Robert Anthony McGowan (May 22, 1901 – June 20, 1955) was an American screenwriter and film director.

Biography

Born in

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, McGowan is best known as a junior director for the '' Our Gang'' short subjects film series from 1926 to 1930, and as the co-writer of the series during the

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 ...

period from 1938 to 1944. McGowan was named for his uncle, ''Our Gang'' senior director

Robert F. McGowan 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. Career Before moving to Los Angeles, ...

. Since both Robert McGowans worked on the series, Robert Anthony McGowan was usually credited as Anthony Mack. While McGowan directed a number of ''Our Gang'' entries in the late-1920s, his work is considered lesser than that of his uncle. He appears on-screen in the 1932 short ''

Free Wheeling ''Free Wheeling'' is a 1932 '' Our Gang'' short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan. It was the 117th (29th talking episode) ''Our Gang'' short that was released. Plot Confined to a neck brace, poor little rich boy Dickie would like to ...

'', in which he is socked by a boxing glove attached to the kids' makeshift

taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choic ...

Personal

McGowan married Madeline Rosselle, the daughter of a choreographer, and had two children. His daughter Mickie McGowan (1938-2022) was a voice actor, casting agent, and ADR director. McGowan's personal memorabilia was destroyed.

Death

His career came to an end during the Communist "witch hunt" era of the late-1940s, during which he was

blacklist Blacklisting is the action of a group or authority compiling a blacklist (or black list) of people, countries or other entities to be avoided or distrusted as being deemed unacceptable to those making the list. If someone is on a blacklist, ...

ed for associating with blacklisted screenwriters. He died in Los Angeles, California on June 20, 1955, five months after his uncle, at the age of 54.

Selected filmography

Screenwriter

* ''

Gas House Kids Go West ''Gas House Kids Go West'' is a 1947 American comedy film directed by William Beaudine. A sequel to the 1946 film '' Gas House Kids'', which had starred former Dead End Kids leader Billy Halop, this new film emphasized comedy and recast the gang w ...

'' (1947)

Director

* ''

War Feathers ''War Feathers'' is a 1926 American short silent comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan and nephew Anthony Mack. It was the 54th ''Our Gang'' short subject released. Cast * Joe Cobb as Joe * Jackie Condon as Jackie * Johnny Downs as John ...

'' (

1926 Events January * January 3 – Theodoros Pangalos declares himself dictator in Greece. * January 8 **Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud is crowned King of Hejaz. ** Crown Prince Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thuy ascends the throne, the last monarch of Viet ...

) * '' Telling Whoppers'' (1926) * '' Bring Home the Turkey'' (

1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General. * January 7 ...

) * '' Ten Years Old'' (1927) * '' Tired Business Men'' (1927) * ''

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a vari ...

'' (1927) * ''

Chicken Feed Poultry feed is food for farm poultry, including chickens, ducks, geese and other domestic birds. Before the twentieth century, poultry were mostly kept on general farms, and foraged for much of their feed, eating insects, grain spilled by cattl ...

'' (1927) * '' Heebee Jeebees'' (1927) * '' Dog Heaven'' (1927) * '' Playin' Hookey'' (

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhan ...

) * '' Rainy Days'' (1928) * '' Edison, Marconi & Co.'' (1928) * '' School Begins'' (1928) * ''

Growing Pains ''Growing Pains'' is an American television sitcom created by Neal Marlens that aired on ABC from September 24, 1985, to April 25, 1992. The show ran for seven seasons, consisting of 166 episodes. The series followed the misadventures of the ...

'' (1928) * '' Old Gray Hoss'' (1928) * ''

Election Day Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. In many countries, general elections are always held on a Saturday or Sunday, to enable as many voters as possible to participate; while in other countries elections a ...

'' (

1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...

) * '' The Holy Terror'' (1929) * ''

Boxing Gloves Boxing gloves are cushioned gloves that fighters wear on their hands during boxing matches and practices. Unlike "fist-load weapons" (such as the ancient cestus) which were designed as a lethal weapon, modern boxing gloves are non-lethal, desig ...

'' (1929) * '' Cat, Dog, & Co.'' (1929) * ''

Shivering Shakespeare ''Shivering Shakespeare'' is an ''Our Gang'' short film directed by Anthony Mack. Produced by Hal Roach and released to theaters by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it was the 95th ''Our Gang'' short to be released. Plot The gang participates in a play ent ...

'' (

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will b ...

)

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McGowan, Robert A. American film directors Hal Roach Studios filmmakers Hollywood blacklist Writers from Denver 1901 births 1955 deaths