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.
Acted in 129
1950s
- 1956
Savage Fury
Ship's Captain
- 1951
The Lady and the Bandit
Old Man
1930s
- 1939
Code of the Fearless
Undetermined Minor Role
- 1938
The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
Scudder
Hunted Men
Cop
The Buccaneer
Jailer
- 1937
Prairie Thunder
Col. Stanton
Heart of the Rockies
Ed Dawson
Rough Riding Rhythm
Pete Hobart
Empty Holsters
U.S. Marshal Billy O'Neill
She Had to Eat
Police Sergeant (uncredited)
Slave Ship
Helmsman
Hit the Saddle
Rance McGowan
Jungle Jim
Ship Captain J.S. Robinson
- 1936
Sinner Take All
Police Officer Murphy (uncredited)
Stampede
Matt Stevens
The Accusing Finger
Inner Guard
Fury and the Woman
Anderson
Ride 'Em Cowboy
Jim Howard
Guns and Guitars
Dave Morgan
Secret Patrol
Blacksmith Barstow
Robin Hood of El Dorado
Danglong
Silverspurs
Webb Allison
- 1935
Bar 20 Rides Again
Buck Peters
East of Java
Sergeant, Rescue Party
The Silent Code
Commissioner
Diamond Jim
Engineer
Border Brigands
Inspector Winston - RCMP
Murder in the Fleet
Chief of Police (Uncredited)
Whispering Smith Speaks
Caboose Passenger (uncredited)
Les Misérables
Javert's Plainclothesman
The Call of the Savage
Freighter Captain
Mississippi
Dealer (uncredited)
The Outlaw Tamer
Sheriff Jim Porter
Rustlers of Red Dog
Capt. Trent [Chs. 3-4]
- 1934
When Lightning Strikes
Lafe Broderick
The Red Rider
Scotty McKee
No More Women
Captain of The Hawk
- 1933
Somewhere in Sonora
Monte Black
- 1932
Flaming Gold
Mack
Lawless Valley
Big Mike Carter, aka El Lobo, aka Texas Rand
- 1931
Quick Trigger Lee
Brings note / Director
- 1930
The Canyon of Missing Men
Slug Sagel
O'Malley Rides Alone
Angus McGregor
1920s
- 1929
A Texas Cowboy
Brute Kettle
The Oklahoma Kid
Movie
Pioneers of the West
Tom Dorgan
The Cowboy and the Outlaw
Pepper Hardcastle
The Law of the Plains
Seagrue
The Fighting Terror
Movie
The Last Roundup
Hash
Plunging Hoofs
Jim Wales
Bad Men's Money
Sheriff Bud Jennings
The Lawless Legion
Matson
Headin' Westward
Sneezer Clark
Below the Deadline
Taggart
'Neath Western Skies
Dugan
- 1928
Ships of the Night
Motilla
Two Outlaws
Abner Whitcomb
The Black Ace
Movie
The Chinatown Mystery
Movie
The Code of the Scarlet
Blake
- 1927
Arizona Nights
Jeff Decker
Red Signals
Jim Twyler
- 1926
Perils of the Rail
Barker's Accomplice at Smelter Junction
Crack O' Dawn
Earle Thorpe Sr.
The Lost Express
Train Engineer
Moran of the Mounted
Sgt. Churchill
Senor Daredevil
Jesse Wilks
- 1925
The Patent Leather Pug
James Curtis
The Fast Freight
Movie
Duped
'Hard Rock' Ralston
Barriers of the Law
Steve Redding
Outwitted
Tiger McGuire
- 1924
Crossed Trails
'Pepper' Baldwin
A Two Fisted Tenderfoot
Stephen Lawlor
- 1923
Stormy Seas
Capt. Morgan
- 1922
Hills of Missing Men
Capt. Brandt / The Dragon
- 1921
Cold Steel
Steele Weir
Do or Die
Capt. Alvarez / Satan
- 1920
King of the Circus
Movie
Elmo the Fearless
Movie
1910s
- 1917
The Railroad Raiders
Thomas Desmond
The Hazards of Helen
Various roles
- 1916
Medicine Bend
Whispering Smith
- 1915
The Mettle of Jerry McGuire
Jerry McGuire
The Broken Rail
Trow - of the Working Crew
A Railroader's Bravery
Thomas - the Chief of the Gang
The Broken Train
Warren - Railroad Employee
The Railroad Raiders of '62
Lockwood - the old one-armed Flagman
The Leap from the Water Tower
Rand - the Fireman
The Girl Telegrapher's Peril
Blake - a Lineman
The Girl and the Game
Spike
- 1914
The Escape on the Limited
Brandt - a Defaulting Cashier
The Black Diamond Express
Dan Haddon - a Cowboy
The Flying Freight's Captive
Rand - a Yeggman
His Nemesis
Mammoth - Manning's Business Rival
Helen's Sacrifice
Benton
- 1913
The Wives of Jamestown
The O’Rourke
- 1912
Ireland, the Oppressed
Lord Kilhannack
The Little Gluers
Valentine Hay
From the Manger to the Cross
Wise Man 1
The Poacher's Pardon
Mr. Wallace - the Gamekeeper
The Grit of the Girl Telegrapher
Movie
Winning a Widow
Movie
Tragedy of the Desert
The Arab Sheik
Captured by Bedouins
Lt. Greig
An Arabian Tragedy
Movie
Dust of the Desert
Sheik Mohammad
Far from Erin's Isle
Movie
His Mother
John Foster
- 1911
The Colleen Bawn
Hardress Cregan
Rory O'More
Commander of the English troops
Railroad Raiders of '62
Federal Officer
When the Dead Return
Jacques
By a Woman's Wit
Movie
- 1910
The Lad from Old Ireland
Election Agent
Directed 134
1930s
- 1938
- 1937
Roaring Six Guns
Director
Rough Riding Rhythm
Director
- 1935
The Outlaw Tamer
Director
The Lone Bandit
Director
- 1933
War of the Range
Director
Deadwood Pass
Director
Drum Taps
Director
When a Man Rides Alone
Director
- 1932
The Hurricane Express
Director
The Scarlet Brand
Director
Tangled Fortunes
Director
Lawless Valley
Director
Mark of the Spur
Director
Human Targets
Director
- 1931
Quick Trigger Lee
Director
Shotgun Pass
Director
Headin' for Trouble
Director
So This Is Arizona
Director
Riders of the North
Director
- 1930
Under Texas Skies
Director
The Code of Honor
Director
Beyond the Law
Director
Canyon Hawks
Director
The Oklahoma Sheriff
Director
Near the Rainbow's End
Director
The Canyon of Missing Men
Director
The Hunted Men
Director
The Call of the Desert
Director
O'Malley Rides Alone
Director
1920s
- 1929
A Texas Cowboy
Director
Code of the West
Director
The Oklahoma Kid
Director
Pioneers of the West
Director
The Cowboy and the Outlaw
Director
The Law of the Plains
Director
The Fighting Terror
Director
The Man from Nevada
Director
The Last Roundup
Director
Bad Men's Money
Director
Headin' Westward
Director
Below the Deadline
Director
'Neath Western Skies
Director
- 1928
Manhattan Cowboy
Director
The Chinatown Mystery
Director
Mystery Valley
Director
- 1927
The Outlaw Dog
Director
Thunderbolt's Tracks
Director
Tarzan and the Golden Lion
Director
Red Signals
Director
- 1926
Perils of the Rail
Director
Crossed Signals
Director
The Lost Express
Director
- 1925
Peggy of the Secret Service
Director
Webs of Steel
Director
The Road Agent
Director
The Ace of Clubs
Director
The Bandit Tamer
Director
The Fast Freight
Director
Cold Nerve
Director
The Fighting Sheriff
Director
Duped
Director
Barriers of the Law
Director
Outwitted
Director
- 1924
Courage
Director
A Desperate Adventure
Director
Crossed Trails
Director
A Two Fisted Tenderfoot
Director
- 1923
Stormy Seas
Director
- 1922
Perils of the Yukon
Director
Captain Kidd
Director
Hills of Missing Men
Director
- 1921
Below the Deadline
Director
Tiger True
Director
Do or Die
Director
- 1920
The Vanishing Dagger
Director
King of the Circus
Director
Elmo the Fearless
Director
1910s
- 1919
The Red Glove
Director
Elmo, the Mighty
Director
- 1918
The Lure of the Circus
Director
- 1917
The Lost Express
Director
The Railroad Raiders
Director
The Hazards of Helen
Director
- 1916
The Manager of the B & A
Director
Judith of the Cumberlands
Director
Medicine Bend
Director
A Lass of the Lumberlands
Director
- 1915
The Mettle of Jerry McGuire
Director
Blackbirds
Director
The Girl on the Engine
Director
A Deed of Daring
Director
The Fate of Number One
Director
A Wild Ride
Director
The Midnight Limited
Director
In Danger's Path
Director
Near Eternity
Director
The Pay Train
Director
The Human Chain
Director
A Railroader's Bravery
Director
The Broken Train
Director
The Hazards of Helen Ep26: The Wild Engine
Director
The Box Car Trap
Director
A Race for a Crossing
Director
The Girl Engineer
Director
The Girl on the Trestle
Director
A Life in the Balance
Director
The Girl at Lone Point
Director
The Railroad Raiders of '62
Director
The Death Train
Director
The Open Drawbridge
Director
The Engineer's Peril
Director
The Little Engineer
Director
The Fast Mail's Danger
Director
The Broken Circuit
Director
The Leap from the Water Tower
Director
The Girl Telegrapher's Peril
Director
The Girl and the Game
Director
- 1914
The Escape on the Limited
Director
The Black Diamond Express
Director
The Flying Freight's Captive
Director
The Stolen Engine
Director
The Girl at the Throttle
Director
The Plot at the Railroad Cut
Director
His Nemesis
Director
Helen's Sacrifice
Director
The Lost Mail Sack
Director
The Flaw in the Alibi
Director
- 1913
The Pursuit of the Smugglers
Director
- 1912
The Grit of the Girl Telegrapher
Director
Wrote 15
1930s
- 1937
What Price Vengeance
Writer
- 1936
Secret Patrol
Screenplay
- 1933
Drum Taps
Screenplay
- 1932
The Hurricane Express
Screenplay
1920s
- 1929
Pioneers of the West
Adaptation
Bad Men's Money
Screenplay, Story
- 1928
Mystery Valley
Writer
- 1926
The Brown Derby
Writer
- 1925
The Fast Freight
Scenario Writer
Outwitted
Writer
- 1922
Hills of Missing Men
Writer
1910s
- 1917
The Lost Express
Writer
- 1915
The Girl and the Game
Writer
- 1914
His Nemesis
Writer
Produced 8
1930s
- 1930
O'Malley Rides Alone
Producer
1920s
- 1929
Pioneers of the West
Producer
The Man from Nevada
Producer
'Neath Western Skies
Producer
1910s
- 1917
The Lost Express
Producer
The Railroad Raiders
Producer
- 1916
Judith of the Cumberlands
Producer
A Lass of the Lumberlands
Producer
Edited 1
1910s
- 1917
The Railroad Raiders
Editor