Rin Tin Tin or Rin-Tin-Tin was a male German Shepherd born in Flirey, France, who became an international star in motion pictures. He was rescued from a World War I battlefield by an American soldier, Lee Duncan, who nicknamed him "Rinty". Duncan trained Rin Tin Tin and obtained silent film work for the dog. Rin Tin Tin was an immediate box-office success and went on to appear in 27 Hollywood films, gaining worldwide fame. Along with the earlier canine film star Strongheart, Rin Tin Tin was responsible for greatly increasing the popularity of German Shepherd dogs as family pets. The immense profitability of his films contributed to the success of Warner Bros. studios and helped advance the career of Darryl F. Zanuck from screenwriter to producer and studio executive.
Etzel von Oeringen, better known as Strongheart, was a male German Shepherd who was one of the early canine stars of feature films.
Laurence Norwood Trimble was an American silent film director, writer and actor. Trimble began his film career directing Jean, the Vitagraph Dog, the first canine to have a leading role in motion pictures. He made his acting debut in the 1910 silent Saved by the Flag, directed scores of films for Vitagraph and other studios, and became head of production for Florence Turner's independent film company in England (1913–1916). Trimble was most widely known for his four films starring Strongheart, a German Shepherd dog he discovered and trained that became the first major canine film star. After he left filmmaking he trained animals exclusively, particularly guide dogs for the blind.
The Family Secret is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by William A. Seiter and featuring child star Baby Peggy. It is based on Editha's Burglar, a story by Frances Hodgson Burnett first published in 1881 by St. Nicholas Magazine and adapted for the stage by Augustus E. Thomas.
Jean, also known as the Vitagraph Dog (1902–1916), was a female collie that starred in silent films. Owned and guided by director Laurence Trimble, she was the first canine to have a leading role in motion pictures. Jean was with Vitagraph Studios from 1909, and in 1913 went with Trimble to England to work with Florence Turner in her own independent film company.
Jane Murfin was an American playwright and screenwriter. The author of several successful plays, she wrote some of them with actress Jane Cowl—most notably Smilin' Through (1919), which was adapted three times for motion pictures. In Hollywood Murfin became a popular screenwriter whose credits include What Price Hollywood? (1932), for which she received an Academy Award nomination. In the 1920s she lived with Laurence Trimble, writing and producing films for their dog Strongheart, the first major canine star.
Counterfeit is a 1919 American silent detective drama film directed by George Fitzmaurice and starring Elsie Ferguson. The assistant director was C. Van Arsdale.
Lightning was a German shepherd from a line of canine silent film stars. A grandson of Strongheart, Lightning was billed as "The Wonder Dog" and "The Marvel Dog". He began life as a runt but grew to be larger than average for the breed, and he was very intelligent. Lightning appeared in numerous movies.
The Last Frontier is a 1926 American silent Western film directed by George B. Seitz and starring William Boyd, Marguerite De La Motte, and Jack Hoxie. The plot of this film was later reused in the 1948 Columbia Pictures serial Tex Granger.
Dearie is a 1927 silent drama film produced and distributed by Warner Bros. and directed by Archie Mayo. It is from a story by Victorian author Carolyn Wells about a woman who sacrifices for her ungrateful son. This film starred Irene Rich and is considered a lost film. It is unknown, but the film might have been released with a Vitaphone soundtrack.
Braveheart is a 1925 American silent contemporary Western film directed by Alan Hale Sr. and starring Rod La Rocque. The story focuses on members of a tribe of Indians who are being intimidated by the owners of a canning company seeking to violate a treaty protecting the tribe's fishing grounds. Braveheart is a remake of the 1914 film Strongheart directed by James Kirkwood Sr. and produced by the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company.
Sundown is a 1924 American silent Western film directed by Laurence Trimble and Harry O. Hoyt, produced and distributed by First National Pictures, and starring Bessie Love. Frances Marion, Marion Fairfax, and Kenneth B. Clarke wrote the screenplay based on an original screen story by Earl Hudson. This film was the only production cinematographer David Thompson ever worked on. This film is presumed lost.
A Tale of Two Worlds is a 1921 American silent drama film produced and distributed by Goldwyn Pictures and directed by Frank Lloyd. The film stars several well-known actors including Leatrice Joy, Wallace Beery, Edythe Chapman, and J. Frank Glendon. The film has been preserved at the Library of Congress.
Silken Shackles is a 1926 American silent drama film produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The film was directed by Walter Morosco, the son of theater owner Oliver Morosco, and based on a play by Charles Harris. Irene Rich leads the cast.
The Love Master is a 1924 American silent family drama film starring canine star Strongheart and actress Lillian Rich, directed by Laurence Trimble. The film survives in a French archive.
The Honeymoon Express is a lost 1926 silent film drama directed by James Flood, starring Willard Louis and Irene Rich. It was never originally meant to be released. Two runtimes were reported at two separate showings.
Powder My Back is a 1928 silent film comedy directed by Roy Del Ruth and starring Irene Rich. It was produced and distributed by Warner Bros. who released it with a Vitaphone music and sound effects track.
Hearts Aflame is a 1923 American silent melodrama film directed by Reginald Barker and starring Frank Keenan, Anna Q. Nilsson, and Craig Ward. The son of a retired timber baron meets and falls in love with a Michigan woman who refuses to sell her land unless the buyer promises to replant to replace the trees that are to be cut down.
North Star is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Paul Powell and starring Virginia Lee Corbin, Stuart Holmes and Ken Maynard. It was made as a showcase for Strongheart the Dog, a rival of Rin Tin Tin. Future star Clark Gable appeared in a supporting role.
White Fang is a 1925 American silent Western film directed by Laurence Trimble and featuring Theodore von Eltz, Ruth Dwyer, and Matthew Betz. It was produced by FBO Pictures as a starring vehicle for Strongheart, an Alsatian who appeared in a number of films during the decade. It is based on the 1906 novel White Fang by Jack London.
