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 ''Our Gang'' (also known as ''The Little Rascals'' or ''Hal Roach's Rascals'') is an American series of comedy short films chronicling a group of poor neighborhood children and their adventures. Created by film producer Hal Roach, also the ...

short subject A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

s film series from 1922 until 1933.

Career

Before moving to Los Angeles, McGowan was a

firefighter A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions also ...

in his native

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 ...

. An on-the-job accident during a fire rescue mission left him with a permanent limp. McGowan moved to California in the 1910s and made the acquaintance of

Hal Roach Harry Eugene "Hal" Roach Sr.Randy Skretvedt, Skretvedt, Randy (2016), ''Laurel and Hardy: The Magic Behind the Movies'', Bonaventure Press. p.608. (January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992) was an American film and television producer, director, a ...

, an aspiring film producer who opened his own studio in 1914. By 1920, McGowan was a director at the Roach studio, and in 1921 began work on the first entries in the ''Our Gang'' series. The ''Our Gang'' series was at its most popular and successful under McGowan's direction; when he became ill in the late-1920s and had to turn over the director's chair to nephew

Robert A. McGowan Robert Anthony McGowan (May 22, 1901 – June 20, 1955) was an American screenwriter and film director. Biography Born in Denver, McGowan is best known as a junior director for the '' Our Gang'' short subjects film series from 1926 to 1930, ...

(billed as "Anthony Mack" to distinguish himself from his uncle) for two years, the series faltered. McGowan was a natural with kids, and knew how to explain scenes and comic business to his young charges to elicit convincing performances out of them. His favorite ''Our Gang'' kids were

Allen "Farina" Hoskins Allen Clayton Hoskins (August 9, 1920 – July 26, 1980) was an American child actor, who portrayed the character of Farina in 105 ''Our Gang'' short films from 1922 to 1931. Acting career 1920–1936 ''Our Gang'' Stardom Born in Boston ...

Mary Kornman Mary Kornman (born Mary Agnes Evans, December 27, 1915 – June 1, 1973) was an American child actress who was the leading female star of the ''Our Gang'' series during the Pathé silent era. ''Our Gang'' She was born as Mary Agnes Evans, the ...

Matthew "Stymie" Beard Matthew Beard Jr. (January 1, 1925 – January 8, 1981) was an American actor. As a child actor, he was most famous for playing Stymie in the '' Our Gang'' short comedy films of 1930–1935. The role was so well known that he adopted the name ...

, and

George "Spanky" McFarland George McFarland (October 2, 1928 – June 30, 1993) was an American actor most famous for starring as a child as Spanky in the ''Our Gang'' series of short-subject comedies of the 1930s and 1940s. The ''Our Gang'' shorts were later syndicated ...

, whom McGowan declared a "natural". McGowan's daughter Jerry was an actress and dancer herself; she would often sit in on ''Our Gang'' story meetings and appears onscreen in ''

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 ...

''. McGowan left ''Our Gang'' in 1933 due to the strain of dealing with stage mothers and additional hassles involved with directing child stars. He moved over to

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

to helm features such as ''One Too Many'' (1934), ''

Frontier Justice Frontier justice is extrajudicial punishment that is motivated by the nonexistence of Law and order (politics), law and order or dissatisfaction with justice. The phrase can also be used to describe a prejudiced judge. Lynching, vigilantism and gun ...

'', and ''Too Many Parents''. McGowan returned for one last ''Our Gang'' short (''

Divot Diggers ''Divot Diggers'' is a 1936 '' Our Gang'' short comedy film directed by Robert F. McGowan; It was the 142nd ''Our Gang'' short to be released. Plot The action takes place at an expansive California golf course, where the gang merrily play their ow ...

'') in 1936, and later produced two ''Our Gang'' derived featurettes for Hal Roach, ''

Curley Curley is a surname, given name, nickname or stage name. It may refer to: Surname * August Curley (born 1960), American football player * Arthur Curley (1938 – 1998), American librarian * Barney Curley (1939 – 2021), Irish racehorse traine ...

'' and ''

Who Killed Doc Robbin ''Who Killed Doc Robbin'' is a 1948 film directed by Bernard Carr and starring Larry Olsen, Billy Gray, and Renee Beard. It was produced by Hal Roach and Robert F. McGowan as a reimagining of their ''Our Gang'' series. The film was one of "Ha ...

'', in the 1940s after retiring from directing.

Death

McGowan died of cancer in

Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast (California), South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 United Sta ...

, on January 27, 1955, at the age of 72. His nephew, screenwriter and director

, died five months later. He also had a daughter,

Mickie McGowan Micky or Mickie can be a given name, but it is most often a nickname for Michael or non-Anglo Saxon equivalents, such as "Mikhail". People with the name include: Men * Micky Adams (born 1961), English football manager and former player * Micky Ari ...

, a voice actress.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McGowan, Robert F. American film producers American film directors Hal Roach Studios filmmakers 1882 births 1955 deaths