Silver Streak (dog)

Silver Streak (often followed by the title King of Dog Stars,[1] The Dog of Wonder[2] or The Wonder Dog;[3] 1924[4] – unknown) was a male German Shepherd that starred in motion pictures. He was a police dog with a long pedigree, the last in a great line that appeared in film, and considered to be Universal's attempt to rival the success of Warner's Rin Tin Tin.[4][5][6]

Silver Streak appearing in a programme for short films

Early life

Silver Streak's education included thorough police training and army Red Cross work. He was said to: be able to register several emotions, showing hate, fear, love and affection; at will, be savage or kind; have had the power to throw a well-developed man; understand over 150 words in German and English; and only need to rehearse a scene once with his owner/trainer, Captain Rowe, before performing on camera.[5] Off the set, Silver Streak was extremely affectionate and showed no nervousness that had been typical of animals acting in movies during that period.[4] During the filming of Fangs of Justice, Silver Streak took a decided liking to the film's star June Marlowe, staying with her at every possible moment.[7]

Acting

Silver Streak acted in at least six serials and movies, all of which are believed to be lost, though posters for most of these releases still exist. A trailer for The Silent Flyer still remains, resident at the UCLA Film and Television Archive,[8][9] while production stills survive for Fangs of Justice.

Filmography

Later life
After his acting career, Silver Streak would continue to perform in front of a live audience, which included the trick of him sitting on a chair like a human.

After retiring from movies, Silver Streak would perform tricks in front of live audiences.[5] Captain Rowe would demonstrate Silver Streak's ability to follow direction, ending the show with the dog sitting up on a chair while playing the piano and singing.[10]

See also

Notes

    References
    1. The Tribute, 1927-04-19. Retrieved: March 14, 2020
    2. The Birmingham News, 1927-11-26. Retrieved: March 14, 2020
    3. The Herald News, 1928-05-03. Retrieved: March 14, 2020
    4. Detroit Free Press, 1926-03-21. Retrieved: March 14, 2020
    5. Tulare Advance Register, 1935-12-12. Retrieved: March 14, 2020
    6. Orlean, Susan (2011). Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend. Simon & Schuster. p. 73. ISBN 978-1-4391-9014-2.
    7. The Anniston Star, 1928-12-02. Retrieved: March 14, 2020
    8. "Trivia: 'The Silent Flyer'." TCM, 2019. Retrieved: July 24, 2019.
    9. "Data: 'The Silent Flyer'." silentera.com, 2019. Retrieved: July 24, 2019.
    10. Tulare Advance Register, 1935-12-13. Retrieved: March 14, 2020

    Bibliography
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