Lee Aaker
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| Lee Aaker | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lee William Aaker September 25, 1943 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor, producer, carpenter |
| Years active | 1951–63 (actor) |
| Spouse(s) | Sharon Ann Hamilton (1969-71) (divorced) |
Lee William Aaker (born September 25, 1943)[1] is an American former child actor known for his appearance as Rusty "B-Company" in the television program The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin.
Contents
Biography
On television as a young child, he started appearing uncredited at the age of 8 in films such as The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) and High Noon (1952).[1] He quickly moved to featured status by the end of that year.
He showed talent as the kidnapped Indian "Red Chief" in a segment of the film O. Henry's Full House (1952) and another kidnap victim as the son of scientist Gene Barry in The Atomic City (1952).
In 1953, he co-starred in the John Wayne western classic Hondo (1953) as the curious blond son of homesteader Geraldine Page.[1]
He also appeared in other film styles such as the film noir thriller Jeopardy (1953) with Barbara Stanwyck, the horse opera drama Arena (1953) with Gig Young, and the comedies Mister Scoutmaster (1953) with Clifton Webb and Ricochet Romance (1954) with Marjorie Main.
In 1953-54, Aaker was among the many child actors who auditioned for the role of "Jeff Miller" on the original 1954 Lassie series, which later aired as Jeff's Collie. That role went to Tommy Rettig. Two weeks later, Aaker won the role of "Rusty" on The Adventures of Rin-Tin-Tin, co-starring James Brown (1920–1992) as Lieutenant Ripley "Rip" Masters.[1] Aaker and Rettig were friends, and both shows were popular with audiences.
Unable to find work as an adult actor, Aaker got involved as a producer and later worked as a carpenter.[1]
Lee Aaker has resided in Mammoth Lakes, California, for many years and is a special-needs ski instructor.[1]
In 2005, Aaker won the Golden Boot Award as Kids of the West.
Filmography
Film roles
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Benjy | Benjy |
| 1952 | The Greatest Show on Earth | (uncredited) Boy |
| 1952 | Something to Live For | (uncredited) Alternate Boy |
| 1952 | My Son John | (uncredited) Boy |
| 1952 | The Atomic City | Tommy Addison |
| 1952 | No Room for the Groom | Donovan |
| 1952 | O. Henry's Full House | J. B. Dorset aka Red Chief (The Ransom of Red Chief) |
| 1952 | Desperate Search | Don Heldon |
| 1952 | Hans Christen Andersen | (uncredited) Little Boy |
| 1953 | Jeopardy | Bobby Stilwin |
| 1953 | Take Me to Town | Corney Hall |
| 1953 | Arena | Teddy Hutchins |
| 1953 | Mister Scoutmaster | Arthur |
| 1953 | A Lion Is in the Streets | Johnny Briscoe |
| 1953 | Hondo | Johnny Lowe |
| 1954 | Ride Clear of Diablo | (uncredited) Boy |
| 1954 | The Raid | (uncredited) Larry's Friend |
| 1954 | Her Twelve Men | (uncredited) Michael Elliot |
| 1954 | Ricochet Romance | Timmy Williams |
| 1954 | Destry | Eli Skinner |
| 1954 | Black Tuesday | Little Boy |
| 1955 | Spin and Marty: The Movie | Russell the Muscle |
| 1956 | Bigger Than Life | (uncredited) Joe |
| 1957 | The Challenge of Rin Tin Tin | Rusty |
| 1963 | Bye Bye Birdie | (uncredited) Student leader |
Television roles
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Your Jeweler's Showcase | (one episode only) |
| 1953 | Fireside Theatre | (one episode only) Sandy |
| 1953 to 1954 | The Ford Television Theatre | (two episodes) Joey |
| 1954 | Schlitz Playhouse of Stars | (one episode only) |
| 1954 | General Electric Theater | (one episode only) Tim Kelly |
| 1955 | The Adventures of Spin and Marty on Walt Disney Presents | Russell |
| 1955 | The Lone Ranger | (one episode only) Tommy Righter |
| 1953 to 1955 | Letter to Loretta | (two episodes) Jimmy Preston; Myron Carrington |
| 1955 | Screen Directors Playhouse | (one episode only) Cowhide |
| December 20, 1956; December 19, 1957 | The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford | (two Christmas episodes, with Rin Tin Tin) |
| 1957 | Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers | (one episode only) |
| 1959 | The Millionaire | (one episode only) Tommy Spencer |
| 1954 to 1959 | The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin | Rusty |
| 1959 | Rescue 8 | (one episode only) Billy |
| 1959 | The Donna Reed Show | (one episode only) Kenny |
| 1959 to 1962 | Disneyland | (four episodes) Willy; Chuck Taylor |
| 1960 | Make Room For Daddy | (one episode only) Charles |
| 1963 | The Lucy Show | (one episode) |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Goldrup, Tom & Goldrup, Jim (2002) Growing Up on the Set: Interviews with 39 Former Child Actors of Classic Film and Television, McFarland & Co Inc, ISBN 978-0-7864-1254-9, p. 5-12
External links
- Lee Aaker at the Internet Movie Database
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