Alice Terry started in films as an extra during her mid-teens. For two years she worked in cutting rooms at Famous-Players-Lasky. This work would help her later on when she worked with her husband. Alice Terry was married to Rex Ingram, a prominent director. One of her biggest problems in her career was being the leading lady in movies directed by her husband. Her roles in films directed by her husband left her passive and unmemorable. Rex Ingram also hired male stars that further outshone her in movies such as The Conquering Power (1921), The Prisoner of Zenda (1922) and others. One fan magazine writer described Alice as “pliant clay” or easily manipulated on screen. In 1924 and 1925 the marriage between Terry and Ingram was in jeopardy, and in that time period she worked under other directors. During this time period Alice worked on five movies, but her roles particularly in Any Woman (1925) and Sackcloth and Scarlet (1925), both by Paramount Pictures, proved that Alice was a legitimate star away from her husband. When they got back together, Terry took on a more behind-the-scenes role.

Alice’s work at Famous-Players-Lasky helped her in ways that were not commonly known to the public. Ingram would often get too moody to work while directing movies so Terry would take over. She was a competent film editor and learned how to direct from a master. When Ingram went to produce his last film, and only talkie, Baroud (1933), Alice helped so much that she was named co-director and she directed all the scenes Ingram appeared in. Baroud highlighted Alice’s ability as an all around filmmaker but she never took that further. Alice Terry worked with Ramón Novarro, a popular a film star from Mexico who drew in audiences as a “Latin lover”, and became known as a sex symbol after the death of Rudolph Valentino. Many have said that Novarro outdid Terry in many films such as The Prisoner of Zenda (1922), The Arab (1924) and others; but this didn’t hinder their friendship. Alzheimer’s put a stop to Terry’s parties and fun and she eventually died in a Burbank, California hospital on December 22, 1987. Her grave is located in the Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Alice Terry has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6628 Hollywood Blvd.