Strongheart was the screen name of Etzel von Oeringen (October 1, 1917–June 24, 1929), a German Shepherd that became one of the earliest animal film stars. He was brought to the United States by husband and wife filmmakers Laurence Trimble and Jane Murfin, who had previously worked with Jean, the Vitagraph Dog. Strongheart was three years old when he came to Hollywood and had been trained in Germany as a police attack dog. He appeared in several movies, including a 1925 adaptation of White Fang.
Strongheart came from a carefully bred, highly efficient, family of dogs. He was powerfully built, utterly fearless and weighed 125 pounds. The major problem Laurence Trimble faced was that as a trained police dog Strongheart had not socialized much with human beings. It took Trimble months to train the dog in order to de-emphasize his harsh police dog-style training. Trimble had the dog by his side virtually non-stop for months, continually rewarding him for good behavior. Eventually Strongheart's prior police habits were broke but certain aspects of his past remained with him. He had an astonishing level of instinct regarding the character of strangers, both good and bad. It was reported that Strongheart would often suddenly pursue passersbys who long after were found to have been embezzlers, frauds or spousal abusers.
Strongheart was a natural in front of the camera and despite his training as an attack dog he never harmed another person. Laurence Trimble said "His human counterparts on screen were pleased with Strongheart, for even though he tore their clothes to shreds, he never left a mark of fang or nail on any actor." After his first movie, "The Silent Call" (1921), Strongheart became a favorite of moviegoers of all ages. He traveled by train across the country making personal appearances, at every stop crowds of people were on hand to see this marvelous animal.
Tragedy struck down Strongheart at the height of his career, when he slipped and was burned by a studio light. The burn rapidly turned into a tumor and eventually claimed Strongheart's life. Strongheart died the next year in peace. "God bless you Strongheart, God bless you", were the words of the eminent dog's eulogist and former trainer, Henri Potts.
His popularity lead to the production of Strongheart Dog Food, which is still available today.
His star can be found at can be found at 1724 Vine Street.
Filmography
• The Silent Call (1921)
• Brawn of the North (1922)
• The Love Master (1924)
• North Star (1925)
• White Fang (1925)
• The Return of Boston Blackie (1927) - thought to be the only Strongheart movie still in existence
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