Don Megowan

Biography

Born May 24, 1922 in Inglewood, California, USA Died June 26, 1981 (age 59) in Panorama City, California, USA (Throat Cancer) Spouse Alva Megowan (? - 26 June 1981) (his death) Bette (4 January 1947 - 25 July 1962) (divorced) (2 children) Trivia His mother was a motion picture film cutter. Won a heavyweight boxing title during his Army military service in WWII. Was an avid card player. Clint Eastwood, Clint Walker and Jack Elam were a few of his more famous regular card-playing buddies back in the 1950s. Beefy, ruggedly handsome, giant-sized actor (6'7") best remembered for his sci-fi film and TV work: notably the Gill Man Creature in The Creature Walks Among Us (1956) and The Cragis in The Creation of the Humanoids (1962). Was a track and field star and held the discus record at his Inglewood (California) high school. Received a scholarship to play football at USC (defensive and offensive tackle) and was considered one of the country's biggest lineman at the time. Don's father Robert Megowan was a baker and mother Lelia Dale Megowan was a film negative cutter at Pathe Studios. Don had two older sisters, Doris and Eileen. Father Robert was 6'7" (same as Don) but mother Lelia was only 5'2". All three of their children grew to be over 6' tall. According to an interview article on Don for Classic Images film magazine, February 2013 issue, by Tom Weaver, Don's daughter Vikki claimed that Don once owned several exotic animals: an ocelot, monkey and an Italian alligator named Juliet. Suffered major injuries in a 1963 car accident. His car hit a light pole and he was thrown halfway through, pinned by the windshield and was nearly "scalped." Because of his giant size, paramedics needed a crane to pull him out of the car. In the movie Tarzan and the Valley of Gold (1966), they shaved his head to emphasize the nasty scar left on his head from the accident. To supplement his income, he managed apartment buildings in the North Hollywood area. He also was a restaurateur, owning and operating Johnny's Bar and Grill on Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood. After that closed he opened Megowan's Clubhouse, which specialized in hamburgers and lasagna, also in North Hollywood. This he owned until his death in 1981. Don's former wife Bette was a stewardess when they met. They had two children: Vikki and Greg. Don married his second wife, Alva Lacy May, in the late 1970s. She appeared in a few movies as Alva Megowan.