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.
1951
as Old Man
1939
as (uncredited)
1939
as Undetermined Minor Role
1938
as Scudder
1938
as Clansman
1938
as Jailer
1937
as Col. Stanton
1937
as Ed Dawson
1937
as Pete Hobart
1937
as U.S. Marshal Billy O'Neill
1937
as Police Sergeant (uncredited)
1937
as Helmsman
1937
as Rance McGowan
1937
as El Rio Sheriff
1937
as Ship Captain J.S. Robinson
1936
as Police Officer Murphy (uncredited)
1936
as Matt Stevens
1936
as Inner Guard
1936
as Anderson
1936
as Brack Canfield
1936
as Jim Howard
1936
as Dave Morgan
1936
as Blacksmith Barstow
1936
as Danglong
1936
as Webb Allison
1935
as Buck Peters
1935
as Sergeant, Rescue Party
1935
as Commissioner
1935
as Engineer
1935
as Inspector Winston - RCMP
1935
as Chief of Police (Uncredited)
1935
as Caboose Passenger (uncredited)
1935
as Javert's Plainclothesman
1935
as Freighter Captain
1935
as Dealer
1935
as Sheriff Jim Porter
1935
as Capt. Trent [Chs. 3-4]
1934
as Lafe Broderick
1934
as Scotty McKee
1934
as Captain of The Hawk
1933
as Monte Black
1932
as Mack
1932
as Big Mike Carter, aka El Lobo, aka Texas Rand
1931
as Brings note / Director
1930
1930
1930
as Sheriff
1930
as Angus McGregor
1929
as Brute Kettle
1929
as Maddox
1929
1929
1929
as Pepper Hardcastle
1929
as Seagrue
1929
1929
as Hash
1929
as Jim Wales
1929
as Matson
1929
as Sneezer Clark
1929
as Taggart
1929
as Dugan
1928
as Motilla
1928
as Abner Whitcomb
1928
1928
1928
as Ed Hicks
1928
as Blake
1928
as Capt. von Brinken
1927
as Bill Brogan
1927
as Captain Ortwell
1927
as Jeff Decker
1927
as Capt. Burke
1927
as Jim Twyler
1926
as Barker's Accomplice at Smelter Junction
1926
as Earle Thorpe Sr.
1926
as Jesse Wilks
1925
as Train Engineer
1925
1925
as Steve Redding
1925
as Tiger McGuire
1924
as Livingston
1923
as Capt. Morgan
1922
as Capt. Brandt / The Dragon
1921
as Capt. Alvarez / Satan
1920
1920
1917
as Thomas Desmond
1917
as Various roles
1916
as Whispering Smith
1916
as Whispering Smith
1915
1915
as Jerry McGuire
1915
as Trow - of the Working Crew
1915
as Thomas - the Chief of the Gang
1915
as Warren - Railroad Employee
1915
as Lockwood - the old one-armed Flagman
1915
as Rand - the Fireman
1915
as Blake - a Lineman
1915
as Spike
1914
as Brandt - a Defaulting Cashier
1914
as Dan Haddon - a Cowboy
1914
as Rand - a Yeggman
1914
as Mammoth - Manning's Business Rival
1914
as Benton
1914
as Kaintucky Bill - a Moonshiner
1912
as Corry Kinchela
1912
as Lord Kilhannack
1912
as Valentine Hay
1912
as Wise Man 1
1912
as Mr. Wallace - the Gamekeeper
1912
1912
as The Arab Sheik
1912
as Lt. Greig
1912
1912
as Sheik Mohammad
1912
as John Foster
1911
as Hardress Cregan
1911
as Commander of the English troops
1911
as Royal
1911
as Federal Officer
1911
as Jacques
1911
as Dolores' father
1911
as The Rancher
1911
1911
1910
1910
as Election Agent