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If I find a more striking photo of Judith Anderson this year, I’ll eat my hat.
Another great photo. What’s the doggie’s name?
If we assume that the photo was taken in the late thirties or thereabouts (that’s mine and @thisismrsdanvers‘ best guess), there are a few possibilities.
Judith Anderson began keeping dachshunds in 1932, when she was appearing in Lajos Zilahy’sFirebird on Broadway, as a newspaper article about this ‘glamorous and elusive’ actress explained at the time:
‘She has two dachshunds that accompany her in Firebird. They were bought for her for the play. But Miss Anderson has become so attached to the dogs and the dogs to Miss Anderson that they are now her personal property. One is called Miklosh, and the other Suzette.
‘She walks home from the theater - a matter of 21 blocks - after every performance in order to give them their exercise. Just in case you meet her and don’t know her off-stage, you may recognize her by the two black dachshunds on a red leash.’
The situation gets a little confusing around 1934. I used to think by that point she owned a trio of sausage dogs, thanks to the addition of a little fellow called Nichols. However, it turns out that the English equivalent of the Hungarian name Miklosh is Nicholas, which isn’t all that far removed from Nichols. So perhaps Judith had just changed the dog’s name and still had only two. (I don’t think I’ve ever seen her photographed with more than two.)
The upshot is that I can’t be sure what the name of the dog in the photo is, but it’s probably Miklosh, Suzette or Nichols.
Judith was deeply devoted to her dachshunds and, as far as I’m aware, continued to keep this beautiful breed of dog for the rest of her life.
(I don’t think I’ve ever seen her photographed with more than two.)
I stand corrected! Thank goodness for fans with good memories!
As shown in this photo I’ve snaffled from @thisismrsdanvers (thank you, and please forgive me!), Judith owned three dachshunds by 1939, when Rebecca was filmed. This could well be a group shot of Miklosh, Suzette and Nichols, then.
I wonder if she had a favourite.
Ah, the mystery deepens!
@academicxaesthetica has kindly pointed out a Photoplay article featuring Judith from 1940, which mentions her three dachshunds by name. Miklosh was still around (the article offers an alternative spelling of the name, Miklos), and there were two new ones, Goony and Tinkertoo (named after a cat Judith had previously, Tinker!). They were, says the article, her ‘prize possessions’.
Presumably they’re the three pooches in the photo from the filming of Rebecca. So, if the glamorous portrait of Judith and one of her dachshunds dates from the late 1930s or early 40s, the dog she’s with could be Miklosh, Goony or Tinkertoo.
I’m going out on a limb here and saying it’s probably Miklosh in the photo, as he was her longest-serving sausage dog by that point so probably merited special treatment.
Never let it be said that this blog doesn’t cover the important stuff…
Thomas McCarthy is an Irish Traveller, originally from County Offaly but now living in London. Like the Romani (”gypsies”), Irish Travellers are an itinerant group with rich musical traditions. McCarthy’s songs are mostly learned from his family and other Travellers, and his style of singing is a real throwback to when this kind of singing was the night’s entertainment around the campfire. I got a chance to talk with him a few years ago, and he told me that the uilleann pipes (the national bagpipe of Ireland) was made to sound like that old style of singing. A unique sound, to be sure.
