Rin Tin Tin - The Ambassador (11-13-55)

The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin is a children's television program which ran on ABC from October 1954 until August 1959. It starred Lee Aaker as young Rusty, a boy orphaned in an Indian raid, who was being raised by the soldiers at a cavalry post. He and his German shepherd dog Rin Tin Tin helped the soldiers to establish order in the Old West. The program was produced by Screen Gems. The character of Rin Tin Tin had appeared in several movies and radio serials since 1922. One of the dogs used in the TV series was the fourth in the bloodline of the original Rin Tin Tin. Reruns of the show ran on daytime television and on Saturdays on CBS from October 1959 until September 1964. A new set of reruns was shown in 1976, and continued well into the mid-1980s. The original black and white prints were tinted light brown. An unrelated -including a German Shepherd - aired in the U.S. as Rin Tin Tin: K-9 Cop. The series was produced in Canada under the name Katts and Dog where the dog was named Rudy. When the series was shown in the U.S., the dog's name was dubbed "Rinty" to fit the U.S. title. The success of The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin caused the cancellation of Gene Autry's The Adventures of Champion on CBS, which was replaced on February 10, 1956, by My Friend Flicka. Flicka, starring Johnny Washbrook as Ken McLaughlin, the story of a boy and his horse on a Wyoming ranch, produced thirty-nine episodes through February 1, 1957, when it was discontinued. Like Rin Tin Tin, Flicka rebroadcasts aired for years on all the networks. Rin Tin Tin guest stars include veteran western film star Roscoe Ates.