What a bummer. But that's what happens to "Lightning" in what could be called "The Case of the Uncredited Dog." Lightning got the title role in this film because, among his other attributes, he was a "natural howler" and at the lift of his trainer's hand, would lift his head and howl like a coyote. The story, as we all know, tells of a dog's great devotion to his mistress. His mistress is murdered and the dog howls so mournfully that the neighbors are not only disturbed but begin to suspect that something is amiss in the neighborhood. The killer panics, kills the dog and brings in a non-howling ringer.
The ringer is also played by Lightning because Lightning had the ability to howl on cue and not howl when given a don't-howl-now command. Lightning was a directors' actor if there ever was one.
But, sans a credit (despite playing the title role and a dual role), Lightning found himself none-too-much in demand---you got any film credits?---among the animal casters at Central Casting and was about to give up the Show Business when he was spotted by poverty-row producer Burton King (who had an eye for talent on the hoof or, in this case, paw)and was immediately given the LEAD and the TITLE ROLE in "When Lightning Strikes," right there on the corner of Sunset and Gower. There is a star-with-a-bone marking the lightning strike spot. His performance in this film was such that Poverty Row producer S. S. Krellberg offered him the title role in "Man's Best Friend." Well, Hollywood being then what it is now (minus the meanness), any actor who has a lead and three title roles in his brief career (not to mention the ability to play a dual role and a death scene), is going to become a hot commodity and have scripts and choice-of-role offers coming from the major studios. His choices were limited to "which dog do you want to play", type-casting stuff of that retroactive-designated, politically-incorrect era. Lightning was a good actor but he knew his limitations and wasn't one of those "looking for a role to stretch my horizons" actors whose horizons mostly far exceed their abilities.
Lightning padded over to Paramount and is the dog seen leading blind Ken Gordon (Cary Grant) around by a leash in "Wings in the Dark". While the film's leading lady, Myrna Loy, and Lightning hit it off from the first day of shooting, Louella Parsons hinted around in her Hearst newspaper columns that Lightning and Cary Grant were having rapport problems. And Lolly wasn't one not to have her facts straight. She later reported that the tension and dissension was dissolved by director James Flood when he said "Just follow the damn dog, Archie." Like most actors, Grant wasn't fond of getting upstaged. Or playing opposite a dog who had a stand-in named Cary.
RKO then came calling, gave Lightning a term contract and Lightning joined Frankie Thomas roaming around Flanders in "Dog of Flanders" in which Lightning essayed yet another title role, a record for title roles until William Boyd came along as "Hopalong" Cassidy. His role in RKO's "Two in Revolt" is thought in some circles to also qualify as at least half-a-title role consideration, but there are those who think the revolting two the title referred to was the 1st and 2nd-billed John Arledge and Louise Latimer, although the 9th-billed Lightning the Dog and 10th-billed Warrior the Horse had far more screen time.
But, shortly after "Two in Revolt" was finished, some exec at RKO decided that RKO didn't have to use real dogs in order to make dog films with dog stars and ordered Lightning off the premises. He then went to Grand National for a co-starring role in "Renfrew of the Royal Mounted" but balked at pulling a sled through the snow, and was replaced in the follow-up films of this series. Lightning retired, returned to his kennel in Toluca Lake and was seen often in the company of then-Toluca Lake residents Bing Crosby, Dick Powell and Helen Twelvetrees. He was fascinated with her name.
Bio: Born Feb., 1930. Toluca Lake, California, USA. Parents: Peter and Gretchen Dog; Siblings: four brothers born the same day; Paternal Grandfather: Strongheart the Silent; Heritage: German; Representation/Agent/Trainer: Earl Johnson
Source 1: "Dog Stars of Hollywood" by Gertrude Orr - copyrighted MCMXXXVI by The Saalfield Publishing Company, Akron, Ohio and New York, New York (both addresses thought to be in the USA-Unconfirmed)
Source 2: RKO Radio Picture's 1936 press book- "Two in Revolt"
Source 3: Movie Action Stories, April, 1936
The ringer is also played by Lightning because Lightning had the ability to howl on cue and not howl when given a don't-howl-now command. Lightning was a directors' actor if there ever was one.
But, sans a credit (despite playing the title role and a dual role), Lightning found himself none-too-much in demand---you got any film credits?---among the animal casters at Central Casting and was about to give up the Show Business when he was spotted by poverty-row producer Burton King (who had an eye for talent on the hoof or, in this case, paw)and was immediately given the LEAD and the TITLE ROLE in "When Lightning Strikes," right there on the corner of Sunset and Gower. There is a star-with-a-bone marking the lightning strike spot. His performance in this film was such that Poverty Row producer S. S. Krellberg offered him the title role in "Man's Best Friend." Well, Hollywood being then what it is now (minus the meanness), any actor who has a lead and three title roles in his brief career (not to mention the ability to play a dual role and a death scene), is going to become a hot commodity and have scripts and choice-of-role offers coming from the major studios. His choices were limited to "which dog do you want to play", type-casting stuff of that retroactive-designated, politically-incorrect era. Lightning was a good actor but he knew his limitations and wasn't one of those "looking for a role to stretch my horizons" actors whose horizons mostly far exceed their abilities.
Lightning padded over to Paramount and is the dog seen leading blind Ken Gordon (Cary Grant) around by a leash in "Wings in the Dark". While the film's leading lady, Myrna Loy, and Lightning hit it off from the first day of shooting, Louella Parsons hinted around in her Hearst newspaper columns that Lightning and Cary Grant were having rapport problems. And Lolly wasn't one not to have her facts straight. She later reported that the tension and dissension was dissolved by director James Flood when he said "Just follow the damn dog, Archie." Like most actors, Grant wasn't fond of getting upstaged. Or playing opposite a dog who had a stand-in named Cary.
RKO then came calling, gave Lightning a term contract and Lightning joined Frankie Thomas roaming around Flanders in "Dog of Flanders" in which Lightning essayed yet another title role, a record for title roles until William Boyd came along as "Hopalong" Cassidy. His role in RKO's "Two in Revolt" is thought in some circles to also qualify as at least half-a-title role consideration, but there are those who think the revolting two the title referred to was the 1st and 2nd-billed John Arledge and Louise Latimer, although the 9th-billed Lightning the Dog and 10th-billed Warrior the Horse had far more screen time.
But, shortly after "Two in Revolt" was finished, some exec at RKO decided that RKO didn't have to use real dogs in order to make dog films with dog stars and ordered Lightning off the premises. He then went to Grand National for a co-starring role in "Renfrew of the Royal Mounted" but balked at pulling a sled through the snow, and was replaced in the follow-up films of this series. Lightning retired, returned to his kennel in Toluca Lake and was seen often in the company of then-Toluca Lake residents Bing Crosby, Dick Powell and Helen Twelvetrees. He was fascinated with her name.
Bio: Born Feb., 1930. Toluca Lake, California, USA. Parents: Peter and Gretchen Dog; Siblings: four brothers born the same day; Paternal Grandfather: Strongheart the Silent; Heritage: German; Representation/Agent/Trainer: Earl Johnson
Source 1: "Dog Stars of Hollywood" by Gertrude Orr - copyrighted MCMXXXVI by The Saalfield Publishing Company, Akron, Ohio and New York, New York (both addresses thought to be in the USA-Unconfirmed)
Source 2: RKO Radio Picture's 1936 press book- "Two in Revolt"
Source 3: Movie Action Stories, April, 1936