Don Terry Movies

One of the silliest and most unbelievable of the Universal Sherlock Holmes series, Sherlock Holmes in Washington is also undeniably one of the most enjoyable. The story gets under way when an Allied spy (an unbilled Gerald Hamer, one of this series' "regulars") smuggles a valuable piece of microfilm into the U.S. The film is hidden in a matchbook cover that passes through several hands, ultimately ending up in the possession of Washington, D.C., socialite Nancy Partridge (Marjorie Lord). Brought to Washington from London to help locate the missing film, Sherlock Holmes (Basil Rathbone) and Dr. Watson (Nigel Bruce) do their best to rescue Nancy from the clutches of the Axis villains -- nearly losing their own lives in the process. And when the case is finally solved, Holmes reveals that there's still another twist to the proceedings -- a few minutes before he delivers his obligatory patriotic quote from Winston Churchill. One of the delights of Sherlock Holmes in Washington is the casting of George Zucco and Henry Daniell as the bad guys; both actors also played Holmes' archenemy Moriarty in other series entries. It's also fun to see poor old Watson tangle with American slang and a wad of bubble gum, and to watch as Holmes and Watson driven past a series of famous D.C. monuments -- covering several miles in a matter of seconds! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Unseen Enemy in this wartime meller is Nick (Leo Carrillo), the outwardly effusive manager of a San Francisco waterfront café. To make enough money to ensure his daughter Gen's (Irene Hervey) entree into society, Nick sells his services to a gang of foreign spies, who then use Nick's establishment as a rendezvous point. The plan is to covertly send out a Japanese vessel for the purpose of raiding and destroying American merchant ships. The spies' secret code is hidden in the lyrics of a song called "Lydia", which the unwitting Gen performs on request day after day. When our heroine finally figures out that something is amiss, she teams with government agent Sam (Andy Devine!) to foil the bad guys. Nick finally redeems himself in the final footage, inevitably at the cost of his own life. In an unusual move for 1942, all the cast and production credits for Unseen Enemy were reeled off at the end of the picture, rather than the beginning. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

A talented cast hacks its way through a so-so script and miles of stock footage in Universal's Drums of the Congo. In the heart of Africa, naval intelligence officer Kirk (Don Terry) searches for a rare metal vital to the war effort (just why it's vital is never thoroughly explained). He is aided in his quest by missionary Ann Montgomery (Ona Munson) and by dishevelled "bwana" Congo Jack (Stu Erwin). Alas, a couple of minions of the Third Reich are also after the elusive metal, and they're not above committing murder to get what they want. The most novel aspect of Drums of the Congo is the casting of likeable, fresh-faced Universal ingenue Peggy Moran as one of the villains. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Lt. Com. Frank V. Martinek's widely circulated comic strip Don Winslow of the Navy was brought to the screen in this action-packed, 12-chapter Universal serial. The villain of the piece is The Scorpion (Kurt Katch), who has been sabotaging American military forces in the Pacific. Assigned to put an end to the Scorpion's activities, Navy intelligence operative Don Winslow heads to the remote island of Tongita. Here he must deal with a gang of clever Fifth Columnists, led by Menlin (John Litel), who are in cahoots with the head bad guy. Fortunately, Winslow is able to rely upon the courage and loyalty of his sidekick Red Pennington (Walter Sande) and nurses Misty (Anne Nagel) and Mercedes (Claire Dodd). Though the miniature work in Don Winslow of the Navy is laughably inept, the film itself is one of Universal's most satisfying chapter plays. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Top Sergeant was the third of four inexpensive Universal action films top-billing Leo Carrillo, Andy Devine and Don Terry. Terry plays the title character, drill sergeant Dick Manson of the Engineer Corps. Carrillo and Devine are cast respectively as Corporals Frenchy Devereaux and Andy Jarrett, whose merry antics constantly land them in the stockade. All three protagonists are instrumental in capturing a gang of bank robbers, but one of the crooks (Don Porter) escapes after killing Manson's younger brother (Gene Garrick). The rest of the picture details Manson's herculean efforts to track down the murderer without going AWOL. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide