Strongheart
Encyclopedia
German Shepherd Dog
The German Shepherd Dog , also known as an Alsatian or just the German Shepherd, is a breed of large-sized dog that originated in Germany. The German Shepherd is a relatively new breed of dog, with its origin dating to 1899. As part of the Herding Group, the German Shepherd is a working dog...
that became one of the earliest canine
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
stars. After being trained in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
as a police dog
Police dog
A police dog, often referred to as a "K-9 dog" in some areas , is a dog that is trained specifically to assist police and other law-enforcement personnel in their work...
, he was brought to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by husband and wife filmmakers Laurence Trimble
Laurence Trimble
Laurence Trimble was an American silent film actor, writer and director. Trimble began his career as an actor in the 1910 silent Saved by the Flag. He made 100 silent films between 1908 and 1926...
and Jane Murfin
Jane Murfin
Jane Murfin was an American playwright and screenwriter.Born in Quincy, Michigan, Murfin began her career with the play Lilac Time, which she co-wrote with Jane Cowl. The Broadway production opened on February 6, 1917 and ran for 176 performances...
, who had previously worked successfully with Jean, the Vitagraph Dog
Vitagraph Dog
Jean, the Vitagraph Dog , a female Border Collie, was a dog actor that performed title roles in early silent films. She was a precursor to other famous dog actors like Lassie and Rin Tin Tin.-Biography and career:...
. He appeared in several movies, including a 1925 adaptation of White Fang
White Fang
White Fang is a novel by American author Jack London. First serialized in Outing magazine, it was published in 1906. The story takes place in Yukon Territory, Canada, during the Klondike Gold Rush at the end of the 19th-century, and details a wild wolfdog's journey to domestication...
. Some of these pictures were highly successful, and did much to encourage the popularity of the German Shepherd breed.
A popular celebrity in his day, Strongheart paved the own way for the much better remembered Rin Tin Tin
Rin Tin Tin
Rin Tin Tin was the name given to a dog adopted from a WWI battlefield that went on to star in twenty-three Hollywood films. The name was subsequently given to several related German Shepherd dogs featured in fictional stories on film, radio and television.-Origins:The first of the line Rin Tin...
. Strongheart and his mate, Lady Jule, had many offspring and their line survives till this day. In 1929, while being filmed for a movie, Strongheart accidentally made contact with a hot studio light and was burned. These burns caused a tumor
Tumor
A tumor or tumour is commonly used as a synonym for a neoplasm that appears enlarged in size. Tumor is not synonymous with cancer...
to form, which ultimately caused his death a year later. "God bless you Strongheart, God bless you", were the words of the eminent dog's eulogist and former trainer, Laurence Trimble.
In August of 1928, Etzel Von Oeringen, the canine who played Strongheart, was accused of murdering a young child by the name of Sofie Bedard. It reportedly "tried to eat her". Strongheart's name was later cleared and Sofie's family was prosecuted for wrongly testifying in a court of law.
Filmography
- The Silent Call (1921)
- Brawn of the North (1922)
- The Love Master (1924)
- North Star (1925)
- White FangWhite FangWhite Fang is a novel by American author Jack London. First serialized in Outing magazine, it was published in 1906. The story takes place in Yukon Territory, Canada, during the Klondike Gold Rush at the end of the 19th-century, and details a wild wolfdog's journey to domestication...
(1925) - The Return of Boston BlackieThe Return of Boston BlackieThe Return of Boston Blackie is a 1927 low-budget, silent, drama genre film. Based upon a character created by Jack Boyle for short stories appearing in The American, Cosmopolitan and Redbook magazines in the 1900s. It was directed by Harry O...
(1927), thought to be the only Strongheart movie still in existence
Strongheart in popular culture
- A dog food company named their product after him; Strongheart Dog Food is still being produced.
- Strongheart has a star on the Hollywood Walk of FameHollywood Walk of FameThe Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
. It can be found at 1724 Vine Street.