Rin Tin Tin

Who of my generation doesn’t remember Corporal Rusty and Private Rin Tin Tin, and the exciting adventures they shared together each week on the Adventures of Rin Tin Tin television series? My sister and I delighted in these adventures and watched avidly each week to share in the thrills experienced by a boy and his dog. So, when I saw the book Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend by Susan Orlean, a flood of memories rushed back and I knew I had to read this book.

As Orlean herself remarks in the book, “In the buzzing white noise of my babyhood, a boy on the television was always shouting ‘Yo, Rinty’, a bugle was always blowing, and a big dog was always bounding across the screen to save the day....I came across the name Rin Tin Tin a few years ago while reading about animals in Hollywood. It was a name I had not heard or thought about in decades, but a shock of recognition surged through me and made me sit up straight, as if I brushed against a hot stove.”

I agree with Orlean’s assessment. I hadn’t thought about the name in years, but when I saw the book, a flood of memories washed over me. I was surprised to learn that Rin Tin Tin was NOT a made up name for a movie dog, but was a real dog who had founded a dynasty of Rin Tin Tins. Lee Duncan, Rin Tin Tin’s owner, found Rin Tin Tin the first, along with his litter mates, on a battlefield in France during World War I. The pups were only a week or so old. Duncan cared for them, saved out two for himself, and managed to bring one of them, the original Rin Tin Tin, home with him at the end of the war. Duncan trained the dog, and Rin Tin Tin eventually starred in silent movies and became famous the world over.

This book fascinated me with the history of Lee Duncan, Rin Tin Tin, and the successive Rin Tin Tins. The book outlines the movie industry as it went from silents to talking movies to television, Rin Tin Tin’s rise to fame, his death, and the making of Rin Tin Tin III and Rin Tin Tin IV.

I also learned a lot about the use of animals during World War I. As Orlean points out in her book, estimates show that 16 million animals were deployed in World War I. These animals included horses, camels, mules, homing pigeons, oxen and of course, dogs. Dogs worked in every possible capacity, including as messengers, Red Cross rescue dogs, cadaver dogs; they pulled carts, carried cigarettes to the troops, and performed many other duties. World War I also exposed the German Shepherd breed to the rest of the world, and the interest in this breed soared.

I found this book extremely interesting, not only for the history of Rin Tin Tin and his progeny, but also because of the facts Orlean presents, the discussion of the movie industry, why animals became so popular in the movies, and of course the information about the making of the television series “The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin”.

This is a story about a unique dog, his owner, and the time in which the dog and its descendants lived. As Orlean says, “For me, the narrative of Rin Tin Tin is extraordinary because it has lasted. He is that rare thing that endures when so much else rushes past…it is the continuity of an idea that makes life seem like it has a pattern that is wise and beautiful…I believe there will always be a Rin Tin Tin because there will always be stories. He began as a story about surprise and wonder, a stroke of luck in a luckless time, and then he became a fulfilled promise of perfect friendship, then he became a way to tell stories that soared for years. He made people feel complete.”

I recommend this book to anyone who remembers Rin Tin Tin, and for those who like good dog stories.