Animal Actor. Also called Mutt. He played the pivotal role of Scraps in "A Dog's Life" (1918), long hailed as one of Charlie Chaplin's finest short comedies. The story presents the misadventures of a homeless man (Chaplin) and the stray dog Scraps as they struggle to survive in the big city; they become friends and help each other to a better life. Mut's raffish charm and vulnerability perfectly complimented that of The Little Tramp onscreen and may have made him a celebrity on his own. Sadly, this was his only film appearance. Mut's brief Hollywood career began in January 1918, when production of "A Dog's Life" was already underway. Chaplin had long considered making a film with a dog but disdained the notion of working with a trained animal. "These studio beasts are too well kept", he told a journalist. "What I want is a dog that can appreciate a bone and is hungry enough to be funny for his feed". Having tested several purebreds without success, Chaplin discovered Mut at a local pound and brought him back to the studio along with 20 other mongrels. The runt of the group, he won the part by remaining sweet-natured and plucky, despite all the canine antagonism around him. He wasn't always cooperative during filming; for the scene in which Scraps and Charlie sleep together in a vacant lot, he was fed whiskey to make him docile enough to use as a pillow. But afterwards a delighted Chaplin adopted him as a studio mascot and planned to use him in future films. It was not to be. Shortly after completing "A Dog's Life" in March, Chaplin embarked on a cross-country tour selling war bonds. Mut had grown so attached to the comedian that in his absence he refused to eat and wandered around the lot looking dejected. He died a few days before Chaplin's return. The devoted pooch was buried on the studio grounds beneath a little marker with the inscription, "Mut, died April 29th - a broken heart". "A Dog's Life" was Chaplin's biggest hit up to then and is now seen as a crucial stepping stone to the features he would soon make. Through this Mut earned his little piece of immortality. Note: The concluding gag of "A Dog's Life" has led some to assume that Mut was female, even though his gender is apparent in the film's earlier scenes.