Don Megowan

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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.

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.

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.

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. CLR

Description above from the Wikipedia article Don Megowan,licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

Petticoat Junction

Freddie

The Lucy Show

Chuck Casey

Tales of Wells Fargo

Ben Thompson

The Rifleman

Death Valley Days

Buck

Death Valley Days

Buff McCloud

Here's Lucy

Customs Inspector

Gunsmoke

Creel

Filmography

Year	Movie	Role
1979	Mrs. R's Daughter	Police Sergeant Larsen
1975	Melvin Purvis G-Man	Hamburger Stand Man
1975	The Kansas City Massacre	Boss Stinger
1974	Blazing Saddles	Gum Chewer
1974	Scream of the Wolf	Grant
1974	Truck Turner	Garrity
1968	If He Hollers, Let Him Go!	Officer
1968	The Devil's Brigade	Luke Phelan
1966	Tarzan and the Valley of Gold	Mr. Train
1965	Behind the Scenes with Fess Parker
1964	The Luck of Ginger Coffey	Job Seeker
1963	For Love or Money	Gregor Garrison
1962	The Creation of the Humanoids	Capt. Kenneth Cragis
1961	Guns of the Black Witch	Jean
1960	Valley of the Doomed	Clint Farrell
1959	The Jayhawkers!	China
1958	Tales of Frankenstein	The Monster
1958	The Man Who Died Twice	T.J. Brennon
1958	Lust to Kill	Cheney Holland
1958	Snowfire	Mike McGowan
1958	Money, Women and Guns	John Briggs
1957	Hell Canyon Outlaws	Henchman Walt
1957	The Story of Mankind	Early Man
1956	The Great Locomotive Chase	Marion A. Ross
1956	The Werewolf	Sheriff Jack Haines
1956	Gun the Man Down	Ralph Farley
1956	The Creature Walks Among Us	The Gill Man (on land)(uncredited)
1955	Captain Fathom	Captain Fathom
1955	A Lawless Street	Dooley Brion
1955	Davy Crockett at the Alamo	William Travis
1955	Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier	Col. William Travis
1953	Sangaree	River Pirate (uncredited)
1951	The Kid from Amarillo	Rakim

Year	TV Show	Role
1968	Here's Lucy	Customs Inspector
1963	Petticoat Junction	Freddie
1962	The Beachcomber	Captain Huckabee
1962	The Lucy Show	Chuck Casey
1958	The Rifleman
1957	Tales of Wells Fargo	Ben Thompson
1955	Gunsmoke	Creel
1955	Gunsmoke	Lucas
1955	Gunsmoke	Lolo Grimes
1955	Gunsmoke	Michael
1955	Gunsmoke	Mike
1952	Death Valley Days	Buck
1952	Death Valley Days	Buff McCloud