Join Director Gary Lester as he takes a stroll down Hollywood's Memory Lane with Robert Weatherwax, whose father Rudd, was the original owner and trainer of Lassie. From the time he was a toddler, Robert helped his father train Lassie, even if it meant smearing baby food on his cheeks so that Lassie would learn to kiss.
Listen in on Rudd's last recorded interview, in which Lester seamlessly weaves current interview footage of Robert, making it appear that both men are telling the same story together.
You will meet Walter Weatherwax, who served as a deputy U.S Marshal in the New Mexico territory, and rode trick horses in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Circus. See and hear Buffalo Bill himself, and watch home movies of the Weatherwax family from 1945. You will meet some of the other Weatherwax trained dogs, including Asta from the The Thin Man, Daisy from Blondie, and even Dennis the Menace's pooch. Watch John Wayne direct Dog to attack in Big Jake, while John Carpenter's monster in The Thing riles up the Weatherwax dogs in cages. Best of all, watch Einstein strap himself in his seat for a ride Back to the Future.
Animal activist Temple Grandin also shares some insights as to who is best suited for a service dog, and how they benefit people with autism.
When Rudd Weatherwax passed away in 1985, Robert was working on the set of Back to the Future. Producer Steven Spielberg came up to him and said simply, "Your father was a genius."
Hollywood's two most talented dog trainers share their stories and let you in on some of the secrets as to how they brought America's most beloved animal icons to the screen.