Resting place California Role Actor Name Don Megowan | Years active 1951-1979 Occupation Actor | |
 | ||
Died June 26, 1981, Panorama City, Los Angeles, California, United States Spouse Bette Megowan (m. 1947–1962), Alva Megowan (m. ?–1981) Children Greg Megowan, Vikki Megowan Parents Lelia Dale Megowan, Robert Megowan Movies The Werewolf, The Creation of the Huma, Blazing Saddles, The Great Locomotive Chase, Guns of the Black Witch Similar People Wesley Barry, Francis D Lyon, Domenico Paolella, Charles McGregor, Melvin Frank | ||
Don Megowan (May 24, 1922 – June 26, 1981) was an American actor. He played the Gill-man on land in The Creature Walks Among Us, the final part of the Creature from the Black Lagoon trilogy.
Contents
Early life
Don Megowan was born in Inglewood, California to Robert and Leila (née Dale) Megowan. His mother Leila worked as a negative cutter for Pathé. At 6'7" Megowan was very active in sports, playing baseball, football, and throwing discus. He went to the University of Southern California on a football scholarship before serving in the United States Army during World War II.
Career
Megowan starred in the science fiction films The Werewolf in the role of Sheriff Jack Haines, in The Creation of the Humanoids (1962) as a captain in the anti-robot Order of Flesh and Blood, who must stop the Humanoids, and in The Creature Walks Among Us as the Gill-man.
Megowan also appeared in westerns: Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier (1955), The Great Locomotive Chase (1956), Tarzan and the Valley of Gold (1966), The Devil's Brigade (1968) and Mel Brooks Blazing Saddles (1974).
In 1962, he starred with Cameron Mitchell in the television series, The Beachcomber. He guest starred in various programs, including the westerns: Gunsmoke, Wagon Train (twice), The Californians, The Tall Man, Maverick, Cimarron City, Have Gun–Will Travel, Tales of Wells Fargo, The Rifleman, Lawman, Cheyenne, Colt .45, Bonanza, The Americans, Rawhide, and Daniel Boone. He was also cast in episodes of such series as Angel, U.S. Marshal, Get Smart, and Fantasy Island.
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
Actor
1979
Mrs. R's Daughter (TV Movie) as
Police Sergeant Larsen
1979
Fantasy Island (TV Series) as
Rancher
- Seance/The Treasure (1979) - Rancher
1977
The Great Gundown as
Baldy
1976
Jigsaw John (TV Series) as
Junkyard Owner
- Homicide Is a Fine Art (1976) - Junkyard Owner
1975
The Kansas City Massacre (TV Movie) as
Boss Stinger
1960
Gunsmoke (TV Series) as
Lolo Grimes / Lucas / Mike / ...
- Hard Labor (1975) - Mike
- The Town Tamers (1974) - Michael
- The River: Part 2 (1972) - Lolo Grimes
- The River: Part 1 (1972) - Lolo Grimes
- Waste: Part 2 (1971) - Lucas
- Waste: Part 1 (1971) - Lucas
- Comanches Is Soft (1964) - Hardy
- Phoebe Strunk (1962) - Oliver
- Big Tom (1960) - Creel
1974
Truck Turner as
Garrity
1974
Melvin Purvis G-MAN (TV Movie) as
Hamburger Stand Man
1974
Barnaby Jones (TV Series) as
John
- Foul Play (1974) - John
1974
Blazing Saddles as
Gum Chewer
1974
Scream of the Wolf (TV Movie) as
Grant
1973
Kung Fu (TV Series) as
Quinn
- The Elixir (1973) - Quinn
1954
Death Valley Days (TV Series) as
Hank Manning / Sheriff Holmes / Jim Clegg / ...
- The Contract (1970) - Hank Manning
- The Dragon of Gold Hill (1970) - Sheriff Holmes
- The Sage Hen (1968) - Jim Clegg
- The Thirty-Caliber Town (1968) - Abel Green
- A Wrangler's Last Ride (1967) - Buck
- Halo for a Badman (1967) - Cla Allisony
- Death in the Desert (1965) - Dan Burgess
- Forty Steps to Glory (1959) - Buff McCloud
- To Big Charlie from Little Charlie (1954) - Big Charlie Loomis
1970
Here's Lucy (TV Series) as
Customs Inspector
- Lucy and Viv Visit TiJuana (1970) - Customs Inspector
1969
Get Smart (TV Series) as
Murphy
- Smart Fell on Alabama (1969) - Murphy
1968
If He Hollers, Let Him Go! as
Officer
1968
The Devil's Brigade as
Luke Phelan
1967
Border Lust
1967
Cowboy in Africa (TV Series) as
Sims
- To Build a Beginning (1967) - Sims
1966
Tarzan (TV Series) as
Rafelson
- The Ultimate Duel (1966) - Rafelson
1966
Tarzan and the Valley of Gold as
Mr. Train
1965
A Man Called Shenandoah (TV Series) as
Johnny Kyle
- Town on Fire (1965) - Johnny Kyle
1965
The Lucy Show (TV Series) as
Chuck Casey
- Lucy the Stunt Man (1965) - Chuck Casey
1965
Petticoat Junction (TV Series) as
Freddie
- There's No Business with Show Business (1965) - Freddie
1965
Branded (TV Series) as
Carruthers
- Price of a Name (1965) - Carruthers
1964
Daniel Boone (TV Series) as
Hermann Boehm
- The Sisters O'Hannrahan (1964) - Hermann Boehm
1964
The Beverly Hillbillies (TV Series) as
Monster
- Clampett City (1964) - Monster
1959
Rawhide (TV Series) as
Abraham Claybank / Corporal Cochran / Jack Viner
- Incident of the Rusty Shotgun (1964) - Abraham Claybank
- The Deserters' Patrol (1962) - Corporal Cochran
- Incident in No Man's Land (1959) - Jack Viner
1963
The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (TV Series) as
Ed Matlock
- The Day of the Giants (1963) - Ed Matlock
1963
For Love or Money as
Greg Garrison
1959
Bonanza (TV Series) as
Mase Sindell / John C. Regan
- A Woman Lost (1963) - Mase Sindell
- The Magnificent Adah (1959) - John C. Regan
1962
The Beachcomber (TV Series) as
Captain Huckabee
- Paradise Lost (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- Roll of Thunder (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- A Rooster Named Red (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- The Two-Sided Triangle (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- The Search for Robert Herrick (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- The Ransom (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- Man with a Guitar (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- The Spaniard (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- The Prodigal Pretender (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- Flight to Freedom (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- Tribal Law (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- The Reward (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- Devil in Paradise (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- Home to Roost (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- The Fugitive (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- The Day of the Whale (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- Rongorongo Man (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- Mr. Winters (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- Neilani (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- Honest Larceny (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- The Floating Fortune (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- Empty Village (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- Charlie Six Kids (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- The Black Pearl (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- Tambu (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- Honor Bound (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- Girl in Hiding (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- The Larcenous Lover (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- Death Do Us Part (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- The Taming of Andrew (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- Captain Huckabee's Beard (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- The Chase (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- Forbidden Island (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- The Hijackers (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- The Shark Affair (1962) - Captain Huckabee
- The Brooch (1962) - Captain Huckabee
1962
The Creation of the Humanoids as
Capt. Kenneth Cragis
1962
77 Sunset Strip (TV Series) as
Jason McKendrick
- Flight from Escondido (1962) - Jason McKendrick
1962
Bus Stop (TV Series) as
Bob Stumbo
- The Stubborn Stumbos (1962) - Bob Stumbo
1956
Cheyenne (TV Series) as
Matt Nelson / Marshal Tom Grant / Wes McQueen / ...
- Storm Center (1961) - Matt Nelson
- The Beholden (1961) - Marshal Tom Grant
- Reprieve (1959) - Wes McQueen
- Dead to Rights (1958) - Gregg Dewey
- Hired Gun (1957) - Kiley Rand
- Star in the Dust (1956) - Wes Garth
1961
The Tall Man (TV Series) as
Galt
- The Leopard's Spots (1961) - Galt
1961
The Case of the Dangerous Robin (TV Series)
- Java (1961)
1961
Two Faces West (TV Series)
- Trail to Indian Wells (1961)
1957
Wagon Train (TV Series) as
Sean Hennessey / Jess Winn
- The Nellie Jefferson Story (1961) - Sean Hennessey
- The Julie Gage Story (1957) - Jess Winn
1961
The Americans (TV Series) as
Lt. Fairfax
- Reconnaissance (1961) - Lt. Fairfax
1961
Guns of the Black Witch as
Jean
1960
The Yank (TV Movie) as
Bush Kane
1960
The Best of the Post (TV Series) as
Clyde
- The Murderer (1960) - Clyde
1960
Lawman (TV Series) as
Rafe Curry
- The Post (1960) - Rafe Curry
1960
The Deputy (TV Series) as
Tim Brandon
- Bitter Root (1960) - Tim Brandon
1960
Angel (TV Series) as
Dick Donovan
- The Easy Touch: Angel and the Con Men (1960) - Dick Donovan
1960
The Rifleman (TV Series) as
Dorf
- Seven (1960) - Dorf
1959
Laramie (TV Series) as
Clint Gentry / Terry Mulligan
- Men of Defiance (1960) - Clint Gentry
- Bare Knuckles (1959) - Terry Mulligan
1960
La strada dei giganti as
Clint Farrell
1959
Fury (TV Series) as
Nick
- The Map (1959) - Nick
1959
The Jayhawkers! as
China
1958
Tales of Wells Fargo (TV Series) as
Soldier O'Malley / Ben Thompson
- The Warrior's Return (1959) - Soldier O'Malley
- Hide Jumpers (1958) - Ben Thompson
1958
Have Gun - Will Travel (TV Series) as
Abe Huston / Ben Stacy / Wichita Walker / ...
- First, Catch a Tiger (1959) - Abe Huston
- Homecoming (1959) - Ben Stacy
- Something to Live For (1958) - Wichita Walker
- The Prize Fight Story (1958) - Oren Gilliam
1959
Markham (TV Series) as
Beau 'Bull' Bowen
- Deadline Date (1959) - Beau 'Bull' Bowen
1959
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (TV Series) as
Tom Tanner
- The Actress (1959) - Tom Tanner
1959
U.S. Marshal (TV Series) as
Ben Thompson
- Grandfather (1959) - Ben Thompson
1958
The Californians (TV Series) as
Clay Kendall / Arnold
- The First Gold Brick (1959) - Clay Kendall
- Halfway House (1958) - Arnold
1958
Cool and Lam (TV Movie) as
John Harbet
1958
Counterspy (TV Movie) as
David Harding
1958
Tales of Frankenstein (TV Movie) as
The Monster
1958
Maverick (TV Series) as
Red / Mr. Grayson
- The Spanish Dancer (1958) - Red (uncredited)
- Diamond in the Rough (1958) - Mr. Grayson (uncredited)
1958
The Buccaneer as
Pirate with Axe (uncredited)
1958
Cimarron City (TV Series) as
The Beast / Perry Dunlap / Grant Budinger
- Beast of the Cimarron (1958) - The Beast / Perry Dunlap
- Terror Town (1958) - Grant Budinger
1958
Money, Women and Guns as
John Briggs
1958
A Lust to Kill as
Cheney Holland
1958
The Man Who Died Twice as
T.J. Brennon
1958
The Silent Service (TV Series) as
Lt. Jack Laboon
- Peto Plucks Some Chickens (1958) - Lt. Jack Laboon
1957
Colt .45 (TV Series) as
Deputy Pete Dawson
- The Gypsies (1957) - Deputy Pete Dawson
1954
Climax! (TV Series)
- Tunnel of Fear (1957)
- The Bigger They Come (1955)
- Sorry, Wrong Number (1954)
1957
The Story of Mankind as
Early Man
1957
Hell Canyon Outlaws as
Henchman Walt
1957
The O. Henry Playhouse (TV Series) as
Texan
- The Buyer from Cactus City (1957) - Texan
1957
Snowfire as
Mike McGowan
1957
The Delicate Delinquent as
Policeman (uncredited)
1957
Studio 57 (TV Series)
- Explosion (1957)
1957
Crossroads (TV Series) as
Big Jim Carrados
- Lone Star Preacher (1957) - Big Jim Carrados
1956
Gun the Man Down as
Ralph Farley
1956
The Loretta Young Show (TV Series) as
Hank Curtis
- The End of the Week (1956) - Hank Curtis
1956
General Electric Theater (TV Series) as
Yankee Sergeant
- The Enemies (1956) - Yankee Sergeant
1956
Warner Brothers Presents (TV Series)
- Strange World (1956)
1956
The Werewolf as
Sheriff Jack Haines
1955
The Magical World of Disney (TV Series) as
Marion A. Ross / William Travis
- Behind the Scenes with Fess Parker (1956) - Marion A. Ross
- Davy Crockett at the Alamo (1955) - William Travis
1956
The Creature Walks Among Us as
The Gill Man (On Land) (uncredited)
1956
Anything Goes as
Henri (uncredited)
1956
The Great Locomotive Chase as
Marion A. Ross
1955
Captain Fathom (TV Movie) as
Captain Fathom
1955
A Lawless Street as
Dooley Brion
1955
The Star and the Story (TV Series) as
K.O. Kranton
- The Man Who Was Dead (1955) - K.O. Kranton
1955
The Man Behind the Badge (TV Series) as
Ludell
- The Case of the Silent War (1955) - Ludell
1955
To Catch a Thief as
Detective at Costume Ball (uncredited)
1955
Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier as
Col. William Travis
1953
Cavalcade of America (TV Series)
- Sunrise on a Dirty Face (1955)
- Sam and the Whale (1953)
1955
The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse (TV Series)
- The Longest Legs in the Show (1955)
1955
My Little Margie (TV Series) as
Sgt. Jim McCarthy
- Margie's New Boyfriend (1955) - Sgt. Jim McCarthy
1955
The Shining Beacon (TV Movie) as
Charlemagne
1954
The Lone Ranger (TV Series) as
Cherokee Smith
- Stage to Tishomingo (1954) - Cherokee Smith
1954
Public Defender (TV Series) as
Eddie Macgowan
- When Credit Is Due (1954) - Eddie Macgowan
1954
Rocky Jones, Space Ranger (TV Series) as
Poli
- Blast-Off: Chapter I (1954) - Poli
1954
Prince Valiant as
Sir Lancelot (uncredited)
1953
Sangaree as
River Pirate (uncredited)
1951
The Kid from Amarillo as
Rakim
1951
On the Loose as
Club Emerald Headwaiter (uncredited)
1951
The Mob as
Bruiser (uncredited)
Archive Footage
2001
Blazing Saddles: Back in the Saddle (Video documentary short)
1986
Horrible Horror (Video) as
The Monster, In clips from 'Tales of Frankenstein'
1961
The Magical World of Disney (TV Series) as
Marion A. Ross
- Andrews' Raiders: Escape to Nowhere (1961) - Marion A. Ross
- Andrews' Raiders: Secret Mission (1961) - Marion A. Ross
1956
Blast Off (TV Movie) as
Poli
References
Don Megowan Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA