Don Terry (born Donald Prescott Loker, August 8, 1902 – October 6, 1988) was an American film actor, best known for his lead appearances in B films and serials in the 1930s and early 1940s. Perhaps his best-known role is Naval Commander

Don Winslow Don Winslow (born October 31, 1953) is an American political activist and retired author best known for his crime novels including ''Savages (novel), Savages'', ''The Force'' and the Cartel Trilogy. Early life Winslow was born on Staten Isl ...

in two

Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...

serials of the early 1940s, '' Don Winslow of the Navy'' (1942) and '' Don Winslow of the Coast Guard'' (1943).

Early life and background

Terry was born Donald Loker in Natick, Massachusetts, in 1902. He was a 1925 graduate of

Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher lear ...

. Some sources give the family name as ''Locher'', perhaps confusing him with actor Charles Locher who became famous as Jon Hall; the Loker spelling is correct, as many charitable enterprises bear the Loker name, as detailed below. Don Terry was discovered while visiting

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

as a tourist. During the visit, he hoped to see some film stars, but had been disappointed. Nearing the end of his trip, he decided to have lunch at

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

's Café Montmartre since it was a favorite of many in the film industry. Terry thought he might finally see a film star while having lunch, but found only other tourists who had the same hope. However,

Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

screenwriter Charles Francis Coe was at the restaurant and happened to see Terry and thought of the screenplay he had just completed, based on his 1927 novel. Coe introduced himself and asked Terry if he was in the film industry. He gave Terry his business card and invited him to the Fox lot for a

screen test A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film or in a particular role. It is typically a secondary or later stage in the audition process. The performer is generally given a scene, or sel ...

. Terry went to the lot expecting only to be able to see some film stars. When Terry's screen test came out of the film laboratory, he was signed as the lead in the 1928 film ''

Me, Gangster ''Me, Gangster'' is a 1928 American synchronized sound gangster film directed by Raoul Walsh. While the film has no audible dialog, it was released with a synchronized musical score with sound effects using the sound-on-film movietone process. ...

'', the screenplay Coe had just written.

Film career

Known for his "typical clean-cut American hero roles," he was signed by

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...

as a possible replacement for the studio's veteran action star Jack Holt. Terry was one of several tough-guy heroes (including

Victor Jory Victor Jory (November 23, 1902 – February 12, 1982) was a Canadian-American actor of stage, film, and television. He initially played romantic leads, but later was mostly cast in villainous or sinister roles, such as Oberon in ''A Midsummer Ni ...

, Paul Kelly, and

Charles Quigley Charles Quigley (February 12, 1906 – August 5, 1964) was an American actor. Early years Quigley was the son of Charles P. Quigley, who was a sales manager for a hardware business. He was a 1924 graduate of New Britain High School, and h ...

) who portrayed "bare-knuckled, sleeves-rolled-up hard hats" in various films. Terry's Columbia "B" features include '' A Fight to the Finish'' (1937), '' Paid to Dance'' (1937), '' Who Killed Gail Preston?'' (1937), '' When G-Men Step In'' (1938), and '' Squadron of Honor'' (1938). Terry's portrayals are complemented by his distinct New England accent, which he never completely lost. Don Terry also became a star of serials, his first chapter play being ''

The Secret of Treasure Island ''The Secret of Treasure Island'' is a 1938 Columbia movie serial based on the serialized ''Argosy'' magazine story ''Murder at Pirate Castle'' (1936). The magazine story was written by L. Ron Hubbard, at the time a writer of pulp fiction w ...

'', released by Columbia in 1938. He was one of the three male leads in Universal's western serial ''

Overland Mail Butterfield Overland Mail (officially Overland Mail Company)Waterman L. Ormsby, edited by Lyle H. Wright and Josephine M. Bynum, "The Butterfield Overland Mail", The Huntington Library, San Marino, California, 1991. was a stagecoach service in ...

'' (1942). Terry's best-known serials are the "Don Winslow" maritime adventures of the early 1940s, '' Don Winslow of the Navy'' (1942) and '' Don Winslow of the Coast Guard'' (1943). Terry signed with Universal in 1939, appearing in an incidental role in the

W. C. Fields William Claude Dukenfield (January 29, 1880 – December 25, 1946), better known as W. C. Fields, was an American actor, comedian, juggler and writer. His career in show business began in vaudeville, where he attained international success as a ...

comedy ''

You Can't Cheat an Honest Man ''You Can't Cheat an Honest Man'' is a 1939 American comedy film directed by George Marshall and Edward F. Cline and starring W. C. Fields. Fields also wrote the story on which the film is based under the name Charles Bogle. Plot Circus pro ...

''. The studio kept him busy in various roles, large and small. Terry appeared in ''

Danger in the Pacific ''Danger in the Pacific '' is a 1942 espionage thriller set on a fictional island during World War II. Plot As a cover for his true government mission, British intelligence agent Leo Marzell (Leo Carrillo) sponsors a scientific expedition led by ...

'' (1942) as a scientist, co-starring Louise Allbritton. Other credits include ''

Fugitives A fugitive or runaway is a person who is fleeing from custody, whether it be from jail, a government arrest, government or non-government questioning, vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals. A fugitive from justice, also known ...

'' (1929), ''

Border Romance ''Border Romance'' is a 1929 American pre-Code Western (genre), Western romance film directed by Richard Thorpe. An early sound film, it stars Armida (actress), Armida, Don Terry, Marjorie Kane, and Victor Potel. A copy is preserved at the Libr ...

'' (1929), '' Barnacle Bill'' (1941), '' Sherlock Holmes in Washington'' (1943), and ''

White Savage ''White Savage'' is a 1943 American Technicolor South Seas adventure film The adventure film is a broad genre of film. Some early genre studies found it no different than the Western film or argued that adventure could encompass all Hollywo ...

'' (1943), his last screen appearance before enlisting in the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...

. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant Commander and was awarded the

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the president to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...

. He left the Navy in 1946 and never returned to the film industry.

Post-film life and career

In 1941, Terry married Katherine Bogdanovich, a daughter of the founder of

StarKist tuna StarKist Tuna is a brand of tuna produced by StarKist Co., an American company formerly based in Pittsburgh's North Shore that is now wholly owned by Dongwon Industries of South Korea. It was purchased by Dongwon from the American food manufac ...

. Bogdanovich, a 1940 graduate of

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

(USC), shared an interest in Olympic competition with her husband. She tried out for the 1932 Olympics as a sprinter. The couple had two daughters, and after completing his

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

service, Terry dropped his screen name and went to work for StarKist as vice president of public and industrial relations. Loker retired from the company in 1965, and the couple then devoted their time and energies to various philanthropic projects by establishing the Donald and Katherine Loker Foundation. The foundation supported many projects, with a special emphasis on the colleges that were the Lokers' alma maters. They supported USC as board members of long standing, and with financial gifts of more than $30 million over a period of time. The Lokers were longtime friends of

Richard Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language">Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'st ...

and

Pat Nixon Thelma Catherine "Pat" Nixon (; March 16, 1912 – June 22, 1993) was First Lady of the United States from 1969 to 1974 as the wife of President Richard Nixon. She also served as the Second ladies and gentlemen of the United States, second lady ...

and were also supporters of the

Nixon Library The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum is the presidential library and burial site of Richard Milhous Nixon, the 37th president of the United States (1969–1974), and his wife Pat Nixon. Located in Yorba Linda, California, on land ...

. Despite the Lokers' lack of experience in chemistry, Carl Franklin, who was at the time USC's legal vice president, referred them to the university's

hydrocarbon In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons are examples of group 14 hydrides. Hydrocarbons are generally colourless and Hydrophobe, hydrophobic; their odor is usually fain ...

research institute, which was established in 1978 with the Lokers' financial aid. In 1983, it was renamed Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute in their honor. He died at

Oceanside, California Oceanside is a beach city in the North County (San Diego area), North County area of San Diego County, California, United States. The city had a population of 174,068 at the 2020 United States census, making it the most populous city in the Nort ...

on October 6, 1988, aged 86. After his death, his widow continued the couple's philanthropic efforts until her death in 2008.

Partial filmography

*''

'' (1928) - Jimmy Williams *''

Blindfold A blindfold (from Middle English ') is a garment, usually of cloth, tied to one's head to cover the eyes to disable the wearer's sight. While a properly fitted blindfold prevents sight even if the eyes are open, a poorly tied or trick blindfo ...

'' (1928) - Buddy Brower *''

'' (1929) - Dick Starr *'' The Valiant'' (1929) - Policeman (uncredited) *''

'' (1929) - Bob Hamlin *''

Lady with a Past ''Lady with a Past'' is a 1932 American Pre-Code Hollywood, pre-Code romantic comedy film starring Constance Bennett as a shy and very proper young lady who decides to invent a scandalous past for herself to spice up her life. It is based on the ...

'' (1932) - Party Guest (uncredited) *'' Whistlin' Dan'' (1932) - Bob Reid *''

The Billion Dollar Scandal ''The Billion Dollar Scandal'' is a 1933 American pre-Code drama film directed by Harry Joe Brown and written by Beatrice Banyard, Willard Mack and Gene Towne. The film stars Robert Armstrong, Constance Cummings, Olga Baclanova, Frank Morgan ...

'' (1933) - Boxer in Fight Montage (uncredited) *'' Her First Mate'' (1933) - Purser, Albany Night Boat (uncredited) *'' A Fight to the Finish'' (1937) - Duke Mallor *'' A Dangerous Adventure'' (1937) - Tim Sawyer *'' Paid to Dance'' (1937) - William Dennis *'' Who Killed Gail Preston?'' (1937) - Tom Kellogg *'' When G-Men Step In'' (1938) - Fred Garth *''

'' (1938, serial) - Larry Kent *'' Squadron of Honor'' (1938) - District Attorney Don Blane *''

'' (1939) - Ping-Pong Player (uncredited) *'' Barnacle Bill'' (1941) - Dixon *'' Mutiny in the Arctic'' (1941) - Cole *''

In the Navy "In the Navy" is a song by American disco group Village People. It was released as the first single from their fourth studio album, '' Go West'' (1979). It was a number one hit in Canada, Flanders, Japan and the Netherlands, while reaching numbe ...

'' (1941) - Reef (uncredited) *'' Tight Shoes'' (1941) - Haystack, Reporter (uncredited) *''

Hold That Ghost ''Hold That Ghost'' is a 1941 American horror comedy film directed by Arthur Lubin and starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello and featuring Joan Davis, Evelyn Ankers and Richard Carlson. It was produced and distributed by Universa ...

'' (1941) - Strangler (uncredited) *'' Don Winslow of the Navy'' (1942, serial) - Cmdr. Don Winslow *''

Valley of the Sun A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains and typically containing a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over a ve ...

'' (1942) - Lieutenant (uncredited) *''

Unseen Enemy ''Unseen Enemy'' is a 1942 American spy film, spy thriller film directed by John Rawlins (director), John Rawlins and starring Don Terry. Plot A Canadian military intelligence agent tries to uncover a plot to sabotage American ships, while an uns ...

'' (1942) - Canadian Army Captain William Flynn Hitchcock, aka Bill Flinn, posing as Captain Wilhelm Roering *'' Drums of the Congo'' (1942) - Captain Kirk Armstrong *'' Escape from Hong Kong'' (1942) - Rusty *''

'' (1942) - Dr. David Lynd *'' Top Sergeant'' (1942) - Sgt. Dick "Rusty" Manson *''

'' (1942, serial) - Buckskin Bill Burke *''

Moonlight in Havana ''Moonlight in Havana'' is a 1942 American film romantic comedy directed by Anthony Mann and featuring Allan Jones, Jane Frazee, and Marjorie Lord. This was Mann's second film as director.. Choreography by Lester Horton. Plot Baseball star J ...

'' (1942) - Eddie Daniels *'' Sherlock Holmes in Washington'' (1943) - Howe *'' Don Winslow of the Coast Guard'' (1943, serial) - Cmdr. Don Winslow *''

'' (1943) - Chris (final film role)

References

External links

*
Loker Hydrocarbon Research Institute
at the

{{DEFAULTSORT:Terry, Don American male film actors 1902 births 1988 deaths People from Natick, Massachusetts Harvard University alumni 20th Century Studios contract players Male actors from Massachusetts 20th-century American male actors