Don Megowan
Actor
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.
Filmography
Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier
as Col. William Travis 1955
The Creature Walks Among Us
as The Gill Man (on land)(uncredited) 1956
The Devil's Brigade
as Luke Phelan 1968
Truck Turner
as Garrity 1974
The Werewolf
as Sheriff Jack Haines 1956
The Great Locomotive Chase
as Marion A. Ross 1956
A Lawless Street
as Dooley Brion 1955
The Creation of the Humanoids
as Capt. Kenneth Cragis 1962
The Jayhawkers!
as China 1959
The Story of Mankind
as Early Man 1957
The Man Who Died Twice
as T.J. Brennon 1958
Gun the Man Down
as Ralph Farley 1956
Tarzan and the Valley of Gold
as Mr. Train 1966
Scream of the Wolf
as Grant 1974
Sangaree
as River Pirate (uncredited) 1953
Tales of Frankenstein
as The Monster 1958