Silver Streak (often followed by the title King of Dog Stars, [1] The Dog of Wonder [2] or The Wonder Dog; [3] 1924 [4] – unknown) was a male German Shepherd 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's attempt to rival the success of Warner's Rin Tin Tin. [4] [5] [6]
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 and English; and only need to rehearse a scene once with his owner/trainer, Captain Rowe, before performing on camera. [5] Off the set, Silver Streak was extremely affectionate and showed no nervousness that had been typical of animals acting in movies during that period. [4] During the filming of Fangs of Justice, Silver Streak took a decided liking to the film's star June Marlowe, staying with her at every possible moment. [7]
Silver Streak acted in at least six serials and movies, all of which are believed to be lost, though posters for most of these releases still exist. A trailer for The Silent Flyer still remains, resident at the UCLA Film and Television Archive, [8] [9] while production stills survive for Fangs of Justice.
After retiring from movies, Silver Streak would perform tricks in front of live audiences. [5] 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 and singing. [10]