Terry (dog) facts for kids
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| Species | Canis lupus familiaris |
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| Breed | Cairn Terrier |
| Sex | Female |
| Born | November 17, 1933 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | September 1, 1945 (aged 11) Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Years active | 1934–1942 |
| Owner | Carl Spitz |
Terry was a famous female Cairn Terrier dog. She starred in many movies. Her most well-known role was playing Toto in the classic film The Wizard of Oz (1939). Even though she was famous, Toto was her only credited role. She was owned and trained by a man named Carl Spitz.
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Terry's Early Life and Movie Career
Terry was born on November 17, 1933. This was during a tough time called the Great Depression. Carl Spitz, her owner, was also her trainer. Terry was even the mother of another movie dog named Rommy. Rommy was also a Cairn Terrier. He appeared in films like Reap the Wild Wind (1942).
Terry's first movie was Ready for Love in 1934. About a month later, she appeared in a bigger movie. This was Bright Eyes (1934) with child star Shirley Temple. In that movie, Terry played a dog named Rags.
Filming The Wizard of Oz
Terry did all her own stunts in movies. While filming The Wizard of Oz (1939), she had a scary accident. One of the guards accidentally stepped on her foot. This broke her foot.
Terry spent two weeks recovering at Judy Garland's house. Judy Garland played Dorothy in the movie. She loved Terry very much and wanted to adopt her. But Carl Spitz, Terry's owner, said no.
Terry earned a lot of money for her role. She made $125 per week. This was more than many human actors in the film. It was also more than most people earned back then.
Terry's Fame and Later Roles
Terry even went to the movie premiere of The Wizard of Oz. It was held at Grauman's Chinese Theater. Because the movie was so popular, Terry's name was officially changed to Toto in 1942.
She appeared in a total of 16 movies. In the fall of 1939, three of her movies were playing at the same time! These were The Wizard of Oz, The Women, and Bad Little Angel.
One of her last films was Tortilla Flat (1942). In this movie, she worked again with the director of Oz, Victor Fleming. She also reunited with Frank Morgan, who played the Wizard. Terry's very last movie role was in Easy to Look At. This movie came out just three weeks before she passed away.
Terry's Passing
Terry died on September 1, 1945, when she was 11 years old. She was buried at Carl Spitz's ranch in Studio City, Los Angeles. Sadly, her grave was destroyed in 1958. This happened when the Ventura Freeway was being built.
On June 18, 2011, a special memorial was made for Terry. It is at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles.
Terry's Filmography
- Ready for Love (1934) – Dog
- Bright Eyes (1934) – Rags
- The Dark Angel (1935) – Dog
- Fury (1936) – Rainbow
- The Buccaneer (1938) – Landlubber
- Barefoot Boy (1938) – Herself
- Stablemates (1938) – Pet Dog
- The Wizard of Oz (1939) – Toto
- The Women (1939) – Fighting Dog at Beauty Shop
- Bad Little Angel (1939) – Rex
- Calling Philo Vance (1940) – McTavish
- The Ghost Comes Home (1940) – Dog in Pet Shop
- Son of the Navy (1940) – Toto
- Cinderella's Feller (1940, Short) – Rex the Dog
- The Old Swimmin Hole (1940) – Toto
- The Chocolate Soldier (1941) – Dog
- Rings on Her Fingers (1942) – Dog
- Twin Beds (1942) – Dog
- Tortilla Flat (1942) – Little Paelito
- George Washington Slept Here (1942) – Dog
- The Heavenly Body (1944) – Dog in Groomer's Tub
- Adventures of Rusty (1945) – Skipper
- Easy to Look At (1945) – Toto (final film role)
See also
In Spanish: Terry (perro) para niños
