The dog, Lassie, that inspired books, movies, and television shows was first featured in a short story in the Saturday Evening Post in 1938. The story was by author Eric Knight who soon expanded the story to be a full-length novel, Lassie Come Home, published in1940.

Eric Knight grew up in England, and the story was set there. The plot concerned a family who is forced to sell their dog when they encounter hard times. The dog and family are separated, and the book tells the tale of the dog’s adventures as he journeys to find his young master.  When Lassie Come Home was published, it was an instant best-seller. MGM rapidly snapped up the film rights for $10,000, and made Lassie Come Home starring Roddy McDowall and Elizabeth Taylor.

Casting Lassie

When the casting call went out for a rough-coat collie, about 300 applicants submitted photos of their dogs. (To read more about the dog that got the part, “The Dog That Played Lassie.”) The director wanted a rough collie–also known as a long-haired collie–to play the part. (In Scotland, this breed of dog is raised for herding.)

Though Lassie was a female character, the dog selected was male as the dog—Pal– had the thick, beautiful coat the director was looking for. In addition to Pal’s silky coat, he had a distinctive white blaze on his face.

The dog belonged to animal breeder Rudd Weatherwax who was hired to board the dog and see that he was properly trained. After Pal was well-behaved, the family decided not to pick him up.

Having Weatherwax on board for the film was a definite asset. He and his family were soon among the top animal handlers for the entertainment industry.

Lassie Come Home was quite popular. Several sequels were made including Son of Lassie, a full-length movie starring Peter Lawford and June Lockhart (1945).

Lassie on Radio and Television

By 1947, Lassie had a radio program. The original radio show used Pal for the barking segments, but all other animal vocalizations were performed by humans.

Lassie made the transition to television in 1954. The show went through various iterations, but it remained popular until 1975. The part of Lassie was always played by an offspring of the original Pal. However, selecting the right pup with a matching blaze of white on his face remained a constant challenge.

Lassie is one of only three real dogs to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. (The other two are Strongheart and Rin Tin Tin. Cartoon character Snoopy is also featured.)

In 2005, Lassie was named one of Variety magazine’s “Icons of the Century” for the impact she has made on young people around the world since 1938.

A Little-Known Story Behind Lassie

Less than ten years ago, British author Nigel Clarke was at work on a book about shipwrecks. He came upon a story about an incident that occurred in Dorset during World War I that involved a dog named Lassie. Clarke believes that Knight’s inspiration for the story was based on the real-life collie who saved the life of a British seaman.

On New Year’s Day in 1915, the Royal Navy battleship Formidable was torpedoed by a German submarine off Start Point, a promontory in South Devon. More than 500 men were lost.

In a storm that followed the accident, a life raft containing bodies blew along the coast to Lyme Regis. The raft was pulled ashore there. Clearly, the community wanted to help deal with the crisis. The local pub in town offered its cellar as a mortuary.

A Surprising Rescue

When the bodies were laid out on the stone floor, Lassie, a crossbred collie owned by the pub owner, found her way down amongst the bodies. She stopped near one of the victims and began to lick his face. She stayed by seaman John Cowan, nuzzling him and keeping him warm.

Finally, someone came down the stairs and noted that Cowan was trying to get up. He was taken to the hospital. He went on to make a full recovery.

A few weeks later, he returned to thank all who saved his life, particularly Lassie.

Inspiring Story

The sinking of the ship was a severe blow to Britain during these early years of the war. This story was inspirational and heart-warming. When the officers heard the story of Lassie and what she did to rescue Cowan, they told it again and again to any reporter who would listen.

Because the story was widely reported, Clarke feels that the odds are that Eric Knight read the story during the war years or came upon it later on. While Knight had moved from Yorkshire to the United States and served in the U.S. military, Clarke’s suspicion seems well-founded. In addition to both dogs being named Lassie, the story of her rescue of the sailor also bears a resemblance to the Lassie rescue stories.

What Happened to Knight?

After World War I, Eric Knight became a critic and a film writer. He moved from Philadelphia to Los Angeles, hoping to make his name in the movies. He met with many rejections, and eventually returned to Yorkshire to be a journalist, where he wrote his story about Lassie, eventually expanding it into a book.

Unfortunately, he never knew the level of success the book achieved. In January 1944 Knight was helping Frank Capra film a documentary about the war when he was killed in a plane crash. He was only 45. His death came shortly after MGM’s release of the film. It was too early for anyone to know that Lassie Come Home would become a classic.

Bullet, the German shepherd who starred in the The Roy Rogers Show on television, was a family pet-turned-show dog. He was amazing. He alerted Roy when bad guys came near, and chased them down when needed. If stars Roy Rogers or Dale Evans were in trouble, Bullet arrived for the rescue.

Bullet also had to be fast. No trick photography was used at that time. If Roy was riding Trigger on his way to save someone, Bullet needed to be right beside Trigger for each and every shot.

The best part of Bullet’s story is that when he was not performing, Bullet lived a fine life as the beloved pet of married couple Roy and Dale.

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Roy Rogers and Dale Evans: Who They Were

Roy Rogers was born Leonard Slye (1911-1998). During the Depression, his parents moved the family from Ohio to California in search of work. Leonard was old enough to work, so he did everything from driving trucks to picking fruit. At night he entertained the other workers by playing his guitar and singing. When he saw that his music resonated with people, he decided to move to Los Angeles to see if he could make it as a performer. 

He and two friends, Bob Nolan, and Tim Spencer, formed a musical group, “Sons of the Pioneers.” Westerns were very popular at the time, and he found work for both himself and the musical group. The group was best known for western songs that celebrated the land and the lifestyle of the West. The group still exists today.

Rogers also became an excellent horseman which increased his employability as a performing cowboy. But his later success was largely due to his intelligence as a businessman. As early as 1940, Rogers asked for contracts that gave him the right to all merchandising of anything created in his likeness in voice or name. Over the years, toys, games, and comic books followed in vast numbers.

Dale Evans was born Francs Octavia Smith (1912-2001). She had a successful singing career long before she appeared with Roy Rogers.  “Happy Trails,” the song that closed out their television program, was written by Dale.

The two married in 1947, she for the fourth time and he for the third; both brought children to the marriage.

The TV Show With Trigger and Bullet

Like many television shows, the characters and the story first debuted on the big screen. Bullet was born in 1949 and was to be the family pet. Then Roy decided it might work for him to be in a movie. His film debut was in 1951 in Roy Rogers’s film, “Spoilers of the Plain,” produced by Republic Pictures.

The television show was geared for young people. It aired for six seasons, from 1951-1957. The program starred Roy Rogers as a ranch owner who lived in fictional Mineral City, and Dale Evans as the proprietor of the town’s Eureka Café.  Pat Brady was Roy’s humorous sidekick and Dale’s cook. Brady’s jeep, Nellybelle, was enough of a presence to be considered a character on the show.

Trigger and Bullet

Trigger, a gorgeous Palomino, was said to be only the third mount auditioned for the role of Trigger. Roy chose the horse when he saw the horse’s abilities and his response to voice command or soft touch.  Spurs were never used on Trigger.

Because the Slye family had lived in such poverty, Leonard/Roy never and any pets. As Rogers began to make money, he bought a ranch and began adding dogs.  He was said to have had about 30 dogs most of the time.

Bullet was chosen for Rogers’s sidekick, simply because he was usually with Rogers anyway. He was a beautiful, smart dog and a perfect companion.  Bullet responds to Roy’s spoken commands to crawl, roll over, sit up, leap, fight, snarl and attack a person. If a cameraman needed a particular expression, Bullet could hold the expression for long enough to get the shot.

Reporter Visits Set

Bullet was very popular with audiences, so it was no surprise that reporters often set up appointments to do stories on him.  One reporter from the Long Beach Press-Telegram visited the set and was given a demonstration of all that Bullet could do.

First, the reporter was told to put his hand on the ground, pointing to a spot on the floor. With that, Bullet rushed at his arm, growling like mad. The reporter noted that he feared becoming a “one-armed typist,” but it turned out that Bullet understood his power. At first the reporter felt very light pressure on his hand from Bullet’s jaws. On command, Bullet began licking the reporter’s hand. 

The reporter also learned that if Roy napped between scenes on the set, Bullet stood watch. No one bothered the cowboy during that time.

Promoting the Television Show

Roy Rogers and Dale Evans became big stars, but promotion was still part of keeping them on top. During the 1950s, contests were a popular promotion vehicle for television series.

Since the audience for the show was young people, essay contests worked well. The show would run newspapers ads asking children to enter essay contests on street safety or patriotism—whatever seemed timely.

Prizes for the winners ranged from tickets to the show to Frontier Outfits—one for a boy and one for a girl. Grand prize winners had their photographs taken with Roy Rogers and Trigger. Roy, of course, personally autographed the photograph for the family before it was sent out.

Roy Rogers also made money by sponsoring products. In the 1950s, he appeared in ads for “Sanforized jeans.”

This sent me off to find out what “Sanforized jeans.” Sanforizing was an early process used to pre-shrink the denim. If customers bought jeans that were not Sanforized, then they were likely to shrink up to 10 percent in length. The jeans that Sanforized shrank a bit, but the percentage was more like 1-3 percent.

Best Contest: Winner Gets a Puppy

In the spring of 1953, children in Fort Worth had the opportunity to enter the best contest of all. Bullet became a father so there were puppies on the ranch. The challenge for essay writers was this. Using no more than 25 words, children were to write: “I would like one of Bullet’s puppies because…”

The winner would be presented with one of Bullet’s puppies on a live local television program that April on Fort Worth’s WBAP-TV.

The Roy Rogers Museum

For many years, a museum dedicated to memorabilia from Roy and Dale was located in Victorville, California. In 2003, it was moved to Branson, Missouri. Sponsors thought that at Branson, tourists would welcome seeing Roy Rogers memorabilia. Unfortunately, the museum could not last and closed in early 2010. The contents were sold at auction. A preserved version of Bullet sold for $35,000 and a stuffed Trigger was sold to the same buyer for $266,000.

In April 2023, I heard from a Texan who had just returned from a visit to the John Wayne Museum in the old Fort Worth stockyard. He wrote to tell me that Bullet and Trigger are both on display there. Click this link to find photos of the pair. And recently, another reader sent me a photo from the John Wayne Museum with permission to post it. Here are Trigger, Bullet, and Dale Evans’s horse, Buttermilk. Thank you, Arlyn!

Reruns of the show can still be found on television. Many of them are also on YouTube.

How Old Was Bullet When He Died?

Readers have asked how old Bullet was when he died. I’ve searched and have not found any information. But thanks to a wise reader who recently asked AI, we now have a very credible answer!

Bullet was born in 1949 and lived until 1964. He remained a family pet and was 21 years old at the time of his death. That’s remarkable for almost any dog… and extraordinary for a German shepherd. Thank you Martin!

If you enjoyed reading about Bullet, don’t miss the stories about Lassie or Yukon King from Sgt. Preston of the Yukon.

A dog named King, an Alaskan malamute, played the heroic companion to Royal Canadian Mountie Sergeant Preston on the 1955 television show, Sergeant Preston of the Yukon.  The TV show was based on a long-running radio program called Challenge of the Yukon.

Show’s Origin

The original idea for the show came from radio station owner George W. Trendle (1884-1972). His station, WXYZ Radio in Detroit, was a strong station that had a large listenership. They already originated two serial adventure programs, The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet. Trendle thought a plotline starring a working dog would be popular. Tom Dougall and frequent radio scriptwriter Fran Striker began work on what was then called “Challenge of the Yukon.”

The story they devised concerned a crime-fighting Royal Canadian Mounted policeman during the Yukon Gold Rush (1890s).  Sergeant Preston, as he was known, had mysteries to solve and bad guys to capture. He traveled astride his horse Rex, and he was always accompanied by King, his loyal dog.

Back Story for King

The story of King as provided by the scriptwriters was that he was a Husky puppy who was separated from his mother and raised by a wolf. When a lynx comes along to make short work of mother wolf and her adopted son, Sergeant Preston arrives in time to save the pup. He names the dog King and raises him alongside his dog team. King soon proves worthy of being the team leader. (For a true story of a wolf that became the leader of a dog team, read “Sled Dog Team Travels from Nome to D.C., 1907.”)

From its inception until 1947, Challenge of the Yukon was a 15-minute program, as were most other serial dramas of the day.  The radio program became 30 minutes when it was picked up by a network. It first aired on ABC radio stations, and then from 1950-1955, the program was on the Mutual Broadcasting System. (The name change, to “Sgt. Preston of the Yukon,” did not occur until 1951.)

Radio Cast

On radio, Preston was played by Paul Sutton, followed by Brace Breemer. King was not a dog at all; his part was provided by sound effects men at the station. Soundman Dewey Cole created the initial character. When he died, he was replaced by soundman Ted Johnstone. Here is a lnk to single episodes of the radio program: https://archive.org/details/OTRR_Challenge_of_the_Yukon_Singles

In 1947, Challenge of the Yukon acquired a sponsor—Quaker Oats. The cereal company continued to sponsor the program when it made its transition to CBS television.

Sgt. Preston of the Yukon: Television Show

The television series was on CBS for three seasons, from 1955-58. For a television series, of course, a lot of new details needed to be resolved.

Though much of the program was filmed on a sound stage, the producers needed to build the sound stage in a location where outdoor footage could be filmed as needed.

The area around Aspen was being cultivated as a recreational destination, and well-respected sled dog team owner Stuart Mace was recruited to settle in nearby Ashcroft with his Toklat sled dog team.

When Trendle’s show producers visited the area, they saw that the 9500-foot elevation would extend the snowy season, and Mace’s dogs would be perfect for the scenes when a full team was needed.

Actor Dick Simmons was cast to play the part of Sergeant Preston, and of course, since King on radio was only a set of sound effects, they had to select the right dog and have him trained to perform.

Training King

The dog chosen to play King was a five-year-old Alaskan malamute.  While the dog in the show is always referred to as a huskie, the similarity between the two breeds is such that no television viewer would complain.

The CBS promotion described King thus: “the swiftest and strongest lead dog, breaking the trail in relentless pursuit of lawbreakers in the wild days of the Yukon.”

Because the production was coming out of Detroit, not Hollywood, the animal trainer chosen by the producers was a Michigan man. He was also former protégé of esteemed trainer Carl Spitz. The trainer, Beverly Allen, came to the Detroit area after World War II as this was where his wife was from. He established a dog boarding kennel in Royal Oak, a suburb of Detroit.

Allen Trained by Carl Spitz

Beverly Allen worked for Spitz before the war. He was a teenager when he first started the job, so he lived with the Spitz family at their home on the grounds of the Hollywood Dog Training School. (Terry the dog who played Toto in The Wizard of Oz as a family pet in the Spitz household.) Before the war, Spitz’s work was focused on training dogs for movies, but also providing help for people whose pets needed more training.

As World War II approached, Spitz and his team were recruited to help with the Dogs for Defense program, where families donated their dogs to serve as part of the K-9 Corps during the war. (The United States had no K-9 Corps before World War II.)

Allen worked alongside Spitz to train these dogs as well, but when he received his draft notice to enter the army, Allen’s training days ended. Because the military was still segregated, and he was black, he was assigned a construction job; all the animal handlers were white.

Training King

When Beverly Allen received the phone call from the show’s producer in the early 1950s, he was well-prepared to take the job.  No animal trainer had ever prepared a malamute (or a husky) for film work, but Allen knew he could do it.

The dog was delivered to Allen’s kennel in Royal Oak and Allen commenced King’s training. When Allen was interviewed later about his work with King, he noted that King responded best to positive training: “I simply apply the golden rule whenever working with Yukon King and he performs to perfection.”

Working in Ashcroft

During filming, Allen was on set in Ashcroft at all times. In many ways, King was the co-star of the show. Fans came to expect two specific lines at the beginning and the end of the shows: When Preston started on any case and took out the team for the next adventure, he called out to his lead dog: “On King; On you huskies.” And at the end of each show, Preston concluded: “Well, King, this case is closed.”

The show was filmed in color though most people still had only black-and-white television sets at the time.

In another interview, Dick Simmons told a reporter: “A harnessed team is a quivering mass of supercharged energy. But they’re trained not to move until they receive a verbal command. Consequently, ‘All Right,’ ‘Ready,’ ‘Let’s Go,’ or ‘Action’ is forbidden language when working around the dogs. If you make a slip, they’re off like rockets.”

The on-set staff decided the word “thirteen” would be used when the time was right to begin a scene using the dog team.

News from the Gossip  Magazines

In that day, gossip journalists filled their columns with whatever they could about film and TV star. Walter Ames, gossip columnist for The Los Angeles Times was invited to be on set when 17 malamutes were in town for some extra training. (It was probably just a press event since their training could clearly be done in Ashcroft.)  Ames wrote that he learned the dogs ate snow when they were thirsty, so when they arrived on the “snowy” set of the L.A. soundstage, the dogs all grabbed big bites of the snow. They were quite disappointed to discover it was not snow at all but granulated marble.

For all press appearances involving Sergeant Preston and King, Beverly Allen accompanied Dick Simmons and King from city to city.

Television Promotion Has Big Impact

In 1955, Quaker Oats Company sponsored a unique and popular promotion: the Klondike Big Inch Land Promotion.

Initially, people mailed in box tops to receive a deed for one square inch of a parcel of land in Yukon Territory.  The Ohio Securities Division put a stop to that because they determined this was sale of “foreign land.” Quaker got around this by changing their plans and inserting the deeds into boxes of Quaker’s Puffed Wheat and Puffed Rice Cereal. Today, you can find testimonials from many who remember the promotion, some of whom still have their land deeds.

And while no one would have been able to arrive in the Yukon and claim their square inch, Quaker’s attorneys insisted that the company buy the land they claimed to give away. For $1000, Quaker Oats bought 19.11 acres of Yukon Territory.  But once the promotion was in the dust bin, no one paid much attention to what happened to the land. In 1965, the land was reclaimed by the Canadian government because a tax bill of $37.20 went unpaid. The land is now part of the Dawson City Golf course.

A Little More on Allen

Beverly Allen is not included in most stories of Hollywood animal stars and their trainers, and perhaps the fact that he didn’t return to Los Angeles after World War II partially explains the situation.  But Allen’s story is a good one.

He was born in Mississippi, and his mother died when he was six. His father struggled to raise five children, so it became clear to Beverly that when he was old enough, he should leave to make his own way.

When he was 14 or 15, he traveled West. It was the 1930s, and like everywhere else, the Depression affected the Los Angeles area. Allen needed a job, so he used the small amount of cash he had to buy a classified ad in the newspaper offering his willingness to work.

German immigrant Carl Spitz, who established the Hollywood Dog Training School in 1927, responded to the ad, asking: “Are you afraid of dogs?” Allen wasn’t, and so he made his way to the Laurel Canyon area where the original kennel was located.

Allen’s Real Name

The fellow whom Spitz hired was actually named Bobby Lee Allen, but between Bobby Lee’s Southern drawl, and Spitz’s German accent, Allen was called Beverly from the first day of work, and he never changed back.

Because he was still so young, he was given a room in the Spitz home and ate with the family…they were all friends. While Allen did kennel upkeep, etc, Spitz also trained him for working with the animals—first working with people’s pets and then moving on to dogs for film.

With one of the first clients he took on, Allen had the dog demonstrating his knowledge of commands for the owners, when to his embarrassment, the dog ran off. Spitz was right there with Allen and said: “You are either going to be good or no good at all. Go get that dog!”

Allen proved to be quite good. When he was assigned to train a Great Dane for a period film, the director asked him how many rehearsals he would need on set for an action shot involving the Great Dane jumping into a carriage for a rescue.

Allen’s answer? “Just one.”

And indeed, the dog performed flawlessly.

After the war, Allen married and ran the kennel in Royal Oak for a number of years.  After his stint with Sergeant Preston and the television show, he returned to Detroit and took a job with Ford Motor Company. The Allens had no children and never had pets of their own.

Home for King

As for King, he found a good home.  One of the Hollywood producers of the show, Jack Wrather, who also produced Lassie and The Lone Ranger, adopted King as a family pet, and King lived comfortably into old age.

***

I would love for Beverly Allen’s family to know that he has been remembered. The last article I found about him was dated 2002, and it stated that he lived in the “northeast section of Detroit.”  He and his wife did not have children, but surely, there are still family and friends in the area who would enjoy this article. If you know how to reach them, would you forward them the article or let me know?

While full episodes of Sergeant Preston of the Yukon are posted online, this clip by Robert Marshall is an excellent summation of the show:
(Marshall has done similar things for other classic shows. Check his youtube channel.)

A big, goofy Saint Bernard named Neil starred in the television show Topper in the 1950s. Topper was the first fantasy sitcom on television. While shows like Bewitched and The Addams Family came along in the 1960s, Topper led the way.

Neil’s first appearance in the sitcom is as a real dog, doing what St. Bernards are thought to do—rescuing hikers and skiers who run into trouble in the Alps. The catch is that Neil is fond of the brandy he carries, and he stumbles into the mountain scene where the trapped skiers await him. Neil promptly lies down—totally smashed.

The skiers awaiting rescue are a wealthy couple played by Robert Sterling and Anne Jeffreys. They are on a European ski trip to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary.  The avalanche that overtakes them theoretically was survivable if Neil hadn’t been drunk.

Characters Return as Ghosts

George and Marion Kerby, the attractive young couple, and the lovable Neil all come return to earth as ghosts. After the ski accident, the show is set at the Kerby’s former home, which has now been sold to straitlaced, dignified Cosmo Topper (played by Leo G. Carroll.)

The actors keep the episode plots going, but Neil does his part with comic relief. He lifts filled glasses off tables to enjoy them himself, or sometimes, he simply stands on his hind legs with paws around a martini glass to lap up the drink that interests him.

Topper can hear the Kerbys speaking to him, though he can’t see them, and of course, he notes that he seems to be emptying his glass rather quickly. Is he hearing voices because he’s drunk , or is the place haunted?

Popular Dog and Show

The comedy aired on CBS from 1953-55 (and later, on other channels in reruns). It was based on a novel by Thorne Smith that was turned into a 1937 film starring Cary Grant and Constance Bennett.

Neil, owned by well-known dog trainer Carl Spitz, was perfect for the role. He was the grand-nephew of the St. Bernard who played Buck in the film, The Call of the Wild, starring Clark Gable.  Spitz also owned Buck.

Neil was the second-highest paid dog on television during the 1950s. Only Lassie, owned by Rudd Weatherwax out-earned him.

St. Bernard Made News

In 1955, the U.S. Navy arranged for Neil to pose with sailors on the U.S.S. Rochester docked in Los Angeles harbor. It was announced that the ship would adopt the dog as their mascot. In the press information, however, the Navy identified Neil as Buck as they felt that gave the U.S.S. Rochester a stronger image.

Other Press Coverage

Elsewhere, Neil had no trouble getting press coverage.  One reporter described him as the first St. Bernard that “couldn’t carry his liquor.”

Mel Heimer, who wrote a syndicated column for King Features, “My New York,” writes that Neil, the 165-pound dog, “blew into town to form the Society for the Prevention of Disparaging Remarks about Dogs.” Heimer said Neil intended to wipe out terms like “A dog’s life…” and “dirty dog…” so that people would think better of dogs. (Baytown Sun, Baytown, Texas, January 7, 1955.)

Another Day, Another Reporter

That same month reporter Phyllis Battelle visited Neil and Carl Spitz in New York in the four-room hotel suite that has been provided them.

While with Battelle, Spitz mentions that Neil has lost five pounds because of traveling…that Neil worries during press junkets because he doesn’t earn any money. (Unlikely.)

The reporter is more concerned about finding out what Neil consumes on the show. She then reveals that the martinis are actually beef broth with a little fruit juice.

During these questions, Spitz includes Neil in the fun. He remarks to Battelle that the ASPCA does not permit alcohol for dogs. Then he turns to Neil and says, “They do not even permit 3 percent wine, do they Neil?”

Neil raised his head and shakes it, distinctly signaling no.

Phyllis Battelle (“Assignment America,” Daily Reporter, Greenfield, Indiana, January 11, 1955) concludes her article:

“With a snap of Spitz’s fingers, he [Neil] will pounce on a movie villain and not hurt him…[With a..] whisk of the hand, look mortally wounded and roll off a 100-foot cliff. And when a director calls, ‘Cut!’ he’ll walk off set to his dressing room.”

Not bad for a dog’s life.

For more stories about dogs on television, see Bullet, the dog on The Roy Rogers Show.

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Wishbone, played by a Jack Russell terrier named Soccer (1988-2001), was the star of his own PBS Children’s Show that aired from 1995-2001.

The idea for the show came from producer Rick Duffield, who explained to Entertainment Tonight in 1995, that like many pet owners, he often said things for his pet. He wondered if there was a place for a talking dog on television. As he mulled it over, he eventually extended the idea to involve a talking dog who tells great stories from literature.

The eventual result was Wishbone, an award-winning PBS show for kids. The story always begins in modern day where Wishbone is playing with his owner Joe and Joe’s friends. Then the kids encounter a situation that reminds Wishbone of a famous story from literature. From here, Wishbone begins daydreaming about himself as one of the characters in anything from Treasure Island or the Odyssey to Romeo and Juliet and Joan of Arc. By the end of the 30 minute-show, the essence of the literary story is told by Wishbone and actors in period dress, and the children’s neighborhood adventure also concludes satisfactory.

Casting Wishbone

In the early 1990s, the Texas-based producers of the show went to Los Angeles to look for the right dog to play Wishbone. They saw over 100 dogs before selecting Soccer, who was chosen because of his expressive face.

Wishbone belonged to animal trainer Jackie Martin Kaptan, who welcomed the chance for her dog to play a lead role. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, she mentioned that one of the challenges of the undertaking was that Wishbone was in almost every scene of every episode.

The demands of the job on the dog TV star meant that excellent stunt doubles were absolutely necessary to keep Soccer from becoming overly tired. The producers and Kaptan soon found that the best way to divide the work was to use Soccer for all the close-up scenes where a facial expression was important.  Two other dogs, Phoebe and Slugger, were used for many of the action shots. Phoebe was particularly key for water scenes; Soccer hated getting wet.

In addition to Soccer, Phoebe, and Slugger, there was generally a fourth Jack Russell terrier on set. Because the dogs were used so much, the fourth dog was there to be a stand-in for camera angles and lighting.

Soccer had a lot of energy and really enjoyed the work, Kaptan told Jim Ruddy of Entertainment Tonight. She noted that while he was happy to earn food rewards, his true incentive was having time to play in the grass with his ball.

Dogs in Costume?

For dog lovers who know the show (or who sample it here), a question about the costumes will surely arise. How did the dogs feel about all the different outfits, ranging from jackets with big sleeves to capes and hats?

Producer Rick Duffield gives full credit to costume designer Stephen Chudej, who was there performing miracle after miracle: “In Wishbone’s Dog Days of the Wild West, he even figured out how Wishbone could wear chaps!” (Here’s the trailer.)

In general, the costumes tended to end mid-belly, making them much more acceptable for four-legged canines. Hats were the true problem, Duffield told a reporter from The New Yorker (10-21-2009): “Dogs scratch and shake a lot,” explained Duffield.  “We had a costumer on set at all times ready to make adjustments for every take.”

Duffield also noted that for Soccer, the human actors in period costume were more troublesome to him than his own attire. “Oddly enough, during the first few weeks of shooting, the dogs seemed to have less trouble with their own costumes than those of the human actors in Wishbone’s literary fantasies. Soccer was a bit skittish at first around his human co-stars, when they returned to the set from wardrobe, hair and make-up. It was almost as if Soccer was saying, ‘Hey, what happened? Who are you? What’s with that crazy hat and wig? Where’s my agent?’” (The New Yorker, 10-21-09)

Jack Russells for Everyone?

Like the Dalmatian craze that followed Disney’s 101 Dalmatians, Wishbone sent families scurrying to get dogs “like Wishbone.” Jack Russell terrier experts say this was a mixed reaction. Jack Russell terriers are great dogs but like Dalmatians, they aren’t for everybody.  “These dogs have a lot of energy so they are better off in a household with a fenced yard. They also can be strong-willed, so a loving master who has the dog’s respect is ideal,” says one authority from a Jack Russell breed club.

Successful Series for Dog TV Star

Ultimately the Wishbone series consisted of 40 episodes. The show won four daytime Emmy awards and a Peabody. The show’s fans included students, parents, teachers, librarians (especially librarians!), dog lovers, and even some college students.

Because of the popularity of the series, more than 50 books ranging from the Wishbone classics to mysteries and even to books aimed at very young readers also resulted.

And Rick Duffield achieved his goal—he exposed children to great works of literature, and many of them likely felt less daunted by the books—even eager to read them—when they encountered the titles when they got older.

To get a flavor of the Wishbone show, there are several episodes on YouTube. I also recommend this clip where Jim Ruddy for Entertainment Tonight interviews Rick Duffield in the spring of 1995. The interview offers insight into the creation of the show, and because Wishbone takes part (as voiced by actor Larry Brantley), it provides a fun feel for the show. Watch here.

Lassie became a movie star despite starting life as a spirited, unwanted pup.

In 1940 Rudd Weatherwax and his brother, Frank, had just started their own Studio Dog Training School, opting to run their own business rather than continue to work for others.  A man who was having difficulty with his puppy wanted to bring the dog to the School for training. The dog was from an AKC litter, Glamis Collies, but he had been sold to a family because he was judged only “pet quality.” His current owner wasn’t  even sure he was that.

When the car pulled up, the man opened the back door and the 8-month-old collie scampered out of the backseat: “…he came bounding into my yard, rollicking with all the friskiness—and maybe a little more—to be found in most puppies…” wrote Rudd Weatherwax in his book, The Story of Lassie.

The man explained the problems they were having with the dog they named Pal: “He chases motorcycles, he chews up everything in the house, he barks all the time, and we can’t even housebreak him.”

Weatherwax accepted the job, and the owner agreed to pay $10 for the training and come back in a week.

Lassie’s Training Begins

When the owner returned, Lassie/Pal was a much-better behaved dog. The only remaining problem was that Weatherwax had not yet ended the motorcycle-chasing.  That was still going to require some work.

It turned out it didn’t matter. The fellow explained that he and his wife were so happy with the newly discovered peace and quiet in their household that they didn’t want the dog back.  Would Weatherwax take the dog instead of the ten dollar payment?

Weatherwax had grown up with a collie, so it was easy to say yes. Eventually he was to find that this was the best deal he ever made.

Lassie: Family Pet and Hopeful Actor

The Weatherwaxes now had forty dogs in their kennel, several of which were quite busy with film work.  There were no casting calls for collies, however, so Lassie/Pal was perfectly happy to be a family pet.

One of the skills Rudd taught Lassie for family life was to help with

the Weatherwax youngster, Bob. Bob loved to roam the property, so Weatherwax trained Lassie to go and find him and bring home when it was time for dinner. When Lassie located the boy, he gently took his arm, and Bob knew it was time to go home.  This training was to come in handy in film work.

Lassie/Pal was over a year and a half old, and his career had yet to get underway. When a neighbor dropped by on his way to his ranch and suggested he take Pal with him, Weatherwax saw no reason to deny the dog a good time.

Finally a Possible Part

Several days after Lassie left, Weatherwax was scanning the ads and noted that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was holding auditions for a dog to appear in a starring role in an upcoming film. The dog they needed? A collie.

Weatherwax jumped in his car to drive to the ranch.

When he arrived and explained to his friend why he needed to take Lassie back, the two men went to the back porch and called Lassie/Pal to come in.  From the answering bark, he was clearly a good distance away. As he came streaking toward Weatherwax, Weatherwax was shocked by the sight.

Pal had fully enjoyed his holiday, chasing rabbits, birds, and shadows around the property. His silken ruff was matted and tangled, and his coat was filled with burrs from the underbrush.  Weather put him in the car and took him home where he was bathed and combed. Weatherwax tried to remove the burrs but some had to be cut out. By the day of the audition, Lassie/Pal was far from looking his best.

Pal was one of about three hundred dogs who came to the open casting call. The MGM executives walked through the line of dogs and owners, giving each dog a once-over.  Pal did not even make the first cut.

No other dog was selected that day either. The MGM executives continued a nationwide search, finally selecting a show dog in San Francisco. When he was brought back to Hollywood for a screen test, however, he was petrified by the chaos and lights.  MGM’s sent that dog home, and the search continued.

Weatherwax Tries Again

Six months later, Lassie/Pal was looking handsome again.

Weatherwax decided to take matters into his own hands. He took the collie to the Culver City studio lot and explained to a guard why he was there. He and Pal were soon escorted to the office of Fred M. Wilcox., the movie’s director.

Wilcox was impressed by the look and the training of the dog, so they set up a screen test for the next day.  Lassie/Pal was fine through it all. Within a few days, a contract was offered and for publicity purposes, Pal himself put paw to the contract.

Filming Lassie’s First Movie

When filming began, Lassie was to film a scene where the dog is struggling to make it all the way across the Tweed River that separated England and Scotland. (The San Joaquin River in northern California substituted.) One camera was in a boat, one was onshore, and Weatherwax and Lassie were being rowed out separately.

On Weatherwax’s command, Lassie was to jump in the water and swim to a designated spot on land. Weatherwax was quickly taken back to mark the landing spot. Lassie made the swim and reached the shore looking like an exhausted dog, just as they had rehearsed.

“The dog went into the water as Pal, but he emerged as Lassie!” proclaimed Wilcox. From that time forward, Pal was always known as Lassie.

Lassie’s Bright Future

The success of Lassie Come Home in 1943 led to six more MGM films

with Lassie as the star: Son of Lassie, Courage of Lassie, Hills of Home, The Sun Comes Up, Challenge to Lassie, and The Painted Hills.

From that first film on, Lassie was never a bit player—always the star. One critic called him “Greer Garson with fur.” Lassie led the way for a new form of dog picture.

For every film Lassie was in, the SPCA was always on set.  Lassie was well cared for so there was never any complaint from the SPCA representative, but Weatherwax found it enormously helpful with audiences. If Lassie played hurt, or it was made to look like his paws were bleeding, concerned audience members wrote in.  The SPCA could defend and explain how certain scenes were filmed and could verify that Lassie was just fine.

Lassie: Radio Star

After Lassie’s fourth film, Weatherwax was offered a network radio program starring Lassie. “The Lassie Show” was the first radio program to feature an animal as the star. Each week a dramatic story would unfold, and Lassie supplied the barks, whines, and growls called for in the script.

Once the radio program began, Weatherwax and Lassie had to be flown back to Hollywood each week as Lassie had to in the studio for the show to be recorded. Weatherwax could now afford a private plane to simplify shuttling between Hollywood and their movie locations.

Lassie’s Popularity

One day they were making a personal appearance at Hollywood Park. Lassie was surrounded by young children and Rudd stepped out of the circle for a moment… one of the kids immediately pulled out scissors and began to clip some hair. When confronted, the kid said: “ Shucks, Mr. Weathrwax, I know where I can trade one lock of Lassie’s for three autographed pictures of Lana Turner!”

New Direction for Career

By 1951, ticket sales were sliding a bit, and MGM decided to move on to other types of films.  However, Lassie and Weatherwax were still under contract. To buy them out would have cost the studio $40,000 and they were reluctant to pay. Instead of pay, Weatherwax asked for and received the Lassie name and

trademark.

After the MGM contract was concluded, Lassie and Weatherwax began touring with a road show. They would do an 18-minute sequences at dog shows and department stores. They were paid well for these appearances.

Television producer Robert Maxwell had other ideas. He wanted Lassie on TV.

Maxwell and Weatherwax came up with a boy-and-dog plot that was right for Lassie. Because Lassie was truly the star, Maxwell offered an unusual option. Lassie was given the choice as to which of three young actors he preferred.

Each boy spent a week at the Weatherwax home in North Hollywood. At the end of the three weeks, Lassie seemed to respond best to 11-year-old Tommy Rettig. Tommy became the first star of the Lassie television show.

Pilots Filmed

In the summer of 1954 two pilots were filmed with the original Lassie.  When CBS executives saw the shows, they ordered the show for their fall schedule.

But the original Lassie was getting older. Lassie Junior, his stand-in, soon absorbed the lead for the television program. Lassie still came to the set with Weatherwax where he had his own dog bed, and everyone doted on him.

The Death of the Original Lassie

In June 1958, Lassie died at the age of 18.

Rudd Weatherwax slipped in and out of depression for quite some time after Pal’s death.  Rudd’s son noted, “Dad would never again watch an MGM Lassie movie. He just couldn’t bear to see Pal. He didn’t want to have to be reminded just how much he loved that dog.”

Pal was buried in a place of honor on the Weatherwax ranch and Rudd visited the gravesite regularly.

The Future of Lassie

Lassie has always been played by a male dog though the character is female. Females periodically lose their coats which changes their look. Male collies are larger which means a youngster can look “small” next to Lassie for a longer period of time.

The Weatherwaxes continued supplying Lassies for the television show and for whatever else was needed.  Then in 2000, they decided to sell the Lassie trademark. Unfortunately the first buyers did not handle the franchise well, but today the the ownership is in good hands: Dreamworks Classics.

The current Lassie is the tenth generation direct descendant of the original line and is a fully registered AKC dog. He is owned and trained by Carol Riggins who had worked with the Weatherwaxes in a multitude of capacities through the years. She now has her own company.

To read about the story on which Lassie Come Home was based, click here.