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| Rin Tin Tin |
Way back in 1929, when the Academy of Motion Picture Artsand Sciences was brand new, they organized the first Oscar presentations. The members of the Academy voted on the (then
short) list of awards, including best actor and actress. When the votes were counted, the winner for
best actor was Rin Tin Tin.
It really wasn't surprising.
Though it's hard to imagine today, Rin Tin Tin was the biggest star of
his era. Rinty, as he was known, helped
to turn Warner Bros. from a small, struggling studio into the huge industry
leader it became. He was so famous --
and so beloved -- that when he died in 1932 radio broadcasts all over America
were interrupted with the news. In 1929
there really was no other clear choice for Best Actor. There was Rin Tin Tin, and there was everyone
else.
But (according to Susan Orlean, in her book Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend) the Academy was worried that if they gave the first ever
Best Actor award to a dog, no one would take their new organization
seriously. And so, they gave it to the
runner up, a German silent film actor named Emil Jannings.
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| Emil Jannings and Marlene Dietrich in "The Blue Angel" (1930) |
(Who? Emil Jannings
was a German actor, well known to silent film audiences. He starred opposite Marlene Dietrich in The
Blue Angel. Jannings had a thick German
accent, which effectively ended his career in Hollywood once talkies came
in. During World War II he starred in
Nazi Propaganda films and was reportedly close with Joseph Goebbels. If you've seen Quentin Tarantino film
Inglorious Basterds, Jannings is portrayed as one of the German actors in the
climactic theater scene. You can find his Wikipedia page here -- and in the
spirit of full disclosure, it was me who added the information about Rin Tin
Tin to his biography.)
Taking into account the times, and the youth
of Hollywood, the decision is understandable. But over the years, the Oscars have become an
institution, one that is devoted to celebrating and preserving the history of
Motion Pictures. And now, it seems only
fitting that one of the greatest movie stars of all time -- Rin Tin Tin --
should finally get his due.
The folks over at The Dog Files (a great blog -- if you're
not familiar with it, check it out) have started a petition to do just
that. They are calling on the Academy to
include in the live Oscar ceremony a montage honoring animals in film, and then
award (re-award) a posthumous Best Actor Oscar to Rin Tin Tin.
As my friends could tell you, I can go a little overboard on
the subject of pop culture injustices (Why aren't the Monkees in the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame?) But this, I really
believe, is a cause whose time has come.
So I would like to call upon all my readers to sign the petition -- and
if the spirit moves you, maybe write directly to the Academy of Motion PictureArts and Sciences.
Let's get Rinty back
his Oscar.
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Readers of Birds and Beasts might also enjoy our sister blog Birdland West, which covers birds and wildlife, mostly in the Seattle Area. Currently at Birdland West, CSI: Pigeon Town, an avian murder mystery.
