Sgt. Stubby: Hollywood Movie Star
Image courtesy Fun Academy
A new animated film reunites America with World War One's most adorable hero.
By Michael Hjelmstad
via Legion.org
On April 8, New Haven, Conn., will host a street fair that will include both World War I-era automobiles and re-enactors, and modern military equipment and National Guard working dogs. The two war eras are coming together to celebrate the premiere of a movie 100 years in the making. And at that premiere will be Jack Monahan, The American Legion’s representative on the U.S. World War One Centennial Commission, because the hero of the movie is a very special Legionnaire.
When Richard Lanni began looking for a World War I-themed project after his popular “American Road to Victory” trilogy, the filmmaker decided he’d follow a historic figure through the American experience of the Great War – and came across the story of the nation’s most famous war dog.
The real Sgt. Stubby circa 1917, New Haven, Ct.
Eight years later, Lanni’s “Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero” is about to hit U.S. theaters nationwide. Based on a true story, the animated film follows the stubby-tailed pup rescued from the streets of New Haven by Cpl. Robert Conroy in 1917. The doughboy smuggled Stubby to Europe with the 102nd Infantry Regiment, 26th “Yankee” Division, where the dog served on the Western Front for 18 months. He became America’s most decorated dog and a life member of The American Legion, and is currently memorialized at the Smithsonian. READ MORE
For showtimes, check your local listings or visit stubbymovie.com.