ROBERT F. MCGOWAN BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Robert Francis McGowan was born July 11, 1882 in Denver, Colorado. He was left fatherless at an early age due to juvenile delinquents, and was primarily raised by his older brother. Originally, McGowan aspired to be an inventor, but the failure to achieve fame and fortune caused him to become a firefighter instead. While on duty he suffered a serious accident, which made his foot eventually develop gangrene. The older brother refused to let the leg be amputated, and McGowan consequently was saved a leg, but from then on always walked with a limp.
 
Since he could no longer work as a fireman, but was armed with a small pension, he decided to try his hand in Hollywood in 1913. He became an assistant property man at Universal, working in proximity to Hal Roach, who would open his own production studio in 1914. Soon McGowan was writing films for Universal. During his employment, he became friends with director/producer Charley Chase. Together they shared ideas about a kid-based comedy short, and in 1922 Chase suggested to Roach that McGowan work on the “Our Gang” series he had in the works. Accordingly, the director began working on the shorts, making them one of the most successful shorts of all time.
 
Under McGowan’s direction the “Our Gang” shorts were at their most popular. However, after 1933’s “Wild Poses”, the director had to take a break from working with all of the stage parents and children of the show.  He filmed another two-reeler, “Divot Diggers” in 1936, then began his working retirement. The direction of the shorts was handed over to his nephew, Robert A. McGowan (aka Anthony Mack), who failed to keep them in the same high regard as his uncle.
 
During his later years he took on some lighter assignments, mostly at Paramount Pictures and Monogram Pictures, as well production and writing jobs for two “Our Gang” derived features for Roach, “Curley” (1947) and “Who Killed Doc Robbin ” (1948).  Robert F. McGowan passed away at age seventy two on January 27, 1955 in Santa Monica, California, from cancer. Ironically, his nephew died five months later.

 
Filmography

1959       Little Rascals Varieties 

1955       The Little Rascals 
 
1948       Who Killed Doc Robbin 
 
1947       The Hal Roach Comedy Carnival   

1947       Curley
 
1940       The Old Swimmin' Hole
 
1940       Haunted House
 
1940       Tomboy  

1938       Sons of the Legion
 
1936       Too Many Parents
 
1936       Divot Diggers 
 
1936       Frontier Justice  

1935       Babes in Hollywood 
 
1934       One Too Many 

1934       Baby Blues 

1933       Wild Poses 

1933       Crook's Tour 

1933       Bedtime Worries 

1933       Mush and Milk 

1933       The Kid from Borneo 

1933       Forgotten Babies 
 
1933       Fish Hooky 

1932       A Lad an' a Lamp  

1932       Birthday Blues 

1932       Free Wheeling 

1932       Hook and Ladder 

1932       The Pooch 

1932       Spanky
 
1932       Choo-Choo!  

1932       Readin' and Writin'  
 
1932       Free Eats 
 
1931       Dogs Is Dogs 
 
1931       Shiver My Timbers 

1931       Big Ears 
 
1931       Fly My Kite 
 
1931       Bargain Day 

1931       Love Fever  

1931       Little Daddy  

1931       Love Business 

1931       Helping Grandma 

1930       School's Out 

1930       Teacher's Pet 

1930       Pups Is Pups 
 
1930       A Tough Winter 
 
1930       Bear Shooters 

1930       The First Seven Years 
 
1930       When the Wind Blows 

1930       Shivering Shakespeare  
 
1930       Fifty Million Husbands  
 
1929       Moan & Groan, Inc. 
 
1929       Saturday's Lesson 

1929       Bouncing Babies 

1929       Lazy Days 

1929       Railroadin' 

1929       Little Mother 

1929       Thundering Toupees 

1929       Small Talk    

1929       Wiggle Your Ears 
 
1929       Noisy Noises 

1929       Cat, Dog & Co.  

1929       Boxing Gloves  
 
1929       Fast Freight 

1929       The Holy Terror 

1929       Election Day 

1928       The Spanking Age 

1928       Crazy House 

1928       Barnum & Ringling, Inc. 
 
1928       The Smile Wins 
 
1928       Spook Spoofing 
 
1928       The Ol' Gray Hoss 
 
1928       Growing Pains 
 
1928       School Begins 
 
1928       Fair and Muddy 

1927       Olympic Games  

1927       Dog Heaven 

1927       Heebee Jeebees 

1927       The Old Wallop 
 
1927       Yale vs. Harvard 
 
1927       The Glorious Fourth 
 
1927       Love My Dog 
 
1927       Seeing the World 
 
1927       Bring Home the Turkey 

1926       Telling Whoppers 

1926       War Feathers 

1926       The Fourth Alarm 

1926       Shivering Spooks 

1926       Thundering Fleas 
 
1926       Uncle Tom's Uncle 

1926       Baby Clothes 
 
1926       Monkey Business 

1926       Buried Treasure 

1926       Good Cheer 
 
1925       One Wild Ride  

1925       Better Movies   

1925       Your Own Back Yard 

1925       Mary, Queen of Tots  

1925       Boys Will Be Joys 
 
1925       Official Officers 

1925       Ask Grandma  

1925       Shootin' Injuns 

1925       The Love Bug  

1925       Dog Days  

1925       Circus Fever 

1925       The Big Town 

1925       The Rip Snorter  

1924       The Mysterious Mystery! 
 
1924       Fast Company 

1924       Every Man for Himself 
 
1924       Sundown Ltd.  

1924       High Society 

1924       It's a Bear 

1924       Jubilo, Jr.  

1924       Cradle Robbers 
 
1924       Commencement Day 
 
1924       Seein' Things  

1924       The Buccaneers 
 
1924       Big Business 

1924       Tire Trouble  

1924       The Diamond Bandit
 
1923       Sunday Calm 

1923       Derby Day 
 
1923       Stage Fright 

1923       No Noise 

1923       July Days 
 
1923       Lodge Night 

1923       Dogs of War 
 
1923       Back Stage 
 
1923       Giants vs. Yanks

1923       A Pleasant Journey 
 
1923       The Big Show
 
1923       The Champeen 
 
1922       A Quiet Street 
 
1922       Saturday Morning 

1922       Young Sherlocks

1922       Our Gang

1922       Fire Fighters

1922       One Terrible Day

1920       Twin Beds

1920       Kids Is Kids

1920       Teasing the Soil   

1919       The Devil's Trail
 
1918       Somebody's Baby 
 
1918       Five to Five

1917       Their Seaside Tangle
 
1917       Nearly a Papa 
 
1917       Love and Locksmiths 
 
1917       Almost a Bigamist  

1917       He Fell on the Beach 
 
1917       A Bold, Bad Knight  
 
1917       Betty Wakes Up 
 
1916       How Do You Feel? 
 
1916       Almost a Widow
 
1916       Her Celluloid Hero 
 
1916       Their Only Son 
 
1916       After the Play

1916       Mingling Spirits  
 
1915       In Search of a Wife