Daisy
Born
Spooks

1937
Died1960
OccupationCanine actor
Years active1938–1954

Daisy (originally named Spooks) was a canine actor who appeared in more than 50 Hollywood films during the 1930s and 1940s. He was especially well-known for appearing in the Blondie franchise.[1]

Biography

Daisy—a cocker spaniel–poodle-terrier mix—was originally named Spooks because his owners noted his timidness as a pup.[2] Born around 1937, he was owned by dog trainer Rennie Renfro, who bought him for $3.[3][4][5] He also learned tricks from legendary trainer Rudd Weatherwax.[4]

Daisy was known for his expressive face and trick gestures (averting his eyes; putting his paw in his mouth in panic; leaping across the screen like a flying projectile, etc.) Besides his work in the Blondie comedies, Daisy also appeared with Laurel and Hardy and The Three Stooges, among other stars. Daisy is the main character in two 1945 comedy features: Life with Blondie and Hollywood and Vine. Reportedly, Renfro and Daisy made $1,000 a week, and Renfro used the money to buy them a house in Toluca Lake, California.[6][7] He was also noted to have had a five-year feud with actress Rita Hayworth.[8] His last known film appearance came in 1954, in the Columbia Pictures comedy short Kids Will Be Kids.

Daisy and his "pups" had their own dog food brand that they promoted in public appearances.

Selected filmography

References

  1. ↑ Parsons, Louella O. (10 Mar 1946). "Animal Expert Tells of Handling Lions and Gulls". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
  2. ↑ Beck, Ken; Clark, Jim (2002-03-30). The Encyclopedia of TV Pets: A Complete History of Television's Greatest Animal Stars. Thomas Nelson. ISBN 978-1-4185-5737-9.
  3. ↑ Parsons, Louella O. (23 Aug 1939). "Tony Pastor Film Will Relive Times of Noted Troupers". The Courier-Post. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
  4. 1 2 "Nondescript Pup Climbs to Film Film Fame in Movie". The Miami News. 11 Dec 1938. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
  5. ↑ "Dogs Get "Romp With" Instead of "Stand In"". The Evening Sun. 29 Jun 1937. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
  6. ↑ "High-Salaried Canine". The Record. 16 Sep 1941. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
  7. ↑ "Poor Raft Poisoned by Make-Up". The Detroit Free Press. 8 Oct 1943. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
  8. ↑ Todd, John (10 Aug 1944). "In Hollywood". The Times. Retrieved 2019-11-23.
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