A Texas Cowboy
Movie · as Brute Kettle
The Invaders
Movie
The Lawless Legion
Movie · as Matson
Señor Americano
Movie · as Maddox
The Last Roundup
Movie · as Hash
Headin' Westward
Movie · as Sneezer Clark
The Cowboy and the Outlaw
Movie · as Pepper Hardcastle
Below the Deadline
Movie · as Taggart
The Fighting Terror
Movie
The Oklahoma Kid
Movie
The Law of the Plains
Movie · as Seagrue
Pioneers of the West
Movie · as Tom Dorgan
Bad Men's Money
Movie · as Sheriff Bud Jennings
Wyoming Tornado
Movie
An Oklahoma Cowboy
Movie
Arizona Days
Movie · as Ed Hicks
Two Outlaws
Movie · as Abner Whitcomb
The Chinatown Mystery
Movie
Dugan of the Dugouts
Movie · as Capt. von Brinken
The Code of the Scarlet
Movie · as Blake
Ships of the Night
Movie · as Motilla
The Black Ace
Movie
The Devil’s Tower
Movie · as George Stilwell
The Lightnin’ Shot
Movie
The Old Code
Movie · as Raoul de Valle
The Red Raiders
Movie · as Captain Ortwell
Gun Gospel
Movie · as Bill Brogan
The Royal American
Movie · as Capt. Burke
Arizona Nights
Movie · as Jeff Decker
Red Signals
Movie · as Jim Twyler
The Lost Limited
Movie · as Thomas Webber
The Slaver
Movie · as ’Iron' Larsen
Perils of the Rail
Movie · as Barker's Accomplice at Smelter Junction
Senor Daredevil
Movie · as Jesse Wilks
The Lost Express
Movie · as Train Engineer
Crack O' Dawn
Movie · as Earle Thorpe Sr.
Moran of the Mounted
Movie · as Sgt. Churchill
The Fast Freight
Movie
Outwitted
Movie · as Tiger McGuire
Barriers of the Law
Movie · as Steve Redding
The Patent Leather Pug
Movie · as James Curtis
Duped
Movie · as 'Hard Rock' Ralston
Red Blood
Movie · as Eagle Custer
The Whipping Boss
Movie · as Livingston
Crossed Trails
Movie · as 'Pepper' Baldwin
Baffled
Movie · as Jack Norton
A Two Fisted Tenderfoot
Movie · as Stephen Lawlor
Stormy Seas
Movie · as Capt. Morgan
Hills of Missing Men
Movie · as Capt. Brandt / The Dragon
Do or Die
Movie · as Capt. Alvarez / Satan
Cold Steel
Movie · as Steele Weir
King of the Circus
Movie
Elmo the Fearless
Movie
The Hazards of Helen
Movie · as Various roles
The Railroad Raiders
Movie · as Thomas Desmond
Whispering Smith
Movie · as Whispering Smith
Medicine Bend
Movie · as Whispering Smith
The Girl Telegrapher's Peril
Movie · as Blake - a Lineman
The Railroad Raiders of '62
Movie · as Lockwood - the old one-armed Flagman
The Broken Train
Movie · as Warren - Railroad Employee
A Railroader's Bravery
Movie · as Thomas - the Chief of the Gang
The Broken Rail
Movie · as Trow - of the Working Crew
A Desperate Leap
Movie
The Mettle of Jerry McGuire
Movie · as Jerry McGuire
The Girl and the Game
Movie · as Spike
The Leap from the Water Tower
Movie · as Rand - the Fireman
The Flying Freight's Captive
Movie · as Rand - a Yeggman
The Black Diamond Express
Movie · as Dan Haddon - a Cowboy
The Escape on the Limited
Movie · as Brandt - a Defaulting Cashier
Helen's Sacrifice
Movie · as Benton
His Nemesis
Movie · as Mammoth - Manning's Business Rival
Kaintucky Bill
Movie · as Kaintucky Bill - a Moonshiner
The Wives of Jamestown
Movie · as The O’Rourke
Dust of the Desert
Movie · as Sheik Mohammad
The Poacher's Pardon
Movie · as Mr. Wallace - the Gamekeeper
An Arabian Tragedy
Movie
Ireland, the Oppressed
Movie · as Lord Kilhannack
The Little Gluers
Movie · as Valentine Hay
The Shaughraun
Movie · as Corry Kinchela
From the Manger to the Cross
Movie · as Wise Man 1
Captured by Bedouins
Movie · as Lt. Greig
Winning a Widow
Movie
His Mother
Movie · as John Foster
Tragedy of the Desert
Movie · as The Arab Sheik
Far from Erin's Isle
Movie
Vagabonds
Movie · as Big Jim
The Mayor from Ireland
Movie · as Shamus Foley
The Grit of the Girl Telegrapher
Movie
Railroad Raiders of '62
Movie · as Federal Officer
Slim Jim's Last Chance
Movie · as The Rancher
By a Woman's Wit
Movie
When the Dead Return
Movie · as Jacques
The Colleen Bawn
Movie · as Hardress Cregan
A Sawmill Hero
Movie
The Fiddler’s Requiem
Movie · as Dolores' father
Rory O'More
Movie · as Commander of the English troops
The Special Messenger
Movie · as Royal
The Fishermaid of Ballydavid
Movie · as Policeman
The Lad from Old Ireland
Movie · as Election Agent
When Lovers Part
Movie