Asta
Encyclopedia
Skippy aka Asta was a Wire-Haired Fox Terrier
dog actor who appeared in dozens of movies during the 1930s.
Skippy starred in many movies. He is best known for the role of the pet dog "Asta" in the 1934 detective
comedy
The Thin Man
, starring William Powell
and Myrna Loy
. Skippy's name was changed to Asta after the first Thin Man film was released and he was listed under the name Asta in the Thin Man sequels he appeared in.
, and also by Frank Weatherwax
and assistant trainers Rudd Weatherwax
and Frank Inn
.
In 1936, Skippy and several other movie dogs were profiled in the book Dog Stars of Hollywood by Gertrude Orr. At the time Skippy was said to be four and a half years old, giving him a birth year of 1931–32. He was said to be one of the most intelligent of animal stars then working in pictures.
In addition to verbal commands, he also worked to hand cues, essential for a dog performing in sound films. According to Orr, his training began when he was three months old, and he made his first professional film appearances at the age of one year, in 1932–1933, as a bit player providing "atmosphere." In Orr's book Skippy was shown in a series of photo stills from otherwise unidentified 20th Century Fox
films starring Mae Clarke
and Mary Carlisle
, as well as publicity shots with Wendy Barrie
from It's a Small World and Myrna Loy
from The Thin Man
.
Skippy also made a hit as "Mr. Smith" in the 1937 film The Awful Truth
, where his character was the subject of a custody dispute between characters portrayed by Cary Grant
and Irene Dunne
. (In an interesting gaffe, at one point when Cary Grant wrestles and plays with "Mr. Smith," he can be heard distinctly calling him "Skippy.")
In Bringing Up Baby
(1938) Skippy played "George," the bone-hiding pup belonging to Katharine Hepburn
's aunt; and in Topper Takes a Trip
(1938), he was "Mr. Atlas".
The American Magazine detailed Skippy's professional life in an August 1938 profile of the East kennels, titled "A Dog's Life in Hollywood":
At a time when most canine actors in Hollywood films earned $3.50 a day, Skippy's weekly salary was $250.00.
dog
of Nick and Nora Charles
, tugging them around town on his walks, hiding from danger, and sniffing out corpses. ("Asta, you're not a terrier, you're a police dog," Nick tells him.) The character later appeared in the sequels After the Thin Man
, Another Thin Man
, Shadow of the Thin Man
, The Thin Man Goes Home
, Song of the Thin Man
, as well as the 1950s television show The Thin Man
.
The original character of Asta in Dashiell Hammett
's book of The Thin Man
was not a male Wire-Haired Fox Terrier, but a female Schnauzer
. Due to the enormous popularity of the Asta character as played by Skippy, interest in pet terriers skyrocketed. Asta's enduring fame is such that the name is a frequent answer in The New York Times
crossword puzzles (crosswordese
), in response to clues such as "Thin Man dog" or "Dog star."
Although Skippy played Asta in the first two Thin Man films, other terriers, trained by the Weatherwax family and by Frank Inn, took on the role in subsequent films of the series, and in the television show.
Fox Terrier (Wire)
The Wire Fox Terrier is a breed of dog, one of many terrier breeds. It is an instantly recognizable fox terrier breed. Although it bears a resemblance to the Smooth Fox Terrier, they are believed to have been developed separately.-Appearance:...
dog actor who appeared in dozens of movies during the 1930s.
Skippy starred in many movies. He is best known for the role of the pet dog "Asta" in the 1934 detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
The Thin Man
The Thin Man (film)
The Thin Man is a 1934 American comic detective film starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, a flirtatious married couple who banter wittily as they solve crimes with ease. Nick is a hard drinking retired detective and Nora a wealthy heiress...
, starring William Powell
William Powell
William Horatio Powell was an American actor.A major star at MGM, he was paired with Myrna Loy in 14 films, including the popular Thin Man series in which Powell and Loy played Nick and Nora Charles...
and Myrna Loy
Myrna Loy
Myrna Loy was an American actress. Trained as a dancer, she devoted herself fully to an acting career following a few minor roles in silent films. Originally typecast in exotic roles, often as a vamp or a woman of Asian descent, her career prospects improved following her portrayal of Nora Charles...
. Skippy's name was changed to Asta after the first Thin Man film was released and he was listed under the name Asta in the Thin Man sequels he appeared in.
Professional life
Skippy was trained by his owners Henry East and Gale Henry EastGale Henry
Gale Henry was an American film actress. A prominent comedienne, she appeared in 238 films between 1914 and 1933....
, and also by Frank Weatherwax
Frank Weatherwax
Frank Thrall Weatherwax was an American actor and animal trainer. He is best remembered with his brother Rudd Weatherwax for their famous collie, Pal, the dog who became famous as Lassie in the 1943 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film Lassie Come Home.Weatherwax was born in Camp Palomas, New Mexico...
and assistant trainers Rudd Weatherwax
Rudd Weatherwax
Ruddell Bird "Rudd" Weatherwax was an American actor and animal trainer. He and his brother Frank Weatherwax are best remembered for training dogs for motion pictures and television. Frank's collie, Pal, became the original Lassie, handled by Rudd for the 1943 MGM film Lassie Come Home...
and Frank Inn
Frank Inn
Frank Inn was born as Elias Franklin Freeman, was an American animal trainer. He trained several animals for movies, but was most known for his work with the dogs in the Benji series.-Personal life:...
.
In 1936, Skippy and several other movie dogs were profiled in the book Dog Stars of Hollywood by Gertrude Orr. At the time Skippy was said to be four and a half years old, giving him a birth year of 1931–32. He was said to be one of the most intelligent of animal stars then working in pictures.
In addition to verbal commands, he also worked to hand cues, essential for a dog performing in sound films. According to Orr, his training began when he was three months old, and he made his first professional film appearances at the age of one year, in 1932–1933, as a bit player providing "atmosphere." In Orr's book Skippy was shown in a series of photo stills from otherwise unidentified 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
films starring Mae Clarke
Mae Clarke
Mae Clarke was an American actress most noted for playing Frankenstein's bride, chased by Boris Karloff in Frankenstein, and having a grapefruit smashed into her face by James Cagney in The Public Enemy, both released in 1931.-Early life and career:Clarke was born Violet Mary Klotz in...
and Mary Carlisle
Mary Carlisle
Mary Carlisle was an American actress and singer. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, she was a star of Hollywood films in the 1930s, having been one of thirteen girls selected as "WAMPAS Baby Stars" in 1932. The archetypal blonde, Mary Carlisle was brought to Hollywood at the age of four by her...
, as well as publicity shots with Wendy Barrie
Wendy Barrie
Wendy Barrie was a British actress who worked in British and American films.-Early life:Marguerite Wendy Jenkins was born in Hong Kong to British parents...
from It's a Small World and Myrna Loy
Myrna Loy
Myrna Loy was an American actress. Trained as a dancer, she devoted herself fully to an acting career following a few minor roles in silent films. Originally typecast in exotic roles, often as a vamp or a woman of Asian descent, her career prospects improved following her portrayal of Nora Charles...
from The Thin Man
The Thin Man
The Thin Man is a detective novel by Dashiell Hammett, originally published in Redbook. Although he never wrote a sequel, the book became the basis for a successful six-part film series which also began in 1934 with The Thin Man and starred William Powell and Myrna Loy...
.
Skippy also made a hit as "Mr. Smith" in the 1937 film The Awful Truth
The Awful Truth
The Awful Truth is a 1937 screwball comedy film starring Irene Dunne and Cary Grant. The plot concerns the machinations of a soon-to-be-divorced couple, played by Dunne and Grant, who go to great lengths to try to ruin each other's romantic escapades...
, where his character was the subject of a custody dispute between characters portrayed by Cary Grant
Cary Grant
Archibald Alexander Leach , better known by his stage name Cary Grant, was an English actor who later took U.S. citizenship...
and Irene Dunne
Irene Dunne
Irene Dunne was an American film actress and singer of the 1930s, 1940s and early 1950s. Dunne was nominated five times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, for her performances in Cimarron , Theodora Goes Wild , The Awful Truth , Love Affair and I Remember Mama...
. (In an interesting gaffe, at one point when Cary Grant wrestles and plays with "Mr. Smith," he can be heard distinctly calling him "Skippy.")
In Bringing Up Baby
Bringing up Baby
Bringing Up Baby is an American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks, starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, and released by RKO Radio Pictures....
(1938) Skippy played "George," the bone-hiding pup belonging to Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress of film, stage, and television. In a career that spanned 62 years as a leading lady, she was best known for playing strong-willed, sophisticated women in both dramas and comedies...
's aunt; and in Topper Takes a Trip
Topper Takes a Trip
Topper Takes a Trip is a 1938 film sequel of Topper . Constance Bennett, Roland Young, Billie Burke and Alan Mowbray reprised their roles from the earlier movie; only Cary Grant was missing . A ghost tries to reunite a couple who she had a hand in splitting up in the prior film...
(1938), he was "Mr. Atlas".
The American Magazine detailed Skippy's professional life in an August 1938 profile of the East kennels, titled "A Dog's Life in Hollywood":
- Movie actresses stroke Skippy lovingly. They coo at him and murmur endearing terms in his ears. He takes it all in his stride, because, what with contracts, options, and exacting work before the movie cameras, he hasn't much time for the attentions of Hollywood's most beautiful stars. But if he's paid for it and given the proper cue he will snuggle in the arms of the loveliest of stars, gaze into her limpid eyes, and, if necessary—howl.
- Skippy, a smart little wire-haired terrier, is one of the leading stars in pictures. He leads a glamorous life—a dog's life de luxe. He is rated as one of the smartest dogs in the world, and when contracts are signed for his appearance in a picture he gets $200 a week for putting his paw-print on the dotted line. His trainer gets a mere $60.
- His owner is Mrs. Gale Henry EastGale HenryGale Henry was an American film actress. A prominent comedienne, she appeared in 238 films between 1914 and 1933....
, once a prominent movie comedienne. ... "When Skippy has to drink water in a scene, the first time he does it he really drinks. If there are retakes and he's had all the water he can drink, he'll go through the scene just as enthusiastically as though his throat were parched, but he'll fake it. If you watch closely you'll see he's just going through the motions of lapping and isn't really picking up water at all. And, because he has a sense of humor, he loves it when you laugh and tell him you've caught him faking but that it's all right with you.
- "Treat a dog kindly and he'll do anything in the world for you."
At a time when most canine actors in Hollywood films earned $3.50 a day, Skippy's weekly salary was $250.00.
The Thin Man
As a character in the movie The Thin Man, Asta was the playful petPet
A pet is a household animal kept for companionship and a person's enjoyment, as opposed to wild animals or to livestock, laboratory animals, working animals or sport animals, which are kept for economic or productive reasons. The most popular pets are noted for their loyal or playful...
dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
of Nick and Nora Charles
Nick and Nora Charles
Nick and Nora Charles are fictional characters created by Dashiell Hammett in his novel The Thin Man. The characters were later adapted for film in a series of movies between 1934 and 1947; for radio from 1941 to 1950; for television from 1957 through 1959; as a Broadway musical in 1991; and as a...
, tugging them around town on his walks, hiding from danger, and sniffing out corpses. ("Asta, you're not a terrier, you're a police dog," Nick tells him.) The character later appeared in the sequels After the Thin Man
After the Thin Man
After the Thin Man is a 1936 American film, starring William Powell, Myrna Loy, and James Stewart, that is the sequel to the film The Thin Man. The movie presents Powell and Loy as Dashiell Hammett's characters Nick and Nora Charles. The film was directed by W. S...
, Another Thin Man
Another Thin Man
Another Thin Man is a 1939 American film that is the third film in the six-volume series, The Thin Man. It again stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, and is based on the writings of Dashiell Hammett. Their son, Nicky Jr., is also introduced in the film. The cast includes...
, Shadow of the Thin Man
Shadow of the Thin Man
Shadow of the Thin Man is the fourth of the six The Thin Man films. It was released in 1941 and was directed by W. S. Van Dyke. It stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles. Also, in this film their son Nick Jr. is old enough to figure in the comic subplot...
, The Thin Man Goes Home
The Thin Man Goes Home
The Thin Man Goes Home is a 1945 motion picture directed by Richard Thorpe. It is the fifth of the six Thin Man films starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Dashiell Hammett's dapper private detective Nick Charles and his wife Nora.-Plot:...
, Song of the Thin Man
Song of the Thin Man
Song of the Thin Man is a 1947 comedy-crime film directed by Edward Buzzell, the last of the six Thin Man films. Like the others, it stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, characters created by Dashiell Hammett. Nick Jr. is played by Dean Stockwell...
, as well as the 1950s television show The Thin Man
The Thin Man (TV series)
The Thin Man is a half-hour weekly television series based on the mystery novel The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett. The 72 episodes were produced by MGM Television and shown on NBC for two seasons from 1957–1959 on Friday evening.-Overview:...
.
The original character of Asta in Dashiell Hammett
Dashiell Hammett
Samuel Dashiell Hammett was an American author of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories, and political activist. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade , Nick and Nora Charles , and the Continental Op .In addition to the significant influence his novels and stories had on...
's book of The Thin Man
The Thin Man
The Thin Man is a detective novel by Dashiell Hammett, originally published in Redbook. Although he never wrote a sequel, the book became the basis for a successful six-part film series which also began in 1934 with The Thin Man and starred William Powell and Myrna Loy...
was not a male Wire-Haired Fox Terrier, but a female Schnauzer
Schnauzer
A Schnauzer is a German dog type that originated in Germany in the 15th and 16th centuries. The term comes from Schnauze , the German word for "snout", because of the dog's distinctively bearded snout. The word Schnauzer also means moustache in German; some authorities, such as Encyclopædia...
. Due to the enormous popularity of the Asta character as played by Skippy, interest in pet terriers skyrocketed. Asta's enduring fame is such that the name is a frequent answer in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
crossword puzzles (crosswordese
Crosswordese
Crosswordese is a term generally used to describe words frequently found in crossword puzzles but seldom found in everyday conversation. They are usually short words, three to five letters, with letter combinations which crossword constructors find useful in the creation of crossword puzzles...
), in response to clues such as "Thin Man dog" or "Dog star."
Although Skippy played Asta in the first two Thin Man films, other terriers, trained by the Weatherwax family and by Frank Inn, took on the role in subsequent films of the series, and in the television show.
Films starring Skippy
- The Thin ManThe Thin ManThe Thin Man is a detective novel by Dashiell Hammett, originally published in Redbook. Although he never wrote a sequel, the book became the basis for a successful six-part film series which also began in 1934 with The Thin Man and starred William Powell and Myrna Loy...
(1934) as Asta (credited as Asta) - The Big Broadcast of 1936The Big Broadcast of 1936The Big Broadcast of 1936 is a Paramount Pictures production, directed by Norman Taurog, and is the second in the series of Big Broadcast movies...
(1935) (uncredited) - The Lottery Lover (1935) as Pom Pom, A Dog (credited as Skippy)
- It's a Small World (1935)
- The Daring Young Man (a.k.a. Man Proposes, 1935)
- After the Thin ManAfter the Thin ManAfter the Thin Man is a 1936 American film, starring William Powell, Myrna Loy, and James Stewart, that is the sequel to the film The Thin Man. The movie presents Powell and Loy as Dashiell Hammett's characters Nick and Nora Charles. The film was directed by W. S...
(1936) as Asta (credited as Asta) - Sea Racketeers (1937) as Skipper (credited as Skippy)
- The Awful TruthThe Awful TruthThe Awful Truth is a 1937 screwball comedy film starring Irene Dunne and Cary Grant. The plot concerns the machinations of a soon-to-be-divorced couple, played by Dunne and Grant, who go to great lengths to try to ruin each other's romantic escapades...
(1937) as Mr. Smith (uncredited) - Bringing Up BabyBringing up BabyBringing Up Baby is an American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks, starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, and released by RKO Radio Pictures....
(1938) as George, The Dog (credited as Asta) - I Am the LawI Am the Law (1938 film)-Plot:New York City law professor John Lindsay is asked by Eugene Ferguson, a member of the governor's Civic Committee, to become a special prosecuter to fight racketeers and corruption in the city, but unknown to Lindsay, Ferguson is in association with the racketeers.-Cast:* Edward G...
(1938) as Habeas (credited as Asta) - Topper Takes a TripTopper Takes a TripTopper Takes a Trip is a 1938 film sequel of Topper . Constance Bennett, Roland Young, Billie Burke and Alan Mowbray reprised their roles from the earlier movie; only Cary Grant was missing . A ghost tries to reunite a couple who she had a hand in splitting up in the prior film...
(1939) as Mr. Atlas (credited as Skippy)
Later films starring Skippy lookalikes as Asta
- Another Thin ManAnother Thin ManAnother Thin Man is a 1939 American film that is the third film in the six-volume series, The Thin Man. It again stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, and is based on the writings of Dashiell Hammett. Their son, Nicky Jr., is also introduced in the film. The cast includes...
(1939) - Shadow of the Thin ManShadow of the Thin ManShadow of the Thin Man is the fourth of the six The Thin Man films. It was released in 1941 and was directed by W. S. Van Dyke. It stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles. Also, in this film their son Nick Jr. is old enough to figure in the comic subplot...
(1941) - The Thin Man Goes HomeThe Thin Man Goes HomeThe Thin Man Goes Home is a 1945 motion picture directed by Richard Thorpe. It is the fifth of the six Thin Man films starring William Powell and Myrna Loy as Dashiell Hammett's dapper private detective Nick Charles and his wife Nora.-Plot:...
(1944) - Song of the Thin ManSong of the Thin ManSong of the Thin Man is a 1947 comedy-crime film directed by Edward Buzzell, the last of the six Thin Man films. Like the others, it stars William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles, characters created by Dashiell Hammett. Nick Jr. is played by Dean Stockwell...
(1947) - The Thin ManThe Thin Man (TV series)The Thin Man is a half-hour weekly television series based on the mystery novel The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett. The 72 episodes were produced by MGM Television and shown on NBC for two seasons from 1957–1959 on Friday evening.-Overview:...
TV series (1950s)
External links
- Asta at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- I Love Asta fan site