J.P. McGowan
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
Acting
1930
as1930
asSlug Sagel
1928
asEd Hicks
1929
asDugan
1917
asVarious roles
1917
asThomas Desmond
1929
asJim Wales
1923
asCapt. Morgan
1928
asAbner Whitcomb
1930
asSheriff
1929
asBrute Kettle
1929
as
1934
asLafe Broderick
1934
asCaptain of The Hawk
1926
asBarker's Accomplice at Smelter Junction
1936
asWebb Allison
1916
asWhispering Smith
1933
asMonte Black
1925
as
1912
asSheik Mohammad
1912
asMr. Wallace - the Gamekeeper
1912
as
1912
asLord Kilhannack
1912
asValentine Hay
1912
asCorry Kinchela
1921
asCapt. Alvarez / Satan
1920
as
1928
as
1914
asRand - a Yeggman
1914
asDan Haddon - a Cowboy
1914
asBrandt - a Defaulting Cashier
1915
asBlake - a Lineman
1915
asLockwood - the old one-armed Flagman
1914
asBenton
1914
asMammoth - Manning's Business Rival
1915
asWarren - Railroad Employee
1915
asThomas - the Chief of the Gang
1915
asTrow - of the Working Crew
1915
as
1915
asJerry McGuire
1916
asWhispering Smith
1937
asRance McGowan
1936
asDave Morgan
1920
as
1936
asMatt Stevens
1936
asBlacksmith Barstow
1938
asScudder
1911
asFederal Officer
1937
asShip Captain J.S. Robinson
1914
asKaintucky Bill - a Moonshiner
1932
asBig Mike Carter, aka El Lobo, aka Texas Rand
1915
asSpike
1928
asCapt. von Brinken
1922
asCapt. Brandt / The Dragon
1926
asJesse Wilks
1927
asCaptain Ortwell
1927
asBill Brogan
1928
asBlake
1929
asMatson
1929
asMaddox
1927
asCapt. Burke
1915
asRand - the Fireman
1912
asWise Man 1
1936
asAnderson
1935
asCommissioner
1929
asHash
1928
asMotilla
1936
asDanglong
1939
asUndetermined Minor Role
1936
asJim Howard
1937
asEl Rio Sheriff
1935
asDealer (uncredited)
1939
asBit Part (uncredited)
1935
asFreighter Captain
1935
asBuck Peters
1935
asChief of Police (Uncredited)
1935
asSheriff Jim Porter
1938
asClansman
1935
asCaboose Passenger (uncredited)
1931
asBrings note / Director
1934
asScotty McKee
1937
asU.S. Marshal Billy O'Neill
1911
asThe Rancher
1937
asEd Dawson
1936
asBrack Canfield
1937
asPete Hobart
1911
as
1937
asCol. Stanton
1929
asSneezer Clark
1935
asInspector Winston - RCMP
1935
asEngineer
1936
asPolice Officer Murphy (uncredited)
1935
asCapt. Trent [Chs. 3-4]
1925
asTrain Engineer
1932
asMack
1910
asElection Agent
1937
asHelmsman
1929
asPepper Hardcastle
1938
asJailer
1911
asJacques
1929
asTaggart
1911
asHardress Cregan
1936
asInner Guard
1951
asOld Man
1935
asSergeant, Rescue Party
1925
asTiger McGuire
1929
as
1926
asEarle Thorpe Sr.
1925
asSteve Redding
1928
as
1912
asLt. Greig
1912
as1911
as1911
asDolores' father
1910
as
1911
asCommander of the English troops
1912
asJohn Foster
1929
as
1929
asSeagrue
1927
asJeff Decker
1937
asPolice Sergeant (uncredited)
1911
asRoyal
1924
asLivingston
1927
asJim Twyler
1930
asAngus McGregor
1935
asJavert's Plainclothesman
1912
asThe Arab Sheik
1924
as'Pepper' Baldwin
1924
asJack Norton
1924
asStephen Lawlor
1913
asThe O’Rourke
1938
asCop
1912
as1912
asBig Jim
1911
asPoliceman
1912
asShamus Foley
1936
asShip's Captain
Production
1930
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1917
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1916
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1916
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asCrew
Directing
1925
as1913
as1914
as1928
as1915
as1915
as1914
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as1915
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as1915
as1915
as1914
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as1915
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as1916
as1930
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1931
as1915
as1915
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as1915
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1925
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1932
as
1932
as1921
as
1932
as
1937
as
1927
as
1914
as
1933
as
1933
as
1930
as1915
as1914
as
1933
as1932
as
1915
as
1922
as
1938
as1915
as1920
as1916
as1917
as
1926
as1922
as1921
as
1919
as1920
as
1915
as1915
as
1930
as1929
as
1929
as
1932
as1914
as1928
as
1930
as1923
as
1930
as
1930
as1930
as1930
as1930
as1929
as1929
as
1933
as1937
as1935
as1931
as
1927
as
1924
as1926
as1916
as
1925
as
1918
as1925
as
1913
as1930
as1930
as
1929
as1929
as1930
as1930
as1929
as1922
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as
1931
as1925
as1914
as
1930
as1929
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as1925
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1927
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1925
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as
1915
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as
1928
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1919
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1932
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1916
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1920
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1921
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1931
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1925
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