Silver Streak appearing in a programme for short films

Silver Streak (often followed by the

title A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...

King of Dog Stars, The Dog of Wonder or The Wonder Dog; 1924

Detroit Free Press The ''Detroit Free Press'' is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the ''Sunday Free Press''. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It primari ...

, 1926-03-21. Retrieved: March 14, 2020 – unknown) was a male

German Shepherd The German Shepherd or Alsatian is a German breed of working dog of medium to large size. The breed was developed by Max von Stephanitz using various traditional German herding dogs from 1899. It was originally bred as a herding dog, for he ...

that starred in motion pictures. He was a police dog with a long pedigree, the last in a great line that appeared in film, and considered to be

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a t ...

's attempt to rival the success of

Warner Warner can refer to: People * Warner (writer) * Warner (given name) * Warner (surname) Fictional characters * Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner, stars of the animated television series ''Animaniacs'' * Aaron Warner, a character in ''Shatter Me s ...

Rin Tin Tin Rin Tin Tin or Rin-Tin-Tin (September 1918 – August 10, 1932) was a male German Shepherd born in Flirey, France, who became an international star in motion pictures. He was rescued from a World War I battlefield by an American soldier, L ...

.Tulare Advance Register, 1935-12-12. Retrieved: March 14, 2020

Early life

Silver Streak's education included thorough police training and army Red Cross work. He was said to: be able to register several emotions, showing hate, fear, love and affection; at will, be savage or kind; have had the power to throw a well-developed man; understand over 150 words in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

and

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

; and only need to rehearse a scene once with his owner/trainer, Captain Rowe, before performing on camera. Off the set, Silver Streak was extremely affectionate and showed no nervousness that had been typical of animals acting in movies during that period. During the filming of '' Fangs of Justice'', Silver Streak took a decided liking to the film's star

June Marlowe June Marlowe (born Gisela Valaria Goetten, November 6, 1903 – March 10, 1984) was an American film actress who began her career during the silent film era. She was best known for her performance of "Miss Crabtree" in the ''Our Gang'' sho ...

, staying with her at every possible moment.

Acting

Silver Streak acted in at least six serials and movies, all of which are believed to be

lost Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

, though

posters A poster is a large sheet that is placed either on a public space to promote something or on a wall as decoration. Typically, posters include both textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or wholly text. ...

for most of these releases still exist. A trailer for ''

The Silent Flyer ''The Silent Flyer'' is a 1926 10-episode (chapter) American adventure film serial directed by William James Craft. The film serial was sold to Universal Pictures for $75,000 with the resulting funds used in the founding of Mascot Pictures.Tuska ...

'' still remains, resident at the

UCLA Film and Television Archive The UCLA Film & Television Archive is a visual arts organization focused on the preservation, study, and appreciation of film and television, based at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Also a nonprofit exhibition venue, the archiv ...

, while production stills survive for ''Fangs of Justice''.

Filmography

* ''

'' (1926) * '' Fangs of Justice'' (1926) * ''The Snarl of Hate'' (1927) * ''Where Trails Begin'' (1927) * ''Cross Breed'' (1927) * ''

Code of the Air ''Code of the Air'' is a 1928 American silent thriller film directed by James P. Hogan and starring Kenneth Harlan, June Marlowe and Arthur Rankin.Soister, Nicolella & Joyce p.96 Cast * Kenneth Harlan as Blair Thompson * June Marlowe as Helen ...

'' (1928)

Later life

After retiring from movies, Silver Streak would perform tricks in front of live audiences. Captain Rowe would demonstrate Silver Streak's ability to follow direction, ending the show with the dog sitting up on a chair while playing the

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

and singing.Tulare Advance Register, 1935-12-13. Retrieved: March 14, 2020

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links

*
Hollywood Dogs
{{Authority control 1924 animal births Dog actors Film serial actors German shepherds Dogs in literature Rin Tin Tin