Robert F. McGowan was born in Denver, Colorado, with a childhood ambition to become the next Thomas A. Edison. However, after failing to achieve success through inventing, he became a fireman. He worked for the Denver Fire Department until a serious on-the-job injury at the age of 30 left him unable to continue his duties.
McGowan's interest in movies began during the first decade of the 20th century, when he watched nickelodeons and saw the first feature productions. After being injured, he moved to Hollywood in 1913, determined to make a name for himself in the film industry. Despite lacking experience and connections, he eventually found employment as a lowly assistant to a property man and worked on his comedy scenarios after hours.
McGowan's big break came when he sold a few treatment to Universal and began directing comedy shorts. He formed a lifelong friendship with director-producer Charley Chase, who became instrumental in his career. Chase and McGowan collaborated on a kid-based comedy short and in 1922, Chase suggested to producer Hal Roach that McGowan would be perfect to helm the "Our Gang" series.
Roach was embroiled in a professional love-hate relationship with Harold Lloyd, and McGowan's entry into the studio proved fortuitous for both men. "Our Gang" filled the fame and huge income voids Roach's boutique studio stood to lose with the departure of Lloyd. Together, Roach and McGowan laid the groundwork for the series, which struck an immediate nerve with a worldwide audience.
McGowan became nearly as synonymous with "Our Gang" as Hal Roach, developing a unique energy and consistently producing some of the best comedy shorts of the 1920s and early '30s. He possessed a unique warmth and an uncanny ability to relate to the fluid cast of kids, many of whom hadn't yet learned to read. He was the series' principal director until 1933, when the duties were turned over to Gus Meins.
By 1933, McGowan was worn out from a decade of dealing with stage parents and the ceaseless grind of trying to outdo himself. He returned to direct one more stellar "Our Gang" two-reeler, Divot Diggers, before taking a working retirement at the age of 51.
