![Rin Tin Tin main cast 1956](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Rin_Tin_Tin_main_cast_1956.jpg)
Lee William Aaker (September 25, 1943 – April 1, 2021)
[Goldrup, Tom & Goldrup, Jim (2002) ]
Growing Up on the Set: Interviews with 39 Former Child Actors of Classic Film and Television
', McFarland & Co Inc, , pp. 5–12 was an American child actor, producer, carpenter, and ski instructor known for his appearance as Rusty of "B-Company" in the 1950s television program ''
The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin
''The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin'' is an American children's television series in the Western genre that aired from October 1954 to May 1959 on the ABC television network. In all, 164 episodes aired. The show starred Lee Aaker as Rusty, a boy orph ...
''. He was the final surviving cast member of the series. In 1952, Lee Aaker appeared in ''Desperate Search'' with
Howard Keel
Harold Clifford Keel (April 13, 1919November 7, 2004), known professionally as Howard Keel, was an American actor and singer, known for his rich bass-baritone singing voice. He starred in a number of MGM musicals in the 1950s and in the CBS tel ...
and
Keenan Wynn
Francis Xavier Aloysius James Jeremiah Keenan Wynn (July 27, 1916 – October 14, 1986) was an American character actor. His expressive face was his stock-in-trade; and though he rarely carried the lead role, he had prominent billing in mos ...
.
Early years
Aaker's mother, Mrs. Myles Wilbour,
[ ] was the owner of a dancing school in Los Angeles.
(Another source says that she "ran a children's theatre academy" and that when Aaker was 4, she had him "singing and dancing at local clubs.")
Film
On television as a young child, he started appearing uncredited at the age of 8 in films such as ''
The Greatest Show on Earth'' (1952) and ''
High Noon
''High Noon'' is a 1952 American Western film produced by Stanley Kramer from a screenplay by Carl Foreman, directed by Fred Zinnemann, and starring Gary Cooper. The plot, which occurs in real time, centers on a town marshal whose sense of ...
'' (1952).
He quickly moved to featured status by the end of that year.
He showed talent as the kidnapped "Red Chief" in a segment of the film ''
O. Henry's Full House
''O. Henry's Full House'' is a 1952 American anthology film made by 20th Century Fox, consisting of five films, each based on a story by O. Henry.
The film was produced by André Hakim and directed by five directors from five screenplays with di ...
'' (1952) and another kidnap victim as the son of scientist
Gene Barry
Gene Barry (born Eugene Klass, June 14, 1919 – December 9, 2009) was an American stage, screen, and television actor and singer. Barry is best remembered for his leading roles in the films ''The Atomic City'' (1952) and ''The War of The World ...
in ''
The Atomic City
''The Atomic City'' is a 1952 thriller film directed by Jerry Hopper and starring Gene Barry and Lydia Clarke.
The story takes place at Los Alamos, New Mexico, where a nuclear physicist (Barry) lives and works. Terrorists kidnap his son and dem ...
'' (1952).
In 1953, he co-starred in the
John Wayne
Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...
western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
classic ''
Hondo
Hondo may refer to:
Places
* Rio Hondo (disambiguation), the name of several locations, derived from the Spanish word for "deep"
Canada
* Hondo, Alberta, an unincorporated community
United States
* Hondo, New Mexico, an unincorporated com ...
'' (1953) as the
curious
Curiosity (from Latin '' cūriōsitās'', from ''cūriōsus'' "careful, diligent, curious", akin to ''cura'' "care") is a quality related to inquisitive thinking such as exploration, investigation, and learning, evident by observation in humans ...
blond
Blond (male) or blonde (female), also referred to as fair hair, is a hair color characterized by low levels of the dark pigment eumelanin. The resultant visible hue depends on various factors, but always has some yellowish color. The color can ...
son of homesteader
Geraldine Page
Geraldine Sue Page (November 22, 1924June 13, 1987) was an American actress. With a career which spanned four decades across film, stage, and television, Page was the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Acade ...
.
He also appeared in other film styles such as the ''
film noir
Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...
'' thriller ''
Jeopardy
''Jeopardy!'' is an American game show created by Merv Griffin. The show is a quiz competition that reverses the traditional question-and-answer format of many quiz shows. Rather than being given questions, contestants are instead given genera ...
'' (1953) with
Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck (; born Ruby Catherine Stevens; July 16, 1907 – January 20, 1990) was an American actress, model and dancer. A stage, film, and television star, during her 60-year professional career she was known for her strong, realistic sc ...
, the horse opera drama ''
Arena
An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators ...
'' (1953) with
Gig Young
Gig Young (born Byron Elsworth Barr; November 4, 1913 – October 19, 1978) was an American actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performances in ''Come Fill the Cup'' (1952) and '' Teacher's Pet'' ...
, and the comedies ''
Mister Scoutmaster
''Mister Scoutmaster'' is a 1953 comedy film about Boy Scouts, starring Clifton Webb. It is based on the book ''Be Prepared'' by Keith Monroe, writing under the pseudonym Rice E. Cochran.
Plot
An arrogant, aloof television personality gets mor ...
'' (1953) with
Clifton Webb
Webb Parmelee Hollenbeck (November 19, 1889 – October 13, 1966), known professionally as Clifton Webb, was an American actor, singer, and dancer. He worked extensively and was known for his stage appearances in the plays of Noël Coward, in ...
and ''
Ricochet Romance
"Ricochet" (sometimes rendered "Rick-o-Shay" and also as "Ricochet Romance") is a popular music, popular song. The credits show it to be written by Larry Coleman (composer), Larry Coleman, Joe Darion, and Norman Gimbel, without apportioning the w ...
'' (1954) with
Marjorie Main
Mary Tomlinson (February 24, 1890 – April 10, 1975), professionally known as Marjorie Main, was an American character actress and singer of the Classical Hollywood period, best known as a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player in the 1940s and ...
.
Television
In 1953–54, Aaker was among the many child actors who auditioned for the role of "Jeff Miller" on the original 1954 ''
Lassie
Lassie is a fictional female Rough Collie dog and is featured in a short story by Eric Knight that was later expanded to a full-length novel called ''Lassie Come-Home''. Knight's portrayal of Lassie bears some features in common with another fic ...
'' series, which later aired as ''Jeff's Collie''. That role went to
Tommy Rettig
Thomas Noel Rettig (December 10, 1941 – February 15, 1996) was an American child actor, computer software engineer, and author. He is remembered for portraying the character "Jeff Miller" in the first three seasons of CBS's '' Lassie'' te ...
. Two weeks later, Aaker won the role of "Rusty" on ''The Adventures of Rin-Tin-Tin'', co-starring
James Brown
James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honor ...
(1920–1992) as
Lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...
Ripley "Rip" Masters.
Aaker and Rettig were friends, and both shows were popular with audiences. The two actors and the two star dogs appeared together in a photograph used on the cover of the July 2, 1955 issue of ''
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...
''.
Later years
Aaker told a newspaper reporter that when he reached the age of 21, he was paid a $10,000 lump sum () by the studio that produced ''Rin Tin Tin'' "and he spent the rest of the '60s traveling around the world 'as sort of a flower child."
[ ] Unable to find work as an adult actor, Aaker got involved as a producer and later worked as a carpenter.
Personal life
In the late 1960s, Aaker was married to Sharon Ann Hamilton for two years.
[ He resided in ]Mammoth Lakes, California
Mammoth Lakes is a town in Mono County, California, and is the county's only incorporated community. It is located immediately to the east of Mammoth Mountain, at an elevation of . As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 7,191, r ...
, for many years and was the first adaptive sports instructor for Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra at Mammoth Mountain.
According to Paul Petersen
William Paul Petersen (born September 23, 1945) is an American actor, singer, novelist, and activist.
Petersen first rose to prominence in the 1950s playing Jeff Stone on ''The Donna Reed Show'', and transitioned to a singing career in the 19 ...
, an advocate for former child actors, Aaker experienced poverty toward the end of his life, and had struggled for years with substance abuse. Petersen said Aaker had suffered a stroke and died in Maricopa County, Arizona
Maricopa County is in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,420,568, making it the state's most populous county, and the fourth-most populous in the United States. It contains about 6 ...
, near the city of Mesa
A mesa is an isolated, flat-topped elevation, ridge or hill, which is bounded from all sides by steep escarpments and stands distinctly above a surrounding plain. Mesas characteristically consist of flat-lying soft sedimentary rocks capped by ...
, on April 1, 2021, and was listed as an "indigent decedent". Petersen was arranging Aaker's burial. As a US Air Force veteran during the Vietnam War, he was buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona
National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona, also known as Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery, is a United States National Cemetery located in the city of Phoenix in Maricopa County, Arizona. It encompasses , and as of the end of 2005, had 43,672 interm ...
in Phoenix.
Recognition
In 2005, Aaker won the Golden Boot Award
Golden means made of, or relating to gold.
Golden may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
*Golden, in the parish of Probus, Cornwall
*Golden Cap, Dorset
*Golden Square, Soho, London
*Golden Valley, a valley on the River Frome in Gloucestershir ...
as ''Kids of the West''.
Filmography
Film
Television
References
Further reading
* Goldrup, Tom and Jim. ''Growing Up on the Set: Interviews with 39 Former Child Actors of Classic Film and Television''. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 2002, pp. 5–12.
* Holmstrom, John. ''The Moving Picture Boy: An International Encyclopaedia from 1895 to 1995'', Norwich, Michael Russell, 1996, p. 241.
* Dye, David. ''Child and Youth Actors: Filmography of Their Entire Careers, 1914–1985''. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1988, p. 1.
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Aaker, Lee
1943 births
2021 deaths
20th-century American male actors
Burials in Arizona
Male actors from Los Angeles
American male film actors
American male television actors
American male child actors
People from Mammoth Lakes, California