Upload

RIN TIN RIN: THE LIFE AND THE LEGEND by Susan Orlean

SheepscotCreative SheepscotCreative·100 videos
82

Subscription preferences

Loading...

Loading icon Loading...

Working...
16,279
Like     Dislike 1

Sign in to YouTube

Sign in with your Google Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to like SheepscotCreative's video.

Sign in to YouTube

Sign in with your Google Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to dislike SheepscotCreative's video.

Sign in to YouTube

Sign in with your Google Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to add SheepscotCreative's video to your playlist.

Uploaded on May 17, 2011

"He believed the dog was immortal."

So begins Susan Orlean's sweeping, powerfully moving story of Rin Tin Tin's journey from orphaned puppy to movie star and international icon. From the moment in 1918 when Corporal Lee Duncan discovers Rin Tin Tin on a World War I battlefield, he recognizes something in the pup that he needs to share with the world. Rin Tin Tin's improbable introduction to Hollywood leads to the dog's first blockbuster film and over time, the many radio programs, movies, and television shows that follow. The canine hero's legacy is cemented by Duncan and a small group of others who devote their lives to keeping him and his descendants alive.

At its heart, Rin Tin Tin is a poignant exploration of the enduring bond between humans and animals. But it is also a richly textured history of twentieth-century entertainment and entrepreneurship and the changing role of dogs in the American family and society. Almost ten years in the making, Susan Orlean's first original book since The Orchid Thief is a tour de force of history, human interest, and masterful storytelling—the ultimate must-read for anyone who loves great dogs or great yarns.
For example: Did you know that at the first-ever Academy Awards, Rin Tin Tin earned most votes for Best Actor? (In response, the Academy re-tallied its results and awarded the most popular human instead.) Or that the name of the first dog in a feature film was "Rover," which singlehandedly explains why a hundred years later, Rover remains the archetypal dog name in America?

A few weeks ago, I visited Susan at her home north of New York City. We shot several hours of footage, much of which will be released in the months leading up to the October publication of Rin Tin Tin. Here, to begin, is an introduction, starring the author and her Welsh springer spaniel, Ivy.

P.S. Booksellers and other publishing folks, note: Susan will be signing advanced copies of Rin Tin Tin in the Simon & Schuster booth at Book Expo America on Wednesday, May 25th from 2-3 p.m. This video will be available there, as well.

Loading icon Loading...

Loading icon Loading...

Loading icon Loading...

The interactive transcript could not be loaded.

Loading icon Loading...

Loading icon Loading...

Ratings have been disabled for this video.
Rating is available when the video has been rented.
This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

All Comments (13)

Sign in now to post a comment!
  • Melanie Massengale

    I read this book during a vacation in Florida and just loved it. Wonderful writing - not just the story of a dog, but a cultural history.

    ·

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate Melanie Massengale's comment.

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate Melanie Massengale's comment.
  • Kathleen Bergeron

    Just finished the book today and it was excellent. Thank you for all of your hard work and research!

    ·

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate Kathleen Bergeron's comment.

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate Kathleen Bergeron's comment.
  • MohawkFox127

    Rin Tin Tin will live forever

    ·

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate MohawkFox127's comment.

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate MohawkFox127's comment.
  • Dawn Heald

    my maggie-may, born emma grunzel shultz, decendant of rin tin tin, is the fastest, most agile dog I ever seen. unable to breed her, dermadex mange, my husband got her for me, just b4 my king shepherd, n friend for 10 yrs, went to heaven, I love her so much, n look forward to reading your book, ty, some videos of her on my utube channel:)

    ·

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate Dawn Heald's comment.

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate Dawn Heald's comment.
  • rennogsd1996

    Loved the book.

    ·

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate rennogsd1996's comment.

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate rennogsd1996's comment.
  • theOlLineRebel

    Not all of them are the real Rin Tin Tin. They are the successors (no, they're not descendents - after his son or so, all were descended from 1 of his or his son's MATES). The real RTT was a sable German Shepherd, very old-style, and very much wolf-looking at least in B&W. The classic black & tan wasn't as stamped in the breed back then (but was gaining ground) and was more typical of his successors.

    ·

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate theOlLineRebel's comment.

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate theOlLineRebel's comment.
    in reply to guyglowmore1 (Show the comment)
  • Rich92708

    My father, a career Navy man (Vera Cruz, WW-I, WW-II) was a drinking buddy of Lee Duncan in the middle 1930s. And Lee Duncan one day gave my dad a bear cub to bring home to us four kids. Mom quickly turned Dad around to take the bear back. End of story, except ... the car's uphostery suffered badly. .

    ·

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate Rich92708's comment.

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate Rich92708's comment.
  • meowsy11

    I heard Susan on Npr, she makes it sound like an interesting book. Yes the photos are of different dogs.There were a number of dogs used.

    ·

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate meowsy11's comment.

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate meowsy11's comment.
  • Myhousemy1

    This video is almost as boring as the book

    ·

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate Myhousemy1's comment.

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate Myhousemy1's comment.
  • Bill Peschel

    Jack Warner, in his memoir, said that they had 12 dogs available, each with their own specialty, such as fighting, climbing walls, leaping.

    ·

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate Bill Peschel's comment.

    Sign in to YouTube

    Sign in with your YouTube Account (YouTube, Google+, Gmail, Orkut, Picasa, or Chrome) to rate Bill Peschel's comment.
  • Loading comment...
Loading...
Loading...
Working...
Sign in to add this to Watch Later