Rin Tin Tin Page 2

Rin Tin Tin made 26 movies for Warner Brothers, and at his peak received 10,000 fan letters and $6,000 a week. Warner Brothers called him "the mortgage lifter" and credited him with saving the studio from bankruptcy.

They in turn maintained a kennel of 18 canine stand-ins so Rinty would not have to deal with the more mundane aspects of filmmaking. The studio provided a private chef who prepared him tenderloin steak every day, which he ate as classical music played. Audiences loved him, but co-stars reported he would bite!

Despite all that Rinty had done for them, in 1929 the studio considered dismissing him, reasoning the new talkies would make a dog, who couldn't talk, obsolete. Rinty proved them wrong, being just as popular in the so-called "barkies" as he'd ever been. It shouldn't have been any surprise -- after all, Rinty even had his own radio show, aptly named "The Wonder Dog."

Rinty was still filming at almost age 14, when one morning at home he suddenly couldn't walk. He died in the arms of Jean Harlow, who lived across the street from Duncan and Rinty in Beverly Hills, and had rushed over at Duncan's call. He was returned to his birthplace in France, where he is buried in "The Cimetiere des Chiens (et Autres Animaux Exotiques)" in the suburb of Asnieres.

The Legacy of Rinty

Rin Tin Tin left behind a legacy of descendants who starred in movies and television for decades. He popularized the German Shepherd breed and encouraged dog owners to train their dogs. His descendants can still be found in homes and working situations.

One descendant even searched the Pentagon after 9-11. A Rinty For Kids (ARF Kids) provides Rinty descendents as pet-assisted therapy dogs for special needs children, and the Rin Tin Tin Canine Ambassador Club provides educational material about dogs for children. For more information visit www.rintintin.com.