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 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.
151 acting credits · 159 directing credits
Acting · 151
Stagecoach
1939
Les Misérables
1935
The Prisoner of Shark Island
1936
Slave Ship
1937
Jungle Jim
1937
Mississippi
1935
The Accusing Finger
1936
The Buccaneer
1938
Diamond Jim
1935
Robin Hood of El Dorado
1936
Kidnapped
1938
From the Manger to the Cross
1912
Prairie Thunder
1937
She Had to Eat
1937
The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
1938
The Lady and the Bandit
1951
Lawless Valley
1932
Wagon Wheels
1934
Stampede
1936
East of Java
1935
Murder in the Fleet
1935
The Hazards of Helen
1917
Somewhere in Sonora
1933
The Code of the Scarlet
1928
Borderland
1937
Rustlers of Red Dog
1935
The Red Raiders
1927
Hunted Men
1938
Senor Daredevil
1926
Hit the Saddle
1937
Flaming Gold
1932
Heart of the Rockies
1937
Savage Fury
1956
The Fiddler’s Requiem
1911
The Girl and the Game
1915
Empty Holsters
1937
The Lawless Legion
1929
Whispering Smith Speaks
1935
Guns and Guitars
1936
Sinner Take All
1936
The Red Rider
1934
Secret Patrol
1936
The Railroad Raiders
1917
The Royal American
1927
Gun Gospel
1927
The Chinatown Mystery
1928
The Colleen Bawn
1911
Ships of the Night
1928
The Railroad Raiders of '62
1915
Arizona Nights
1927
The Canyon of Missing Men
1930
Border Brigands
1935
Elmo the Fearless
1920
Outwitted
1925
The Call of the Savage
1935
The Lad from Old Ireland
1910
Bar 20 Rides Again
1935
The Shaughraun
1912
O'Malley Rides Alone
1930
Hills of Missing Men
1922
Ireland, the Oppressed
1912
The Fighting Terror
1929
An Arabian Tragedy
1912
His Mother
1912
The Law of the Plains
1929
Red Signals
1927
The Three Mesquiteers
1936
The Last Roundup
1929
No More Women
1934
'Neath Western Skies
1929
Dugan of the Dugouts
1928
Code of the Fearless
1939
The Whipping Boss
1924
Arizona Days
1928
Do or Die
1921
Rory O'More
1911
The Black Ace
1928
Duped
1925
Señor Americano
1929
Ride 'Em Cowboy
1936
When Lightning Strikes
1934
The Girl Telegrapher's Peril
1915
Baffled
1924
A Two Fisted Tenderfoot
1924
Perils of the Rail
1926
A Railroader's Bravery
1915
Silver Spurs
1936
The Mettle of Jerry McGuire
1915
The Flying Freight's Captive
1914
Breezy Bill
1930
Two Outlaws
1928
King of the Circus
1920
The Silent Code
1935
Whispering Smith
1916
By a Woman's Wit
1911
Captured by Bedouins
1912
Below the Deadline
1929
The Lost Limited
1927
Tragedy of the Desert
1912
Rough Riding Rhythm
1937
Crack O' Dawn
1926
The Grit of the Girl Telegrapher
1912
The Cowboy and the Outlaw
1929
The Patent Leather Pug
1925
The Wives of Jamestown
1913
Headin' Westward
1929
The Black Diamond Express
1914
The Broken Rail
1915
Fury and the Woman
1936
The Broken Train
1915
Barriers of the Law
1925
A Sawmill Hero
1911
Danger Quest
—
The Escape on the Limited
1914
Quick Trigger Lee
1931
The Leap from the Water Tower
1915
The Mayor from Ireland
1912
The Little Gluers
1912
Plunging Hoofs
1929
Dust of the Desert
1912
The Invaders
1929
His Nemesis
1914
The Outlaw Tamer
1935
Helen's Sacrifice
1914
A Texas Cowboy
1929
Pioneers of the West
1929
Moran of the Mounted
1926
The Devil’s Tower
1928
When the Dead Return
1911
Medicine Bend
1916
Far from Erin's Isle
1912
Vagabonds
1912
The Slaver
1927
The Oklahoma Kid
1929
Bad Men's Money
1929
When Lovers Part
1910
Kaintucky Bill
1914
Winning a Widow
1912
Crossed Trails
1924
Covered Wagon Trails
1930
The Fast Freight
1925
The Poacher's Pardon
1912
Railroad Raiders of '62
1911
The Lightnin’ Shot
1928
Slim Jim's Last Chance
1911
The Old Code
1928
Stormy Seas
1923
The Special Messenger
1911
A Desperate Leap
1915
The Fishermaid of Ballydavid
1911
The Lost Express
1925
Directing · 159
Tarzan and the Golden Lion
1927
The Hurricane Express
1932
Lawless Valley
1932
Under Texas Skies
1930
Drum Taps
1933
The Hazards of Helen
1917
The Lure of the Circus
1918
Canyon Hawks
1930
The Girl and the Game
1915
So This Is Arizona
1931
The Railroad Raiders
1917
Western Honor
1930
Deadwood Pass
1933
When a Man Rides Alone
1933
Code of the West
1929
Mark of the Spur
1932
Tangled Fortunes
1932
The Chinatown Mystery
1928
Manhattan Cowboy
1928
In Danger's Path
1915
The Railroad Raiders of '62
1915
Judith of the Cumberlands
1916
The Canyon of Missing Men
1930
A Sawmill Hazard
1913
Elmo the Fearless
1920
Outwitted
1925
Code of Honor
1930
A Life in the Balance
1915
Headin' for Trouble
1931
Blackbirds
1915
War of the Range
1933
The Hazards of Helen Ep26: The Wild Engine
1915
O'Malley Rides Alone
1930
Call of the Desert
1930
Hills of Missing Men
1922
Crossed Signals
1926
The Fighting Terror
1929
The Man from Nowhere
1930
The Law of the Plains
1929
Red Signals
1927
The Man from Nevada
1929
Near the Rainbow's End
1930
The Last Roundup
1929
'Neath Western Skies
1929
The Death Train
1915
The Whipping Boss
1924
The Red Glove
1919
Arizona Days
1928
Do or Die
1921
Riders of the North
1931
Tiger True
1921
The Vanishing Dagger
1920
Duped
1925
Roaring Six Guns
1937
Human Targets
1932
The Human Chain
1915
Captain Cowboy
1929
The Girl Telegrapher's Peril
1915
Baffled
1924
A Two Fisted Tenderfoot
1924
The Hunted Men
1930
Perils of the Rail
1926
The Pursuit of the Smugglers
1913
A Railroader's Bravery
1915
The Girl Engineer
1915
The Mettle of Jerry McGuire
1915
The Flying Freight's Captive
1914
Cold Nerve
1925
A Desperate Chance
1925
Breezy Bill
1930
The Cyclone Kid
1931
The Lost Express
1917
Perils of the Yukon
1922
Shotgun Pass
1931
Beyond the Law
1930
King of the Circus
1920
The Fate of Number One
1915
The Road Agent
1925
Whispering Smith
1916
The Pay Train
1915
The Midnight Limited
1915
Below the Deadline
1929
The Lost Limited
1927
A Lass of the Lumberlands
1916
The Lost Mail Sack
1914
A Race for a Crossing
1915
Captain Kidd
1922
Peggy of the Secret Service
1925
The Manager of the B & A
1916
Rough Riding Rhythm
1937
The Outlaw Dog
1927
The Grit of the Girl Telegrapher
1912
The Girl on the Engine
1915
A Wild Ride
1915
The Cowboy and the Outlaw
1929
The Operator at Black Rock
1914
The Stolen Engine
1914
The Ace of Clubs
1925
The Little Engineer
1915
Near Eternity
1915
Elmo, the Mighty
1919
Headin' Westward
1929
The Engineer's Peril
1915
The Black Diamond Express
1914
The Broken Train
1915
Barriers of the Law
1925
Courage
1924
The Girl at Lone Point
1915
Trailin’ Back
1928
The Girl at the Throttle
1914
The Escape on the Limited
1914
Painted Trail
1928
Quick Trigger Lee
1931
The Leap from the Water Tower
1915
Below the Deadline
1921
The Invaders
1929
The Plot at the Railroad Cut
1914
The Diamond Runners
1916
His Nemesis
1914
The Outlaw Tamer
1935
Helen's Sacrifice
1914
A Texas Cowboy
1929
The Oklahoma Sheriff
1930
Pioneers of the West
1929
The Box Car Trap
1915
The Devil’s Tower
1928
Medicine Bend
1916
The Broken Circuit
1915
The Flaw in the Alibi
1914
The Scarlet Brand
1932
Thunderbolt's Tracks
1927
The Oklahoma Kid
1929
Mystery Valley
1928
Where the West Begins
1938
The Fast Mail's Danger
1915
Bad Men's Money
1929
Kaintucky Bill
1914
Mistaken Orders
1925
When Rogues Fall Out
1915
Crossed Trails
1924
The Girl on the Trestle
1915
Covered Wagon Trails
1930
The Fast Freight
1925
Riders of the Rio Grande
1929
A Desperate Adventure
1924
The Lightnin’ Shot
1928
A Deed of Daring
1915
Trail Raiders
1928
The Car of Death
1914
Ambushed
1925
Stormy Seas
1923
When a Dog Loves
1927
The Bandit Tamer
1925
The Fighting Sheriff
1925
A Desperate Leap
1915
Webs of Steel
1925
The Open Drawbridge
1915
A String of Pearls
1914
The Lost Express
1925