J.P. McGowan
Known for Acting · 152 credits
- Born
- 1880-02-23
- Died
- 1952-03-26
- Place of birth
- Terowie, Australia
- Also known as
- John Paterson 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.
Known For
Movies (152)
The Red Raiders
1927
as Captain Ortwell
Stagecoach
1939
as Bit Part (uncredited)
Les Misérables
1935
as Javert's Plainclothesman
The Buccaneer
1938
as Jailer
Borderland
1937
as El Rio Sheriff
Flaming Gold
1932
as Mack
Mississippi
1935
as Dealer (uncredited)
Two Outlaws
1928
as Abner Whitcomb
Slave Ship
1937
as Helmsman
Gun Gospel
1927
as Bill Brogan
Senor Daredevil
1926
as Jesse Wilks
Arizona Nights
1927
as Jeff Decker
Outwitted
1925
as Tiger McGuire
Red Signals
1927
as Jim Twyler
Silverspurs
1936
as Webb Allison
Lawless Valley
1932
as Big Mike Carter, aka El Lobo, aka Texas Rand
Kidnapped
1938
as Clansman
Vagabonds
1912
as Big Jim
The Prisoner of Shark Island
1936
as Ship's Captain (uncredited)
Baffled
1924
as Jack Norton
Diamond Jim
1935
as Engineer
The Lady and the Bandit
1951
as Old Man
Robin Hood of El Dorado
1936
as Danglong
Jungle Jim
1937
as Ship Captain J.S. Robinson
Hit the Saddle
1937
as Rance McGowan
The Accusing Finger
1936
as Inner Guard
Murder in the Fleet
1935
as Chief of Police (Uncredited)
Elmo the Fearless
1920
Border Brigands
1935
as Inspector Winston - RCMP
Somewhere in Sonora
1933
as Monte Black
The Lawless Legion
1929
as Matson
Empty Holsters
1937
as U.S. Marshal Billy O'Neill
Medicine Bend
1916
as Whispering Smith
The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
1938
as Scudder
Crossed Trails
1924
as 'Pepper' Baldwin
East of Java
1935
as Sergeant, Rescue Party
Crack O' Dawn
1926
as Earle Thorpe Sr.
The Whipping Boss
1924
as Livingston
Savage Fury
1956
as Ship's Captain
Secret Patrol
1936
as Blacksmith Barstow
Hunted Men
1938
as Cop
From the Manger to the Cross
1912
as Wise Man 1
The Code of the Scarlet
1928
as Blake
Breezy Bill
1930
as Sheriff
Guns and Guitars
1936
as Dave Morgan
The Hazards of Helen
1917
as Various roles
The Railroad Raiders
1917
as Thomas Desmond
Railroad Raiders of '62
1911
as Federal Officer
Bar 20 Rides Again
1935
as Buck Peters
The Outlaw Tamer
1935
as Sheriff Jim Porter
An Arabian Tragedy
1912
Headin' Westward
1929
as Sneezer Clark
The Slaver
1927
as ’Iron' Larsen
No More Women
1934
as Captain of The Hawk
The Red Rider
1934
as Scotty McKee
'Neath Western Skies
1929
as Dugan
The Old Code
1928
as Raoul de Valle
The Lost Limited
1927
as Thomas Webber
Prairie Thunder
1937
as Col. Stanton
The Girl and the Game
1915
as Spike
Sinner Take All
1936
as Police Officer Murphy (uncredited)
Whispering Smith Speaks
1935
as Caboose Passenger (uncredited)
Rustlers of Red Dog
1935
as Capt. Trent [Chs. 3-4]
The Royal American
1927
as Capt. Burke
The Lad from Old Ireland
1910
as Election Agent
Stampede
1936
as Matt Stevens
Rough Riding Rhythm
1937
as Pete Hobart
Barriers of the Law
1925
as Steve Redding
Code of the Fearless
1939
as Undetermined Minor Role
Wagon Wheels
1934
as Couch
The Three Mesquiteers
1936
as Brack Canfield
Danger Quest
as Col. Spiffy
Fury and the Woman
1936
as Anderson
She Had to Eat
1937
as Police Sergeant (uncredited)
The Invaders
1929
The Poacher's Pardon
1912
as Mr. Wallace - the Gamekeeper
Below the Deadline
1929
as Taggart
The Fishermaid of Ballydavid
1911
as Policeman
The Fast Freight
1925
Kaintucky Bill
1914
as Kaintucky Bill - a Moonshiner
By a Woman's Wit
1911
When Lovers Part
1910
The Call of the Savage
1935
as Freighter Captain
A Two Fisted Tenderfoot
1924
as Stephen Lawlor
The Last Roundup
1929
as Hash
Perils of the Rail
1926
as Barker's Accomplice at Smelter Junction
Quick Trigger Lee
1931
as Brings note / Director
Hills of Missing Men
1922
as Capt. Brandt / The Dragon
The Chinatown Mystery
1928
The Black Diamond Express
1914
as Dan Haddon - a Cowboy
The Patent Leather Pug
1925
as James Curtis
The Shaughraun
1912
as Corry Kinchela
Dugan of the Dugouts
1928
as Capt. von Brinken
The Fighting Terror
1929
The Fiddler’s Requiem
1911
as Dolores' father
The Colleen Bawn
1911
as Hardress Cregan
Do or Die
1921
as Capt. Alvarez / Satan
Ride 'Em Cowboy
1936
as Jim Howard
Ireland, the Oppressed
1912
as Lord Kilhannack
The Canyon of Missing Men
1930
as Slug Sagel
The Silent Code
1935
as Commissioner
His Mother
1912
as John Foster
The Broken Train
1915
as Warren - Railroad Employee
When Lightning Strikes
1934
as Lafe Broderick
Rory O'More
1911
as Commander of the English troops
The Broken Rail
1915
as Trow - of the Working Crew
The Mayor from Ireland
1912
as Shamus Foley
The Grit of the Girl Telegrapher
1912
Tragedy of the Desert
1912
as The Arab Sheik
Heart of the Rockies
1937
as Ed Dawson
The Cowboy and the Outlaw
1929
as Pepper Hardcastle
King of the Circus
1920
Slim Jim's Last Chance
1911
as The Rancher
Señor Americano
1929
as Maddox
The Railroad Raiders of '62
1915
as Lockwood - the old one-armed Flagman
A Railroader's Bravery
1915
as Thomas - the Chief of the Gang
Covered Wagon Trails
1930
The Mettle of Jerry McGuire
1915
as Jerry McGuire
Bad Men's Money
1929
as Sheriff Bud Jennings
The Law of the Plains
1929
as Seagrue
About J.P. McGowan
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 spec… With 152 credits spanning from 1910 to 1956, J.P. McGowan has appeared in 152 films and 0 TV shows.
Fans searching for J.P. McGowan movies, J.P. McGowan filmography, or the latest projects starring J.P. McGowan can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular J.P. McGowan Movies
- The Red Raiders (1927) — as Captain Ortwell
- Stagecoach (1939) — as Bit Part (uncredited)
- Les Misérables (1935) — as Javert's Plainclothesman
- The Buccaneer (1938) — as Jailer
- Borderland (1937) — as El Rio Sheriff
Where to Watch J.P. McGowan Films
Most J.P. McGowan movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring J.P. McGowan, check our movies catalogue and browse page.