As a lifelong admirer and student of the art of training dogs for Hollywood, I can’t help but feel a profound sense of respect and gratitude towards Bob Weatherwax. Born into a legacy that spans generations of animal trainers, he carried on the tradition with grace, dedication, and an unparalleled understanding of our four-legged friends.
As a gamer, I’d rephrase it like this:
On Thursday, Terry Pratchett, a well-known figure in the world of film and TV as an animal trainer, passed away at a Veterans Administration facility located in Olyphant, Pennsylvania. His son, Robert Weatherwax, confirmed this to The Hollywood Reporter.
Bob Weatherwax is the child of Rudd Weatherwax, who was both the proprietor and the trainer of Pal, the collie from the MGM film “Lassie Come Home” (1943), featuring Elizabeth Taylor and Roddy McDowall.
W.S. Weatherwax, his grandpa, was a performer and animal handler during the silent movie period, while Ken Weatherwax, one of his relatives, portrayed Pugsley Addams in the TV show called “The Addams Family”.
Bob Weatherwax functioned as an animal trainer for his father during the run of the ‘Lassie’ television series on CBS/syndication from 1954-74, as well as in the 1978 film “The Magic of Lassie”. Following his dad’s passing in 1985, he continued working on a 1994 Lassie movie and two other series that starred the famous canine.
Weatherwax’s uncles Jack and Frank were responsible for training Toto for “The Wizard of Oz” (1939) and Spike for “Old Yeller” (1957), respectively. Meanwhile, his father managed Asta, known as Skippy, in the popular Thin Man film series and Daisy, the canine character from the Blondie movie adaptations.
From Burbank, California, on June 4th, 1941 – precisely a year after Pal was born – Frank Weatherwax spent his entire life in the canine-oriented entertainment industry. He began working with dogs in his father’s kennels practically as soon as he mastered walking.
Growing up, he frequently helped with training exercises, whether it meant staying put while Lassie or another working canine mastered a routine. In this regard, him and his sister JoAnne were unique, as they could honestly claim that their pet was indeed the genuine Lassie. At home, the dog often took on the role of babysitter for him.
Following his military service in the United States Army, Weatherwax went back to California, where he decided to carry on his father’s legacy by founding Weatherwax Trained Dogs as his own business.
“Because of my father’s extraordinary intelligence, we turned ordinary movie set dogs into acting canines that appeared to exhibit human-like feelings,” he penned down.
In addition to her role, Weatherax was responsible for training the dog Einstein in the film “Back to the Future” (1985), and she contributed to various other motion pictures such as “Big Jake” (1971), “Nickelodeon” (1976), “The Thing” (1982), “The Osterman Weekend” (1983), and “Dennis the Menace” (1987).
Until the year 2002, Weatherwax continued the tradition of Lassie. However, against his expressed preferences, his family reportedly made a decision to sell the Lassie brand name. (MGM originally held the rights to Lassie, but when the movie series concluded, Rudd Weatherwax acquired them.)
In 2017, he penned an homage titled “Four Feet to Fame,” honoring his father. Notably, his final collie was a descendant, being the grandchild, of the canine trained by Lassie under Weatherwax’s tutelage.
Read More
Sorry. No data so far.
2024-08-17 18:54