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.

Cast

Covered Wagon Trails

The Canyon of Missing Men

'Neath Western Skies

The Hazards of Helen

The Railroad Raiders

When Lightning Strikes

Captain of The Hawk

Perils of the Rail

Barker's Accomplice at Smelter Junction

Whispering Smith

Whispering Smith

Somewhere in Sonora

The Fast Freight

Dust of the Desert

The Poacher's Pardon

Mr. Wallace - the Gamekeeper

An Arabian Tragedy

The Little Gluers

Ireland, the Oppressed

Lord Kilhannack

King of the Circus

Capt. Alvarez / Satan

The Chinatown Mystery

The Flying Freight's Captive

Rand - a Yeggman

The Black Diamond Express

Dan Haddon - a Cowboy

The Escape on the Limited

Brandt - a Defaulting Cashier

The Girl Telegrapher's Peril

Blake - a Lineman

The Railroad Raiders of '62

Lockwood - the old one-armed Flagman

Helen's Sacrifice

The Broken Train

Warren - Railroad Employee

Mammoth - Manning's Business Rival

A Railroader's Bravery

Thomas - the Chief of the Gang

The Broken Rail

Trow - of the Working Crew

The Mettle of Jerry McGuire

Whispering Smith

A Desperate Leap

Guns and Guitars

Elmo the Fearless

Blacksmith Barstow

The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok

Railroad Raiders of '62

Federal Officer

Ship Captain J.S. Robinson

Kaintucky Bill - a Moonshiner

Big Mike Carter, aka El Lobo, aka Texas Rand

The Girl and the Game

Dugan of the Dugouts

Capt. von Brinken

Hills of Missing Men

Capt. Brandt / The Dragon

Senor Daredevil

The Red Raiders

Captain Ortwell

The Code of the Scarlet

The Lawless Legion

Señor Americano

The Royal American

The Leap from the Water Tower

Rand - the Fireman

From the Manger to the Cross

Fury and the Woman

The Silent Code

Ships of the Night

The Last Roundup

Robin Hood of El Dorado

Code of the Fearless

Undetermined Minor Role

Ride 'Em Cowboy

Dealer (uncredited)

Bit Part (uncredited)

The Call of the Savage

Freighter Captain

Bar 20 Rides Again

Murder in the Fleet

Chief of Police (Uncredited)

The Outlaw Tamer

Sheriff Jim Porter

Whispering Smith Speaks

Caboose Passenger (uncredited)

Quick Trigger Lee

Brings note / Director

U.S. Marshal Billy O'Neill

Slim Jim's Last Chance

Heart of the Rockies

The Three Mesquiteers

Rough Riding Rhythm

By a Woman's Wit

Prairie Thunder

Headin' Westward

Border Brigands

Inspector Winston - RCMP

Sinner Take All

Police Officer Murphy (uncredited)

Rustlers of Red Dog

Capt. Trent [Chs. 3-4]

The Lost Express

The Lad from Old Ireland

The Cowboy and the Outlaw

Pepper Hardcastle

When the Dead Return

Below the Deadline

The Colleen Bawn

Hardress Cregan

The Accusing Finger

The Lady and the Bandit

Sergeant, Rescue Party

The Fighting Terror

Earle Thorpe Sr.

Barriers of the Law

The Fiddler’s Requiem

Dolores' father

When Lovers Part

Commander of the English troops

Winning a Widow

Captured by Bedouins

The Oklahoma Kid

The Law of the Plains

Police Sergeant (uncredited)

The Special Messenger

The Whipping Boss

O'Malley Rides Alone

Les Misérables

Javert's Plainclothesman

Tragedy of the Desert

'Pepper' Baldwin

A Two Fisted Tenderfoot

The Wives of Jamestown

Far from Erin's Isle

The Fishermaid of Ballydavid

The Mayor from Ireland

The Prisoner of Shark Island

Ship's Captain (uncredited)

Pioneers of the West

Crew

The Fast Freight

Scenario Writer, Director

A Sawmill Hazard

The Operator at Black Rock

The Death Train

A Deed of Daring

Director, Writer

Helen's Sacrifice

The Plot at the Railroad Cut

A Railroader's Bravery

The Girl at the Throttle

The Stolen Engine

The Fate of Number One

The Girl on the Engine

The Flying Freight's Captive

The Black Diamond Express

The Girl Telegrapher's Peril

The Escape on the Limited

The Broken Circuit

The Little Engineer

The Fast Mail's Danger

A Desperate Leap

When Rogues Fall Out

The Mettle of Jerry McGuire

Judith of the Cumberlands

Director, Producer

The Railroad Raiders of '62

The Engineer's Peril

The Open Drawbridge

The Girl at Lone Point

The Diamond Runners

Director, Scenario Writer

O'Malley Rides Alone

Producer, Director

Riders of the North

The Box Car Trap

The Girl on the Trestle

A Life in the Balance

The Girl Engineer

A Race for a Crossing

The Broken Train

The Human Chain

The Midnight Limited

The Lost Mail Sack

The Ace of Clubs

The Hurricane Express

Screenplay, Director

Mark of the Spur

The Scarlet Brand

Roaring Six Guns

Tarzan and the Golden Lion

The Flaw in the Alibi

Director, Screenplay

When a Man Rides Alone

Under Texas Skies

The Hazards of Helen Ep26: The Wild Engine

In Danger's Path

Perils of the Yukon

Where the West Begins

The Girl and the Game

Director, Writer

King of the Circus

A Lass of the Lumberlands

Director, Producer

The Lost Express

Director, Writer, Producer

Dugan of the Dugouts

Crossed Signals

Hills of Missing Men

Director, Writer

Elmo, the Mighty

Elmo the Fearless

The Brown Derby

The Leap from the Water Tower

Code of the West

The Last Roundup

Tangled Fortunes

The Car of Death

The Chinatown Mystery

Writer, Director

The Oklahoma Sheriff

The Man from Nowhere

War of the Range

Rough Riding Rhythm

The Outlaw Tamer

Quick Trigger Lee

A Desperate Adventure

Perils of the Rail

Whispering Smith

What Price Vengeance

The Lure of the Circus

Mistaken Orders

The Pursuit of the Smugglers

Call of the Desert

Director, Writer

Headin' Westward

Covered Wagon Trails

The Canyon of Missing Men

'Neath Western Skies

Director, Producer

The Lost Express

So This Is Arizona

Barriers of the Law

A String of Pearls

Near the Rainbow's End

The Cowboy and the Outlaw

Below the Deadline

The Fighting Terror

A Two Fisted Tenderfoot

Thunderbolt's Tracks

A Desperate Chance

The Law of the Plains

Riders of the Rio Grande

Manhattan Cowboy

The Oklahoma Kid

The Whipping Boss

The Manager of the B & A

The Railroad Raiders

Director, Producer, Editor

The Vanishing Dagger

Below the Deadline

The Hazards of Helen

The Man from Nevada

Director, Producer

Headin' for Trouble

The Bandit Tamer

The Fighting Sheriff

Pioneers of the West

Director, Adaptation, Producer