J.P. McGowan
From Wikipedia John Paterson McGowan (February 24, 1880 – March 26, 1952) was a pioneering Hollywood actor and director and occasionally a screenwriter and producer. J. P. McGowan, as he was usually known, remains the only Australian to have been made a life member of the Screen Directors Guild (now Directors Guild of America). Born in the then-bustling railway centre of Terowie in South Australia, McGowan grew up in Adelaide (Islington) and Sydney. He was a capable horseman and served in the Second Boer War with Montmorency's Scouts as a special dispatch rider. McGowan directed and often acted in the first 33 episodes of Kalem's 1914 adventure film series, The Hazards of Helen, which eventually ran to 54 episodes, some still with McGowan's participation. While filming he began a relationship with Helen Holmes, the film's star, and the two married. They left Kalem to set up their own production company, Signal Films, which successfully made a series of railroad melodramas but lost out when their distributor (Mutual) failed. The collaboration ended when they divorced in 1925. There was an adopted daughter, Kaye. McGowan successfully made the transition from silent film to talkies. While never a major star, in a busy career that spanned four decades he is credited with acting in 232 films—mostly strong roles like sheriff or villain—writing 26 screenplays and directing 242 productions. In 1932 he directed a young John Wayne in the 12-episode rail vs airplane serial The Hurricane Express for the independent Mascot Pictures. From 1938 to 1951, as Executive Secretary of the Screen Directors Guild, he fought to secure recognition for the director within the studio systems of the film and emerging television industry. J.P. McGowan died in 1952 in Hollywood and was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.
Stagecoach
as Bit Part (uncredited)A group of people traveling on a stagecoach find their journey complicated by the threat of...
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Les Misérables
as Javert's PlainclothesmanIn 19th century France, Jean Valjean, a man imprisoned for stealing bread, must flee a...
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The Accusing Finger
as Inner GuardA proud, pro-capital punishment district attorney with a 90% execution rate, finds himself...
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The Buccaneer
as JailerFrench pirate Jean Lafitte rescues a girl and joins the War of 1812.
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Somewhere in Sonora
as Monte BlackJohn Bishop discovers a plot to rob a silver mine belonging to his girlfriend Mary's father and,...
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Code of the Fearless
as Undetermined Minor RoleWhen it appears that Fred Jamison is a member of Red's gang, he is kicked out of the Rangers....
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Borderland
as El Rio SheriffHoppy goes undercover as an outlaw (which permits him, for once, to drink and be mean to...
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The Last Roundup
as HashThere is trouble on the Bar D ranch as cowhand Mile Ahead plans to rustle the herd. He starts a...
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Sinner Take All
as Police Officer Murphy (uncredited)A young lawyer is determined to identify who is murdering members of a wealthy New York...
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Murder in the Fleet
as Chief of Police (Uncredited)A traitor is lurking somewhere aboard the USS Carolina, and Lt. Tom Randolph is determined to...
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From the Manger to the Cross
as Wise Man 1The life of Jesus is played out in tableaux shot in the Holy Land.
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Jungle Jim
as Ship Captain J.S. RobinsonTwo safaris enter the African jungle intent on finding a white girl who is the heiress to a...
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Hit the Saddle
as Rance McGowanUnable to legally capture and sell a herd of protected wild horses, corrupt rancher Rance...
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Robin Hood of El Dorado
as DanglongIn the 1840's Mexico has ceded California to the United States, making life nearly impossible...
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Guns and Guitars
as Dave MorganA wrongfully-imprisoned man becomes determined to find who was responsible for the death of a...
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Diamond Jim
as EngineerA loose biopic based on the life of Gilded Age tycoon "Diamond" Jim Brady.
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King of the Circus
as uncreditedEddie King goes up against a villainous circus owner in this action adventure which was directed...
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Stampede
as Matt StevensA cowboy out to find out who murdered his brother discovers that the killers may not be who he...
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Slave Ship
as HelmsmanAction-filled drama about a ship captain, ashamed of his background in the slave trade, forced...
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Mississippi
as Dealer (uncredited)A young pacifist after refusing on principle to defend her sweetheart's honor and being banished...
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Lawless Valley
as Big Mike Carter, aka El Lobo, aka Texas RandA cattleman's association hires a range detective to track down and capture a notorious rustler...
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Below the Deadline
as TaggartBeau Nash is a "gentleman crook" who headquarters his gang of jewel thieves in a run-down...
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She Had to Eat
as Police Sergeant (uncredited)An Arizona gas station owner faces comic adventures after traveling with an eccentric...
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The Lad from Old Ireland
as Election AgentA young man leaves Ireland for America, but doesn't forget home.
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The Lady and the Bandit
as Old ManHighwayman Dick Turpin rides 200 miles to save his wife from the gallows in 18th-century England.
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Bar 20 Rides Again
as Buck PetersCattle rustler Nevada dreams of living like an emperor in the West. Hoppy and the Bar 20 boys...
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Empty Holsters
as U.S. Marshal Billy O'NeillAce owns just about everything around except for the Bank, which is owned by John Ware. Ace also...
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Gun Gospel
as Bill BroganFrom Death Valley in the Mojave Desert to Mount Whittier, the outlaw gangs are wreaking havoc on...
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Hunted Men
as CopNotorious racketeer Joe Albany kills James Flowers when he discovers he is embezzling from the...
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The Three Mesquiteers
as Brack CanfieldWhen a group of World War 1 buddies head west to farmstead, they run into trouble.
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The Girl and the Game
as SpikeIrrepressible Helen Rhinelander, the daughter of a railroad president. A dastardly villain,...
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Heart of the Rockies
as Ed DawsonCattle are being routinely stolen from a local ranch, and suspicion centers on a local mountain...
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The Red Rider
as Scotty McKee"Red" Davison(Buck Jones), the sheriff of Sun Dog, sacrifices his job and his good name to save...
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Flaming Gold
as MackTwo friends working a jungle oil field clash when one marries a lady of the evening.
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Kidnapped
as ClansmanRobert Louis Stevenson's hero David Balfour joins rebel Alan Breck Stewart in 18th-century...
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Silver Spurs
as Webb AllisonJanet Allison witnesses Art Holden and his gang hold up the Station Agent. When she identifies...
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The Call of the Savage
as Freighter CaptainTwo competing teams of scientists search the African jungles for a secret formula.
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The Colleen Bawn
as Hardress CreganA young Irish boy has fallen in love with a poor girl and wants to marry her, but his mother...
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Ireland, the Oppressed
as Lord KilhannackThe story of the Emerald Isle years ago. Showing the struggle against poverty, evictions by...
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The Lost Express
as Train EngineerKidnapping and marital reconciliation drive this action film set on a millionaire's private train.
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The Code of the Scarlet
as BlakeAssigned to catch a gang of outlaws, officers Bruce Kenton and Paddy Halloran rescue Helen...
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Rough Riding Rhythm
as Pete HobartWhen Jim and Scrubby arrive to see Scrubby's sister, they find her murdered and suspect it was...
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Senor Daredevil
as Jesse WilksDon Luis O'Flagherty (Ken Maynard), a daredevil comes to the rescue of his long-lost father,...
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The Silent Code
as CommissionerNorthwest Mounted Police Corporal Jerry Hale is assigned to take over the district of a...
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Crack O' Dawn
as Earle Thorpe Sr.The Thompson-Thorpe automobile was once a great car but dissension between the owners led to the...
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The Red Raiders
as Captain OrtwellLone wolf, who is stirring up the Indians against the wishes of his elders, gets the job of...
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Rustlers of Red Dog
as Capt. Trent [Chs. 3-4]A movie serial in 12 chapters: After gold is discovered in the town of Nugget, the titular band...
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Ride 'Em Cowboy
as Jim HowardA cowboy turns auto racer, beats his rival and wins a girl.
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Red Signals
as Jim TwylerSabotage on the railroad with trains being derailed and looted. Good coverage of the Santa Fe La...
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East of Java
as Sergeant, Rescue PartySurvivors of a shipwreck find refuge on a tropical island--but so do the ship's cargo of lions...
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When Lightning Strikes
as Lafe BroderickLightning the German Shepherd dog stars in this wilderness melodrama.
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Secret Patrol
as Blacksmith BarstowRCMP Alan Barclay is sent to investigate the presumed murder of his friend and fellow RCMP Gene...
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The Great Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
as ScudderA group of "Phantom Raiders" interfere with a cattle drive from Texas to Abilene; fortunately,...
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The Lawless Legion
as MatsonCal Stanley goes undercover as a beef buyer in order to catch the gang responsible for stealing...
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Arizona Days
as Ed HicksA Cattlemen´s Association hires a detective (Bob Custer) to look into a series of cattle...
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The Black Diamond Express
as Dan Haddon - a CowboyWhen Dick, an aeronaut is wrongly accused of shooting Dan, a trouble-making, quarrelsome cowboy,...
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Headin' Westward
as Sneezer ClarkConcern for her father, who is being slowly ruined by cattle rustling, prompts Mary Benson to do...
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When the Dead Return
as Jacquesacques and Antoine are both in love with the same girl, but Jacques proves the winner and...
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Border Brigands
as Inspector Winston - RCMPCanadian Mountie goes undercover to catch his brother's killers.
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Whispering Smith Speaks
as Caboose Passenger (uncredited)O'Brien is "Whispering" Smith, so named because he speaks softly but knows how to fend for...
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The Leap from the Water Tower
as Rand - the FiremanRand, a vengeful discharged fireman, tampers with the airbrakes of a large freight locomotive...
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Arizona Nights
as Jeff DeckerA miner finds himself swindled by an evil horse trader named Decker.
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Señor Americano
as MaddoxA U.S. soldier goes after bandits in California, although it is still owned by Mexico.
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The Black Ace
as uncreditedStory of a a Texas Ranger whose foster-father has been falsely accused of a series of crimes.
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His Nemesis
as Mammoth - Manning's Business RivalWith ruin staring him in the face, Manning, of Manning and Company, commits a theft which averts...
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The Hazards of Helen
as Various rolesThe Hazards of Helen is an American melodramatic adventure film serial of 119 twelve-minute...
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A Texas Cowboy
as Brute KettleDick Carlysle returns home to find that his mother has married Brute Kettle who is really out to...
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The Chinatown Mystery
as uncreditedRestored by the George Eastman House in 2001, this 1928 serial was considered a “last hurrah”...
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Hills of Missing Men
as Capt. Brandt / The DragonA US Army officer is sent undercover into the hills of Mexico's Baja California region to find...
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Elmo the Fearless
as uncreditedElmo finds himself in 18 different hair raising and dangerous adventures always escaping in the...
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The Outlaw Tamer
as Sheriff Jim PorterA masked bandit being chased by a posse is wounded but manages to lose them. He is taken in by a...
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Law of the Plains
as Seagruea cowboy seeks revenge for the murder of his father.
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Whispering Smith
as Whispering SmithWhispering Smith is a virile, fearless type of the true American whoso theory of life is to give...
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Plunging Hoofs
as Jim WalesJed Campbell, a "skypilot," and Nanette, a dance hall girl, meet when each goes to rescue Rex,...
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No More Women
as Captain of The HawkTwo deep-sea divers, known only by their nicknames of "Three-Time" and "Forty-Fathoms," find...
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Two Outlaws
as Abner WhitcombHuman cowboy hero is teamed with Rex, King of Wild Horses, an ornery critter but a magnificent...
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By a Woman's Wit
as uncreditedCaptain Jasper, a Union officer, is sent on a secret service mission to the Confederate...
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Quick Trigger Lee
as Brings note / DirectorJeremy Wales, a crook who stays on the safe side of the law but bends it whenever possible,has...
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O'Malley Rides Alone
as Angus McGregorMounties O'Malley and Calhoun are sent to see why miners are not returning with their gold....
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An Arabian Tragedy
as uncreditedAyub Kashif becomes embittered toward his wife, Fatima, because their union has been childless....
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Rory O'More
as Commander of the English troopsBased on the story of the real-life 17th Century Irish rebel and the eighteen century ballad...
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Slim Jim's Last Chance
as The RancherThe prison doors open and Tom Benton, a first timer, and Slim Jim, alias Red Davis, of the...
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Captured by Bedouins
as Lt. GreigAn American officer disguises himself as an Arab in order to rescue an American woman kidnapped...
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Fury and the Woman
as AndersonA tough Irishman tries to help a logging company owner on Vancouver Island who is being...
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Ships of the Night
as MotillaIn search of her fugitive brother, who wounded a man who was later murdered, Johanna Hearne...
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The Oklahoma Kid
as uncreditedA cowboy is ambushed by a gang of outlaws and later falsely accused of being one himself. He...
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The Railroad Raiders
as Thomas DesmondA silent movie serial now lost. CHAPTER TITLES: 1. Circumstantial Evidence; 2. A Double Steal;...
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Prairie Thunder
as Col. StantonTo increase profits for his shipping company, Lynch has goaded the Indians to attack both the...
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Barriers of the Law
as Steve ReddingWhen a woman who belongs to a bootlegging gang asks the gang for help when her father is...
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His Mother
as John FosterAn Irish mother uses her life savings to pay for her son, a talented musician, to study in America.
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The Cowboy and the Outlaw
as Pepper HardcastleStory of a cowboy tracking down his father's killer
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The Fast Freight
as uncreditedEighth of a series of 8 features produced by Morris R. Schlank starring Helen Holmes and...
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Stormy Seas
as Capt. MorganTwo men in love with the same girl race to save her when she is trapped aboard a ship on fire in...
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'Neath Western Skies
as DuganRanch owner Tex McCloud is convinced there is oil under his property and brings in a drilling...
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The Escape on the Limited
as Brandt - a Defaulting CashierBrandt, a defaulting cashier, hiding in Lone Point in his effort to throw detectives off his...
Movie pageDo or Die
as Capt. Alvarez / SatanA 1921 movie serial directed by J.P. McGowan. Chapters: 1. The Buccaneer's Bride 2. The...
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The Flying Freight's Captive
as Rand - a YeggmanHelen receives a cypher message about a jewel robbery and trails the yeggmen to their lair....
Movie pageThe Fighting Terror
as uncreditedBill attempts to apprehend the villain who killed his brother. Unfortunately, a crooked...
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Perils of the Rail
as Barker's Accomplice at Smelter JunctionA section boss for the railroad sets out to catch a gang of thieves who have been stealing ore...
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The Broken Rail
as Trow - of the Working CrewSpang, a tramp telegrapher, is knocked down by a freight car while walking up the siding near...
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The Railroad Raiders of '62
as Lockwood - the old one-armed FlagmanLockwood, the old, one-armed flagman at Lone Point, tells Helen and a young soldier of his...
Movie pageWhen Lovers Part
as uncreditedA young couple’s love is forbidden by the girl’s father. He forces her to write a farewell...
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Tragedy of the Desert
as The Arab SheikAn English doctor based in Egypt finds his wife in the arms of a local diplomat, and in a...
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The Poacher's Pardon
as Mr. Wallace - the GamekeeperA gamekeeper's daughter is shot while warning a poacher.
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Railroad Raiders of '62
as Federal OfficerUnion raiders infiltrate Confederate territory by train. Early film version of the Civil War...
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Outwitted
as Tiger McGuireAfter being captured by T-Man Jack Blaisdell and sentenced to 20 years of hard labor on a...
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Helen's Sacrifice
as BentonIn the first entry in the popular Hazards of Helen series, Helen, the night telegraph operator...
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Winning a Widow
as uncreditedWhile crossing the Atlantic, Jim White, an American tourist, is attracted by a charming young...
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The Broken Train
as Warren - Railroad EmployeeHelen spotting two jewel robbers sever the telegraph wires and hop onto a passing freight, jumps...
Movie pageA Railroader's Bravery
as Thomas - the Chief of the GangWhen Helen learns that wiretappers have make a prisoner of Henry, the relief operator, she...
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Dust of the Desert
as Sheik MohammadDust of the Desert is a 1912 short film
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The Girl Telegrapher's Peril
as Blake - a LinemanBlake, a quarrelsome lineman, and a widower with two daughters, is in love with Helen, but she...
Movie pageThe Wives of Jamestown
as The O’RourkeThe romance between Bryan O'Sullivan and Lady Geraldine is broken when he unjusily suspects that...
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