Considered by many film historians to be the first animal star of cinema, Blair was a collie owned by early British film pioneer Cecil Hepworth, who starred his dog in "Rescued by Rover," a hugely popular short film shot in 1905. The film was so in demand for showings that several reprints had to be made as copies of the original negatives wore out quickly. Rover quickly became a popular name for dogs, both in the UK and in America.
