John Paterson McGowan (24 February 1880 – 26 March 1952) was a pioneering Hollywood actor, film director, [screenwriter] and[ [stunt specialist]. J.P. McGowan, as he was usually known, remains the only Australian to have been made a life member of the Screen Directors Guild.
Born in the then-bustling railway centre, Terowie in South Australia, McGowan grew up in Adelaide and Sydney. He was a capable horserider and served in the Second Boer War as a special dispatch rider.
McGowan travelled to the U.S. to take part in a Boer War exhibit at the 1904 World's Fair. He then began working in live theatre and in 1910 joined Kalem Studios in New York City. That year McGowan made his first film appearance in A Lad from Old Ireland as part of the crew that traveled to Ireland to do the first ever film shot on location outside of the United States. During his acting career, his horseback riding ability saw him do many of Kalem's riding stunts.
McGowan directed the first twenty-six episodes of Kalem's 1914 adventure film series, The Hazards of Helen. 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 successful production company but their collaboration ended when they divorced in 1925.
J.P. 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, writing 26 screenplays, and directing 242 productions. In 1932 he directed a young John Wayne in the 12 episode serial, The Hurricane Express.
J.P. McGowan died in 1952 in Hollywood and was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California. His life story was told in the 2005 book titled J.P. McGowan: Biography of a Hollywood Pioneer by John J. McGowan (ISBN 0-7864-1994-6). J.P. should not be confused with the Jack McGowan who was a screenwriter with MGM.
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