Strongheart

Etzel von Oeringen (October 1, 1917 – June 24, 1929), better known as Strongheart, was a male German Shepherd who was one of the early canine stars of feature films.

For the Native American actor, see Nipo T. Strongheart.
For the unrelated film from 1914, see Strongheart (film).
Strongheart
Strongheart in 1921
SpeciesCanis lupus familiaris
BreedGerman Shepherd Dog
SexMale
BornEtzel von Oeringen
(1917-10-01)October 1, 1917
Wrocław, Poland
DiedJune 24, 1929(1929-06-24) (aged 11)
Los Angeles, California, US
OccupationActor
Years active1921–1927
OwnerJane Murfin

Biography
Laurence Trimble and Strongheart (1921)

Born October 1, 1917, Etzel von Oeringen was a male German Shepherd dog bred by a private breeder, Robert Niedhardt of Quedlinburg, Germany.[1] Etzel was trained in Berlin as a police dog and served in the German Red Cross during World War I.[2] His owner was left in poverty after the war, and was unable to even support the dog. Concerned that Etzel would end up in less humane hands, he declined larger offers and instead sent the dog to a friend who operated a reputable kennel in White Plains, New York.[3] At age three, Etzel was brought to the United States to be sold.[4]

At the sixth annual show of the Shepherd Dog Club of America, October 15–16, 1920, Etzel placed third in his class. He was described as "immense in body and hind leg formation, in body and legs a trifle better than either of the dogs above him".[5]

Etzel was seen by film director Laurence Trimble, who had owned and guided Jean, the Vitagraph Dog, the first canine movie star in the United States. Trimble recognized Etzel's potential and persuaded Jane Murfin, a screenwriter for his films, to buy the dog.[3][4] A new name, Strongheart, was suggested by the publicity department of First National Pictures, which released his first film.[6]

Strongheart and Lady Jule (1924)

Trimble trained Strongheart and directed him in four rugged outdoor adventure films scripted by Murfin: The Silent Call (1921), Brawn of the North (1922), The Love Master (1924) and White Fang (1925).[7] Strongheart became the first major canine film star,[8] preceding the fame of Rin Tin Tin by two years.[9]

Strongheart's films did much to encourage the popularity of the German Shepherd breed. Strongheart and his mate, Lady Jule, had many offspring and their line survives to 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 to form, which ultimately caused his death.[10] Strongheart died June 24, 1929, at Murfin's home.[2]

Filmography
Die-cut herald for Brawn of the North (1922), a lost film[11]

Virtually all of Strongheart's films have been lost.[12]:61 A print of The Love Master (1924) survives in France, at the National Center of Cinematography and the moving image.[13] The Return of Boston Blackie (1927) survives from a 16mm print[14][15] and is available on region-free DVD.[16]

Year Title Director Notes
1921 The Silent Call Laurence Trimble [7]
1922 Brawn of the North Laurence Trimble [7]
1924 The Love Master Laurence Trimble [7]
1925 White Fang Laurence Trimble [7]
1925 North Star Paul Powell [7]
1927 The Return of Boston Blackie Harry O. Hoyt [7]

Accolades

Strongheart was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame on February 8, 1960. His star is located at 1724 Vine Street.[17]

Cultural references
Strongheart; The Story of a Wonder Dog (1926)

In the 1926 picture book Strongheart; The Story of a Wonder Dog, Trimble wrote the story of how Strongheart came to the United States and was chosen for motion pictures, of his training, and of his progress in films culminating with White Fang.[3]

Strongheart's popularity inspired Doyle Packing Company to adopt his name and photograph for a canned dog food in 1932.[18][19] Strongheart Dog Food did a respectable business, especially in the Midwest,[20] and was available in stores until at least 2002.[21]

J. Allen Boone wrote two books, Letters to Strongheart (1939)[22] and Kinship with All Life (1954),[23] about animal communication and the survival of the dog's soul after death. Both books were reprinted many times and remain classics of the Spiritualist faith. Boone was a Washington Post correspondent who looked after Strongheart for an extended period while Murfin and Trimble were away on business. Boone and Strongheart reportedly formed a deep bond, and Boone believed the dog was a transformational being.[12]:62–63

Strongheart: The World’s First Movie Star Dog (2014) is a picture book for young audiences by Caldecott Medal winner Emily Arnold McCully.[24] The New York Times praised her "meticulous job of recreating the quicksilver world of that bygone media age. The megaphones, bobbed hair and jodhpurs are all here. And in Etzel, a dog born and bred to be strong and brave, she has given young readers a rare portrait of a Hollywood hero who was just as heroic off-screen as on."[25]

Strongheart: Wonder Dog of the Silver Screen (2018) is a novel for ages 8-12 by Candace Fleming and illustrated by Caldecott Medal winner Eric Rohmann. [26] Kirkus Reviews said, "Like a silent movie plot, Fleming’s narrative is full of adventure, romance, and suspense." [27] The book received a starred review in Booklist. [28]

References
  1. "Stud Book Report". The American Kennel Gazette and Stud Book. American Kennel Club. 34 (10): 1076. October 31, 1922. Retrieved 2016-08-01.
  2. "Dog Hero of Films Dies". The New York Times. June 25, 1929. Retrieved 2016-07-30.
  3. Trimble, Laurence (1926). Strongheart; The Story of a Wonder Dog. Racine, Wis.: Whitman Publishing Company. OCLC 4451141.
  4. "The Story of Strongheart". Photoplay. December 1921. pp. 48, 97–98. Retrieved 2016-07-30.
  5. Muss-Arnolt, G. (December 1920). "The Shepherd Dog Specialty Show". Dogdom. Vol. 21 no. 10. Battle Creek, Michigan: F. E. Bechmann. p. 480.
  6. "Hollywood Star Walk: Strongheart". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2016-07-31.
  7. "Strongheart". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  8. "Laurence Trimble Dies". The New York Times. February 10, 1954. Retrieved 2015-11-28.
  9. Buck, Julie (September 27, 2013). "Jane Murfin". Women Film Pioneers Project. Center for Digital Research and Scholarship, Columbia University Libraries. Retrieved 2016-08-26.
  10. "Strongheart". walkoffame.com. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  11. "Brawn of the North". Progressive Silent Film List. Silent Era. Retrieved 2016-07-30.
  12. Orlean, Susan (2011). Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4391-9013-5.
  13. "The Love Master / Laurence Trimble [motion picture]". Performing Arts Encyclopedia, Library of Congress. Retrieved 2016-07-30.
  14. "The Return of Boston Blackie". Progressive Silent Film List. Silent Era. Retrieved 2016-07-30.
  15. "The Return of Boston Blackie". YouTube. Retrieved 2016-07-30.
  16. "Home Video Review, The Return of Boston Blackie". Progressive Silent Film List. Silent Era. Retrieved 2016-07-30.
  17. "Strongheart". Hollywood Walk of Fame. Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 2016-07-30.
  18. "Strongheart Dog Food". Trademarkia. Retrieved 2016-07-30.
  19. John Morrell & Co. v. Doyle et al., No. 6446, United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, 97 F.2d 232; 1938 U.S. App. Lexis 3747. May 9, 1938.
  20. Lazarus, George (September 5, 1985). "Beatrice Puts Dog-food Brand On Selling Block". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2016-07-30.
  21. Tighe, Theresa (August 12, 2002). "Myrtle the Affectionate Turtle Who Comes When Called Isn't a Tall Tale". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved 2016-07-30.
  22. Boone, J. Allen (1939). Letters to Strongheart. New York: Prentice-Hall, Inc. OCLC 6598887.
  23. Boone, J. Allen (1954). Kinship with All Life. New York: Harper. OCLC 4343590.
  24. McCully, Emily Arnold (2014). Strongheart: The World's First Movie Star Dog. New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 9780805094480.
  25. Marcus, Leonard S. (November 9, 2014). "Unexpected Heroes". The New York Times. Retrieved 2016-07-30.
  26. Fleming, Candace. "Strongheart: Wonder Dog of the Silver Screen". Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  27. "STRONGHEART". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
  28. "Booklist Review: Strongheart: Wonder Dog of the Silver Screen". Booklist. Retrieved 23 June 2018.
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