For 166 thrilling episodes, actor James Brown played Lt. Rip Masters in the Saturday morning adventure series "The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin.

Often overshadowed by the legendary four-legged star of the show (and the cute little boy, Rusty, played by child actor Lee Aaker), Brown was a friendly yet tough taskmaster of this kid's favorite from 1954-1959 as well as in two Rin Tin Tin movies.  The show was located in the fictional U.S. Calvary's Fort Apache in Indian country in the American West.

Brown's handsome face and rugged physique also could be seen in guest starring roles in more than 50 other television credits, including Gunsmoke, Route 66, Murder She Wrote, Sky King and the Lone Ranger.

Baby Boomers will have no trouble remembering this great video clip!

 

James E. Brown (March 22, 1920 – April 11, 1992)[1] was an American film and TV actor best known for his role as Lieutenant Ripley "Rip" Masters in all 166 episodes of the 1954-1959 ABC Western television series, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin.

In Rin Tin Tin, the story of a boy and his German shepherd, Brown appeared as a young officer at a remote US Cavalry outpost called Fort Apache. Child actor Lee Aaker appeared as Rusty, who had been orphaned in an Indian raid and was adopted by the troops at the fort.[2] In two Rin Tin Tin episodes, "Forward Ho" and "The White Buffalo," Brown sang in his rich baritone voice.[3] In 1976, he hosted a revival of Rin Tin Tin reruns, which extended until the 1980s.[3]

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