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 [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029921/ Blind Alibi] . He is considered by many critics an attempt by RKO Pictures to cash in on the success of Warner Bros.' canine sensation, Rin Tin Tin. [ [http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=83525 "Almost a Gentleman" review in the New York Times] .]

After making several program pictures for RKO, Ace moved to Republic Pictures for several more projects, before moving to Columbia Pictures for a role as The Phantom's sidekick "Devil" in The Phantom film serial in 1943.

His declining popularity meant that most of his appearances after RKO's initial burst of "Ace" publicity were for Monogram and the Poverty Row studio Producers Releasing Corporation. [ [http://www.tcm.com/thismonth/article.jsp?cid=156150&mainArticleId=156092 "No Animals Were Harmed During These Films"] . Turner Classic Movies.] In 1945, he appeared as "Rusty" in "The Adventures of Rusty", the first of Columbia's eight "Rusty" films. He did not reprise the role in any of the subsequent installments.

Ace is just one of a number of "Wonder Dogs" in the history of fictional dogs. Others include Rin Tin Tin (billed during his 1930 radio show as "Rin Tin Tin, the Wonder Dog"), Pal the Wonder Dog, [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1268266/ Rex the Wonder Dog] from silent films, and another unrelated Rex the Wonder Dog from DC Comics.

Filmography

*"Blind Alibi" (1938)
*"Orphans of the Street" (1938)
*"Home on the Range" (1938)
*"Almost a Gentleman" (aka "Magnificent Outcast") (1939)
*"The Rookie Cop" (aka "Swift Vengeance") (1939)
*"Girl from God's Country" (1940)
*"The Girl from Alaska" (1942)
*"War Dogs" (aka "Pride of the Army", aka "Unsung Heroes") (1942)
*"Silent Witness" (aka "Attorney for the Defense") (1943)
*"Headin' for God's Country" (1943)
*"The Phantom film serial (1943)
*"The Monster Maker" (1944)
*"The Adventures of Rusty" (1945)
*"Danny Boy" (1946)
*"God's Country" (1946)

References

External links

*imdb name|id=1211064|name=Ace the Wonder Dog
* [http://home.comcast.net/~buggartt German Shepherds in film]