Some time computation
fans may remember the catty exchange between Vina and number One in "The Cage' and "The Menagerie Part 2".
VINA: You're no better choice. They'd have more luck crossing him with a computer.
NUMBER ONE: Well, shall we do some time computation? There was a Vina listed on that expedition as an adult crewman. Now, adding eighteen years to your age then.
And i have always been fond of time computation.
So how old would Rusty be if he was alive when The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin were broadcast from October 15 1954 to May 8 1957?
If you arbitrarily assume that Rusty was born exactly 80 years before Lee Aaker, he would have been born on September 25, 1863, and so would have been aged 91 years and 20 days to 95 years, 7 months, and 13 days when the show was broadcast.
Assuming that Rusty had a ficitinal age between about 10 to 15 years during various episodes, his fictional birth range and age in the 1950s could be calculated from the fictional date range of The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin.
Some sources claim that The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin was set in the 1880s, which would make Rusty's fictional birthdate soemtime between 1865 and 1879, and thus his age about 75 to 94 in 1954-59.
In the 2nd season episode "Rin Tin Tin Meets Mr. President" There is an attempt to assassinate the president of the USA, U.S. Grant,who was president from March 4, 1969 to March 4, 1877.
In the 3rd season episode "The Tin Soldier" Chiricahua chief Cochise (c.1805-1874) appears.
In the third season episodes "The White Wolf" and"The Return of Rin Tin Tin" the heroes travel to Vancouver, Canada, where the mounties are starting their operations. The North-West Mounted Police was formed in May, 1873, and began to function in 1874. Vancouver wasn't named Vancouver until 1886.
A few episodes later in the 3rd season, President Grant returns in "Presidental Citation". And Cochise (c.1805-1874) appears again in "The Invaders" later in the 3rd season.
No soldiers famous in Arizona history were ever mentioned, as far as I know, and only a few historic Apaches. Geronimo (1829-1909) in 4 episodes, Nana (c. 1810-1896), and Chato (1854-1934) in one. If the episodes with Cochise happened while he was at peace, they would be between Oct. 12, 1872 and June 8, 1874.
So if The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin happened in real history the third season episdes would be dated about 1873-74. If Rusty was aged 10 to 15 in those episode he would have been born about 1858 to 1864 and would have been aged about 90 to 101, if still alive, during the show's run. If Rusty was aged 10 to 15 sometime during Grant's presidency in 1869 to 1877, he would have been born about 1854 to 1867 and would have been aged about 87 to 105, if still alive, during the show's run. share