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