Since the golden age of cinema, when Rin Tin Tin silently captivated viewers’ hearts by solving crimes and saving lives—way back in the 1920s—animals have starred in films.
Animals have dominated the screen since then, frequently upstaging their human counterparts. Many may say that The Lion King is the best film starring an animal, but our focus is on the real-life animal performers who acted in cinematic masterpieces.
Babe
If you’re asked to name movies with talking animals, we bet Babe was one of your top choices. This film did a great job highlighting the animal cast as the protagonists.
For those not familiar, Babe is a film that focuses on Babe, a pig that dreams of being a sheepdog. This fantastic film has remarkable voice acting and a wholesome, tear-jerking happy ending.
Babe received seven Academy Award nominations, winning one for best visual effects since they did a great job of making the animals look like they’re talking).
It’s a family-friendly, award-winning heartwarming film, and that’ll do. That’ll do.
Air Bud
The 1997 comedy film Air Bud launched a 14-film franchise based on the real-life dog Air Buddy. The picture was a financial success, collecting $4 million in its first weekend and $27.8 million overall against a budget of $3 million.
The film depicts the story of a kid who loses his father in an accident and moves to a tiny village where he meets Buddy, a cross-bred Golden Retriever who not only loves basketball but can also shoot hoops.
In the spirit of Old Yeller, most of the movie concentrates on a boy’s connection with his best furry dog friend; however, there is a happy ending this time.
Old Yeller
Of course, no animal-starring film list goes without Old Yeller. No one can forget this film once they’ve seen it. Old Yeller is a Blackmouth Cur — a hunting and livestock dog born and bred in the United States.
We can’t stop the tears from streaming down our faces when a boy is forced to put this loyal, fierce, and awe-inspiring dog down.
On its first domestic release, “Old Yeller” grossed an incredible $8 million. That’s no minor achievement for a picture made on a shoestring budget in 1957, which is why this film is an undeniable classic.