John Bowers (actor)

John Bowers (born John E. Bowersox; December 25, 1885 – November 17, 1936) was an American stage and silent film actor who starred in 94 films including several short subjects. He has been identified as being an inspiration for the character Norman Maine in A Star Is Born (1937).

John Bowers
Publicity photo of Bowers (1921)
Born	John E. Bowersox (1885-12-25)December 25, 1885 Garrett, Indiana, U.S.
Died	November 17, 1936(1936-11-17) (aged 50) Santa Monica, California, U.S
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1914–1931
Spouses	Beulah Poynter (?-?) Marguerite De La Motte (1924–1936)

Early life and career

Born John E. Bowersox in Garrett, Indiana, to George and Ida Bowersox, John Bowers attended Huntington Business College in Huntington, Indiana, where he became interested in acting.^[1] He joined a stock stage group and traveled until he landed in New York City in 1912, where he appeared in Broadway productions.^[2] Bowers began his film career in 1914. Within five years, he became one of the most popular leading men. During his career he co-starred frequently with Marguerite De La Motte, whom he later married.

Like many silent film stars, Bowers saw his career collapse when talkies became the standard.

Death

On November 17, 1936, Bowers heard that his old friend Henry Hathaway was directing Gary Cooper in Souls at Sea on and off the shore of Santa Catalina. The 50-year-old actor rented a 16-foot sloop and sailed to the island, hoping to land a part in the picture, only to learn that it had already been cast. He never returned to shore, and his body was found on the beach at Santa Monica, California. Chuck Palahniuk claims folk legend dictates John simply walked into the ocean upon hearing this news.^[3]

His life, and particularly his death, is identified as inspiration for the character Norman Maine in A Star Is Born (1937). That character was also based on Norman Kerry.^[4]

For his contributions to the film industry, Bowers received a motion pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1709 Vine Street in 1960.^[5][6]

Selected filmography

Bowers with Alice Brady in Darkest Russia

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1914	The Baited Trap	Blondie
1914	In the Days of the Thundering Herd	Dick Madison
1915	The Woman Pays	John Langton	credited as John E. Bowers
1916	Madame X	Monsieur Floriot
1916	Destiny's Toy	Reverend Robert Carter
1917	Darkest Russia	Alexis Nazimoff
1917	A Self-Made Widow	Fitzhugh Castleton
1917	Betsy Ross	Joseph Ashburn
1918	A Woman of Redemption	Tim Stanton
1919	Day Dreams	Dan O'Hara
1919	The Pest	Gene Giles
1919	Through the Wrong Door	Burt Radcliff
1919	Strictly Confidential	Vernon, Lord Bantock
1920	Godless Men	Dan Darrin
1921	The Ace of Hearts	Mr. Forrest
1921	The Silent Call	Clark Moran
1921	Voices of the City	Graham
1921	The Poverty of Riches	Tom Donaldson
1922	Affinities	Day Illington
1922	Quincy Adams Sawyer	Quincy Adams Sawyer
1922	South of Suva	John Webster
1923	The Destroying Angel	Hugh Miller Whittaker
1923	Divorce	Jim Parker
1923	The Woman of Bronze	Paddy Miles
1924	The White Sin	Grant Van Gore
1924	Code of the Wilderness	Rex Randerson
1925	Confessions of a Queen	Prince Alexei\
1925	Daughters Who Pay	Dick Foster
1925	Chickie	Barry Dunne
1926	Rocking Moon	Gary Tynan
1926	The Dice Woman	Hamlin
1926	Pals in Paradise	Bill Harvey
1927	The Opening Night	Jimmy Keane
1927	The Heart of the Yukon	Jim Winston
1927	Heroes in Blue	Bob Kelly
1927	For Ladies Only	Cliff Coleman
1927	Ragtime	Ted Mason
1929	Say It with Songs	Dr. Burnes, surgeon
1929	Skin Deep	District Attorney Carlson
1931	Mounted Fury	Jim Leyton