The Adventures of Rusty
Encyclopedia
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
film, the first in the "Rusty" series of children's films
Rusty (film series)
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...
. The series of eight films were made in the 1940s by Columbia Pictures
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...
with stories centered around Rusty a German shepherd dog. The film is notable for featuring the famous Ace the Wonder Dog
Ace the Wonder Dog
Ace the Wonder Dog was a German Shepherd that acted in several films and film serials from 1938 to 1946. His first appearance was in the 1938 Lew Landers film...
as Rusty - the only appearance by Ace in the Rusty films.
Plot
The film's plot involves Danny Mitchell (Ted DonaldsonTed Donaldson
Ted Donaldson is an American former child actor.-Career:He appeared in twenty films, starting with a starring role as Arthur "Pinky" Thompson in Once Upon a Time , opposite Cary Grant and Janet Blair, and as Barry in Mr. Winkle Goes to War with Edward G...
), a young kid in the American town of Lawtonville, who is grieving over the loss of his dog. He is also struggling to adjust to his new stepmother, Ann (Margaret Lindsay
Margaret Lindsay
Margaret Lindsay was an American film actress. Her time as a Warner Bros. contract player during the 1930s was particularly productive...
), and has a difficult relationship with his father (Conrad Nagel
Conrad Nagel
Conrad Nagel was an American screen actor and matinee idol of the silent film era and beyond. He was also a well-known television actor and radio performer.-Biography:...
) - causing him to call on a psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
played by Addison Richards
Addison Richards
Addison Richards was an American film actor. He appeared in over 300 films between 1933 and 1964. He died from a heart attack...
for assistance. However, Danny befriends Rusty, a ferocious German shepherd who was taken back from 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...
after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Having worked a police dog for the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
, however, Rusty is ill-tempered and Danny struggles to train him. A subplot involves two escaped Nazi spies (Arno Frey
Arno Frey
-External links:* * Brian Taves. Candidates for the National Film Registry: Fang and Claw & Tiger Fangs * on Findagrave.com...
and Eddie Parker
Eddie Parker
Eddie Parker was a stuntman and actor who appeared in many classic films, mostly westerns and horror films...
) who arrive in Lawtonville, attempting to escape the Coast Guard
Coast guard
A coast guard or coastguard is a national organization responsible for various services at sea. However the term implies widely different responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked with...
, and ultimately try to take Rusty by speaking to him in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
.
The dog portraying Rusty would change frequently over the course of the series, with Flame having the most appearances as the character (four). Danny's parents would also be portrayed by different actors in almost every installment.
See also
For the Love of RustyFor the Love of Rusty
For 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), the second follow-up to The Adventures of Rusty and the debut of long-time Rusty flame. A young 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...
directed.