Leland Leroy Duncan and Rin Tin Tin
In France at the close of World War I, Leland Leroy Duncan rescued a
litter of German shepherd dogs abandoned in the trenches by the
retreating Germans and brought them back to the United States. One
of the pups became the famous original Rin Tin Tin who
starred in 22 Warner Brothers films from 1922 until his death in
1932. Rin Tin Tin dog and subsequent litters (including Rin Tin Tin,
Jr., III, & IV) brought fame and fortune to Duncan. He gave
original Rin Tin Tin's puppies to friends that included
actresses Jean Harlow and Greta Garbo and cereal
company founder W. K. Kellogg. Legend has it that the original
Rin Tin Tin died in the arms of Jean Harlow who lived nearby.
Leland's wife, Eve, was my mother's eighth cousin on the Kaskinen
side.
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