
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