Frank Weatherwax

Who was Frank Weatherwax?

Frank Thrall Weatherwax was an American actor and animal trainer. He is best remembered with his brother Rudd Weatherwax for their famous collie, Pal, the dog who became famous as Lassie in the 1943 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film Lassie Come Home. He also trained the dog, Lightning, for the movie A Dog of Flanders, 1935 version.

Weatherwax was born in Camp Palomas, New Mexico Territory, the son of Anna Elisa and Walter Smiley Weatherwax. Weatherwax trained the original Asta for The Thin Man, a film produced in 1934. This movie had five sequels and an accompanying television show. Weatherwax's Asta was not believed to star in any of these. He also trained Spike, who appeared in Disney's Old Yeller and in other film and television programs.

Frank Weatherwax played a bully in Little Lord Fauntleroy in 1921 with Mary Pickford. In 1920 he appeared in the silent film version of Heidi and in The Jucklins.