Strongheart

Strongheart (Etzel Von Oeringen – Oct 1 1917 – June 24, 1929) is credited for being one of the first canine film stars. He was initially trained in Germany as a police dog he was later brought into the United States by film makers Laurence Trimble and Jane Murfin. Having successfully made the first film star dog, the Vitagraph Dog, Strongheart was able to appear in several films includng the 1925 adaptation of White Fang.

A popular celebrity in his day, Strongheart paved the way for the much better remembered Rin Tin Tin. Strongheart and his mate, Lady Jule, had many offspring and their line survives to this day. In 1929, while being filmed for a movie, Strongheart accidentally made contact with a hot studio light and was burned. These burns caused a tumor to form and Strongheart died as a result of it.

Stronghart had roles in several films including “The Silent Call” (1921), “Brawn of the North” (1922), “The Love Master” (1924), “North Star” (1925), “White Fang” (1925), and “The Return of Boston Blackie” (1927).

Strongheart has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1724 Vine St.

Rin Tin Tin

Considered one of the most famous German Shepherds of all time, Rin Tin Tin is a household name.

The offspring of Fritz de la Chasse royale and Betty des Flandres, Rin Tin Tin's bloodline is also one of the oldest in the GSD's short history.

Finding Rin Tin Tin - September 15, 1918

As WWI was coming to a close, an American soldier came upon a German Shepherd and her litter of five. At just five days old, the puppies and their mother were the lone survivors of a bombed war dog kennel located in Lorraine, France.

The soldier and his battalion adopted the clan. Corporal Lee Duncan, who made the discovery, picked out two puppies for himself, a boy and a girl. The puppies were named Rin Tin Tin and Nannette (Nenette), after french puppets given to soldiers for good luck.

Ironically, these two chosen pups outlasted their mother and littermates.

Duncan spent much time with the dogs, training them to perform like the German dogs he had encountered during the war. He was so taken with them, that he located and visited the Kennel Master to find out more about this new breed of dog and to learn about Betty and the puppies he had found.

When the war ended, Duncan made arrangements to take his two puppies back home to Los Angeles with him. They boarded a ship for the two week journey to New York. During the voyage, Nanette became ill with dog distemper. Upon arrival, she was in very rough shape.

Duncan came to know Mrs. Wanner, a premier breeder of GSD's, who offered to keep Nanette in an effort to rehabilitate her. Sadly, Nanette succumbed to the disease. Mrs. Wanner sent the distraught Duncan one of her finest female pups in condolence.

A Star is Born

Duncan took Rin Tin Tin with him to several dog shows. In 1922, he astounded everyone by jumping almost 12 feet during a show held by the Shepherd Dog Club of America. After the show, Charles Jones offered Duncan $350 to film the dog with his new moving picture camera. Duncan accepted and realized his dog's star potential.

Duncan shopped nearly every Hollywood studio, but had no takers. His persistence finally paid off when he came across a studio on the verge of bankruptcy.

He found a film crew trying unsuccessfully to shoot a scene with a wolf. Duncan told them that he and his dog could wrap the scene in just one take.

They told him to leave, but eventually relented. The shot was complete in one take, as promised. And they were kept on for the filming of "Man From Hell's River."

Studio Rescue Dog

Rin Tin Tin is credited for saving the struggling studio...

Warner Brothers Pictures.

The film hit the jackpot. The public adored this amazing and heroic dog. During the height of his career, he received 10,000 fan letters a week.

For years, his films were the studio's main source of income. He went on to make almost 30 more pictures with Warner Brothers. On August 10, 1932, Rin Tin Tin died unexpectedly. He was to start a new film the next week.

Devastated by his loss, Duncan eventually arranged to return his beloved dog back to his country of birth.

He is buried in a renowned pet cemetery, Cimetiére des Chiens, in the Parisian suburb of Asniéres-sur-Seine.

Filmography

• Man From Hell's River (1922)
• My Dad (1922)
• Shadows of the North (1923)
• Where the North Begins (1923)
• Find Your Man (1924)
• The Lighthouse By the Sea (1924)
• Tracked in the Snow Country (1925)
• Below the Line (1925)
• Clash of the Wolves (1925)
• The Night Cry (1926)
• Hero of the Big Snows (1926)
• While London Sleeps (1926)
• Tracked By the Police (1927)
• Jaws of Steel (1927)
• Hills of Kentucky (1927)
• Dog of the Regiment (1927)
• Land of the Silver Fox (1928)
• Race for Life (1928)
• Rinty of the Desert (1928)
• Frozen River (1929)
• A Dog of the Regiment (1929)
• The Million Dollar Collar (1929)
• Show of Shows (1929)
• On the Border (1930)
• Tiger Rose (1930)
• The Man Hunter (1930)
• Rough Waters (1930)
• The Lone Defender (1930)
• The Lightning Warrior (1931)

Rin Tin Tin II & More

An offspring named Junior (RTT II) followed in his famous father's footsteps. Though Duncan did not feel he was equal to his father in ability or structure, he vowed to continue the legacy.

The studio put them on the road for a promotional tour. During that tour in 1933, Junior became the first dog to fly by commercial air. Like his father had done, he captured the hearts of many fans.

Duncan was so devoted to his dog that his wife filed for divorce naming Rin Tin Tin as co-respondent. The published report stated her feeling that Duncan loved the dog more than he loved her. The case was later dropped and the divorce not granted.

When WWII broke out, Duncan wanted to contribute, but was limited by an injury. Instead, he started a training camp for dogs in the military. Over 5,000 dogs and handlers were trained by Duncan and Rin Tin Tin III for the war effort at Camp Hahn in California.

The Legacy Continues

Many people approached Duncan about obtaining pups from his famous dogs. He only found one person with the dedication needed to uphold the lineage.

Janettia Brodsgaard Propps requested a puppy for her breeding program. She ultimately obtained four dogs from Duncan. And received his approval to continue the line.

Duncan passed on September 20, 1960. But the future of the Rinty line was left in good hands with Ms. Propps and Bodyguard Kennels. She continued to breed with the primary attributes of intelligence and sound working structure.

Though Duncan preferred the light silver grey color, as it was more easily seen on black and white television, he did not discriminate on the basis of coat color. Several white dogs were in his breeding program as they were judged primarily on ability.

The temperament of the dogs was showcased by the fact that the two security companies which utilized Rin Tin Tin dogs were the only two in TX that had never had a complaint filed against them.

Ms. Propps passed on December 17, 1988 and her granddaughter, Miss Hereford took over and maintains the strong lineage today. Dogs are placed on a strict spay/neuter agreement to protect the integrity of the lineage and the name.

"I have a working knowledge of the bloodline that will continue to produce dogs both Lee Duncan and my grandmother would be proud of as they are a true tribute to their namesake and identical in every way to them.

"There Will Always Be a Rin Tin Tin!" says Miss Hereford.

Postage Stamp Honor

Please consider signing the petition to honor this amazing dog with a commemorative postage stamp.

 
Love Leads the Way

Love Leads the Way-A touching 1984 made-for-television movie made by and for the Disney Channel, this film is fondly remembered by many fans of the German Shepherd dog. Starring Timothy Bottoms and Glynnis O'Connor, this film follows the story of an insurance salesman who is blinded following a freak boxing accident. In the aftermath of this tragedy, he finds himself angry and bitter, impossible to cope sightless with the world around him. His world is turned upside down once more, however, when he learns about a then-innovative European program that trains dogs – German Shepherd dogs, to be exact – to help the blind “see.” Morris Frank comes to meet and known his seeing eye companion, falling in love with the intelligent, brave, dog only to be blocked at every turn by harsh regulations that prevent him from taking his canine companion into public buildings. Soon, he must fight for the right to stay with his seeing eye dog, and for the rights of blind individuals everywhere. Love Leads the Way is based on the true story of Morris Frank and his fight for seeing-eye dog legislation in America.

 THE TRUE STORY BEHIND THIS FILM...

Filmed in Franklin, TN, the Disney Film in the spring of 1984 called Love Leads the Way. It's the true story of the first seeing eye dog. Middle Tennessee has been the location for filming numerous films over the years, but what makes this one special is that not only was it filmed here in middle Tennessee, but it is the story of a remarkable Tennessean, Morris Frank.Morris Frank was 16 years old when he lost his sight in a fight at school. His mother had lost the sight in one eye because of a hemorrhage during childbirth and had lost the sight in the other later in a horseback riding accident. Although she had never allowed blindness to stop her from doing anything, Morris found that it restricted him greatly. Blind people did not have many career options in 1924. Although they often learned as much as their sighted peers and some went to college, these accomplishments did not help them to break out of the roles which society had prescribed for them. They were performers, beggars or workers in sheltered workshops. In 1927 Mr. Frank was a blind man in Nashville who heard about a program in Switzerland that trained dogs to be used by the police and the military, and as guide dogs for the Red Cross. If dogs could be trained to do that, why couldn't they be trained to assist sightless people?Frank contacted Dorothy Harrison Eustis, the woman who trained the dogs in the Swiss Alps. Frank wanted the kind of independence a dog could provide, and he wanted to work to bring this same independence to others.She wasn't certain if dogs could be trained to assist the visually challenged, but she found a trainer and dog willing to test the theory. When Frank returned to Nashville with his new best friend, Buddy, he commenced to challenge the "no dogs" rule prevalent in area business establishments. Stemming from this success, Franks established the Seeing Eye, the oldest guide dog school in the country, now headquartered in New Jersey.

 

 

 

 

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K-9

K-9 -Another 1980's film, K-9 is less a touching drama than a hilarious action-packed comedy. Starring Jim Belushi as foul-tempered San Diego policeman Michael Dooley, K-9 follows the story of Dooley's unfortunate run-in with a powerful drug trafficking group, who has tagged him for execution. To help protect him, his friend Brannigan – played by Ed O'Neill – supplies him with a “police dog” - Jerry Lee, who has been trained in the craft of sniffing drugs. Unfortunately – and humorously – Jerry Lee proves to be even more stubborn and obstinate than Dooley himself, and together the two characters get into hilarious scrapes and antics. Jerry Lee was played by real-life police dog “Koton,” who was tragically later killed in a real-life drug bust. His heroic actions, however, helped uncover over 10 kilos of cocaine from the suspects.

I Am Legend

 I am Legend -While Will Smith plays the major lead role in this post-apocalyptic science fiction film, released in 2007, a German Shepherd dog plays a pivotal – if often tragic role. Protagonist Colonel Robert Neville is one of very few people left alive after a devastating attack of a mutated virus has destroyed 90% of humanity, and turned another nearly 600 million people into “Darkseekers” - chaotic, blood-thirsty, zombie-like individuals. Living in fear of both the virus and these “Darkseekers,” Will Smith's character, Colonel Neville, has only the friendship of his beloved German Shepherd dog Samantha (“Sam”) as he seeks to find a cure for the virus. While the German Shepherd dog in this film comes to a predictably tragic end, she is nevertheless depicted as a heroic figure whose loss inspires Will Smith to work harder to find a cure for the virus that is ravaging humanity

The Hills Have Eyes

The Hills Have Eyes -Two German Shepherd dogs play a vital role in this 1977 horror film. Directed by Wes Craven, famous horror impresario, The Hills Have Eyes tells the story of a normal suburban family who are beset and attacked by a family of ravaging cannibals in rural America. Beauty and Beast, the two German Shepherd dogs accompanying our protagonists, come to grisly and upsetting fates – but their outcomes play an important emotional role in defining the climax of the film. However, for most German Shepherd lovers easily offended or upset by animal cruelty, this film is not remotely recommended.

Downfall

Downfall -In this controversial Adolf Hitler biopic, the motif of Hitler's relationship with his beloved German Shepherd dog – Blondi – based on the real-life figure's famous affinity for his pet – is used to explore the fine line between humanity and monstrousness – and how someone at once so loving to his pets could engage in the mass cruelty and horror with which his name would be associated forevermore. While the film raises many difficult questions – and indeed, presents us with irreconcilable images of one of the most abhorrent men the world has ever known – its intriguing use of the German Shepherd dog to juxtapose humanity and “animal” cruelty makes it a worthwhile film for all German Shepherd lovers – or at least those who can stomach the perhaps inevitable tragic ending for the pooch.

The Littlest Hobo

The Littlest Hobo -This Canadian television series has gained a cult following after its original airing. The story of an itinerant German Shepherd dog, traveling from Canadian town to Canadian town and transforming the lives of its inhabitants aired from 1963-5, and was then re-aired to popular acclaim on CTV from 1979-85 as The New Littlest Hobo. Unlike Lassie, the German Shepherd dog in the film – referred to as “Hobo” although never actually named onscreen – did not remain with one family, but rather was constantly “on the move,” doing good deeds in each town he visited.

 Beverley Hills Chihuahua 1 & 2
Starring
"Delgado"
the GSD Hero
who saves Chloe

Beverley Hills Chihuahua is a 2008 family comedy film produced by Walt Disney Pictures.  It is directed by Raja Gosnell.  The plot centers around a Chihuahua, Chloe, who gets dognapped in Mexico and has to escape from an evil Doberman, El Diablo, with the help from a fallen hero police dog German Shepherd named Delgado and a hyperactive male Chihuahua, Papi, who has a desperate crush on her.

A Box Office Sensation. Go Delgado!