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
Covered Wagon Trails
Slug Sagel
The Canyon of Missing Men
Ed Hicks
Arizona Days
Dugan
'Neath Western Skies
Various roles
The Hazards of Helen
Thomas Desmond
The Railroad Raiders
Jim Wales
Plunging Hoofs
Capt. Morgan
Stormy Seas
Abner Whitcomb
Two Outlaws
Sheriff
Breezy Bill
Brute Kettle
A Texas Cowboy
The Invaders
Lafe Broderick
When Lightning Strikes
Captain of The Hawk
No More Women
Barker's Accomplice at Smelter Junction
Perils of the Rail
Webb Allison
Silver Spurs
Whispering Smith
Whispering Smith
Monte Black
Somewhere in Sonora
The Fast Freight
Sheik Mohammad
Dust of the Desert
Mr. Wallace - the Gamekeeper
The Poacher's Pardon
An Arabian Tragedy
Lord Kilhannack
Ireland, the Oppressed
Valentine Hay
The Kerry Gow
Corry Kinchela
The Shaughraun
Capt. Alvarez / Satan
Do or Die
King of the Circus
The Chinatown Mystery
Rand - a Yeggman
The Flying Freight's Captive
Dan Haddon - a Cowboy
The Black Diamond Express
Brandt - a Defaulting Cashier
The Escape on the Limited
Blake - a Lineman
The Girl Telegrapher's Peril
Lockwood - the old one-armed Flagman
The Railroad Raiders of '62
Benton
Helen's Sacrifice
Mammoth - Manning's Business Rival
His Nemesis
Warren - Railroad Employee
The Broken Train
Thomas - the Chief of the Gang
A Railroader's Bravery
Trow - of the Working Crew
The Broken Rail
A Desperate Leap
Jerry McGuire
The Mettle of Jerry McGuire
Whispering Smith
Medicine Bend
Rance McGowan
Hit the Saddle
Dave Morgan
Guns and Guitars
Elmo the Fearless
Matt Stevens
Stampede
Blacksmith Barstow
Secret Patrol
Scudder
The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
Federal Officer
Railroad Raiders of '62
Ship Captain J.S. Robinson
Jungle Jim
Kaintucky Bill - a Moonshiner
Kaintucky Bill
Big Mike Carter, aka El Lobo, aka Texas Rand
Lawless Valley
Spike
The Girl and the Game
Capt. von Brinken
Dugan of the Dugouts
Capt. Brandt / The Dragon
Hills of Missing Men
Jesse Wilks
Senor Daredevil
Captain Ortwell
The Red Raiders
Bill Brogan
Gun Gospel
Blake
The Code of the Scarlet
Matson
The Lawless Legion
Maddox
Señor Americano
Capt. Burke
The Royal American
Rand - the Fireman
The Leap from the Water Tower
Wise Man 1
From the Manger to the Cross
Anderson
Fury and the Woman
Commissioner
The Silent Code
Hash
The Last Roundup
Motilla
Ships of the Night
Danglong
Robin Hood of El Dorado
Undetermined Minor Role
Code of the Fearless
Jim Howard
Ride 'Em Cowboy
El Rio Sheriff
Borderland
Dealer (uncredited)
Mississippi
Bit Part (uncredited)
Stagecoach
Freighter Captain
The Call of the Savage
Buck Peters
Bar 20 Rides Again
Chief of Police (Uncredited)
Murder in the Fleet
Sheriff Jim Porter
The Outlaw Tamer
Clansman
Kidnapped
Caboose Passenger (uncredited)
Whispering Smith Speaks
Brings note / Director
Quick Trigger Lee
Scotty McKee
The Red Rider
U.S. Marshal Billy O'Neill
Empty Holsters
The Rancher
Slim Jim's Last Chance
Ed Dawson
Heart of the Rockies
Brack Canfield
The Three Mesquiteers
Pete Hobart
Rough Riding Rhythm
By a Woman's Wit
Col. Stanton
Prairie Thunder
Sneezer Clark
Headin' Westward
Inspector Winston - RCMP
Border Brigands
Engineer
Diamond Jim
Police Officer Murphy (uncredited)
Sinner Take All
Capt. Trent [Chs. 3-4]
Rustlers of Red Dog
Train Engineer
The Lost Express
Mack
Flaming Gold
Election Agent
The Lad from Old Ireland
Helmsman
Slave Ship
Pepper Hardcastle
The Cowboy and the Outlaw
Jailer
The Buccaneer
Jacques
When the Dead Return
Taggart
Below the Deadline
Hardress Cregan
The Colleen Bawn
Inner Guard
The Accusing Finger
Old Man
The Lady and the Bandit
Sergeant, Rescue Party
East of Java
Tiger McGuire
Outwitted
The Fighting Terror
Earle Thorpe Sr.
Crack O' Dawn
Steve Redding
Barriers of the Law
The Black Ace
Lt. Greig
Captured by Bedouins
Winning a Widow
A Sawmill Hero
Dolores' father
The Fiddler’s Requiem
When Lovers Part
Commander of the English troops
Rory O'More
John Foster
His Mother
The Oklahoma Kid
Seagrue
Law of the Plains
Jeff Decker
Arizona Nights
Police Sergeant (uncredited)
She Had to Eat
Royal
The Special Messenger
Livingston
The Whipping Boss
Jim Twyler
Red Signals
Angus McGregor
O'Malley Rides Alone
Javert's Plainclothesman
Les Misérables
The Arab Sheik
Tragedy of the Desert
'Pepper' Baldwin
Crossed Trails
Jack Norton
Baffled
Stephen Lawlor
A Two Fisted Tenderfoot
The O’Rourke
The Wives of Jamestown
Cop
Hunted Men
Far from Erin's Isle
Big Jim
Vagabonds
Policeman
The Fishermaid of Ballydavid
Shamus Foley
The Mayor from Ireland
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
136
Gender
Male
Birthday
1880-02-23
Place of Birth
Terowie, Australia
Also Known As
John Paterson McGowan