- Born
- Died
- Birth nameLee William Aaker
- As Rusty, the boy whose parents were killed by Native Americans, and who was subsequently adopted by a cavalry unit at Fort Apache on the popular adventure The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin (1954), tyke actor Lee Aaker left a lasting mark in the early days of television, but he had in fact appeared in several major films prior to this series.
He was born on September 25, 1943, in Los Angeles, where his mother owned a dance studio. On TV almost from infancy, he started appearing in unbilled film bits at the age of eight in such classics as The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) and High Noon (1952). He quickly moved to featured status before year's end. He showed promise as the kidnapped Indian "Red Chief" in a segment of the film O. Henry's Full House (1952) and another kidnap victim as the son of scientist Gene Barry in _Atomic City (1952)_. From there he co-starred in the John Wayne western classic Hondo (1953) as the inquisitive blond son of homesteader Geraldine Page, and appeared to good advantage in other movies such as the film noir thriller Jeopardy (1953) with Barbara Stanwyck, the opera drama Arena (1953) with Gig Young and the comedies Mister Scoutmaster (1953) with Clifton Webb and Ricochet Romance (1954) with Marjorie Main.
Stardom, however, was assured after nabbing the role of the famous dog's young master on the "Rin Tin Tin" series. After the show's demise, however, Aaker did not make the transition into adult roles. He instead moved into the production end of the business, serving as an assistant to producer Herbert B. Leonard on the Route 66 (1960) series, then later dropped out altogether to become a carpenter. He still attended nostalgia conventions and was a "Kids of the West" honoree at the 2005 Golden Boot Awards.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net
- SpouseSharon Ann Hamilton(September 22, 1969 - March 1971) (divorced)
- RelativesDee Aaker(Sibling)
- Was tested for the top boy role in the classic movie Shane (1953) and promised the part, but lost it a few days later to the late Brandon De Wilde.
- Profiled in the 2016 book "X Child Stars: Where Are They Now?" by Kathy Garver and Fred Ascher.
- Interviewed in "Growing Up on the Set: Interviews with 39 Former Child Actors of Classic Film and Television" by Tom Goldrup and Jim Goldrup (McFarland, 2002).
- In 1952, he appeared in two movies nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) and High Noon (1952). The former won.
- After leaving Hollywood he worked as a carpenter for two decades and taught skiing to underprivileged children and people with disabilities at Mammoth Mountain in California.
- Suddenly after the [The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin (1954)] series was canceled and I began doing guest shots, I realized that something had changed--I wasn't the center of attention any more. My folks had always told me that my career might not last, but when it happened, it was still a hard thing for me to adjust to.
- The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin (1954) - $250 per episode
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