Hello and thank you for listening to The Dog Studio, where we discover there is more to dogs than meets the eye. I’m Radek Blažo, and today, I’m sharing the incredible story of the most famous dog of his era, a true  Hollywood legend.

This is the story of this most famous dog in all the world, this is the story of Rin Tin Tin.

This German Shepherd wasn’t just a star of silent movies in the 1920s and 30s; his own journey from a war in France to the silver screen is as extraordinary as the fame he achieved.

Let’s dive into the remarkable tale of Rin Tin Tin—a dog who captured the hearts of millions and left a legacy that still lives on.

Our story begins during the First World War, on September 15, 1918, in the small, devastated French village of Flirey. Corporal Lee Duncan, he was a young American soldier serving as an armorer in the Air Service. This day he had been sent to scout the area for his unit. The village was strangely deserted. Buildings were crumbling from earlier bombardments, and the air was heavy with silence.

While exploring the site, Duncan stumbled upon a kennel. The place was previously used to breed dogs for the German army. It was in shambles. It looked completely deserted. No people around. But to his surprise, it wasn’t completely empty. There was something he found that would later change his whole life upside down. Yet, at this moment, he had no idea of what is coming.

As he searched through the kennel, suddenly he heard a noise. But this noise was different than the ones war around him prepared him for. This was a noise of life. A noise of small puppies nursing and cuddling with their mother. As he followed this sound, he looked into what looked like a dark corner. There it was. A female with a litter of tiny, little puppies. The mother was kind, no growling. She looked like she was asking for help. She seemed emaciated. By her belly were five puppies. So small, their eyes were not even open yet. The survival of this German shepard mom and her puppies was completely in Duncan´s hands. There was no way they would survive the war.

Duncan couldn’t leave them to die. He quickly gathered the mother and her pups, and brought them back to his base. This little miracle of life was what the soldiers needed. Yet, they didn’t even know it.

They nursed the mother back to health and cared for the puppies until they were weaned. Once they were strong enough, Duncan found homes for three of the puppies and gifted the mother to an officer. But two puppies he kept for himself. The girl was light and the boy was sable colored.

Naming them was easy. French children often gave American soldiers small toys called, as a gesture of gratefulness. They were believed to bring good luck charm to soldiers. The toys were named Nanette and Rin Tin Tin. Rin Tin Tin and Nanette. Inspired, these are the names Duncan gave to the puppies. The girl was Nanette and the boy was no other than Rin Tin Tin.

The presenters of The Rest Is History podcast actually opened my eyes to the fact that the dog’s name is properly pronounced “Ran Tan Tan,” as that was the correct French version. However, since this name was likely difficult for Americans, the dog was called Rin Tin Tin, or simply „Rinty“.

When the war ended, Duncan couldn’t bear to leave the puppies behind. Smuggling them aboard a ship bound for America, he brought Rinty and Nanette home. Once in the U.S., the dogs were quarantined with a breeder, Mrs. Leo Hanner, in New York. She specialized in training police dogs, and while the dogs were in her care, she began teaching them some tricks. Both excelled at the training, with Nanette proving to be even more skilled than her brother.

Tragically, Nanette fell ill with pneumonia shortly after their arrival. Despite all efforts, she passed away. Heartbroken, Duncan accepted another puppy from the breeder as a replacement. To honor the original Nanette, he named the new female puppy Nanette II.

Even in their early training days, Rinty showed exceptional intelligence and athleticism. He had a great ability to jump higher than any dog his trainer had seen. Duncan noticed Rinty’s eagerness to learn and started training him more extensively.

As he settled with his dogs in Los Angeles, Duncan kept on training Rinty himself. The dog’s agility and intelligence were unmatched, and Duncan believed Rinty’s talents deserved recognition. Not really knowing what he could do with it, he entered Rinty in a local dog show. Actually, Duncan was actually one of the founders of the Shepard dog club in California.

The first attempt didn’t go as planned. Although Rinty impressed the judges with his agility, he also barked, growled  and snapped at the judge. This disqualified him that day. To make matters worse, on the way home a disaster striked again. A heavy bundle of newspapers was thrown from the truck. It landed directly on Rinty and broke his front leg.

Duncan was devastated. He nursed Rinty through an excruciating nine-month recovery, carefully tending to his injured leg.

But just 10 months after the accident, Duncan decided to enter Rinty in a dog show again. He was convinced that this time, things would be different—and indeed, they were. As the saying goes, „right time, right place,“ and this was exactly that moment.

Rin Tin Tin had a lucky day, showcasing his exceptional jumping ability and winning the award for the highest jump for a shepard. Fortunately, the jump was captured on film by Duncan’s acquaintance Charley Jones, who had just developed a slow-motion camera. Upon reviewing the footage, Jones remarked that Rin Tin Tin would likely make a fantastic movie dog.

Duncan later wrote, „I was so excited over the film idea that I found myself thinking of it night and day.“

Duncan was thrilled by the idea. He began taking Rinty to Hollywood, walking him along the sidewalks and performing tricks to showcase his talent. He spoke to anyone who would listen, asking for opportunities for his dog.

His big break came in 1922. There was a movie The Man from Hell’s River being shot. It starred a wolf. But the original wolf was camera shy and impossible to work with. The replacement was no other than Rin Tin Tin. His performance was so amazing. He captivated everyone and this movie opened the doors to his incredible career in Hollywood.

Rinty quickly became a household name. His agility, intelligence, and expressive face made him a favorite of directors. Unlike human actors, Rinty needed no retakes. He was always ready to perform. Audiences adored him.

By the mid-1920s, Rin Tin Tin was Warner Bros.’ biggest movie star. His films brought in huge profits, and his popularity helped pull the studio out of financial trouble. It’s no exaggeration to say that Rin Tin Tin saved Warner Bros. from bankruptcy.

Fan mail poured in—up to 50,000 letters a week, all addressed to the dog. One fan wrote, “He is a human dog, human in the real big sense of the word.”

Rin Tin Tin starred in 29 movies, becoming one of the highest-paid actors of his time. His films were often scheduled in prime slots, as his name alone guaranteed box office success.

A popular urban legend claims that Rin Tin Tin won the first-ever Academy Award for Best Actor in 1929. But the Academy supposedly decided that only humans could receive the golden statue. Whether true or not, the story reflects the immense fame Rin Tin Tin enjoyed.

Rin Tin Tin’s influence extended far beyond the silver screen. Even Anne Frank mentioned him in her diary. In the second entry, she wrote about the things she and her sister Margot missed while hiding from the Nazis. Watching Rin Tin Tin was one of them. This small detail shows how universally beloved this dog was—even in the darkest times, his films brought joy to people.

When sound films emerged, Rin Tin Tin’s career faced challenges. Studios wanted actors with speaking roles, and silent film stars—human and canine—were done. The studio supposedly fired Rinty on the spot. Still, he continued to work, appearing in television shows like The Lone Defender. The sound of which we play in this podcast.

For these roles, Duncan had to adapt his training methods. He couldn’t use voice commands, so he trained the dog to understand only hand gestures. Rinty made this transition seamlessly.

In his personal life, Rin Tin Tin sired 48 puppies across several litters with Nanette II. Many of these babies were given to celebrities, including Greta Garbo. Duncan kept several puppies and trained them for movies, ensuring Rinty’s legacy lived on.

Rin Tin Tin passed away on August 10, 1932, at Duncan’s home. His death made national news. Radio and Tv programs were interrupted, newspapers ran obituaries, and a special television broadcast commemorated his life the next day.

Initially Duncan buried Rinty in his backyard, as he struggled finantially at the time. After a few years, he sold the house and moved Rinty´s remains to a pet cemetery in Paris, the country where the story of Rin Tin Tin began.

Duncan often described Rinty as “not just a dog, but a best friend and companion who changed my life.”

Even today, Rin Tin Tin’s legacy endures. His descendants, carefully bred by Duncan, have carried on his name for generations. The 12th generation of Rin Tin Tin’s lineage continues to work in film and television to this day.

In October 2011, at the first annual Hero Dog Awards in Beverly Hills, Rin Tin Tin was awarded the American Humane Association Legacy Award. The honor was accepted by a twelfth-generation Rin Tin Tin legacy dog, a fitting tribute to the enduring impact of the original Rinty.

Rin Tin Tin’s story is more than just a tale of a talented dog. His story began with a stroke of luck just days after his birth, and he went on to bring joy and  inspiration. But most importantly, he deepened the understanding of the bond between humans and dogs.

Thank you for listening to this episode of The Dog Studio. I’m Radek Blažo. If you enjoyed this story, please follow us for more, leave a review, and share this podcast with your friends. Until next time, enjoy your dogs and celebrate the remarkable bond you share with them.