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PETE THE PUP

"He was a gentle, playful and warm dog. He would sleep at the foot of my bed. He was just the regular family dog. I really miss him." Harry Lucenary

Petey, or Lucenay's Peter (his United Kennel Club registered name) was whelped September 6th, 1929. He was bred by A.A. Keller, and owned/trained by Harry Lucenay.

PETE'S PICTURE GALLERY

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Pete the Pup in Buster Brown

Petey in Buster Brown
(mid 1920's)

The first Pete was poisoned by an unknown assailant. His last film was A Tough Winter. One of his offsprint carried on beginning with the next film, Pups Is Pups. Currently lives in Dog Heaven.

Pete's real name was "Pal," and he was owned and trained by Harry Lucenary. The distinctive circle around his eye was originally unplanned. When the spunky pit bull made his "Our Gang" debut, a circle had been painted around his eye and would not come off. It made sense to keep it there - it made him stand out. That circle often migrates between the right and left eye from film to film. This was obviously a dog with a lot of tricks! However, if the truth be known, there were other Petey's that were used as standins for some stunts and other duties, like close-ups.

And we all thought our lovable Petey was loyal only to the Little Rascals. Not quite! Before he signed on with Hal Roach Studios as America’s favorite pooch, he appeared in a series of "Buster Brown" comedies which were sort-of low rent Our Gang films.

Daintily attired Buster found himself in innocuous misadventures along side his faithful canine companion, Tige. (Petey to you and me!) Unlike Our Gang, the series was obviously aimed at very young audiences and offered very little for adults. I have no doubt that youngsters were thoroughly entertained by Buster Brown, however

Tige

It seems strange watching our most popular Little Rascal elsewhere, but he is well-trained and skillfully shows off his abilities with Buster Brown. These pictures are from "Look Out Buster" in which Tige is being hunted by dog catchers for quarantine, and ends up foiling a gang of robbers in the process. Was Petey warming up for one of his best roles in "The Pooch" several years later? Perhaps, but without the pathos of Stymie and the charm of baby Spanky, "Look Out Buster" ends up being a pretty average evade-the-dog-catcher comedy.

By CHRISTINA MINOR Tribune-Herald staff writer

His dog represents a bygone era — the days of silent movies and vaudeville. But the memory of the American bull terrier still lives on in the hearts of many Americans, as well as former owner Ted Lucenay of Robinson.

Pete, the canine comedian from the Our Gang movies, still receives attention although he's been gone for more than 60 years. A quick search of the Internet confirms the continued interest of the Our Gang stars, with special mention of Pete, and numerous Web sites have been devoted to the group.

Movie rental stores, such as Blockbuster and Hollywood Video still receive enough interest to carry the classic comedies and the newer versions. Younger residents might remember the Little Rascals , the name that replaced Our Gang . The newer movies had a different dog playing Pete.

Lucenay is regularly bombarded with requests for pictures and information about his beloved animal. Museums have contacted him, and the Waco-McLennan County Library also wanted information for a display.

Helen Lucenay, Ted's wife, said the interest in Pete comes and goes.

"When the movies were brought back on television, people would call for a story or want Ted to send them a picture," she said. "I don't think Ted minds. This is something that's a part of him."

Although Lucenay is used to the attention, Pete was more than a celebrity to him. He was a best friend.

"He was a gentle, playful and warm dog," Lucenay said. "He would sleep at the foot of my bed. He was just the regular family dog. I really miss him."

Lucenay was a young boy growing up in California when Pete was alive. When the pair would go for walks, people would stop Lucenay and Pete, so they could have their picture taken with the dog.

"He was always recognized," Lucenay said. "Everybody loved him."

To further publicize the lovable pup, Lucenay's father, Harry Lucenay, would take Pete to the Steel Pier in Atlantic City for fans to meet him and pose for pictures with him.

Pete first got his break in show business in the 1920s when he took over Pal's — his dad — place in the Buster Brown silent movies. The Buster Brown director, Hal Roach, went on to direct Pete in the Our Gang comedies. Infamous for the ring around his left eye and his funny antics, Pete quickly stole the show.

And now, as his legend carries on, people are wondering what happened to the remains of the Tinseltown dog. Pete died in 1946, when Lucenay was 18. Lucenay joined the Army and after his discharge, settled in the Waco area in the 1950s when he married Helen.

According to e-mails from roadsideamerica.com, Pete has sparked numerous rumors concerning his whereabouts. One reference mentions Pete was poisoned, leading to his demise. Another reference mentions cemeteries where Pete could be buried.

But, Lucenay said, none of the rumors are true. Pete died of old age, not poison. And the final resting place of the famous pup — that secret remains with Lucenay.

But the one thing for certain, the black ring around Pete's left eye was not the work of a makeup artist. The natural skin coloration was such an oddity that it became certified by Ripley's Believe It or Not.

When asked about the rumors and information circulating about Pete, Lucenay responded, "There's always going to be something out there. And in today's world, anything's possible."

From Cult Movies magazine

"Petey was put into films at around six months. He is the son of Pal, The Wonder Dog -- a dog owned by Petey's trainer, Harry Lucenay. Pal was actually the first dog to appear regularly in OG shorts. Pal's screen credits include 13 feature films released from Dec. 1921 to
Oct. 1927.

"Petey landed the role of 'Tige' in the Buster Brown comedies. It was the role of "Tige" which has been attributed to Pete acquiring his classic ring around the eye. The ring was made with permanent dye, so Roach had no choice but to accept Petey the way he was.

"Petey was signed in 1927 to a three-year contract with six month options. His starting salary was $125 per week, which would be raised in increments of $25 per week to make him exclusive to Hal Roach Studios -- making him the second highest paid actor in the OG series (next to Farina). Pete's last appearance was in "A Tough Winter",
released June 21, 1930.

"He was poisoned, probably by someone with a grudge against Harry Lucenay. The OG kids were inconsolable upon learning of Pete's death. But since Lucenay was breeding a "Pete" line, he was able to substitute one of Pete's descendants. The second Pete has the circle on the opposite eye and the ears and front legs have a slightly
different coloring. The seconds Pete only stayed at Roach Studios for two years, because Lucenay was fired.

"The last 'true Pete' OG comedy (meaning Pete #1 and his son) was "The Pooch" (1932). All subsequent Pete's were from an entirely different bloodline. After leaving Roach, Pete (#2) went to NY, and appeared in the Fatty Arbuckle short "Buzzin' Around" and in Paramount's "Broadway Highlights" newsreel, in which he is seen drinking a mug of beer as his initiation into The Lambs Club. In 1936, he once again joined OG, but only for a personal appearance tour."

Rick R. - Our Gang Online

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