whbrackney Has anyone out there figured out the connection of Rin Tin Tin, the TV series in the 1950s with the Rusty film series of a decade earlier? My hunch is this: The popular TV series which I faithfully watched from 1955-59 (itself spawned by the one year radio show in 1955), is a conflation of the popular Rin Tin Tin canine hero of the post-World War I era in books and movies with the Rusty movie series of eight films produced by Columbia Pictures 1945-1949. In the Rusty movies the German Shepherd is named Rusty and there are various young boys in the lead roles. In the TV series, the dog becomes again Rin Tin Tin and the boy lead becomes Rusty, played by Lee Aakers. Those folks old enough to have been fans in the 1930s and 1940s would have caught the connection at once. But those of us who were 1950s fans would have missed it entirely. Our Rusty for the years 1955-59 (and later in reruns) was a survivor of an Indian raid, who with his dog that he called "Rinty," as in the original books, was rescued by Cavalry to live in the confines and supportive community of Fort Apache. We came to think of characters like Sgt. Biff O'Hara and Lt. Rip Masters as part of our extended family. By the way, James Brown, who played Lt. Rip Masters, showed up again as a regular former policeman-turned J.R. Ewing informant and operative on the Dallas Series in the 1970s.

legalsandy As a little girl, this was one of my favorite shows, and I had a major crush on Rusty. I have often wondered what became of him and the other actors on the show. From this website, it looks as though they are still around. I'm happy to see that. To say it was of a more innocent time is certainly an understatement! Today I happened to be in a nail salon (captive by a TV screen) where they played Britney Spears' videos until my head almost exploded. Contrast that kind of garbage with the stuff we got to watch, and it makes me glad to be old. I also liked to watch Sky King, Mickey Mouse Club, Captain Gallant Foreign Legion, Spin & Marty and The Three Stooges. Those were the days, as Archie & Edith would say.

arnoldlane Being a fan of "The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin", I was thrilled when I found out Rusty, Rinty and Lt. Masters were coming to Sheridan Village in Peoria, Illinois. I must have been 7 or 8 yrs. old, and I can remember standing in the parking lot, waiting for their arrival. It seemed forever. Suddenly, Rusty and Rinty came past me in a blur. So fast I didn't realize they were there! Then came Lt. Masters in his uniform. He looked 10 feet tall to me. They had to climb onto a trailer and Lt. Masters stepped right on my foot! He turned around and said "I'm so sorry". I nearly fainted. I was speechless, either from the pain or being in such famous company. Childhood memories!

bkoganbing Back in the day when I was in my single digit years, Rin Tin Tin made his television debut in a series about an orphan kid and the German shepherd puppy found by Cavalry as the only survivors of a wagon train massacre. It was a great TV kid's show and still running in syndication someplace in the world.We never knew what Rusty's last name was. Lee Aaker played the boy who I thought was lucky at the time to live and grow up on an army post in territorial Arizona. What a great childhood. Aaker was supported by a good group of movie professionals like James Brown, Joe Sawyer, and Rand Brooks. But it was the boy and the dog and like the previous reviewer, I can still hear the cry of Yo Rinty when Rusty sicced him on a bad guy.I still remember the episode where Rusty saw the legendary White Buffalo and there were two episodes in which a British colonel and his batman came over from India and later the Fort Apache regulars go over there to deal with real Indians.Shows for a more innocent time.