Buzz
The world of movies and TV is filled with an endless array of animals that talk, dance, and sing. While CGI and robotic stand-ins are often used to enhance these performances, there was a time when animals took the spotlight with nothing more than their natural instincts and a tasty treat at the end of the day. This list features those animals, free from digital effects and animatronics, that became stars during the Fifties, Sixties, and Seventies. Many even had their own TV shows. If your favorite animal isn't on here, I apologize in advance, but stay tuned for the honorable mentions.
These animal actors are often referred to by names tied to their roles, rather than their real names, which can sometimes be a bit confusing. In many cases, they weren’t credited by their true identities at all.
The top five animal actors on this list are all dogs. These canine stars often delivered performances that went far beyond simple tricks. The leading dog in this lineup could easily outshine A-listers like Keanu Reeves, Matthew McConaughey, and many others.
A special mention must go to Frank Weatherwax, his well-known brother Rudd, and Frank Inn. Together and individually, they trained numerous animals from the 1930s through the 1980s. Frank Inn began his career as an assistant to the Weatherwax brothers before striking out on his own, training animals for shows like The Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction, and Green Acres. Rudd Weatherwax, famous for his dog food commercials with Lassie, also deserves recognition. These legendary trainers are frequently mentioned throughout this list.
10. J Fred Muggs
NBC's The Today Show was struggling with poor ratings until they decided to add a chimpanzee mascot to the program. The results were immediate—ratings skyrocketed, and television sales soared. J Fred Muggs didn’t perform tricks, deliver weather reports, or laugh at Dave Garroway’s jokes. Like many artists, he was a bit temperamental, but his star power made him invaluable to the show. He even had a guest starring role on Tom Corbett, Space Cadet. Born in 1952, J Fred Muggs first appeared on The Today Show in 1953, wearing diapers. Besides his TV career, he was also a painter, even designing the cover for the June 1960 issue of Mad Magazine. While no obituary has been found, there are references to him living in Florida as of 2004, which would make him the only surviving animal on this list. Despite his contributions, J Fred Muggs was excluded from The Today Show’s 50th anniversary celebration.
9. Bamboo Harvester
Bamboo Harvester was the star, alongside Alan Young, on the TV show Mr. Ed. While he wasn’t credited by his real name, he was known as the title character, “Mr. Ed.” Trained by Les Hilton, who had previously worked with the mule, Molly, in the Francis the Talking Mule films of the 1950s, Bamboo’s iconic speaking moments were created by using a nylon thread that Hilton would pull, causing the horse to move his lips. Bamboo was chosen for the role of Mr. Ed because of his calm temperament and ability to work with the string in his mouth for hours. Unlike Molly, Bamboo eventually figured out that he should move his lips when Alan Young stopped talking, eliminating the need for the thread in later episodes. Early on, the thread was visible, but not in the later seasons, confirming this. Young later stated that peanut butter was used to make the effect work, but this was merely a cover-up for the real method. The voice of Mr. Ed was supplied by former cowboy star Allan “Rocky” Lane, though uncredited.
8. Highland Dale
Highland Dale, the black stallion, starred in the 1946 film Black Beauty. Born in 1943 in Missouri, Highland Dale had a long career in both movies and television from the 1940s through the 1960s. Trained by Ralph McCutcheon to perform tricks like untying knots, playing dead, and whinnying on command, Highland Dale later appeared on the TV show Fury, alongside Peter Graves and Bobby Diamond. His final credited role was a guest appearance on Lassie. Sadly, Highland Dale passed away in 1972 due to respiratory issues.
7. Spike
Spike, the yellow Labrador, famously played the beloved Old Yeller in Disney's iconic film of the same title. If you haven't yet watched this heart-wrenching movie, keep a tissue close by. Spike's journey began in an animal shelter, where he was rescued by Frank Weatherwax. Besides Old Yeller, Spike appeared in films such as A Dog of Flanders, The She-Creature, and The Silent Call. He also made his mark on television, including an appearance on The Mickey Mouse Club.
6. Golden Cloud
Before becoming known as Trigger, Golden Cloud had already appeared in various films. When purchased by Roy Rogers, he was renamed Trigger. His extraordinary ability to perform an array of tricks made him a standout star in the western entertainment scene, and he even inspired his own comic book series.
5. Terry
Terry, a terrier, gained widespread fame for portraying Toto in The Wizard of Oz. Her acting career spanned numerous films, including Bright Eyes with Shirley Temple and Tortilla Flat, where she starred alongside Spencer Tracy and Hedy Lamar. Though often uncredited by her real name, Terry was known as Toto in Oz. During the filming of Oz, she suffered an injury to her foot from an actor playing a soldier of the Wicked Witch, but she made a full recovery and continued to act in many films. An autobiography of Terry, which occasionally pops up on Amazon, was released later.
4. Pal
Pal started as a stunt dog in the 1943 MGM film Lassie Comes Home, starring child actors Roddy McDowell and Elizabeth Taylor. Though Pal initially lost the title role to a prized female show collie, the dog was later chosen as the lead. There are different stories explaining why this happened, but Pal quickly proved himself with flawless one-take performances and went on to star in seven MGM films. Owned and trained by Rudd Weatherwax, with help from his brother Frank and later Frank Inn, Pal became synonymous with the Lassie character. When MGM ceased making Lassie films, they still owed Rudd money, so he accepted the rights to the Lassie character in place of payment. Rudd then brought Lassie to television, where the series aired from 1954 to 1973. Though Pal's son, Lassie Jr., had taken over the role in the movies, Pal made one last appearance in the pilot episode, also occasionally serving as a backup. Pal passed away in 1958.
3. Higgins
Higgins was the Tom Hanks of animal actors, boasting an acting range rivaling many human professionals. He is most famous for portraying the title character in the film Benji. Higgins also had a regular role as Dog on the CBS sitcom Petticoat Junction and appeared in several other TV shows and movies. Trained by Frank Inn, who also worked with animals on The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres, Higgins began his life in an animal shelter as a mixed-breed dog. Frank Inn regarded him as his best pupil. Known for his ability to perform over 100 tricks, Higgins was more than just a well-trained animal. He could convey a wide range of emotions on cue—fear, sadness, interest, boredom—along with the ability to sneeze, yawn, and even act in various genres from romantic comedy to intense action. While the original Benji film was his biggest role (other Benji movies used different dogs), Higgins also starred in Mooch Goes to Hollywood alongside Zsa Zsa Gabor and Vincent Price. On Petticoat Junction, he shared a special bond with co-star Edgar Buchanan, and their scenes in Benji are some of the most natural human-canine performances on screen. Higgins' ashes were buried with his trainer, Frank Inn.
Notable omissions: Arnold The Pig (he just had great writers and there were many Arnolds), Moose, who played Eddie on television’s Frazier, Manis, from the film Every Which Way But Loose, and Mitzi, the original Flipper from the 1963 film.
2. Rin Tin Tin
Rin Tin Tin was a dark German Shepherd, originally owned and trained by Lee Duncan, a World War I veteran from Los Angeles. After the war, Duncan brought the dog back from France and taught him various tricks, hoping that Rin Tin Tin would become a famous movie dog, much like Jean The Biograph Dog and Strongheart before him. Rin Tin Tin quickly found success in early films, often portraying wolves. His popularity skyrocketed in the 1920s and 1930s, and his films became major box-office hits, even credited with saving Warner Brothers financially. The series played a significant role in Daryl Zanuck's rise within the company. Without these films, the corporate empire of Time-Warner may not have existed. Rin Tin Tin became known as “Rinty” in his films, but also played other roles like “Scotty” in *Tiger Rose* (1931). By 1930, he starred in his own radio program on the NBC Blue network. According to *The Big Broadcast* by Buxton and Owen, actor Francis X. Bushman was a co-star on the show. Rin Tin Tin portrayed himself, barking and growling on cue. In 1932, Rin Tin Tin passed, but his legacy continued through his son, Rin Tin Tin Jr., both on the radio and in movies. There have been many dogs in the Rin Tin Tin lineage, but the original remains legendary, immortalized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A 1976 comedy film, *Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood*, humorously satirizes the dog’s rise to fame.
1. Skippy
Skippy, a wire-haired terrier, was trained by his original owners, Henry and Gale East, with the help of the Weatherwax brothers and Frank Inn. He gained fame for portraying Asta in the first two Thin Man films, starring Myrna Loy and William Powell. His character Asta became iconic, and similar dogs were featured in later films of the series under that name. Skippy's film career extended beyond these roles, appearing as an extra in several movies and even taking leading roles in others. Notably, he played Mr. Smith the dog in *The Awful Truth* and George in *Bringing Up Baby*, both alongside Cary Grant. Despite his popularity, Skippy was often inconsistently credited, sometimes listed as Skippy, Asta, or not credited at all. After his death, other terriers were cast as Asta. Skippy's acting talents were evident in his wide range of expressions, from fear to anger, and his memorable portrayal of a bloodhound impersonation.
