Jean (dog)

Jean, also known as the Vitagraph Dog (190? – 1916), was a female Collie that performed leading roles in early silent films. She was the first canine star in the United States having been preceded by the first, Blair, Cecil Hepworth's dog, in England. She however was the first canine to have her name in the title of her films. She was a precursor to other famous U.S. dog actors like Teddy, the Sennett Dog, Pete the Pup, Strongheart and Rin Tin Tin.

Life and career

Around 1908, Maine resident and writer Laurence Trimble sold an animal story to a New York magazine. It paved the way for him to visit Vitagraph Studios with his dog, Jean, to do a story on film making. Trimble and his pet just happened to be on the set at a time when the company needed a dog to play a scene opposite Florence Turner. As a result, dog and master were asked to stay and both became members of the Vitagraph stock company.

"Jean was equal in popularity to Vitagraph's human stars, Florence Turner and Maurice Costello," wrote film historian Anthony Slide. Jean was soon known as the Vitagraph Dog, starring in her own films, all directed by Trimble. One-reelers and two-reelers with titles such as Jean and the Calico Doll, Jean and the Waif and Jean Goes Fishing were made by Trimble as their troupe filmed along the coastline in his native Maine.