George McCowan
Encyclopedia
George McCowan was a Canadian film
(mostly TV movies) and TV
director
in the 1960s, 70s and 80s.
McCowan began his career working for the Canadian Broadcasting Company. He moved to the United States
from Canada in 1967 and stayed there.
He is most notable for directing seven episodes of Charlie's Angels
, directing episodes of S.W.A.T.
, and directing episodes of Starsky and Hutch
. He worked more often with such shows as The Streets of San Francisco
, Fantasy Island
, and Hart to Hart
. McCowan directed the 1970 TV movie Carter's Army, 1971 Canadian hockey film Face-Off, the 1972 film The Magnificent Seven Ride!, the 1972 horror film
Frogs
, and the 1976 film Shadow of the Hawk.
McCowan also directed the film H. G. Wells' The Shape of Things to Come
and the 1970 television war movie,The Challenge
, but for the latter he chose to be credited as Alan Smithee
.
McCowan died in 1995 in Santa Monica, California
.
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
(mostly TV movies) and TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
director
Television director
A television director directs the activities involved in making a television program and is part of a television crew.-Duties:The duties of a television director vary depending on whether the production is live or recorded to video tape or video server .In both types of productions, the...
in the 1960s, 70s and 80s.
McCowan began his career working for the Canadian Broadcasting Company. He moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from Canada in 1967 and stayed there.
He is most notable for directing seven episodes of Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
, directing episodes of S.W.A.T.
S.W.A.T. (TV series)
----S.W.A.T. is a 1970s American television series about the adventures of the WCPD's Olympic Division Special Weapons And Tactics team operating in an unidentified California city....
, and directing episodes of Starsky and Hutch
Starsky and Hutch
Starsky and Hutch is a 1970s American cop thriller television series that consisted of a 90-minute pilot movie and 92 episodes of 60 minutes each; created by William Blinn, produced by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, and broadcast between April 30, 1975 and May 15, 1979 on the ABC...
. He worked more often with such shows as The Streets of San Francisco
The Streets of San Francisco
The Streets of San Francisco is a 1970s television police drama filmed on location in San Francisco, California, and produced by Quinn Martin Productions, with the first season produced in association with Warner Bros...
, Fantasy Island
Fantasy Island
Fantasy Island is the title of two separate but related American fantasy television series, both originally airing on the ABC television network.-Original series:...
, and Hart to Hart
Hart to Hart
Hart to Hart is an American television series, starring Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, a wealthy couple who also moonlighted as amateur detectives. The series was created by writer Sidney Sheldon and produced by Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg...
. McCowan directed the 1970 TV movie Carter's Army, 1971 Canadian hockey film Face-Off, the 1972 film The Magnificent Seven Ride!, the 1972 horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
Frogs
Frogs (film)
Frogs is a 1972 horror film directed by George McCowan. The film falls into the "eco-horror" category since it tells the story of an upper-class U.S. Southern family who are victimized by several different animal species, including snakes, birds, and lizards, as well as the occasional butterfly...
, and the 1976 film Shadow of the Hawk.
McCowan also directed the film H. G. Wells' The Shape of Things to Come
H. G. Wells' The Shape of Things to Come
H. G. Wells' The Shape of Things to Come is a Canadian science fiction motion picture first released in May 1979.Although credited to H. G. Wells, the film takes only its title and some character names from The Shape of Things to Come, Wells' speculative novel from 1933. The plot bears no...
and the 1970 television war movie,The Challenge
The Challenge (1970 film)
The Challenge is a 1970 made-for-television movie starring Darren McGavin and Mako. Director George McGowan chose to hide his involvement by using the pseudonym Alan Smithee.-Plot:An American space satellite lands in an uninhabited area of the Pacific...
, but for the latter he chose to be credited as Alan Smithee
Alan Smithee
Alan Smithee was an official pseudonym used by film directors who wish to disown a project, coined in 1968. Until its use was formally discontinued in 2000, it was the sole pseudonym used by members of the Directors Guild of America when a director dissatisfied with the final product proved to...
.
McCowan died in 1995 in Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
.