Do You Know the History of Animals in the Movies?

Not only humans, but animals also play an important role in Hollywood. From Hachiko, Max to Life of Pi, many animals are used for entertainment.There are movies in which animals outshined co-stars. If you are an animal lover, you should know the first Hollywood movie to cast an animal and the history of animals in the movies to expand your knowledge.

History of Animals in the Movies

Do you know these first animals in films? It is time to get amused by these cute and brave animals’ mind-blowing performances in classic movies. Here’s the history of animals cast in movies that every animal lover should know.

Rin Tin Tin- 1918

Rin Tin Tin became an international star in motion pictures. His fame made people keep German Shepherds as their pets. Rin Tin Tin’s nickname was Rinty. Rin Tin Tin performed in 27 movies throughout his Hollywood career.

Rinty made his debut in Hollywood after being rescued from the battlefield. His trainer was an American soldier Lee Duncan during World War II.

Jimmy- 1934

He was often known as Jimmy the raven/crow because he was a raven who appeared in more than 1000 movies in his 15 year Hollywood career.

Since 1938, Jimmy has appeared in all of Frank Capra’s movies ever made. He is an extremely intelligent bird who could perform activities like opening letters, typing, and riding a miniature motorcycle.

Hercules the Bear-1975

Hercules was owned by wrestler Andy Robin and his wife and was originally bought as a cub. They didn’t know bringing Hercules home could raise a wrestling star. Hercules escaped while shooting an advertisement for Kleenex in 1980 and was missing for 24 days.

Orangey-1950

This is the only star cat to win the PATSY award, aka Picture Animal Top Star of the Year twice.

Orangey gained popularity for his role in Breakfast at Tiffany. A studio executive once called him “the world’s meanest cat.” He used to bite and scratch his co-stars. He was trained by Frank Inn.

Keiko-1976

Keiko is a whale, best known for his performance in the Free Willy movies. The meaning of his name is ‘a lucky one.’  He died at the age of 26 in 2003. His memorial was built in Halsa, Norway.

Moose-1990

After six months of training, Moose the Jack was selected for the role of Eddie on Frasier. During his time, Moose received more emails from fans than any of his co-stars.

After seven seasons of the show, Moose was replaced by his son Enzo. He died in 2006,,, aged 15.