The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin
From left: Lee Aaker, Rin-Tin-Tin, James Brown, and Rand Brooks in 1956.
Genre	Adventure Family Western
Directed by	Robert G. Walker William Beaudine
Starring	Lee Aaker James Brown Joe Sawyer Rand Brooks Rin Tin Tin (various dogs)
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	5
No. of episodes	164
Production
Producer(s)	Herbert B. Leonard
Running time	25-27 minutes
Production company(s)	Screen Gems
Distributor	Screen Gems
Release
Original network	ABC
Original release	October 15, 1954 (1954-10-15) – May 8, 1959 (1959-05-08)
Chronology
Related shows	Boots and Saddles

The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin was a popular American children's television series that was also a Western show. It first aired in October 1954 and ran until May 1959. A total of 164 episodes were shown on the ABC television network.

The show starred Lee Aaker as Rusty, a young boy who lost his family in an Native American raid. He was then raised by soldiers at a U.S. Cavalry fort called Fort Apache. Rusty and his brave German shepherd dog, Rin Tin Tin, worked together to help the soldiers keep peace in the American West. James E. Brown played Lieutenant Ripley "Rip" Masters. Other main actors included Joe Sawyer as Sergeant Biff O'Hara and Rand Brooks as Corporal Randy Boone.

Making the Show: How Was it Filmed?

Brown and Rin Tin Tin on a 1955 publicity postcard

The TV show was made with a small budget. This meant it was filmed in black-and-white instead of color. Most of the outdoor scenes were shot at the Corriganville Movie Ranch in Simi Valley, California. This ranch had a special set that looked like Fort Apache.

Other action scenes were filmed at the Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, Los Angeles. This ranch was famous for its huge rocks and was used in many Hollywood movies.

The show had a group of 12 actors who often played different characters in the same episode. Sometimes, an actor might even play a soldier in one scene and a Native American in another! The main dog, Rin Tin Tin IV, lived about 90 miles away at a ranch in Riverside, California. Many fans would visit to see the famous dog.

Who Were the Main Characters?

The show featured a small but important group of actors. They brought the stories of Fort Apache to life.

Main Cast Members

• Lee Aaker played Corporal Rusty "B-Company", the young boy.
• James Brown was Lt. Ripley 'Rip' Masters, the leader.
• Rin Tin Tin IV and Flame, Jr. were the dogs who played Rin Tin Tin.
• Joe Sawyer played Sgt. Biff O'Hara.
• Rand Brooks was Corporal Randy Boone.

Other Important Actors

Many other actors played different roles throughout the series. Some of them appeared in several episodes.

• William Forrest as Major Swanson
• Hal Hopper as Cpl. Clark
• John Hoyt as Colonel Barker
• Harry Strang as Sheriff
• Dean Fredericks as Komawi
• Mildred von Hollen as Mrs. Barrington
• George Keymas as Black Billy
• Ralph Moody as Silas Gunn
• Tom McKee as Capt. Davis
• William Fawcett as Captain Longey/Marshal George Higgins
• Morris Ankrum as Chief Red Eagle
• Lane Bradford as Barrows
• Ernest Sarracino as Hamid Bey
• Jack Littlefield as Karl
• Dehl Berti as Katawa
• Bill Hale as Cole Hogarth
• Steven Ritch as Lone Hawk
• Lee Roberts as Aaron Depew
• Larry Chance as Apache Jack
• Charles Stevens as Geronimo
• Gordon Richards as Hubert Twombly
• Pierre Watkin as The Vet
• Tommy Farrell as Carpenter
• Harry Hickox as John Carter
• Andy Clyde as Homer Tubbs
• Ed Hinton as Seth Ramsey
• Patrick Whyte as McKenzie
• Stanley Andrews as Ed Whitmore
• Abel Fernandez as O-ye-tza
• Louis Lettieri as Chief Pokiwah
• Jan Arvan as Chief Running Horse
• William Henry as Bill Anderson

Guest Stars: Famous Faces Who Appeared

Many well-known actors from Western movies and TV shows appeared as guest stars.

• Roscoe Ates and Dean Fredericks (who later starred in Sky King) appeared in several episodes.
• John M. Pickard, who starred in Boots and Saddles, was on Rin Tin Tin three times.
• Other famous guest stars included Lee Van Cleef and Harry Dean Stanton.
• Robert Fuller, who later starred in Laramie, appeared in "The Epidemic" (1958).
• Harry Cheshire, known from Buffalo Bill, Jr., was in "The Misfit Marshal" (1959).
• Brad Johnson from Annie Oakley played John Quinn in "The Iron Horse" (1955).
• Robert Knapp was Allen in "The Guilty One" (1955).
• William Fawcett played an older marshal in four episodes, including "Higgins Rides Again" (1955).
• Rico Alaniz appeared twice, as Big Elk and Don Valdez (both in 1956).

When and Where Did it Air?

The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin was first shown on ABC every Friday evening from October 1954 to May 1959. After its original run, ABC showed reruns in the late afternoons from September 1959 to September 1961.

In its first year (1954-1955), the show was very popular. It was the second most-watched show on ABC, right after Disneyland.

Later, Reruns were shown on CBS on Saturdays from September 1962 to September 1964. The show was also rerun in 1976 and continued into the mid-1980s. For these later reruns, the original black-and-white episodes were given a light brown tint. New opening and closing scenes were filmed in color in Utah.

Today, the show can still be seen in some places. Antenna TV airs remastered episodes. These new versions have improved digital color and some lines are even re-recorded with new actors. They also have a different theme song.

Episodes: A Look at the Seasons

The show had five exciting seasons. Here are the titles of the episodes from each season.

Season 1 (1954-55)

Season 2 (1955–56)

Season 3 (1956-57)

Season 4 (1957-58)

Season 5 (1958-59)

See also

In Spanish: Las aventuras de Rin tin tin para niños