Etzel von Oeringen, better known as Strongheart, was a male German Shepherd that 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.
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, née Macklem 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.
None but the Brave (1928) is an American silent film, released by Fox Film Corporation, directed by Albert Ray, and starring Charles Morton as Charles Stanton, Sally Phipps as Mary. The film also co-starred J. Farrell MacDonald, Sharon Lynn, and Tom Kennedy. One or two sequences were filmed in a two-strip Technicolor, made of black-and-white 35mm film dyed in colors. The film consists of six reels.
Naughty but Nice is a 1927 American silent romantic comedy film directed by Millard Webb. Colleen Moore plays Bernice Sumners, a hayseed sent to a ritzy boarding school for finishing after her family strikes it rich in oil.
Brawn of the North is a lost 1922 American silent Northwoods film. It was produced by Laurence Trimble and Jane Murfin with release through Associated First National Pictures. The film stars Irene Rich and a new canine find by Trimble named Strongheart. This was the second film starring the dog after his introduction in The Silent Call (1921). The film is now considered lost.
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.
With Buffalo Bill on the U.P. Trail, alternately called Buffalo Bill on the U.P. Trail, is a 1926 American silent historical Western film starring Roy Stewart as Buffalo Bill Cody. It was directed by Frank Mattison and produced by Anthony J. Xydias.
North of Nome is a 1925 American silent action film directed by Raymond K. Johnson and starring Robert McKim, Gladys Johnston and Robert N. Bradbury.
From Headquarters is a 1929 American sound part-talkie adventure drama film directed by Howard Bretherton and starring Monte Blue, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Gladys Brockwell, Lionel Belmore, and Henry B. Walthall. In addition to sequences with audible dialogue or talking sequences, the film features a synchronized musical score and sound effects along with English intertitles. The soundtrack was recorded using the Vitaphone sound-on-disc system. The film was released by Warner Bros. on April 27, 1929.
Tearing Through is a 1925 American silent action film directed by Arthur Rosson and starring Richard Talmadge, Kathryn McGuire, and Herbert Prior. It was released in Britain in 1926 by Ideal Films. The film originally had the title "Yellow Faces".
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, a German Shepherd who appeared in a number of films during the decade. It is based on the 1906 novel White Fang by Jack London.
The Love Pirate is a 1923 American silent drama film directed by Richard Thomas and starring Melbourne MacDowell, Carmel Myers and Kathryn McGuire.
Pioneer's Gold is a 1924 American silent Western film directed by Victor Adamson and starring Kathryn McGuire, Pete Morrison and Virginia Warwick. It was produced by the independent Sanford Productions.
Somebody's Mother is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Oscar Apfel and starring Mary Carr, Rex Lease, and Kathryn McGuire.
Blood and Steel is a 1925 American silent Western film directed by J.P. McGowan and starring Helen Holmes, William Desmond, and Robert Edeson.
Bucking the Line is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by Carl Harbaugh and starring Maurice 'Lefty' Flynn, Molly Malone and Kathryn McGuire.
For Ladies Only is a 1927 American silent comedy film directed by Henry Lehrman and Scott Pembroke and starring John Bowers, Jacqueline Logan and Edna Marion.
Bare Knuckles is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by James P. Hogan and starring William Russell, Mary Thurman and George Fisher.
