1880-02-23 Terowie, Australia
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.
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Savage Fury | Ship's Captain | 1956-01-01 |
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The Lady and the Bandit | Old Man | 1951-08-13 |
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Stagecoach | Bit Part (uncredited) | 1939-03-02 |
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Code of the Fearless | Undetermined Minor Role | 1939-01-05 |
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Kidnapped | Clansman | 1938-05-27 |
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Hunted Men | Cop | 1938-05-27 |
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The Buccaneer | Jailer | 1938-02-04 |
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The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok | Scudder | 1938-06-30 |
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Heart of the Rockies | Ed Dawson | 1937-09-06 |
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Hit the Saddle | Rance McGowan | 1937-03-03 |
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Empty Holsters | U.S. Marshal Billy O'Neill | 1937-07-10 |
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Slave Ship | Helmsman | 1937-06-16 |
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She Had to Eat | Police Sergeant (uncredited) | 1937-07-02 |
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Borderland | El Rio Sheriff | 1937-02-26 |
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Jungle Jim | Ship Captain J.S. Robinson | 1937-01-18 |
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Prairie Thunder | Col. Stanton | 1937-09-10 |
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Rough Riding Rhythm | Pete Hobart | 1937-08-14 |
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Secret Patrol | Blacksmith Barstow | 1936-06-02 |
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Guns and Guitars | Dave Morgan | 1936-06-22 |
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Stampede | Matt Stevens | 1936-11-26 |
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The Three Mesquiteers | Brack Canfield | 1936-09-22 |
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The Prisoner of Shark Island | Ship's Captain (uncredited) | 1936-02-28 |
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The Accusing Finger | Inner Guard | 1936-11-17 |
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Sinner Take All | Police Officer Murphy (uncredited) | 1936-12-18 |
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Robin Hood of El Dorado | Danglong | 1936-03-17 |
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Fury and the Woman | Anderson | 1936-09-22 |
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Ride 'Em Cowboy | Jim Howard | 1936-09-20 |
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Silver Spurs | Webb Allison | 1936-01-29 |
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Whispering Smith Speaks | Caboose Passenger (uncredited) | 1935-05-15 |
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The Outlaw Tamer | Sheriff Jim Porter | 1935-03-15 |
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Murder in the Fleet | Chief of Police (Uncredited) | 1935-05-24 |
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Bar 20 Rides Again | Buck Peters | 1935-12-06 |
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The Silent Code | Commissioner | 1935-11-20 |
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Mississippi | Dealer (uncredited) | 1935-03-22 |
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East of Java | Sergeant, Rescue Party | 1935-12-01 |
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Les Misérables | Javert's Plainclothesman | 1935-04-20 |
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Rustlers of Red Dog | Capt. Trent [Chs. 3-4] | 1935-01-01 |
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Diamond Jim | Engineer | 1935-09-01 |
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Border Brigands | Inspector Winston - RCMP | 1935-05-31 |
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The Call of the Savage | Freighter Captain | 1935-04-14 |
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The Red Rider | Scotty McKee | 1934-07-16 |
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When Lightning Strikes | Lafe Broderick | 1934-12-18 |
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No More Women | Captain of The Hawk | 1934-03-03 |
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Somewhere in Sonora | Monte Black | 1933-05-27 |
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Lawless Valley | Big Mike Carter, aka El Lobo, aka Texas Rand | 1932-03-03 |
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Flaming Gold | Mack | 1932-09-28 |
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Quick Trigger Lee | Brings note / Director | 1931-11-24 |
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Covered Wagon Trails | 1930-02-01 | |
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The Canyon of Missing Men | Slug Sagel | 1930-06-01 |
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O'Malley Rides Alone | Angus McGregor | 1930-01-01 |
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Breezy Bill | Sheriff | 1930-01-24 |
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The Last Roundup | Hash | 1929-06-30 |
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The Law of the Plains | Seagrue | 1929-08-19 |
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'Neath Western Skies | Dugan | 1929-01-01 |
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The Oklahoma Kid | 1929-11-01 | |
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Headin' Westward | Sneezer Clark | 1929-02-15 |
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The Invaders | 1929-10-01 | |
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A Texas Cowboy | Brute Kettle | 1929-12-26 |
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The Cowboy and the Outlaw | Pepper Hardcastle | 1929-10-01 |
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Pioneers of the West | Tom Dorgan | 1929-11-01 |
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Señor Americano | Maddox | 1929-11-10 |
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Below the Deadline | Taggart | 1929-01-02 |
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Plunging Hoofs | Jim Wales | 1929-04-10 |
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The Lawless Legion | Matson | 1929-02-17 |
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The Fighting Terror | 1929-08-01 | |
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The Chinatown Mystery | 1928-09-01 | |
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Two Outlaws | Abner Whitcomb | 1928-11-18 |
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Dugan of the Dugouts | Capt. von Brinken | 1928-04-15 |
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The Code of the Scarlet | Blake | 1928-07-01 |
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Arizona Days | Ed Hicks | 1928-08-01 |
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The Black Ace | 1928-09-02 | |
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Ships of the Night | Motilla | 1928-11-27 |
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Arizona Nights | Jeff Decker | 1927-08-28 |
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Red Signals | Jim Twyler | 1927-03-01 |
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The Royal American | Capt. Burke | 1927-07-01 |
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The Red Raiders | Captain Ortwell | 1927-09-27 |
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Gun Gospel | Bill Brogan | 1927-11-06 |
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Senor Daredevil | Jesse Wilks | 1926-08-01 |
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Perils of the Rail | Barker's Accomplice at Smelter Junction | 1926-10-22 |
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Crack O' Dawn | Earle Thorpe Sr. | 1926-10-16 |
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Outwitted | Tiger McGuire | 1925-01-01 |
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The Lost Express | Train Engineer | 1925-07-28 |
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Barriers of the Law | Steve Redding | 1925-03-26 |
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The Fast Freight | 1925-07-01 | |
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A Two Fisted Tenderfoot | Stephen Lawlor | 1924-02-13 |
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Crossed Trails | 'Pepper' Baldwin | 1924-04-08 |
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The Whipping Boss | Livingston | 1924-02-09 |
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Baffled | Jack Norton | 1924-02-01 |
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Stormy Seas | Capt. Morgan | 1923-07-01 |
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Hills of Missing Men | Capt. Brandt / The Dragon | 1922-02-26 |
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Do or Die | Capt. Alvarez / Satan | 1921-01-02 |
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King of the Circus | 1920-01-02 | |
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Elmo the Fearless | 1920-01-02 | |
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The Hazards of Helen | Various roles | 1917-02-24 |
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The Railroad Raiders | Thomas Desmond | 1917-04-09 |
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Whispering Smith | Whispering Smith | 1916-06-05 |
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Medicine Bend | Whispering Smith | 1916-07-03 |
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The Girl Telegrapher's Peril | Blake - a Lineman | 1915-01-02 |
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A Railroader's Bravery | Thomas - the Chief of the Gang | 1915-05-29 |
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The Broken Rail | Trow - of the Working Crew | 1915-09-04 |
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The Mettle of Jerry McGuire | Jerry McGuire | 1915-11-06 |
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The Girl and the Game | Spike | 1915-01-02 |
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The Broken Train | Warren - Railroad Employee | 1915-05-22 |
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The Leap from the Water Tower | Rand - the Fireman | 1915-01-09 |
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The Railroad Raiders of '62 | Lockwood - the old one-armed Flagman | 1915-03-20 |
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A Desperate Leap | 1915-11-27 | |
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The Flying Freight's Captive | Rand - a Yeggman | 1914-12-12 |
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Helen's Sacrifice | Benton | 1914-11-14 |
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Kaintucky Bill | Kaintucky Bill - a Moonshiner | 1914-07-07 |
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The Black Diamond Express | Dan Haddon - a Cowboy | 1914-12-19 |
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The Escape on the Limited | Brandt - a Defaulting Cashier | 1914-12-26 |
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His Nemesis | Mammoth - Manning's Business Rival | 1914-11-18 |
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The Wives of Jamestown | The O’Rourke | 1913-01-10 |
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The Shaughraun | Corry Kinchela | 1912-12-23 |
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The Mayor from Ireland | Shamus Foley | 1912-11-30 |
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Ireland, the Oppressed | Lord Kilhannack | 1912-12-14 |
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Tragedy of the Desert | The Arab Sheik | 1912-07-01 |
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Far from Erin's Isle | 1912-02-14 | |
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Vagabonds | Big Jim | 1912-02-09 |
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The Kerry Gow | Valentine Hay | 1912-11-18 |
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The Grit of the Girl Telegrapher | 1912-09-21 | |
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Captured by Bedouins | Lt. Greig | 1912-06-26 |
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An Arabian Tragedy | 1912-06-19 | |
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His Mother | John Foster | 1912-01-25 |
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Dust of the Desert | Sheik Mohammad | 1912-06-03 |
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Winning a Widow | 1912-07-05 | |
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The Poacher's Pardon | Mr. Wallace - the Gamekeeper | 1912-09-30 |
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From the Manger to the Cross | Wise Man 1 | 1912-10-03 |
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Railroad Raiders of '62 | Federal Officer | 1911-06-15 |
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The Fishermaid of Ballydavid | Policeman | 1911-11-17 |
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Slim Jim's Last Chance | The Rancher | 1911-04-13 |
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The Colleen Bawn | Hardress Cregan | 1911-10-16 |
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A Sawmill Hero | 1911-03-22 | |
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The Special Messenger | Royal | 1911-08-16 |
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Rory O'More | Commander of the English troops | 1911-09-03 |
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The Fiddler’s Requiem | Dolores' father | 1911-05-03 |
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When the Dead Return | Jacques | 1911-05-05 |
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By a Woman's Wit | 1911-04-04 | |
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The Lad from Old Ireland | Election Agent | 1910-11-23 |
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When Lovers Part | 1910-12-23 |
