Pete the Pup
"He was a gentle, playful and
warm dog. He would sleep at the foot of my bed. He was just
the regular family dog. I really miss him." -Harry
Lucenay
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Petey, or Lucenay's Peter (his United Kennel Club
registered name) was whelped September 6th, 1929. He
was bred by A.A. Keller, and owned/trained by Harry
Lucenay.
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Pete the Pup in Buster Brown
The first Pete was poisoned by an unknown assailant.
His last film was A Tough Winter. One of his
offsprint carried on beginning with the next film,
Pups Is Pups. Currently lives in Dog Heaven.
Pete's real name was "Pal," and he was owned and
trained by Harry Lucenary. The distinctive circle
around his eye was originally unplanned. When the
spunky pit bull made his "Our Gang" debut, a circle
had been painted around his eye and would not come
off.
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Petey in Buster Brown
(mid 1920's)
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It made sense to keep it there - it made him stand
out. That circle often migrates between the right
and left eye from film to film. This was obviously a
dog with a lot of tricks! However, if the truth be
known, there were other Petey's that were used as
standins for some stunts and other duties, like
close-ups.
And we all thought our lovable Petey was loyal only
to the Little Rascals. Not quite! Before he signed
on with Hal Roach Studios as America's favorite
pooch, he appeared in a series of "Buster Brown"
comedies which were sort-of low rent Our Gang films.
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Daintily attired Buster found himself in innocuous
misadventures along side his faithful canine
companion, Tige. (Petey to you and me!) Unlike Our
Gang, the series was obviously aimed at very young
audiences and offered very little for adults. I have
no doubt that youngsters were thoroughly entertained
by Buster Brown, however.
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It seems strange watching our most popular Little
Rascal elsewhere, but he is well-trained and
skillfully shows off his abilities with Buster
Brown. These pictures are from "Look Out Buster" in
which Tige is being hunted by dog catchers for
quarantine, and ends up foiling a gang of robbers in
the process. Was Petey warming up for one of his
best roles in "The Pooch" several years later?
Perhaps, but without the pathos of Stymie and the
charm of baby Spanky, "Look Out Buster" ends up
being a pretty average evade-the-dog-catcher comedy.
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Petey's Film Career
From Cult
Movies magazine
Petey was put into films at around six months. He is
the son of Pal, The Wonder Dog -- a dog owned by
Petey's trainer, Harry Lucenay. Pal was actually the
first dog to appear regularly in OG shorts. Pal's
screen credits include 13 feature films released
from Dec. 1921 to
Oct. 1927.
Petey landed the role of 'Tige' in the Buster Brown
comedies. It was the role of "Tige" which has been
attributed to Pete acquiring his classic ring around
the eye. The ring was made with permanent dye, so
Roach had no choice but to accept Petey the way he
was.
Petey was signed in 1927 to a three-year contract
with six month options. His starting salary was $125
per week, which would be raised in increments of $25
per week to make him exclusive to Hal Roach Studios
-- making him the second highest paid actor in the
OG series (next to Farina). Pete's last appearance
was in "A Tough Winter",
released June 21, 1930.
He was poisoned, probably by someone with a grudge
against Harry Lucenay. The OG kids were inconsolable
upon learning of Pete's death. But since Lucenay was
breeding a "Pete" line, he was able to substitute
one of Pete's descendants. The second Pete has the
circle on the opposite eye and the ears and front
legs have a slightly
different coloring. The seconds Pete only stayed at
Roach Studios for two years, because Lucenay was
fired.
The last 'true Pete' OG comedy (meaning Pete #1 and
his son) was "The Pooch" (1932). All subsequent
Pete's were from an entirely different bloodline.
After leaving Roach, Pete (#2) went to NY, and
appeared in the Fatty Arbuckle short "Buzzin'
Around" and in Paramount's "Broadway Highlights"
newsreel, in which he is seen drinking a mug of beer
as his initiation into The Lambs Club. In 1936, he
once again joined OG, but only for a personal
appearance tour."
Rick R. - Our Gang Online
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Petey's Legend
By CHRISTINA MINOR
Tribune-Herald staff writer
His dog represents a bygone era ? the days of silent
movies and vaudeville. But the memory of the
American bull terrier still lives on in the hearts
of many Americans, as well as former owner Ted
Lucenay of Robinson.
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Pete, the canine comedian from the Our Gang movies,
still receives attention although he's been gone for
more than 60 years. A quick search of the Internet
confirms the continued interest of the Our Gang
stars, with special mention of Pete, and numerous
Web sites have been devoted to the group.
Movie rental stores, such as Blockbuster and
Hollywood Video still receive enough interest to
carry the classic comedies and the newer versions.
Younger residents might remember the Little Rascals
, the name that replaced Our Gang . The newer movies
had a different dog playing Pete.
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Lucenay is regularly bombarded with requests for
pictures and information about his beloved animal.
Museums have contacted him, and the Waco-McLennan
County Library also wanted information for a
display.
Helen Lucenay, Ted's wife, said the interest in Pete
comes and goes.
"When the movies were brought back on television,
people would call for a story or want Ted to send
them a picture," she said. "I don't think Ted minds.
This is something that's a part of him."
Although Lucenay is used to the attention, Pete was
more than a celebrity to him. He was a best friend.
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"He was a gentle, playful and warm dog," Lucenay
said. "He would sleep at the foot of my bed. He was
just the regular family dog. I really miss him."
Lucenay was a young boy growing up in California
when Pete was alive. When the pair would go for
walks, people would stop Lucenay and Pete, so they
could have their picture taken with the dog.
"He was always recognized," Lucenay said. "Everybody
loved him."
To further publicize the lovable pup, Lucenay's
father, Harry Lucenay, would take Pete to the Steel
Pier in Atlantic City for fans to meet him and pose
for pictures with him.
Pete first got his break in show business in the
1920s when he took over Pal's ? his dad ? place in
the Buster Brown silent movies. The Buster Brown
director, Hal Roach, went on to direct Pete in the
Our Gang comedies. Infamous for the ring around his
left eye and his funny antics, Pete quickly stole
the show.
And now, as his legend carries on, people are
wondering what happened to the remains of the
Tinseltown dog. Pete died in 1946, when Lucenay was
18. Lucenay joined the Army and after his discharge,
settled in the Waco area in the 1950s when he
married Helen.
According to e-mails from
roadsideamerica.com, Pete has sparked numerous
rumors concerning his whereabouts. One reference
mentions Pete was poisoned, leading to his demise.
Another reference mentions cemeteries where Pete
could be buried.
But, Lucenay said, none of the rumors are true. Pete
died of old age, not poison. And the final resting
place of the famous pup ? that secret remains with
Lucenay.
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But the one thing for certain, the black ring around
Pete's left eye was not the work of a makeup artist.
The natural skin coloration was such an oddity that
it became certified by Ripley's Believe It or Not.
When asked about the rumors and information
circulating about Pete, Lucenay responded, "There's
always going to be something out there. And in
today's world, anything's possible."
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Pedigree for Lucenay's Peter
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Sire
Tudor's Black Jack
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Sire
Tudor's Black Tige
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Sire
Blue Mike
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Sire
Wichita Mike
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Dam
Miss Blue
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Dam
Lady Lee
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Sire
Nemo
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Dam
Juda |
Dam
Blackwell Mollie-W
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Sire
Swineford King Paddy
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Sire
Delihant Paddy |
Dam
Swineford Duchess |
Dam
Billie Burke
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Sire
Swineford King Paddy |
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Dam
Swineford Angry Aggie*
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Dam
Peggy O'Neill
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Sire
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Sire
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Sire
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Dam
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Dam
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Sire
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| Dam |
Dam
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Sire
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Sire |
Dam |
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More Poop on Petey
Our request for Petey leads continues to draw e-mail.
We've excerpted a few here. Apparently no one agrees as
to where, exactly, Petey is buried, but he still
commands the passionate devotion of a loyal legion of
fans. May his dog star never fade!
"I don't think either of the gravesites you mention as the
final resting places of "Petey the Pup" from our gang are
the right ones. Petey, or Lucenay's Peter (his United Kennel
Club registered name) was whelped September 6th, 1929. He
was bred by A.A. Keller, and owned/trained by Harry Lucenay.
Unfortunately, I don't know where he's buried, but you might
have some luck contacting the UKC."
[Mike Sawicki]
"Growing up in Silver Spring I was always told that Pete was
here, but later heard that it was another dog "star". Jiggs
was in the silents." (anonymous)
"I believe that Petey was an American bulldog NOT a pit
BULL as stated in your story. Watch the show Petey has
no features of a pit bull and more of those like a
American bull dog I have an American bull dog which is
pure bred but was a runt so she did not grow to be as
large as an average Amer. bull dog this could also be
the case with your Petey"
[Marc]
P.S. my dog has her own ring she needs no makeup
like Petey did but then again don't all Hollywood
starts hide behind makeup!
"This is from a
magazine called Cult Movies
(unfortunately, I just clipped the article, so I
don't know which issue.) It includes a reprint from
Photoplay magazine (they list it as
circa 1930) which reports on the murder of the
original Pete. It seems very thoroughly
documented....
"Petey was put into films at around six months.
He is the son of Pal, The Wonder Dog -- a dog
owned by Petey's trainer, Harry Lucenay. Pal was
actually the first dog to appear regularly in OG
shorts. Pal's screen credits include 13 feature
films released from Dec. 1921 to Oct. 1927.
"Petey landed the role of 'Tige' in the
Buster Brown comedies. It was the role of
"Tige" which has been attributed to Pete
acquiring his classic ring around the eye.
The ring was made with permanent dye, so
Roach had no choice but to accept Petey the
way he was.
"Petey was signed in 1927 to a
three-year contract with six month
options. His starting salary was $125
per week, which would be raised in
increments of $25 per week to make him
exclusive to Hal Roach Studios -- making
him the second highest paid actor in the
OG series (next to Farina). Pete's last
appearance was in "A Tough Winter",
released June 21, 1930.
"He was poisoned, probably by
someone with a grudge against Harry
Lucenay. The OG kids were
inconsolable upon learning of Pete's
death. But since Lucenay was
breeding a "Pete" line, he was able
to substitute one of Pete's
descendants. The second Pete has the
circle on the opposite eye and the
ears and front legs have a slightly
different coloring. The seconds Pete
only stayed at Roach Studios for two
years, because Lucenay was fired.
"The last 'true Pete' OG comedy
(meaning Pete #1 and his son)
was "The Pooch" (1932). All
subsequent Pete's were from an
entirely different bloodline.
After leaving Roach, Pete (#2)
went to NY, and appeared in the
Fatty Arbuckle short "Buzzin'
Around" and in Paramount's
"Broadway Highlights" newsreel,
in which he is seen drinking a
mug of beer as his initiation
into The Lambs Club. In 1936, he
once again joined OG, but only
for a personal appearance tour."
[Rick R., Our Gang Online]
There was more than one
"Petey" My father and
his family moved from
Iowa to Culver City
(near the Hal Roach
studios) in 1931. They
made jokes on the
journey about how they
would all go Hollywood
and become movie stars.
My father's dog "Fritz"
made it. Evidently the
studio was looking for a
2nd "Petey" and happened
to see my father and his
family walking their dog
Fritz on the route to
the studio. The family
was paid $50 and a new
dog (not bad during the
Depression). My father
also was able to visit
his old pal at the
studio once. He called
"Fritz!" and the dog
came running, making the
trainer angry. He never
knew what later became
of his dog. You may
notice in the films,
that as time goes by the
ring around his eye
moves from one side to
the other. This may be a
clue to which dog is
which (and then again,
maybe not). There were
many Lassies, so
probably the same with
Petey.
[Jeannine Cook, 4/22/98
]
A recent "Mysteries
and Scandals" about
Carl "Alfalfa"
Switzer on E! tells
the truth about the
star's headstone.
The dog on the
headstone is a
tribute(?) to
Alfalfa's line of
work after Hollywood
tossed him aside. He
often acted as a
hunting guide and
provided hunting
dogs. In fact a dog
was the cause of the
$50 debt which led
to his demise. He
wanted the $50
reward he put up for
a friends dog, which
he was responsible
for losing in the
first place, repaid.
A.J. Benza
explains that
the dog on the
headstone was
defaced by
unknown
pranksters.
[James Petillo,
6/23/99]
I'm kind of
confused how
anyone could
mistake Pete
for an
American
Bulldog. I
own an
American Pit
Bull, who
has almost
the same
exact
brindle
markings as
the Pete
from Our
Gang and The
Little
Rascals.
Maybe the
very first
Pete was a
bulldog, but
I know that
the rest of
the Petes
from that
point on
have been
American Pit
Bull
Terriers.
They are
incredible
dogs, why
deny them
the one
spotlight
that
reflects a
positive
outlook? Too
often they
aren't given
the credit
or respect
they
deserve. I
would
encourage
any dog
lovers of
any breeds
to visit a
web site
called
pitbullsontheweb.com.
It gives a
lot of
interesting
articles on
Pit Bulls
doing great
things.
[Elizabeth
Atkinson,
1/28/2002]
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