Silver Streak appearing in a programme for short films

Silver Streak (often followed by the

title A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify their generation, official position, military rank, professional or academic qualification, or nobility. In some languages, titles may be ins ...

King of Dog Stars, The Dog of Wonder or The Wonder Dog; 1924

Detroit Free Press The ''Detroit Free Press'' (commonly referred to as the ''Freep'') is a major daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest local newspaper owned by Gannett (the publisher of ''USA Today''), and is operated by the Detro ...

, 1926-03-21. Retrieved: March 14, 2020 – unknown) was a male

German Shepherd The German Shepherd, also known in Britain as an Alsatian, is a German Dog breed, breed of working dog of medium to large size. The breed was developed by Max von Stephanitz using various Old German herding dogs, traditional German herding dog ...

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 Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company that is a subsidiary of Comcast ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of N ...

's attempt to rival the success of

Warner Warner can refer to: People * Warner (writer) * Warner (given name) * Warner (surname) Fictional characters * Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner, stars of the animated television series ''Animaniacs'' * Aaron Warner, a character in '' Shatter M ...

Rin Tin Tin Rin Tin Tin or Rin-Tin-Tin (October 10, 1918 – August 10, 1932) was a male German Shepherd born in Flirey, France, who became an international star in motion pictures. He was rescued from a World War I battlefield by an American soldier, ...

.Tulare Advance Register, 1935-12-12. Retrieved: March 14, 2020

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 German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

; and only need to rehearse a scene once with his owner/trainer, Captain Rowe, before performing on camera. Off the set, Silver Streak was extremely affectionate and showed no nervousness that had been typical of animals acting in movies during that period. During the filming of ''

Fangs of Justice ''Fangs of Justice'' is a 1926 American silent adventure film directed by Noel M. Smith and starring Johnnie Walker and June Marlowe.Munden p.230-31 Cast * Johnnie Walker as Terry Randall * June Marlowe as Janet Morgan * Wheeler Oakman as Pa ...

'', Silver Streak took a decided liking to the film's star

June Marlowe June Marlowe (born Gisela Valaria Goetten, November 6, 1903 – March 10, 1984) was an American film actress who began her career during the silent film era. She was best known for her role as "Miss Crabtree" in the ''Our Gang'' short subj ...

, staying with her at every possible moment.

Acting

Silver Streak acted in at least six serials and movies, all of which are believed to be lost, though

posters A poster is a large sheet that is placed either on a public space to promote something or on a wall as decoration. Typically, posters include both textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or wholly text. ...

for most of these releases still exist. A trailer for ''

The Silent Flyer ''The Silent Flyer'' is a 1926 10-episode (chapter) American adventure film serial directed by William James Craft. The film serial was sold to Universal Pictures for $75,000 with the resulting funds used in the founding of Mascot Pictures.Tusk ...

'' still remains, resident at the

UCLA Film and Television Archive The UCLA Film & Television Archive is a visual arts organization focused on the film preservation, preservation, film studies, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). As a nonpro ...

, while production stills survive for ''Fangs of Justice''.

Filmography

* ''

'' (1926) * ''

'' (1926) * ''The Snarl of Hate'' (1927) * ''Where Trails Begin'' (1927) * ''Cross Breed'' (1927) * '' Code of the Air'' (1928)

Later life

After retiring from movies, Silver Streak would perform tricks in front of live audiences. 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 A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...

and singing.Tulare Advance Register, 1935-12-13. Retrieved: March 14, 2020

References

Bibliography

External links

*
Hollywood Dogs
{{Animal actors 1924 animal births Dog actors Film serial actors German shepherds Dogs in literature Rin Tin Tin