Rin Tin Tin (sometimes spelled Rin-Tin-Tin) was a shell-shocked puppy found in a bombed-out kennel in Loraine, in what is now northeast France, by American serviceman Lee Duncan. Duncan found a nursing litter of German shepherd puppies on September 15, 1918 and estimated their ages at around five days. He took two of the puppies and named them Rin Tin Tin and Nenette, after finger puppets that French children had been giving to American soldiers as good luck charms. The war ended less than two months later, and Duncan was able to take both the puppies back with him to his Los Angeles home. Nenette soon died but Rin Tin Tin , now nicknamed Rinty, survived. Particularly adept at learning, Rinty picked up tricks quickly. Rinty’s leaping presented a fortuitous opportunity, for Duncan had a friend named Charles Jones who had developed a slow-motion camera and was looking for subjects. At the time, another German shepherd named Stongheart was making a big splash in silent movies, and Duncan saw an opportunity to introduce another canine star. Just like nowadays when fans look to movie stars for cultural cues, Rin Tin Tin and Strongheart paved the way for the popularization of the German shepherd breed in the United States.
Rin Tin Tin’s first movie role was replacing a misbehaving wolf in the movie The Man from Hell’s River in 1922. Because Rin Tin Tin had markings darker than most German shepherds, he was often cast as a wolf or a wolf-dog hybrid. From The Man from Hell’s River to The Lightning Warrior in 1931, he had star billings in 19 movies. Unlike many movie stars of the time, Rin Tin Tin made the transition from silent films to talkies without a hiccup. From 1931 until his death in August 1932, he actually appeared on the radio in a series titled The Wonder Dog (soon changed to Rin Tin Tin) After his death, Rin Tin Tin Jr. assumed the part. Rin Tin Tin was so popular that thousands of children requested his autograph and were rewarded with a picture signed Most Faithfully, Rin Tin Tin and emblazoned with a paw print.
Hollywood legend says that Rin Tin Tin died in the arms of actress Jean Harlow (Harlow actually owned one of his descendents). What is true is that radio programs were interrupted with news of his death, and an hour-long radio program ran the next day. Rin Tin Tin received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1963. It can be seen at 1623 Vine Street in Hollywood. Rin Tin Tin was originally buried in a bronze casket in Lee Duncan’s backyard under a simple wooden cross. When Duncan sold his house, he arranged to have Rin Tin Tin moved back to France.
Mercantile System Early on, the British colonists lacked the means of manufacturing finished goods. Brisbane Map Tourist Attractions Consequently, the colonists imported most of their finished goods from England and Europe. However, the mercantile system put the colonies at a disadvantage and usually left them with a trade imbalance. After 1660, for example, England raised taxes on New England fish, flour, wheat, and meat in order to protect merchants in England who sold the same products. New England timber, furs, and whale oil, however, were not placed under the heavy burden of taxation. Consequently, New England colonies could still trade, but their trade was kept from its full potential. Basically, the system worked as England intended. New England bought more from England than they sold. The colonies attempted to use triangular trade to combat the trade imbalance, but trade legislation continued to give England the advantage.
