[1] The series of eight films was made in the 1940s by Columbia Pictures with stories centered on Rusty, a German Shepherd dog.

Danny Mitchell (Ted Donaldson), a young boy in the American town of Lawtonville, is grieving over the loss of his dog.

He is also struggling to adjust to his new stepmother, Ann (Margaret Lindsay), and has a difficult relationship with his father (Conrad Nagel) - causing him to call on Dr. Banning, a psychiatrist (Addison Richards) for assistance.

However, Danny befriends Rusty, a ferocious German shepherd who was brought to the United States from Germany during World War II.

A subplot involves two Nazi saboteurs (Arno Frey and Eddie Parker) who arrive in Lawtonville, attempting to evade the Coast Guard and blow up an installation.