Rin Tin Tin films
Rin Tin Tin films refer to a series of movies featuring a German shepherd dog that became a significant cultural phenomenon in early 20th-century American cinema. The character originated with a dog rescued by American soldier Lee Duncan during World War I, who later became an acclaimed film star for Warner Bros. in the 1920s. Rin Tin Tin made his film debut in "The Man from Hell's River" (1922), and went on to star in 26 productions, including notable films such as "Where the North Begins" (1923) and "Clash of the Wolves" (1925), the latter recognized in the National Film Registry.
Rin Tin Tin's popularity was instrumental in helping Warner Bros. survive financially during a challenging period. His films were characterized by adventurous plots and showcased the dog's remarkable stunts, contributing to his status as a beloved figure. After Rin Tin Tin's passing in 1932, his legacy persisted through his descendants and inspired multiple spin-offs, including radio serials and the 1950s television series "The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin." The impact of these films is evident in the continued adoration for the character and the recognition of Rin Tin Tin with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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Rin Tin Tin films
The wildly popular Rin Tin Tin films reportedly saved a struggling Warner Bros. studio from bankruptcy in the early 1920s. Thanks to several scripts written by staff writer Darryl Zanuck, the films became Warner Bros.’ first truly successful franchise.
On September 15, 1918, American soldier Lee Duncan found a mother dog and litter of German shepherd puppies in the ruins of a bombed-out building in Lorraine, France. Duncan rescued the animals and claimed two of the pups, a male and a female, for his own. He named the male dog “Rin Tin Tin” and the female dog “Nanette,” after small puppets that French children gave the soldiers for good luck. Though Nanette died soon after Duncan returned to the United States, Rin Tin Tin survived.
After training Rin Tin Tin to do stunts, Duncan decided that the dog belonged in films and approached Hollywood with a script he had written called Where the North Begins. Though no production company would take on his script, Duncan did talk a Warner Bros. crew into allowing Rin Tin Tin to fill in for an uncooperative wolf in a scene for the 1922 film The Man from Hell’s River. He claimed his dog could complete the scene in one take; the dog was true to his owner’s word and was hired for the rest of the shoot.
In the following eight years, Rin Tin Tin starred in twenty-six Warner Bros. productions, alongside such acclaimed actors as Myrna Loy, John Barrymore, and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. His first major role was in the film Where the North Begins (1923), adapted from Duncan’s original script. Subsequent movies included Find Your Man (1924), the script that won screenwriter Darryl Zanuck his first job at Warner Bros.; The Lighthouse by the Sea (1924), another Zanuck-penned film; and Clash of the Wolves (1925), which has since been entered into the National Film Registry in the Library of Congress.
Rin Tin Tin died at Duncan’s home in Los Angeles on August 10, 1932. It is commonly rumored that film star Jean Harlow, who lived across the street, held the dog’s head in her lap as he died. He was later buried in France.
Impact
Following Rin Tin Tin’s death, his legacy was carried on by his descendants, who provided Warner Bros. with numerous hits over the next several decades. Rin Tin Tin was one of the most admired film stars of the period, receiving thousands of fan letters every week and eventually becoming one of a small number of animals given a Hollywood Walk of Fame star. The popularity of his movies spawned three radio serials, only the first of which starred the original Rin Tin Tin, and led to the 1950s television series The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin.
Bibliography
Elwood, Ann. Rin-Tin-Tin: The Movie Star. Seattle, Wash.: CreateSpace, 2010.
English, James W. The Rin Tin Tin Story. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1958.
Orlean, Susan. Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2011.