Laurence Trimble, today remembered more for Strongheart, reportedly got his first film gig for his Rough Collie (or Scotch Collie at the time) simply by being in the right place at the right time. He’d actually come to Vitagraph Studios in New York to write an article on movie making, but ended up offering his dog for a leading role.
Jean (1902–1916) became the second Collie movie star, and, in fact, only the second canine movie star in history after Blair of England.
Jean (1902–1916) appeared in at least 25 films, almost all of them shorts, and became the first ever American canine movie star, paving the way for Strongheart, Rin-Tin-Tin, Teddy, Lassie, and all the rest. Only Blair of England, also a Collie, preceded Jean, the Vitagraph Dog.
✯ Known Jean Filmography ✯
If you know more films of Jean’s, please let us know!
Jean and the Calico Doll (1910)
Jean, the Match-Maker (1910)
Jean Goes Foraging (1910)
Jean Goes Fishing (1910)
A Tin-Type Romance (1910)
Jean and the Waif (1910)
Where the Winds Blow (1910)
Her Mother’s Wedding Gown (1910)
Jean Rescues (1911)
When the Light Waned (1911)
The Stumbling Block (1911)
Tested by the Flag (1911)
Auld Lang Syne (1911)
Jean Intervenes (1912)
Playmates (1912)
The Church Across the Way (1912)
Bachelor Buttons (1912)
The Signal of Distress (1912)
Jean and Her Family (1913) – A documentary short.
Jean’s Evidence (1913)
’Fraid Cat (1914)
The Shepherd Lassie of Argyle (1914)
Through the Valley of Shadows (1914) – Possibly Jean’s first feature-length film.
Lost and Won (1915)
Far from the Madding Crowd (1915) – Another feature film at five reels.
It’s important to remember when we talk about the first dog movie star that he wasn’t only the first in the canine world. Catapulted into fame in 1905, Blair was already famous before the first human film star, Florence Lawrence, appeared in her debut motion picture in 1906. Blair, a Collie, was the first movie star in the world. Period.
Belonging to English producer, director, and writer Cecil Hepworth, Blair (like Rin-Tin-Tin years later for Warner Bros.) helped to establish Hepworth and Co. with the massive commercial success of the first film in which he starred, Rescued by Rover.
Cecil Hepworth was one of the best-known and most prolific early British film-makers, producing so many short films through his company, as many as three per week, during Blair’s lifetime (he died in 1914) that it is likely Blair appeared in dozens of movies. We may never know how many, or which ones, however. In 1924, when Hepworth had to sell his studio below value, most of his hundreds of original negatives were melted down to recover the silver in them. Nearly all of Blair’s films have now been lost.
We do know a handful of this pioneering Collie’s filmography, and have the pleasure today of being able to see Rescued by Rover due to its being preserved and now being in the public domain. Even in this case though, it is not the original. Rescued by Rover was such a phenomenal hit across Great Britain and beyond, the first negative wore out and the film had to be reshot twice.
Blair is easy to spot in the few films of his that do survive today. Note the diamond mark on his forehead and the distinct white ruff on the left side, sable on the right.
✯ Known Blair Filmography ✯
If you know more shorts which definitely featured Blair, please let us know!
Alice in Wonderland (1903) – Possibly Blair’s first film. He can only be seen for an instant.
Rescued by Rover (1905) – The film that launched not only Blair’s career, but the whole concept of a narrative dog movie.
Rover Takes a Call (1905) – A curtain call short shown after Rescued by Rover.
Dumb Sagacity (1907) – In which Blair costarred with the horse who played Black Beauty in 1906. (Note “dumb” meant mute at that time.)
The Dog Outwits the Kidnapper (1908) – Similar to Rescued by Rover, but now “Rover” drives the kidnapped girl back home himself. This is one of Blair’s only surviving shorts.
The Dog Thief (1908)
The Dog and the Bone (1909)
The Dog Came Back (1909)
The Shepherd’s Dog (1909) – Blair guides the shepherd to save his daughter from the snow.
The Detective’s Dog (1910)
The Dog Chaperone (1910) – A man must win over the dog before the woman.
Love Me, Love My Dog (1910)
The Dog’s Devotion (1911) – Blair saves a marriage.
Rover the Peacemaker (1911)
Lost in the Woods (1912) – Blair leads lost children home.
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Lassie * Year: 2005 * Country: France/Ireland/UK/US * Breed content: High
Very few remakes are just as good as the original while adding something new and improved along the way. This 2005 Lassie is one of those special films.
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