The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin

This year marks the 50th anniversary of two great family programs -- Lassie (q.v.) and the subject of this comment, Rin Tin Tin. I remember that the show was sponsored by the National Biscuit Company, Nabisco to you, and that the stars, like stars of other programs of the time advertised certain products. Needless to say, Rinty and Rusty sold a great deal of Shreaded Wheat, to say nothing of Oreo cookies.

The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin was part of my growing up years and the call 'Yoooooooo, Rinty' echoes in my ears to this day.

'Lassie' and 'The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin' are proof positive that the dog is man's (and woman's) best friend.

Happy 50th television anniversary, Rinty.

Has anyone out there figured out the connection of Rin Tin Tin, the TV series in the 1950s with the Rusty film series of a decade earlier? My hunch is this: The popular TV series which I faithfully watched from 1955-59 (itself spawned by the one year radio show in 1955), is a conflation of the popular Rin Tin Tin canine hero of the post-World War I era in books and movies with the Rusty movie series of eight films produced by Columbia Pictures 1945-1949. In the Rusty movies the German Shepherd is named Rusty and there are various young boys in the lead roles. In the TV series, the dog becomes again Rin Tin Tin and the boy lead becomes Rusty, played by Lee Aakers. Those folks old enough to have been fans in the 1930s and 1940s would have caught the connection at once. But those of us who were 1950s fans would have missed it entirely. Our Rusty for the years 1955-59 (and later in reruns) was a survivor of an Indian raid, who with his dog that he called "Rinty," as in the original books, was rescued by Cavalry to live in the confines and supportive community of Fort Apache. We came to think of characters like Sgt. Biff O'Hara and Lt. Rip Masters as part of our extended family. By the way, James Brown, who played Lt. Rip Masters, showed up again as a regular former policeman-turned J.R. Ewing informant and operative on the Dallas Series in the 1970s.

Forty years ago my French colleague told me that the name Rin Tin Tin was French and should be pronounced "rrrran tan tan", nasally. It's the sound of the drumstick tapping on the drum; it's the cavalry's drum. Presumably this name goes back to the old days when French was spoken in some of the southern states of the US. (This comment really belongs under Trivia; I tried unsuccessfully to put it there.)

Adventure packed story after story. Rusty gets into a danger situation and Rin Tin Tin saves him, either by himself or by going back to Fort Apache to get Lt. Rip Masters and/or Sgt O'Hara and Corporal Boone to save him. It was a must see for 5 years on Friday nights on ABC, than afternoon re-runs and Saturday morning re-runs for years.

Being a fan of "The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin", I was thrilled when I found out Rusty, Rinty and Lt. Masters were coming to Sheridan Village in Peoria, Illinois. I must have been 7 or 8 yrs. old, and I can remember standing in the parking lot, waiting for their arrival. It seemed forever. Suddenly, Rusty and Rinty came past me in a blur. So fast I didn't realize they were there! Then came Lt. Masters in his uniform. He looked 10 feet tall to me. They had to climb onto a trailer and Lt. Masters stepped right on my foot! He turned around and said "I'm so sorry". I nearly fainted. I was speechless, either from the pain or being in such famous company. Childhood memories!