Laurence Trimble
Encyclopedia
Laurence Trimble was an American
silent film
actor, writer and director. Trimble began his career as an actor in the 1910 silent Saved by the Flag. He made 100 silent films between 1908 and 1926. Trimble was best known for his films starring his dogs, Jean, the Vitagraph Dog
, and later Strongheart
.
Trimble was born in Robbinston, Maine
, and in 1908 he sold an animal story to a magazine in New York
. The magazine referred him to Vitagraph Company to write a story about making films. Trimble became a member of the Vitagraph company and both he and his dog Jean were employed as actors. His dog became Jean the Vitagraph Dog
, the first canine to have a leading role in motion pictures.
Jean died in 1916, and Trimble and his wife Jane Murfin
found another dog on a trip to Germany
. They purchased a German shepherd police dog named Etzel von Oeringen that would become more successful. They changed his name to Strongheart
and he became the first major canine film star.
Trimble ended his film career in 1926 and died in 1954 in Woodland Hills, California.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
actor, writer and director. Trimble began his career as an actor in the 1910 silent Saved by the Flag. He made 100 silent films between 1908 and 1926. Trimble was best known for his films starring his dogs, Jean, the Vitagraph Dog
Vitagraph Dog
Jean, the Vitagraph Dog , a female Border Collie, was a dog actor that performed title roles in early silent films. She was a precursor to other famous dog actors like Lassie and Rin Tin Tin.-Biography and career:...
, and later Strongheart
Strongheart
Strongheart was the screen name of Etzel von Oeringen , a German Shepherd that became one of the earliest canine film stars. After being trained in Germany as a police dog, he was brought to the United States by husband and wife filmmakers Laurence Trimble and Jane Murfin, who had previously worked...
.
Trimble was born in Robbinston, Maine
Robbinston, Maine
Robbinston is a town in Washington County, Maine, United States. The population was 525 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
, and in 1908 he sold an animal story to a magazine in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. The magazine referred him to Vitagraph Company to write a story about making films. Trimble became a member of the Vitagraph company and both he and his dog Jean were employed as actors. His dog became Jean the Vitagraph Dog
Vitagraph Dog
Jean, the Vitagraph Dog , a female Border Collie, was a dog actor that performed title roles in early silent films. She was a precursor to other famous dog actors like Lassie and Rin Tin Tin.-Biography and career:...
, the first canine to have a leading role in motion pictures.
Jean died in 1916, and Trimble and his wife Jane Murfin
Jane Murfin
Jane Murfin was an American playwright and screenwriter.Born in Quincy, Michigan, Murfin began her career with the play Lilac Time, which she co-wrote with Jane Cowl. The Broadway production opened on February 6, 1917 and ran for 176 performances...
found another dog on a trip to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. They purchased a German shepherd police dog named Etzel von Oeringen that would become more successful. They changed his name to Strongheart
Strongheart
Strongheart was the screen name of Etzel von Oeringen , a German Shepherd that became one of the earliest canine film stars. After being trained in Germany as a police dog, he was brought to the United States by husband and wife filmmakers Laurence Trimble and Jane Murfin, who had previously worked...
and he became the first major canine film star.
Trimble ended his film career in 1926 and died in 1954 in Woodland Hills, California.
Selected filmography
- Far from the Madding CrowdFar from the Madding Crowd (1915 film)Far from the Madding Crowd is a 1915 British silent drama film directed by Laurence Trimble and starring Florence Turner, Henry Edwards and Malcolm Cherry. It is an adaptation of the novel Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy.-Cast:...
(1915) - The Spreading DawnThe Spreading DawnThe Spreading Dawn is a 1917 silent film drama produced by Samuel Goldwyn in his first year of producing independently in his own studio and starring Broadway stage star Jane Cowl in her second and final silent. It was directed by Laurence Trimble, the then husband of Cowl's stage writing partner...
(1917) - Fool's GoldFool's Gold (1919 film)Fool's Gold is a 1919 silent American drama film directed by Laurence Trimble. A copy of the film survives in the National Film and Television Archive.- Cast :* Mitchell Lewis as Marshall Strong* Wellington A...
(1919)