Rusty (film series)
The Rusty film series comprises eight American films produced for young audiences between 1945 and 1949 by Columbia Pictures. Child actor Ted Donaldson stars as Danny Mitchell in the series, which relates the adventures of a German Shepherd dog named Rusty. The role of Rusty was played by Ace the Wonder Dog in the first feature, Adventures of Rusty (1945).[1] A police dog named Rip took over the role for the second film, The Return of Rusty (1946).[2] In the later films Rusty was played by Flame,[1] a charismatic dog star who was featured in three separate series.[3]:176, 193
Though the Rusty films were B-movies primarily shown as the second half of a double-bill, the films usually had a humanist subtext and subtly promoted positive values on social issues of the era. Among the directors of the series was John Sturges who subsequently became famous for directing The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Among the regular cast members was child actor David Ackles, who appeared in six of the eight films.
Films
Release date | Title | Director | Length | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
September 6, 1945 | Adventures of Rusty | Paul Burnford | 69 min.[1] | Cast: Ted Donaldson, Margaret Lindsay, Conrad Nagel, Ace the Wonder Dog[4] |
June 27, 1946 | The Return of Rusty | William Castle | 64 min.[1] | Cast: Ted Donaldson, John Litel, Barbara Woodell,[5] Rip the Police Dog[2] |
May 1, 1947 | For the Love of Rusty | John Sturges | 68 min.[1] | Cast: Ted Donaldson, Tom Powers, Ann Doran, flame[6] |
August 7, 1947 | The Son of Rusty | Lew Landers | 75 min.[1] | Cast: Ted Donaldson, Tom Powers, Ann Doran, Flame[7] |
April 8, 1948 | My Dog Rusty | Lew Landers | 64 min.[1] | Cast: Ted Donaldson, John Litel, Ann Doran, Flame[8] |
October 21, 1948 | Rusty Leads the Way | Will Jason | 58 min.[1] | Cast: Ted Donaldson, John Litel, Ann Doran, Flame[9] |
April 8, 1949 | Rusty Saves a Life | Seymour Friedman | 67 min.[1] | Cast: Ted Donaldson, John Litel, Ann Doran, Flame[10] |
November 3, 1949 | Rusty's Birthday | Seymour Friedman | 60 min.[1] | Cast: Ted Donaldson, John Litel, Ann Doran, Flame[11] |
References
- Hirschhorn, Clive (1989). The Columbia Story. New York: Crown Publishers. p. 356. OCLC 773218985.
- "New 'Rusty' Adventure Film". The Sydney Morning Herald. November 13, 1946. Retrieved 2016-06-12.
- Orlean, Susan (2011). Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4391-9013-5.
- "Adventures of Rusty". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Retrieved 2016-06-12.
- "The Return of Rusty". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Retrieved 2016-06-12.
- "For the Love of Rusty". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Retrieved 2016-06-12.
- "The Son of Rusty". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Retrieved 2016-06-12.
- "My Dog Rusty". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Retrieved 2016-06-12.
- "Rusty Leads the Way". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Retrieved 2016-06-12.
- "Rusty Saves a Life". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Retrieved 2016-06-12.
- "Rusty's Birthday". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. American Film Institute. Retrieved 2016-06-12.