Rusty (film series)
Encyclopedia
The Rusty films were a series of eight children's movies made in America in the 1940s by Columbia Pictures
. The films presented stories about a group of young children and their dog named Rusty. Though the films were B-movies primarily shown as the second half of a double-bill, the films usually had a humanist sub-text 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. Ackles subsequently achieved critical acclaim as a singer-songwriter in the 1960s and 1970s lionized by Elton John
and Elvis Costello
.
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
. The films presented stories about a group of young children and their dog named Rusty. Though the films were B-movies primarily shown as the second half of a double-bill, the films usually had a humanist sub-text and subtly promoted positive values on social issues of the era. Among the directors of the series was John Sturges
John Sturges
John Eliot Sturges was an American film director. His movies include Bad Day at Black Rock , Gunfight at the O.K. Corral , The Magnificent Seven , The Great Escape and Ice Station Zebra .-Career:He started his career in Hollywood as an editor in 1932...
who subsequently became famous for directing The Magnificent Seven
The Magnificent Seven
The Magnificent Seven is an American Western film directed by John Sturges, and released in 1960. It is a fictional tale of a group of seven American gunmen who are hired to protect a small agricultural village in Mexico from a group of marauding Mexican bandits...
, The Great Escape
The Great Escape (film)
The Great Escape is a 1963 American film about an escape by Allied prisoners of war from a German POW camp during World War II, starring Steve McQueen, James Garner, and Richard Attenborough...
and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957 film)
The film was based on a real event which took place on October 26, 1881. It was directed by John Sturges and featuring a screenplay written by novelist Leon Uris, and the movie's supporting cast included Rhonda Fleming, John Ireland, Jo Van Fleet, Martin Milner, Dennis Hopper, Jack Elam, Lee Van...
. Among the regular cast members was child actor David Ackles
David Ackles
David Thomas Ackles was an American singer-songwriter. He recorded four albums between 1968 and 1973.Describing Ackles's style in 2003, critic Colin McElligatt wrote, "An unlikely clash of anachronistic show business and modern-day lyricism...deeply informs his recorded output...
who appeared in six of the eight films. Ackles subsequently achieved critical acclaim as a singer-songwriter in the 1960s and 1970s lionized by Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
and Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
.
The films
- The Adventures of RustyThe Adventures of RustyThe Adventures of Rusty is a 1945 drama film, the first in the "Rusty" series of children's films. The series of eight films were made in the 1940s by Columbia Pictures with stories centered around Rusty a German shepherd dog...
(1945) 67 minutes. Directed by Paul Burnford - The Return of Rusty (1946) 64 minutes. Directed by William CastleWilliam CastleWilliam Castle was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. Castle was known for directing films with many gimmicks which were ambitiously promoted, despite being reasonably low budget B-movies....
- For the Love of RustyFor the Love of RustyFor the Love of Rusty is a 1947 drama film directed by John Sturges. It was the third of the "Rusty" film series involving the adventures of German shepherd Rusty and his human companions - young Danny Mitchell and his pals...
(1947) 68 minutes. Directed by John SturgesJohn SturgesJohn Eliot Sturges was an American film director. His movies include Bad Day at Black Rock , Gunfight at the O.K. Corral , The Magnificent Seven , The Great Escape and Ice Station Zebra .-Career:He started his career in Hollywood as an editor in 1932... - The Son of Rusty (1947) 70 minutes. Directed by Lew LandersLew LandersLew Landers was a prolific American film and television director.-Biography:Born Louis Friedlander in New York City, he began his movie career as an actor. In 1914 he appeared in two features, D. W. Griffith's The Escape and the comedy short Admission -- Two Pins, opposite Glen White, under his...
- My Dog Rusty (1948) ?? minutes. Directed by Lew LandersLew LandersLew Landers was a prolific American film and television director.-Biography:Born Louis Friedlander in New York City, he began his movie career as an actor. In 1914 he appeared in two features, D. W. Griffith's The Escape and the comedy short Admission -- Two Pins, opposite Glen White, under his...
- Rusty Leads the Way (1948) ?? minutes. Directed by Will Jason
- Rusty Saves a Life (1949) 68 minutes. Directed by Seymour Friedman
- Rusty's Birthday (1949) 61 minutes. Directed by Seymour Friedman