The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin showcasted one of television's earliest canine heroes who left big paw prints for his descendants to follow. Rin Tin Tin was the only dog in Los Angeles to be listed in the telephone directory. Lee Duncan, his owner and trainer, sais, "Rinty was very close to his great grandfather," the original Rin Tin Tin, who appeared in many popular motion pictures of the 1930s and the 1940s, and was for a time the highest paid performer (Actor?) in films.
 The first episode of this canine crime fighter series commenced when the U.S. Cavalry came upon a wagon train that had been attacked by Apache Indians. The only survivors were a young boy named Rusty and his German shepherd he called Rin Tin Tin. The Cavalry took the boy and his dog to Fort Apache in Arizona, where Lt. Ripley "Rip" Masters made Rusty a Corporal so he could stay on at the fort.