Don Winslow of the Navy

Plot

Commander Don Winslow is returned to the Office of Naval Intelligence from his command of his cruiser to investigate strange events on the Pacific island of Tangita, noticeably a ship being torpedoed. He discovers that there is a ring of saboteurs and enemy agents who are trying to destroy ships carrying supplies to the troops stationed in the islands and sabotage the war effort. Though the US Navy is preparing to build a naval base on Tangita, an unknown foreign power secretly has a subterranean submarine base beneath the island with the goal of preventing the American base from being completed'

He sets out with three assistants to find the mastermind behind the activities…

Cast and Characters

Starring:

Don Terry as Cdr. Don Winslow

Walter Sande as Lt. 'Red' Pennington

Claire Dodd as Mercedes Colby

Anne Nagel as Misty Gaye

John Litel as Spencer Merlin

Ben Taggart as John Blake

Wade Boteleter as Mike Splendor

Kurt Katch as The Scorpion

Featuring:

John Holland as Chief Henchman Paul Barsac

Lane Chandler as Henchman Corley

Ethan Laidlaw as Henchman Spike

Robert Barron as Henchman Prindle

Peter Leeds as Seaman Chapman

Dirk Thane as Lt. Cdr. Grady

With:

Ray Teal as Radio Operator Henchman Barker

Herbert Rawlinson as Navy Adm. Warburton

Samuel S. Hinds as The CINCUS

Kenneth Harlan as Navy Capt. Holding

Paul Scott as Ship's Capt. Fairfield

Arthur Loft as Enemy Sub Capt. Tranker

Jerry Mandy as Tangita Jim

Heenan Elliott as Ship's Capt. Sanden

Paul Bryar as Saboteur Kramer

Unknown Actor as Saboteur Bart

Frank Lackteen as Witch Doctor Koloka

Unknown Actor as Chief Tambana

Guy Kingsford as Sub Capt. Jackson

Production

The serial was based on the comic strip by Commander Frank V. Martinek, which was approved by the US Navy. The strip gained new meaning with the approach of World War II, which would also affect the serial: "Its presentation as a Universal serial in October 1941 - just before the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor in December - was one of the most timely contributions of the serial field."

The Universal serials for 1941-42 were meant to run: Riders of Death Valley, Sea Raiders, Head Hunters of the Amazon, Gang Busters. Head Hunters of the Amazon was, however, dropped in favor of this serial. This is possibly due to the greater name recognition of the licensed property over the more generic planned serial.

Chapter titles

1. The Human Torpedo
2. Flaming Death
3. Weapons of Horror
4. Towering Doom
5. Trapped in the Dungeon
6. Menaced by Man-Eaters
7. Bombed by the Enemy
8. The Chamber of Doom
9. Wings of Destruction
10. Fighting Fathoms Deep
11. Caught in the Caverns
12. The Scorpion Strangled

_Source:

Sequel

In 1943, a sequel, Don Winslow of the Coast Guard, was released by Universal.