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Don Megowan

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Don Megowan
Megowan in an episode of The Public Defender (1954)
Born(1922-05-24)May 24, 1922
Inglewood, California, U.S.
DiedJune 26, 1981(1981-06-26) (aged 59)
Panorama City, California, U.S.
Resting placeInglewood Park Cemetery
OccupationActor
Years active1951–1979
Spouses
  • Bette Megowan
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1947; div. 1962)​
  • Alva Megowan
    ​
    (m. 1963)​
Children2

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.

Early life

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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 U.S. Army during World War II.[1]

Career

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Megowan starred in the science fiction films The Werewolf in the role of Sheriff Jack Haines,[2] in The Creation of the Humanoids (1962) as a captain in the anti-robot Order of Flesh and Blood, who must stop the Humanoids,[3] and in The Creature Walks Among Us as the Gill-man.[4]

Megowan also appeared in Westerns: Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier (1955), The Great Locomotive Chase (1956), Snowfire (1958), 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

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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.[1] He is interred in Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California.[5]

Filmography

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Don Megowan as The Monster in Tales of Frankenstein (1958)

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Don Megowan "Coolest Father in the World" Archived February 25, 2015, at the Wayback Machine Interview with Vikki Megowan by Tom Weaver at Classic Images.com Archived October 25, 2019, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Bogue, Mike (August 11, 2017). Apocalypse Then: American and Japanese Atomic Cinema, 1951-1967. McFarland. p. 28. ISBN 978-1-4766-2900-1.
  3. ^ Rickman, Gregg (2004). The Science Fiction Film Reader. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 154. ISBN 978-0-87910-994-3.
  4. ^ Weaver, Tom (2000). Return of the B Science Fiction and Horror Heroes: The Mutant Melding of Two Volumes of Classic Interviews. McFarland. p. 327. ISBN 978-0-7864-0755-2.
  5. ^ Wilson, Scott. Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed.: 2 (Kindle Locations 25047-25048). McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. Kindle Edition.
  6. ^ Blottner, Gene (2015). Columbia Noir. McFarland. p. 128. ISBN 978-0786470143.

Sources

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  • 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
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