The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin

Simply for nostalgia's sake, people may want to check out this classic '50s TV program, but I can almost guarantee it won't go down the same way it did 40 years ago. The comeback of the German Shepherd Rin Tin Tin and his 10 year-old sidekick Rusty should have stayed buried—like a bone. About five minutes into the opener "Meet Rin Tin Tin," one of two episodes on the tape, after "Rinty" mauls an Indian outside the fort, Rusty calls off his dog and says, "You've got to be careful who you go around chewing on Rinty, Apaches are poison." Hello? I think we've all matured since Rinty was a pup, and this kind of dialogue is inexcusable today, (actually, it was in the ‘50s too). The rest of the episode concerns a Colonel coming to inspect the fort, with Rusty and Rinty trying to hide the fact they've been adopted by the men, and in the second show on the tape, Rinty is hurt by a mountain lion. This not-so-golden oldie doesn't offer viewers much in the way of historical importance, and with the awful scripting, it's a strange choice for "a new generation of viewers to enjoy." A total of six volumes (with two episodes on each) are available individually or in a pair of boxed sets. For die-hard fans only. (N. Plympton)