My Friendly Pets

Last Friday, I gave some good movie tips. Of course they were movies where dogs were the main characters. Dogs make great movie heros and the history of dogs in the movies begins with one of my favorites.

As seen above, is the famous German shepard known as Rin Tin Tin. Rin Tin Tin was a small 5 day old puppy when the kennel he was in with his siblings and mother was bombed in Lorraine, France during World War I. They were the only survivors. A U.S. Corporal, Lee Duncan, found the family of shepards and kept a male and female pup for himself. After the war, the return trip to the U.S. was too tough on the female pup. She acquired distemper and shortly after their arrival on U.S. shores, she died. A woman name Mrs. Wanner, who was a top breeder of German shepards in the U.S. offered to replace the female pup with one of her best female puppies. Rin Tin Tin, the male pup, as he was named was an amazing dog and his athletic abilities surpassed any that Duncan had ever seen. He knew the dog had special abilities and wanted Rin Tin Tin to star in his own movies. But a trip to Hollywood seemed useless as Duncan and his idea of a dog as a movie star was rejected time and time again.

However, one day Duncan spotted a movie in the making, where they were using a wolf. It wasn’t working out and Duncan offered the services of Rin Tin Tin. This studio making this film was one of the poorest in Hollywood and on the verge of bankruptcy. The movie with Rin Tin Tin became an instant hit and in 1922 this German shepard became the star of the studio that was then known as Warner Brothers; and as they say, “the rest is history”. The original Rin Tin Tin went on to star in films for the next ten years and in 1932 after his death, his direct decendents took over the role of their father in films and appearances. From 1954 to 1959, the grandsons and great grandsons of Rin Tin Tin continued his legacy through the filming of the television series, “The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin”. Through television, more and more people were able to develop a love for this dog who became a cultural icon and a classic American hero.

The other beloved dog that many of us grew up with in the movies and on television was Lassie. Few of us can look at a collie and not remember the heartfelt warmth that we had for this wonderful dog. For more history and information on Lassie, please (as they say in television) stay tuned!!!

For some great animal info, check out http://www.homezookeeper.com/