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