Don Megowan (May 24, 1922 – June 26, 1981) was an American actor. He played the

Gill-man The Gill-man—commonly called the Creature—is the main antagonist of the 1954 in film, 1954 black-and-white science fiction film ''Creature from the Black Lagoon'' and its two sequels ''Revenge of the Creature'' (1955) and ''The Creature Wal ...

on land in ''

The Creature Walks Among Us ''The Creature Walks Among Us'' is a 1956 American monster horror film and the third and final installment of the ''Creature from the Black Lagoon'' series from Universal Pictures, following the previous year's ''Revenge of the Creature''. The f ...

'', the final part of the ''

Creature from the Black Lagoon ''Creature from the Black Lagoon'' is a 1954 American black-and-white 3D monster horror film produced by William Alland and directed by Jack Arnold, from a screenplay by Harry Essex and Arthur Ross and a story by Maurice Zimm. It stars ...

trilogy A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games, and are less common in other art forms. Three-part wor ...

Early life

Don Megowan was born in

Inglewood, California Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 107,762. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. The city is in the South Bay ...

to Robert and Leila (née Dale) Megowan. His mother Leila worked as a

negative cutter Negative cutting (also known as negative matching and negative conforming) is the process of cutting motion picture negative to match precisely the final edit as specified by the film editor. Original camera negative (OCN) is cut with scissors and ...

for

Pathé Pathé or Pathé Frères (, styled as PATHÉ!) is the name of various French people, French businesses that were founded and originally run by the Pathé Brothers of France starting in 1896. In the early 1900s, Pathé became the world's largest ...

. At 6'7" Megowan was very active in sports, playing baseball, football, and throwing discus. He went to the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...

on a football scholarship before serving in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

.Don Megowan "Coolest Father in the World"
Interview with Vikki Megowan by Tom Weaver a
Classic Images.com

Career

Megowan starred in the

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

films '' The Werewolf'' in the role of Sheriff Jack Haines, in ''

The Creation of the Humanoids ''The Creation of the Humanoids'' is a 1962 American science fiction film release, directed by Wesley Barry and starring Don Megowan, Erica Elliot, Frances McCann, Don Doolittle, and Dudley Manlove. The film is not based on the plot of Jack Will ...

'' (1962) as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in the anti-robot Order of Flesh and Blood, who must stop the Humanoids, and in ''The Creature Walks Among Us'' as the

. Megowan also appeared in westerns: ''

Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier ''Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier'' is a 1955 American Western film produced by Walt Disney Productions. It is an edited and recut compilation of the first three episodes of the ''Davy Crockett'' television miniseries. The episodes us ...

'' (1955), ''

The Great Locomotive Chase ''The Great Locomotive Chase'' is a 1956 American adventure western film produced by Walt Disney Productions, based on the Great Locomotive Chase that occurred in 1862 during the American Civil War. Filmed in CinemaScope and in color, the fil ...

'' (1956), ''

Tarzan and the Valley of Gold ''Tarzan and the Valley of Gold'' is a 1966 Eastmancolor adventure film starring Mike Henry in his debut as Tarzan. The Panavision film, produced by Sy Weintraub, written by Clair Huffaker, and directed by Robert Day, is remembered for its v ...

'' (1966), '' The Devil's Brigade'' (1968), and

Mel Brooks Mel Brooks (born Melvin James Kaminsky; June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodies. He began h ...

'' Blazing Saddles'' (1974). In 1962, he starred with Cameron Mitchell in the

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...

, '' The Beachcomber''. He guest starred in various programs, including the westerns: ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...

'', ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings. It ...

'' (twice), '' The Californians'', '' The Tall Man'', ''

Maverick Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Burea ...

'', ''

Cimarron City Cimarron City is a town in Logan County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 150 at the 2010 census, a 39.4 percent gain over the figure of 110 in 2000.

'', '' Have Gun–Will Travel'', ''

Tales of Wells Fargo ''Tales of Wells Fargo'' is an American Western television series starring Dale Robertson that ran from 1957 to 1962 on NBC. Produced by Revue Productions, the series aired in a half-hour format until its final season, when it expanded to ...

'', ''

The Rifleman ''The Rifleman'' is an American Western television program starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the fictional town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The show wa ...

'', '' Lawman'', ''

Cheyenne The Cheyenne ( ) are an Indigenous people of the Great Plains. Their Cheyenne language belongs to the Algonquian language family. Today, the Cheyenne people are split into two federally recognized nations: the Southern Cheyenne, who are enroll ...

'', '' Colt .45'', ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on U ...

'', ''

The Americans ''The Americans'' is an American historical drama, period spy fiction, spy drama television series created by Joe Weisberg that aired on the FX (TV channel), FX television network for six seasons from January 30, 2013, to May 30, 2018. Weisberg ...

'', '' Rawhide'', and ''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

''. He was also cast in episodes of such series as ''

Angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...

'', U.S. Marshal, ''

Get Smart ''Get Smart'' is an American comedy television series parodying the secret agent genre that had become widely popular in the first half of the 1960s, with the release of the ''James Bond'' films. It was created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, an ...

'', and ''

Fantasy Island ''Fantasy Island'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Gene Levitt. It aired on ABC from 1977 to 1984. The series starred Ricardo Montalbán as the mysterious Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant, Tattoo. Gu ...

''.

Death

Megowan, a smoker from age 12 to 48, died of throat cancer at age 59. His weight had dwindled from nearly 300 pounds to barely 150.

Filmography

*1951: '' The Mob'' .... Bruiser - Big Longshoreman at Union Hall (uncredited) *1951: '' On the Loose'' .... Club Emerald Headwaiter (uncredited) *1951: ''

The Kid from Amarillo ''The Kid from Amarillo'' is a 1951 American Western film directed by Ray Nazarro and starring Charles Starrett, Smiley Burnette and Harry Lauter.Pitts p.172 It is part of the Durango Kid series. In Britain it was released under the alternative ...

'' .... Rakim *1953: '' Sangaree'' .... River Pirate (uncredited) *1954: ''

Prince Valiant ''Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur'', often simply called ''Prince Valiant'', is an American comic strip created by Hal Foster in 1937. It is an epic adventure that has told a continuous story during its entire history, and the full stretc ...

'' ....

Sir Lancelot Lancelot du Lac (French for Lancelot of the Lake), also written as Launcelot and other variants (such as early German ''Lanzelet'', early French ''Lanselos'', early Welsh ''Lanslod Lak'', Italian ''Lancillotto'', Spanish ''Lanzarote del Lago' ...

(uncredited) *1955: ''

'' ....

William Travis William Barret "Buck" Travis (August 1, 1809 – March 6, 1836) was a 19th-century American lawyer and soldier. At the age of 26, he was a lieutenant colonel in the Texas Army. He died at the Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution. T ...

*1955: ''

To Catch a Thief '' To Catch a Thief'' is a 1955 American romantic thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, from a screenplay by John Michael Hayes based on the 1952 novel of the same name by David Dodge. The film stars Cary Grant as a retired cat burgl ...

'' .... Detective at Costume Ball (uncredited) *1955: ''

A Lawless Street ''A Lawless Street'' is a 1955 American Western film directed by Joseph H. Lewis and starring Randolph Scott and Angela Lansbury. The film is also known as ''The Marshal of Medicine Bend'' in the United States. Plot The marshal of Medicine Ben ...

'' .... Dooley Brion *1956: ''

Anything Goes ''Anything Goes'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap ant ...

'' .... Henri (uncredited) *1956: ''

'' ....

on land (uncredited) *1956: ''

'' .... Marion A. Ross *1956: '' The Werewolf'' .... Sheriff Jack Haines *1956: ''

The Loretta Young Show ''The Loretta Young Show'' (originally known as ''Letter to Loretta'') is an American anthology drama television series broadcast on Sunday nights from September 2, 1953, to June 4, 1961, on NBC for a total of 165 episodes. The series was hosted ...

S4Ep12 "The End of the Week" .... Hank Curtis *1956: ''

Gun the Man Down ''Gun the Man Down'' is a 1956 Western film directed by Andrew V. McLaglen and starring James Arness and Angie Dickinson in her first leading role. The film was produced by Robert E. Morrison for his brother John Wayne's company Batjac Producti ...

'' .... Ralph Farley *1957: ''

The Delicate Delinquent ''The Delicate Delinquent'' is an American VistaVision comedy film starring Jerry Lewis, released on June 6, 1957 by Paramount Pictures. It was the first film to star Lewis without his longtime partner Dean Martin and marked Lewis' debut as a pro ...

'' .... Policeman (uncredited) *1957: ''

Hell Canyon Outlaws ''Hell Canyon Outlaws'' is a 1957 American Western film directed by Paul Landres and written by Allan Kaufman and Max Glandbard. The film stars Dale Robertson, Brian Keith, Rossana Rory, Dick Kallman, Don Megowan and Mike Lane. The film wa ...

'' .... Henchman Walt *1957: ''

The Story of Mankind ''The Story of Mankind'' is a book written and illustrated by Dutch-American journalist, professor, and author Hendrik Willem van Loon. It was published in 1921. In 1922, it was awarded the Newbery Medal for an outstanding contribution to children ...

'' .... Early Man *1958: '' Snowfire'' .... Mike McGowan *1958: '' The Man Who Died Twice'' .... T. J. Brennan *1958: '' A Lust to Kill'' .... Cheney Holland *1958: ''

Money, Women and Guns ''Money, Women and Guns'' is a 1958 American Western film directed by Richard Bartlett and written by Montgomery Pittman. The film stars Jock Mahoney, Kim Hunter, Tim Hovey, Gene Evans, Tom Drake, Lon Chaney Jr., William Campbell, Jeffrey S ...

'' .... John Briggs *1958: '' The Buccaneer'' .... Pirate with Axe (uncredited) *1958: '' Tales of Frankenstein'' (TV Short) .... The Monster *1958: ''

''.... Gregg Dewey in Episode "Dead to Rights" *1959: ''

The Jayhawkers! ''The Jayhawkers!'' is a 1959 American Technicolor VistaVision film directed by Melvin Frank, starring Jeff Chandler as Luke Darcy and Fess Parker as Cam Bleeker. The film is set in pre-Civil War Kansas. Darcy leads a gang which seeks to take ad ...

'' .... China *1959: ''

'' .... John C. Regan in Episode "The Magnificent Adah" *1960: '' Road of the Giants / ''La strada dei giganti'' .... Clint Farrell *1961: ''

Guns of the Black Witch ''Guns of the Black Witch'' ( it, Il terrore dei mari) is a 1961 adventure film directed by Domenico Paolella. Cast * Don Megowan: Jean * Silvana Pampanini: Delores * Emma Danieli: Elisa * Livio Lorenzon: Guzman * Germano Longo: Michel ...

'' .... Jean *1961: ''

''.... Sheriff Tom Grant *1962: ''

'' .... Capt. Kenneth Cragis *1962: '' The Beachcomber'' (TV Series) .... Capt.Huckabee *1963: '' For Love or Money'' .... Gregor Garrison *1966: ''

'' .... Mr. Train *1967: '' Border Lust'' *1968: '' The Devil's Brigade'' .... Luke Pehelan *1968: '' If He Hollers, Let Him Go!'' .... Officer *1974: ''

Scream of the Wolf ''Scream of the Wolf'' is a 1974 American made-for-television horror-thriller film starring Peter Graves and Clint Walker and directed by Dan Curtis. It originally aired as the ''ABC Movie of the Week'' on January 16, 1974. Plot Following a serie ...

'' (TV Movie) .... Grant *1974: '' Blazing Saddles'' .... Gum Chewer *1974: '' Melvin Purvis: G-Man'' (TV Movie) .... Hamburger Stand Man *1974: ''

Truck Turner ''Truck Turner'', also known as ''Black Bullet'', is a 1974 blaxploitation film, starring Isaac Hayes and Yaphet Kotto, and directed by Jonathan Kaplan. The screenplay was written by Michael Allin, Leigh Chapman (under a pseudonym, Jerry Wilke ...

'' .... Garrity *1975: ''

The Kansas City Massacre ''The Kansas City Massacre'' is a 1975 American television film about Melvin Purvis. It is the second spin-off of the 1973 film ''Dillinger'', following '' Melvin Purvis: G-Man'' in 1974, also directed by Dan Curtis and starring Dale Robertson as ...

'' (TV Movie) .... Boss Stringer *1977: '' The Great Gundown'' .... Baldy *1979: '' Mrs. R's Daughter'' (TV Movie) .... Larsen (final film role)

References

Sources

*''The American Film Institute catalog of motion pictures ..., Numbers 1941-1950'' by American Film Institute *''Science Fiction Stars and Horror Heroes: Interviews with Actors, Directors ...'' by Tom Weaver

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Megowan, Don 1922 births 1981 deaths American male film actors American male television actors Male actors from Los Angeles Male actors from Inglewood, California Military personnel from California 20th-century American male actors Western (genre) television actors United States Army personnel of World War II University of Southern California alumni