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Robert Francis McGowan (July 11, 1882 – January 27, 1955) was an American film director and producer, best known as the senior director of the Our Gang short subjects film series from 1922 until 1933.
Robert F. McGowan. Producer: The Hal Roach Comedy Carnival. Robert F. McGowan started life in Denver, CO, intent on becoming the next Thomas A. Edison, but when inventing failed to bring fortune and/or fame, he became a fireman.
- Director, Producer, Writer
- July 11, 1882
- Robert F. McGowan
- January 27, 1955
Robert Francis McGowan (July 11, 1882 – January 27, 1955) was an American film director and producer, best known as the senior director of the Our Gang short subjects film series from 1922 until 1933. McGowan died of cancer in Santa Monica, California, on January 27, 1955, at the age of 72.
Writer: Sons of the Legion. Robert F. McGowan started life in Denver, CO, intent on becoming the next Thomas A. Edison, but when inventing failed to bring fortune and/or fame, he became a fireman.
- July 11, 1882
- January 27, 1955
- 1913
- 1915
- 1916
- 1917
- 1919
- 1920
- 1921
- 1922
- 1923
- 1924
After receiving his pension, McGowan moved to California and got into the movie business by selling story and gag ideas to Essanay (presumably at their studio in Niles).McGowan was later promoted to chief of staff to the studio carpenter.McGowan then moved to Hollywood and became an assistant property man at Universal, where he met future Roach colleague Charles Oelze.Eventually, McGowan sold stories to Universal.Around this time, McGowan had started to write stories for Al Christie at the Nestor studio, where he also occasionally directed. His filmography for the next few years is incomplete.
Mingling Spirits(story)
1. Jan. 17, 1916 - Nestor/Universal - 1 reel - Betty Compson series 2. ©Jan. 10, 1916.
After The Play(story)
1. Feb. 25, 1916 - Victor/Universal - 1 reel 2. ©Feb. 18, 1916.
Their Only Son(director/scenario)
1. Mar. 6, 1916 - Nestor/Universal - 1 reel 2. ©Feb. 28, 1916.
By this time, Al Christie had started his own studio. McGowan followed him there and eventually piloted a kid series for Christie.
By the early part of this year, McGowan had begun to write short subject scenarios for films starring Mr. and Mrs. Carter De Haven.
The 1920 Motion Picture Studio Directory and Trade Annualstates that McGowan had written and produced nearly 100 comedies by this time. In fact, when it comes to the De Haven series, it states that...
Sometime during this year, McGowan left the De Havens and began writing scenarios for the Eddie Lyons series released by Arrow.Late in the year, Charles Parrott (later Chase) brought McGowan to Hal Roach Studios as a gagman and scenario writer for the Our Gang series.Initially, McGowan was a writer for the Our Gang series, but he quickly became a director, collaborating with Tom McNamara. Presumably, he continued to contribute gags to the films, but there isn't...
Presumably, McGowan had some type of participation on the two McNamara-directed Our Gang shorts "The Cobbler" and "Boys To Board."With the departure of Tom McNamara around June, McGowan briefly had the Our Gang series to himself.In July, McGowan and fellow director Charles Parrott began a comedy director's workshop on the lot, which was abandoned after a short time.Around September, Mark Goldaine joined the studio to share the Our Gang directorial duties with McGowan.Goldaine left the studio around March, which left the Our Gang series solely in McGowan's hands for the next couple of years.
Robert F. McGowan started life in Denver, Colorado intent on becoming the next Thomas Edison, but when inventing failed to bring fortune &/or fame, he became a fireman. He worked for the Denver Fire Department until he suffered a serious on the job injury at age 30 which nearly cost him a leg.
Mush and Milk is a comedy short subject; part of the Our Gang (Little Rascals) series. It was produced and directed by Robert F. McGowan for Hal Roach, and was originally released to theaters by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on May 27, 1933. [2] . It was the 123rd Our Gang short to be released. [3] Plot.
