Rin Tin Tin facts for kids
Rin Tin Tin was a famous German Shepherd dog born in Flirey, France, in September 1918. He became a huge movie star around the world. An American soldier named Lee Duncan rescued him from a World War I battlefield and called him "Rinty." Duncan trained Rin Tin Tin, and soon the dog started acting in silent films.
Rin Tin Tin quickly became very popular. He appeared in 27 Hollywood movies and became famous worldwide. Because of Rin Tin Tin and another dog star named Strongheart, German Shepherd dogs became much more popular as family pets. Rin Tin Tin's movies made a lot of money for Warner Bros. studios. His success also helped Darryl F. Zanuck become a successful producer and studio boss.
After Rin Tin Tin passed away in 1932, other German Shepherd dogs were given his name. These dogs starred in stories on film, radio, and TV. Rin Tin Tin Jr. appeared in some movies but was not as famous as his father. Rin Tin Tin III helped encourage the use of dogs in the military during World War II. He also acted in a movie with child actor Robert Blake in 1947.
Lee Duncan prepared Rin Tin Tin IV for the 1950s TV show The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin. However, this dog didn't do well in auditions. Another dog named Flame Jr. (called JR) mostly played Rin Tin Tin on the show. Rin Tin Tin IV stayed at home. The TV show was nominated for awards but did not win.
After Duncan died in 1960, the rights to Rin Tin Tin went to TV producer Herbert B. Leonard. He worked on other shows like Katts and Dog (called Rin Tin Tin: K-9 Cop in the US). Later, a children's movie called Finding Rin Tin Tin was made in 2007. Today, the Rin Tin Tin tradition is continued by Dorothy Yanchak. The current dog, Rin Tin Tin XII, attends public events to keep the legacy alive.
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How Rin Tin Tin Was Found
In 1918, during World War I, an American soldier named Corporal Lee Duncan was in France. He was looking for a good place for his unit's planes. He found a damaged kennel in the village of Flirey. This kennel used to provide German Shepherd dogs for the German army.
Inside, Duncan found a mother dog and five tiny puppies. They were starving and very young, with their eyes still closed. Duncan rescued all of them and brought them back to his army unit.
When the puppies were old enough, he gave the mother and three puppies to others. He kept one male and one female puppy for himself. He felt they brought him good luck. He named them Rin Tin Tin and Nanette. These names came from French good luck charms.
In 1919, Duncan secretly brought the dogs back to the United States. Sadly, Nanette got sick and died. Duncan named a new puppy Nanette II in her memory. Duncan, Rin Tin Tin, and Nanette II settled in Los Angeles, California. Rin Tin Tin was a dark brown dog with very dark eyes.
Duncan was friends with an actor named Eugene Pallette. They loved the outdoors and took the dogs to the Sierras. Duncan taught Rin Tin Tin many tricks. He hoped Rin Tin Tin could win dog shows and help him sell puppies.
In 1922, Duncan helped start a German Shepherd dog club in Los Angeles. At the first show, Rin Tin Tin was very agile but also a bit aggressive. His performance was not good. After the show, Rin Tin Tin's left front leg was broken when a bundle of newspapers fell on him. Duncan cared for him for nine months until his leg healed.
Ten months later, Rin Tin Tin was in another dog show. He had learned to jump very high. A friend of Duncan's, Charley Jones, filmed Rin Tin Tin's amazing jump with a new slow-motion camera. Seeing his dog filmed, Duncan realized Rin Tin Tin could become a movie star. He wanted Rin Tin Tin to be like Strongheart, another famous film dog. Duncan later wrote that he thought about the movie idea day and night.
Rin Tin Tin's Movie Career
Lee Duncan tried to get Rin Tin Tin into movies. The dog's first chance came when he replaced a wolf in the film The Man from Hell's River (1922). The wolf wasn't cooperating, but Rin Tin Tin was easy to work with because he followed Duncan's voice commands. Rin Tin Tin often played wolves or wolf-like characters in movies. This was easier for filmmakers than working with real wolves.
Rin Tin Tin's first main role was in Where the North Begins (1923). This movie was a huge hit! Many people say it helped save Warner Bros. from going out of business. After that, Rin Tin Tin appeared in 24 more movies. All his films were very popular and made a lot of money for Warner Bros. Studio workers even called him "the mortgage lifter." A young writer named Darryl F. Zanuck wrote stories for Rin Tin Tin. The dog's success helped Zanuck become a film producer. In New York City, the mayor even gave Rin Tin Tin a special "key to the city."
Rin Tin Tin was so famous that companies wanted him to advertise their products. Dog food brands like Ken-L Ration featured him in their ads. Warner Bros. received thousands of fan letters. They sent back a photo signed with a paw print and a message from Duncan. Rin Tin Tin's success inspired other studios to find their own dog stars. He was popular worldwide because silent films could be easily understood by everyone.
Rin Tin Tin mostly starred in silent films. But he also appeared in four movies with sound. One of these was a 12-part series called The Lightning Warrior (1931). In sound films, Duncan likely used hand signals to guide Rin Tin Tin so his voice wouldn't be heard.
Rin Tin Tin and Nanette II had at least 48 puppies. Duncan kept two and gave or sold the rest. Famous people like Greta Garbo and Jean Harlow even owned some of Rin Tin Tin's puppies.
Death and Honors
Rin Tin Tin passed away on August 10, 1932, at Lee Duncan's home in Los Angeles. Duncan wrote that he heard Rin Tin Tin bark strangely and found him dying. Newspapers all over the country shared the news of his death. Magazines wrote stories about his life.
There were some made-up stories about his death. Some said he died on a movie set or in the arms of actress Jean Harlow. Duncan buried Rin Tin Tin in his backyard in a bronze box. Later, Duncan arranged for Rin Tin Tin's body to be moved back to France. He was reburied in a special pet cemetery near Paris called the Cimetière des Chiens et Autres Animaux Domestiques.
In the United States, Rin Tin Tin's death was a big event. Regular TV shows were stopped for a news update. The next day, an hour-long program about him was shown. On February 8, 1960, Rin Tin Tin received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Filmography 1922–1931
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1922 | The Man from Hell's River | Himself | |
| 1922 | My Dad | Himself | |
| 1923 | Where the North Begins | The Wolf Dog | |
| 1923 | Shadows of the North | King | |
| 1924 | Find Your Man | Buddy | |
| 1924 | Hello, 'Frisco | Himself | |
| 1924 | The Lighthouse by the Sea | Himself | |
| 1925 | Tracked in the Snow Country | Himself | |
| 1925 | Below the Line | The Slasher | |
| 1925 | The Clash of the Wolves | Lobo | |
| 1926 | The Night Cry | Himself | |
| 1926 | A Hero of the Big Snows | Himself | |
| 1926 | While London Sleeps | Rinty | |
| 1927 | Hills of Kentucky | The Grey Ghost | |
| 1927 | Tracked by the Police | Rinty | |
| 1927 | Jaws of Steel | Rinty | |
| 1927 | A Dog of the Regiment | Rinty | |
| 1928 | A Race for Life | Rinty | |
| 1928 | Rinty of the Desert | Rinty | |
| 1928 | Land of the Silver Fox | Rinty | |
| 1929 | The Million Dollar Collar | Rinty | |
| 1929 | Frozen River | Lobo | |
| 1929 | The Show of Shows | Himself | |
| 1929 | Tiger Rose | Scotty | |
| 1930 | The Lone Defender | Rinty | 12-chapter serial |
| 1930 | On the Border | Rinty | |
| 1930 | The Man Hunter | Rinty | |
| 1930 | Rough Waters | Rinty | |
| 1931 | The Lightning Warrior | Rinty | 12-chapter serial |
Rin Tin Tin's Successors
Rin Tin Tin Jr.
Rin Tin Tin Jr. was the son of the original Rin Tin Tin. His mother was Champion Asta of Linwood, also owned by Lee Duncan. Junior appeared in several movies in the 1930s. He starred with Rex the Wild Horse in the series The Law of the Wild (1934) and The Adventures of Rex and Rinty (1935). He also provided the dog noises for the Rin Tin Tin radio shows.
Rin Tin Tin Jr. died in December 1941 from pneumonia.
Filmography 1932–1939
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | The Pride of the Legion | ||
| 1933 | The Wolf Dog | Serial | |
| 1934 | The Law of the Wild | 12-chapter serial | |
| 1935 | The Test | ||
| 1935 | The Adventures of Rex and Rinty | 12-chapter serial | |
| 1935 | Skull and Crown | ||
| 1936 | Tough Guy | Duke | |
| 1936 | Vengeance of Rannah | Rannah | |
| 1936 | Caryl of the Mountains | Rinty | |
| 1937 | The Silver Trail | ||
| 1939 | Hollywood Cavalcade | Rin Tin Tin | |
| 1939 | Death Goes North | King | |
| 1939 | Fangs of the Wild | Rinty | |
| 1939 | Law of the Wolf |
Rin Tin Tin III
Rin Tin Tin III starred with a young Robert Blake in the 1947 movie The Return of Rin Tin Tin. He is also known for helping Lee Duncan train over 5,000 dogs for the World War II effort.
Filmography 1947
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1947 | The Return of Rin Tin Tin | Rin Tin Tin |
Rin Tin Tin on Radio and TV
Radio Shows
Between 1930 and 1955, Rin Tin Tin was featured in three different radio series. The first show, The Wonder Dog, started in 1930. The original Rin Tin Tin even made some of the dog sounds himself until he died in 1932. The stories were often very imaginative. In one episode, Rin Tin Tin saved scientists from giant Martians!
In September 1930, the show's name changed to Rin Tin Tin. This series ended in 1933. It continued on CBS from 1933 to 1934.
The last radio series was on Mutual from 1955. This 30-minute show told stories about Rin Tin Tin's adventures with the 101st Cavalry. This was similar to the TV show that was on at the same time. The radio show featured actors like Lee Aaker as Rusty and James Brown as Lieutenant Ripley "Rip" Masters.
Television Series
The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin was an ABC TV series that ran from 1954 to 1959. Lee Duncan's Rin Tin Tin IV was supposed to be the main dog. However, most of the acting was done by a dog named Flame Jr., also called JR. Other dogs sometimes played Rin Tin Tin on TV too. The TV show's Rin Tin Tin looked lighter in color than the original movie star dog.
Rin Tin Tin's Legacy
Lee Duncan passed away in 1960. He never officially protected the name "Rin Tin Tin." But the tradition continued with Jannettia Brodsgaard Propps in Texas. She bought several dogs directly descended from Rin Tin Tin from Duncan. Her granddaughter, Daphne Hereford, continued the family's work with the Rin Tin Tin dogs after her grandmother died in 1988.
Daphne Hereford was the first to trademark the name Rin Tin Tin in 1993. She also created websites for Rin Tin Tin. In 2011, she passed the tradition to her daughter, Dorothy Yanchak. The current Rin Tin Tin, Rin Tin Tin XII, is the twelfth dog in the family line. This dog makes public appearances to share the story of Rin Tin Tin.
In 2011, Rin Tin Tin received the American Humane Association Legacy award. This award was accepted by a twelfth-generation Rin Tin Tin dog. The next year, Rin Tin Tin was honored by the Academy of Arts and Sciences. They held a special program called Hollywood Dogs: From Rin Tin Tin to Uggie.
Cultural References
In 1976, a movie called Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood was made. It was loosely based on Rin Tin Tin's story.
The Canadian TV show Katts and Dog (1988–93) was about a police officer and his dog partner. In the US, it was called Rin Tin Tin: K9 Cop.
In 2007, a children's movie called Finding Rin Tin Tin was released. It tells the story of Lee Duncan finding Rin Tin Tin in France and making him a star.
Rin Tin Tin is also mentioned in Anne Frank's diary. In her entry on June 14, 1942, Anne wished she had a dog like Rin Tin Tin. She also wrote about watching Rin Tin Tin's 1924 silent film The Lighthouse by the Sea with her friends for her birthday party. She said her friends loved the movie.
See also
In Spanish: Rin Tin Tin para niños
