A faithful collie undertakes an arduous journey to render to her lost family.

Film Details

Genre

Take chances

Children

Classic Hollywood

Drama

Family

Release Engagement

Dec 1943

Premiere Information

New York opening: 7 Oct 1943

Production Company

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp.

Distribution Visitor

Loew's Inc.

Country

United States

Screenplay Information

Based on the novel Lassie Come Home by Eric Knight (Chicago, 1940).

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 28m

Audio

Mono (Western Electrical Sound Arrangement)

Colour

Color (Technicolor)

Theatrical Aspect Ratio

i.37 : ane

Movie Length

8,022ft (9 reels)

Synopsis

Unaware that his poor, unemployed begetter Sam has been forced to sell his beloved collie Lassie to the Duke of Rudling, young Joe Carraclough, of Yorkshire, England, is immediately concerned when the dog fails to come across him, as usual, later on schoolhouse. When Sam and his married woman Helen finally break the news, Joe is inconsolable. Lassie, meanwhile, is taken to the duke's kennels, where she is locked in a pen by Hynes, the cruel, Cockney dogkeeper. The next twenty-four hour period, however, Lassie digs her mode out of her pen and shows up at Joe's school at the usual time, iv o'clock. Although Joe is overjoyed to encounter Lassie, his parents know that they must return her to the knuckles and reluctantly hand her over to Hynes. Lassie soon escapes a second time by jumping over the pen's fence. This fourth dimension Joe runs off and hides with Lassie, but the two are chop-chop plant by Sam, who insists that Joe render Lassie to the duke in person. At the duke'due south manor, Joe is somewhat cheered by the presence of Priscilla, the duke's sympathetic young granddaughter, who promises to requite Lassie special care. That evening, Sam lectures Joe on the importance of honesty and informs his son that the duke is taking Lassie hundreds of miles abroad to Scotland for a dog show and will be staying at that place indefinitely. After, in Scotland, Priscilla notices that Hynes has chained Lassie inside her pen and complains to her grandpa. The duke soundly chastises Hynes and orders him to walk Lassie around the estate'south grounds. Hynes is and then crude with Lassie, however, that the canis familiaris breaks abroad from him and dashes to the front gate, where Priscilla and the duke are standing. Priscilla opens the gate and allows Lassie to escape, so comments to her astounded grandfather that the collie is headed due south, toward England. Lassie runs and runs until a pelting tempest forces her to take shelter. The side by side day, she resumes her journey and is almost killed by 2 shepherds, who suspect her of killing their sheep. After traversing a swampy surface area, Lassie then swims a river into England. In one case in England, an wearied, hungry Lassie collapses exterior a cottage owned by Dally and Dan'l Fadden. Although the elderly couple eagerly adopt the dog, Dally soon realizes that Lassie, who whines to be allow outside every afternoon at four, is not happy. Sensing that Lassie is anxious to continue her expedition but is too "polite" just to get, Dally orders Lassie to leave the next twenty-four hour period at four. Lassie takes off and eventually meets upwards with Rowlie Palmer, a tinker who travels with his trivial canis familiaris Toots. Lassie is cautious around Rowlie, but accepts his food and follows his wagon. Subsequently, every bit Rowlie is selling his wares in a village, Lassie performs with Toots, doing tricks that Rowlie has taught her. That night at his camp, Rowlie is attacked past two roving thieves, Buckles and Snickers. Both Toots and Lassie aid Rowlie in the fight, and when Buckles mortally wounds Toots, Lassie unleashes all her fury on him. Although the crooks scamper away, Rowlie is crushed by Toots'due south decease. Before long later on, Rowlie parts with Lassie, sensing as the Faddens did, that she is on a special journey. Lassie then makes her way through a city and is pursued past 2 dog-catchers. To avoid capture, Lassie jumps from a warehouse window, injuring her leg. Despite exhaustion, hunger and lameness, Lassie perseveres until she arrives at the Carracloughs' cottage. Helen and the even so out-of-piece of work Sam are stunned to run into Lassie, filthy and thin, but gladly welcome her dwelling house. Shortly after, the knuckles and Priscilla drive up to the cottage, and Sam and Helen, now adamant to keep Lassie, hide her. To their surprise, the duke offers Sam a job every bit his new dogkeeper, and Sam gratefully accepts. Lassie shortly gives her presence abroad, but the duke and Priscilla pretend not to recognize her. Then, only before iv o'clock, Lassie limps over to Joe'south school for her long-awaited reunion. Upon seeing Lassie, Joe, who has never stopped yearning for his dog, runs to her side and gives her a joyous, tearful embrace. Sometime later, Joe and Priscilla enjoy a bike ride together, accompanied past Lassie and her sprawling litter of collie puppies.

Crew

Film Details

Genre

Adventure

Children

Classic Hollywood

Drama

Family

Release Date

Dec 1943

Premiere Information

New York opening: seven Oct 1943

Product Company

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp.

Distribution Company

Loew'southward Inc.

Country

United states

Screenplay Information

Based on the novel Lassie Come Habitation by Eric Knight (Chicago, 1940).

Technical Specs

Duration

1h 28m

Sound

Mono (Western Electrical Sound System)

Colour

Color (Technicolor)

Theatrical Aspect Ratio

ane.37 : 1

Film Length

eight,022ft (9 reels)

Award Nominations

Articles

Lassie Come up Home

In 1943, MGM released Lassie Come Home, the tale of a faithful canis familiaris and his young master. As it turns out, Lassie was the well-nigh faithful to MGM: the canine-friendly film grossed a handsome profit, spawned several successful sequels, and featured one of the industry'south greatest stars in i of her earliest films. Based on a novel by Eric Mowbray Knight (get-go featured every bit a brusk story in a 1938 edition of Sat Evening Post), Lassie Come Dwelling starred a very young Roddy McDowall every bit the Scottish lad who is forced to sell his beloved canis familiaris. McDowall had just finished work on My Friend Flicka and both films (which were released in the same year) helped to firmly institute McDowall every bit a popular kid player. Lassie Come up Home likewise featured a wealth of dearest grapheme actors: Donald Crisp, Edmund Gwenn, Dame May Whitty, Nigel Bruce, and Elsa Lanchester. Rounding out this impressive bandage was an eleven-year-old girl named Elizabeth Taylor.

Set in England, the story is about the loyal bond of friendship between the collie and the young boy; the pair is divide apart when the dog is sold by her poor family to the wealthy Duke of Rudling and spirited far north to Scotland. With the help of the Scottish Knuckles'south daughter, Lassie escapes her new confines and travels hundreds of miles to be reunited with the overjoyed male child. Along the manner, Lassie overcomes danger and peril with the aid of helpful strangers, played by Gwenn and Whitty. Gwenn, best known for his portrayal of Kris Kringle in Miracle on 34th Street (1947), ofttimes specialized in kindly but eccentric elderly men. Whitty, who had extensive phase and moving picture credits, received Oscar nods for her work in Night Must Fall (1937) and Mrs. Miniver (1942). Playing the boy's father in the flick, Crisp is noted for working on both sides of the camera as role player and director in his career, only is best remembered for his Oscar-winning performance in How Green was my Valley (1941). Lanchester, forever immortalized as the hair-raising title character in Bride of Frankenstein (1935), was also known in real life as Mrs. Charles Laughton. Bruce, who took a break from his recurring function as Watson in the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes flick series, appears every bit the Duke of Rudling.

The role of the Duke'due south daughter, Priscilla, was originally awarded to Maria Flynn, a immature actress who had previously acted alongside McDowall. When the showtime side-by-side daily prints of the film came in, however, information technology was readily credible that Flynn had grown a skillful caput taller than McDowall: the part would have to be recast. Producer Samuel Marx recalled a conversation with an old wartime buddy, Francis Taylor, and contacted him regarding his young daughter, an aspiring extra. Afterwards a brief improvised scene, Elizabeth was cast in the role of the girl. In the humble beginnings of a superstar career, she was paid $100 per week; Lassie, on the other manus, received $250! Her big interruption would come the next year with the release of National Velvet (1944), a flick that also featured Crisp in a supporting role. Taylor and McDowall became close friends during the shooting of Lassie Come Home, a friendship that would last until McDowall'due south death in 1998. The ii child actors worked together once more as adults in Cleopatra (1963) and McDowall, an accomplished photographer, conducted Taylor's photo shoot for her 1963 Playboy spread.

Merely back to the casting bug. In improver to replacing Maria Flynn with Miss Taylor in the role of Priscilla, at that place was a problem with the star canine; the original dog cast in the role of Lassie was having a bad hair day - every day! Filming was extending into the end of summer, and the animate being was shedding ferociously - so much then that a replacement was sought. The filmmakers had insisted upon a female dog to play the role, and so male contenders were relegated to stand-in and stunt dog responsibilities. One of these stunt dogs, Pal, performed so well that the determination was made to cast him in the starring role. Simply the fact that she was really a he was kept a hush-hush by the publicity department.

The dog's possessor and trainer, Rudd Weatherwax, employed a broad variety of techniques to cajole Lassie into performing for the photographic camera. Favorite toys and treats dangled in a tantalizing fashion just off-camera helped to focus the animate being'south attention to the right directions, and rubber assurance were fastened to doorknobs to give the impression that the dog was opening doors. A piece of cork fastened to a paw provided a limp when the action called for Lassie to be injured, and ice cream smeared on McDowall'due south face allowed for the sloppy dog kisses. In social club to secure a canine expression of frustration, Lassie was given a command to stay only forced to watch the director, beyond the sight of the cameras, beingness pushed effectually by the coiffure.

Based on the success of Lassie Come Home, several Lassie films were released in the subsequent years, including Courage of Lassie (1946) that once again featured Elizabeth Taylor. The original Lassie was replaced a total of five times by straight descendants throughout the years. None of the replacements were female, causing Groucho Marx to quip, "Ever since the public found out that Lassie was really a male, they've been thinking the worst about Hollywood."

Producer: Samuel Marx
Director: Fred M. Wilcox
Screenplay: Hugo Butler, based on the novel by Eric Knight
Cinematography: Leonard Smith
Movie Editing: Ben Lewis
Original Music: Daniele Amfitheatrof
Principal Cast: Roddy McDowall (Joe Carraclough), Donald Crisp (Sam Carraclough), Matriarch May Whitty (Dolly), Edmund Gwenn (Rowlie), Nigel Bruce (Duke of Rudling), Elsa Lanchester (Mrs. Carraclough), Elizabeth Taylor (Priscilla), Ben Webster (Dan'l Fadden), Alan Napier (Jock).
C-90m. Closed captioning. Descriptive video.

past Eleanor Quin

Lassie Come Home

Lassie Come Home

In 1943, MGM released Lassie Come Dwelling, the tale of a faithful dog and his young master. As it turns out, Lassie was the most faithful to MGM: the canine-friendly film grossed a handsome profit, spawned several successful sequels, and featured ane of the industry's greatest stars in one of her earliest films. Based on a novel past Eric Mowbray Knight (get-go featured as a short story in a 1938 edition of Saturday Evening Post), Lassie Come Home starred a very young Roddy McDowall every bit the Scottish lad who is forced to sell his beloved canis familiaris. McDowall had just finished work on My Friend Flicka and both films (which were released in the same year) helped to firmly establish McDowall as a popular child actor. Lassie Come Home also featured a wealth of beloved character actors: Donald Crisp, Edmund Gwenn, Dame May Whitty, Nigel Bruce, and Elsa Lanchester. Rounding out this impressive cast was an eleven-year-sometime girl named Elizabeth Taylor. Set in England, the story is about the loyal bail of friendship betwixt the collie and the young boy; the pair is split apart when the dog is sold by her poor family to the wealthy Duke of Rudling and spirited far due north to Scotland. With the aid of the Scottish Knuckles's girl, Lassie escapes her new confines and travels hundreds of miles to exist reunited with the overjoyed boy. Along the style, Lassie overcomes danger and peril with the help of helpful strangers, played by Gwenn and Whitty. Gwenn, best known for his portrayal of Kris Kringle in Miracle on 34th Street (1947), often specialized in kindly but eccentric elderly men. Whitty, who had extensive stage and movie credits, received Oscar nods for her work in Night Must Fall (1937) and Mrs. Miniver (1942). Playing the boy'southward father in the moving-picture show, Well-baked is noted for working on both sides of the camera as player and managing director in his career, only is best remembered for his Oscar-winning operation in How Green was my Valley (1941). Lanchester, forever immortalized as the hair-raising championship character in Bride of Frankenstein (1935), was likewise known in existent life as Mrs. Charles Laughton. Bruce, who took a break from his recurring role as Watson in the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes film series, appears every bit the Duke of Rudling. The role of the Duke's daughter, Priscilla, was originally awarded to Maria Flynn, a immature extra who had previously acted aslope McDowall. When the first side-by-side daily prints of the flick came in, nonetheless, it was readily apparent that Flynn had grown a good head taller than McDowall: the part would accept to be recast. Producer Samuel Marx recalled a conversation with an erstwhile wartime buddy, Francis Taylor, and contacted him regarding his young daughter, an aspiring extra. Later a cursory improvised scene, Elizabeth was cast in the role of the daughter. In the humble beginnings of a superstar career, she was paid $100 per week; Lassie, on the other manus, received $250! Her big interruption would come the next year with the release of National Velvet (1944), a film that as well featured Crisp in a supporting role. Taylor and McDowall became close friends during the shooting of Lassie Come Home, a friendship that would last until McDowall's decease in 1998. The two kid actors worked together over again equally adults in Cleopatra (1963) and McDowall, an accomplished photographer, conducted Taylor'southward photo shoot for her 1963 Playboy spread. Merely back to the casting problems. In addition to replacing Maria Flynn with Miss Taylor in the role of Priscilla, there was a problem with the star canine; the original dog bandage in the role of Lassie was having a bad hair day - every 24-hour interval! Filming was extending into the finish of summer, and the animal was shedding ferociously - so much and then that a replacement was sought. The filmmakers had insisted upon a female domestic dog to play the function, so male person contenders were relegated to stand-in and stunt dog responsibilities. One of these stunt dogs, Pal, performed and then well that the decision was made to cast him in the starring role. Merely the fact that she was actually a he was kept a secret by the publicity section. The dog'south owner and trainer, Rudd Weatherwax, employed a wide variety of techniques to cajole Lassie into performing for the photographic camera. Favorite toys and treats dangled in a tantalizing fashion but off-camera helped to focus the animal's attention to the right directions, and rubber assurance were attached to doorknobs to give the impression that the dog was opening doors. A slice of cork attached to a hand provided a limp when the activity called for Lassie to exist injured, and ice cream smeared on McDowall's confront allowed for the sloppy dog kisses. In gild to secure a canine expression of frustration, Lassie was given a command to stay only forced to watch the director, across the sight of the cameras, being pushed around by the crew. Based on the success of Lassie Come Abode, several Lassie films were released in the subsequent years, including Backbone of Lassie (1946) that in one case once again featured Elizabeth Taylor. The original Lassie was replaced a total of v times by directly descendants throughout the years. None of the replacements were female, causing Groucho Marx to quip, "Ever since the public found out that Lassie was really a male, they've been thinking the worst about Hollywood." Producer: Samuel Marx Director: Fred M. Wilcox Screenplay: Hugo Butler, based on the novel by Eric Knight Cinematography: Leonard Smith Film Editing: Ben Lewis Original Music: Daniele Amfitheatrof Principal Cast: Roddy McDowall (Joe Carraclough), Donald Crisp (Sam Carraclough), Matriarch May Whitty (Dolly), Edmund Gwenn (Rowlie), Nigel Bruce (Duke of Rudling), Elsa Lanchester (Mrs. Carraclough), Elizabeth Taylor (Priscilla), Ben Webster (Dan'l Fadden), Alan Napier (Jock). C-90m. Closed captioning. Descriptive video. past Eleanor Quin

Lassie Come Home on DVD

In 1943, MGM released Lassie Come up Dwelling house, the tale of a faithful domestic dog and his immature master. As it turns out, Lassie was the most faithful to MGM: the canine-friendly film grossed a handsome turn a profit, spawned several successful sequels, and featured i of the industry's greatest stars in one of her earliest films. Based on a novel by Eric Mowbray Knight (first featured as a short story in a 1938 edition of Saturday Evening Post), Lassie Come Dwelling house, now on DVD from Warner Video, starred a very young Roddy McDowall as the Scottish lad who is forced to sell his beloved dog. McDowall had just finished piece of work on My Friend Flicka and both films (which were released in the same year) helped to firmly establish McDowall as a popular child actor. Lassie Come Home besides featured a wealth of honey grapheme actors: Donald Well-baked, Edmund Gwenn, Matriarch May Whitty, Nigel Bruce, and Elsa Lanchester. Rounding out this impressive cast was an eleven-year-one-time girl named Elizabeth Taylor.

Set in England, the story is about the loyal bail of friendship between the collie and the young boy; the pair is divide apart when the canis familiaris is sold by her poor family to the wealthy Duke of Rudling and spirited far due north to Scotland. With the aid of the Scottish Duke's daughter, Lassie escapes her new confines and travels hundreds of miles to be reunited with the overjoyed boy. Along the fashion, Lassie overcomes danger and peril with the help of helpful strangers, played by Gwenn and Whitty. Gwenn, all-time known for his portrayal of Kris Kringle in Miracle on 34th Street (1947), often specialized in kindly merely eccentric elderly men. Whitty, who had extensive stage and film credits, received Oscar® nods for her piece of work in Night Must Fall (1937) and Mrs. Miniver (1942). Playing the boy's father in the movie, Crisp is noted for working on both sides of the camera every bit actor and director in his career, but is all-time remembered for his Oscar®-winning functioning in How Greenish was my Valley (1941).

The role of the Duke's daughter, Priscilla, was originally awarded to Maria Flynn, a young actress who had previously acted alongside McDowall. When the commencement side-by-side daily prints of the moving picture came in, however, information technology was readily apparent that Flynn had grown a adept head taller than McDowall: the part would take to be recast. Producer Samuel Marx recalled a conversation with an erstwhile wartime buddy, Francis Taylor, and contacted him regarding his young girl, an aspiring extra. After a brief improvised scene, Elizabeth was bandage in the part of the daughter. In the humble beginnings of a superstar career, she was paid $100 per week; Lassie, on the other manus, received $250! Her large suspension would come the adjacent yr with the release of National Velvet (1944), a movie that also featured Crisp in a supporting role. Taylor and McDowall became shut friends during the shooting of Lassie Come Home, a friendship that would last until McDowall'south expiry in 1998. The two kid actors worked together again every bit adults in Cleopatra (1963) and McDowall, an accomplished photographer, conducted Taylor's photo shoot for her 1963 Playboy spread.

But back to the casting problems. In add-on to replacing Maria Flynn with Miss Taylor in the part of Priscilla, there was a trouble with the star canine; the original dog bandage in the office of Lassie was having a bad pilus day - every day! Filming was extending into the end of summer, and the animate being was shedding ferociously - then much so that a replacement was sought. The filmmakers had insisted upon a female canis familiaris to play the office, so male contenders were relegated to stand-in and stunt canis familiaris responsibilities. I of these stunt dogs, Pal, performed and so well that the decision was made to bandage him in the starring office. But the fact that she was really a he was kept a surreptitious past the publicity department.

The dog's possessor and trainer, Rudd Weatherwax, employed a broad multifariousness of techniques to cajole Lassie into performing for the camera. Favorite toys and treats dangled in a tantalizing manner just off-photographic camera helped to focus the animal's attention to the right directions, and rubber balls were fastened to doorknobs to requite the impression that the dog was opening doors. A piece of cork attached to a paw provided a limp when the action chosen for Lassie to be injured, and ice cream smeared on McDowall'south face up allowed for the sloppy canis familiaris kisses. In guild to secure a canine expression of frustration, Lassie was given a command to stay just forced to watch the director, beyond the sight of the cameras, being pushed effectually by the crew.

Based on the success of Lassie Come up Home, several Lassie films were released in the subsequent years, including Courage of Lassie (1946) that once once more featured Elizabeth Taylor. The original Lassie was replaced a total of 5 times by straight descendants throughout the years. None of the replacements were female, causing Groucho Marx to quip, "Ever since the public found out that Lassie was really a male, they've been thinking the worst about Hollywood."

The Warner Video DVD of Lassie Come Home is a welcome though non especially stunning addition to their library of Technicolor MGM classics not previously available on disc. Compared to the company's past releases of The Adventures of Robin Hood and Meet Me in St. Louis, the colors aren't as heart-popping or bright and in that location are some obvious though minor flaws in the image - scratches and nicks. Nevertheless, it's a completely respectable presentation if you lot don't compare it to Criterion's exacting standards. Equally for the minor extras, they include a drove of trailers from other MGM Lassie movies and Fala, a brusk bailiwick on President Roosevelt'due south domestic dog, a Scottish terrier.

This title is currently unavailable.

To order Lassie Come Dwelling equally part of TCM's Greatest Classic Films Collections, click here and here.

by Eleanor Quin

Lassie Come Home on DVD

In 1943, MGM released Lassie Come Home, the tale of a faithful dog and his immature master. As information technology turns out, Lassie was the most true-blue to MGM: the canine-friendly film grossed a handsome profit, spawned several successful sequels, and featured 1 of the industry's greatest stars in ane of her earliest films. Based on a novel by Eric Mowbray Knight (offset featured every bit a short story in a 1938 edition of Saturday Evening Post), Lassie Come up Home, at present on DVD from Warner Video, starred a very immature Roddy McDowall every bit the Scottish lad who is forced to sell his dearest dog. McDowall had only finished piece of work on My Friend Flicka and both films (which were released in the aforementioned year) helped to firmly constitute McDowall equally a popular child histrion. Lassie Come up Habitation also featured a wealth of beloved character actors: Donald Crisp, Edmund Gwenn, Matriarch May Whitty, Nigel Bruce, and Elsa Lanchester. Rounding out this impressive bandage was an eleven-year-old girl named Elizabeth Taylor. Set in England, the story is about the loyal bail of friendship between the collie and the immature boy; the pair is dissever apart when the dog is sold past her poor family to the wealthy Duke of Rudling and spirited far north to Scotland. With the assist of the Scottish Duke'south daughter, Lassie escapes her new confines and travels hundreds of miles to be reunited with the charmed boy. Along the way, Lassie overcomes danger and peril with the aid of helpful strangers, played by Gwenn and Whitty. Gwenn, best known for his portrayal of Kris Kringle in Phenomenon on 34th Street (1947), oftentimes specialized in kindly merely eccentric elderly men. Whitty, who had all-encompassing stage and motion-picture show credits, received Oscar® nods for her work in Dark Must Fall (1937) and Mrs. Miniver (1942). Playing the male child'south father in the film, Crisp is noted for working on both sides of the camera every bit thespian and director in his career, but is best remembered for his Oscar®-winning functioning in How Green was my Valley (1941). The role of the Knuckles's daughter, Priscilla, was originally awarded to Maria Flynn, a young actress who had previously acted alongside McDowall. When the commencement side-past-side daily prints of the film came in, however, information technology was readily apparent that Flynn had grown a skillful head taller than McDowall: the part would take to be recast. Producer Samuel Marx recalled a conversation with an old wartime buddy, Francis Taylor, and contacted him regarding his immature girl, an aspiring actress. After a brief improvised scene, Elizabeth was bandage in the role of the girl. In the humble beginnings of a superstar career, she was paid $100 per week; Lassie, on the other manus, received $250! Her big pause would come the side by side twelvemonth with the release of National Velvet (1944), a film that as well featured Crisp in a supporting role. Taylor and McDowall became close friends during the shooting of Lassie Come Home, a friendship that would last until McDowall's death in 1998. The two child actors worked together once more as adults in Cleopatra (1963) and McDowall, an achieved photographer, conducted Taylor's photograph shoot for her 1963 Playboy spread. Just back to the casting problems. In addition to replacing Maria Flynn with Miss Taylor in the office of Priscilla, there was a problem with the star canine; the original dog bandage in the part of Lassie was having a bad hair twenty-four hours - every day! Filming was extending into the end of summer, and the fauna was shedding ferociously - so much so that a replacement was sought. The filmmakers had insisted upon a female dog to play the role, so male contenders were relegated to stand-in and stunt dog responsibilities. One of these stunt dogs, Pal, performed then well that the decision was made to cast him in the starring role. Only the fact that she was really a he was kept a hole-and-corner by the publicity department. The domestic dog's possessor and trainer, Rudd Weatherwax, employed a broad diverseness of techniques to cajole Lassie into performing for the camera. Favorite toys and treats dangled in a tantalizing fashion just off-camera helped to focus the animal's attention to the right directions, and rubber balls were attached to doorknobs to give the impression that the domestic dog was opening doors. A piece of cork fastened to a paw provided a limp when the activeness called for Lassie to be injured, and ice cream smeared on McDowall's face allowed for the sloppy dog kisses. In order to secure a canine expression of frustration, Lassie was given a command to stay but forced to watch the managing director, beyond the sight of the cameras, being pushed around by the crew. Based on the success of Lassie Come Home, several Lassie films were released in the subsequent years, including Backbone of Lassie (1946) that once again featured Elizabeth Taylor. The original Lassie was replaced a total of five times by direct descendants throughout the years. None of the replacements were female person, causing Groucho Marx to quip, "Ever since the public found out that Lassie was really a male, they've been thinking the worst well-nigh Hollywood." The Warner Video DVD of Lassie Come up Dwelling house is a welcome though not particularly stunning add-on to their library of Technicolor MGM classics not previously available on disc. Compared to the visitor's past releases of The Adventures of Robin Hood and Run into Me in St. Louis, the colors aren't as heart-popping or vivid and there are some obvious though small-scale flaws in the image - scratches and nicks. Nevertheless, it's a completely respectable presentation if you don't compare it to Criterion's exacting standards. As for the modest extras, they include a drove of trailers from other MGM Lassie movies and Fala, a short subject on President Roosevelt'southward dog, a Scottish terrier. This title is currently unavailable. To order Lassie Come Domicile every bit function of TCM'south Greatest Classic Films Collections, click hither and hither. by Eleanor Quin

Quotes

You lot might as well know it right off. Lassie won't be meeting you at school. She'southward been sold.

- Mrs. Carraclough

You can't feed a dog on the dole, and you can't feed a family unit either.

- Sam Carraclough

Trivia

Notes

The film'southward opening credits include the following written dedication: "The author of Lassie Come up Dwelling was a man of two countries. Born in England, he survived the First Earth War as a British soldier, simply to die in the 2d Earth State of war, killed in line of duty in the compatible of the country he had adopted...America. With reverence and pride, we dedicate this picturization of his all-time-loved story to the belatedly Major Eric Knight." A brief, vocalization-over narration, describing "the people of Yorkshire," then accompanies the film's opening shots. Knight'due south novel was derived from a brusque story, which was published in The Saturday Evening Post on December 17, 1938. In the opening credits, Lassie is listed in two split up cast lists, seventh in the first list, and fourteenth in the second. Lassie, whose existent name was Pal, made his screen debut in the picture and was selected for the part afterwards M-G-M launched a nationwide talent hunt. (Ane Hollywood Reporter news item claimed that the studio was searching "back alleys" for a canis familiaris that used to sit in front end of Dave Chasen'south or the Brown Derby and beg for pennies.) Co-ordinate to modern sources, after the mass casting call failed to produce a viable dog star, M-G-Thousand chosen in noted dog trainer Rudd Weatherwax. Although Weatherwax showed off many mature, purebred collies, one-twelvemonth-old Pal, who lacked pedigree papers, easily won the function.
Lassie Come Home was the showtime entry in a vi-picture serial produced by G-G-M. The 2nd, the 1945 Son of Lassie , was a sequel to Lassie Come Abode, and featured Pal in the role Lassie, likewise every bit Lassie's son "Laddie." In the sequel, the characters played by Roddy McDowall and Elizabeth Taylor in Lassie Come up Dwelling were performed by developed actors Peter Lawford and June Lockhart. (Lawford and Lockhart also played adult versions of the McDowall and Taylor characters in M-G-M's 1944 film The White Cliffs of Dover.) Lassie is the central character in all of the films, only only Lassie Come Home and Son of Lassie feature characters from the novel. Settings and time periods also change from picture to picture. Pal'southward four male person descendents, all of whom were billed under the name Lassie, portrayed the collie in the other pictures. (Pal retired at the age of five, according to modern sources.) Elizabeth Taylor starred in the tertiary film in the series, Courage of Lassie, but her office was unrelated to the part she played in Lassie Come Domicile. Edmund Gwenn and Donald Well-baked appeared in ii of the non-sequel entries. The last film in the series was The Painted Hills (1951), starring Gary Gray and directed by Harold Kress. Modern sources note that in the late 1940s, the number of purebred collies registered in the U.Due south. increased from 3,000 to 18,400, presumably as a consequence of the series.
Fred M. Wilcox, a quondam G-M-Thou publicist, script clerk, assistant managing director and 2d unit of measurement managing director, made his feature directing debut with this picture show. Wilcox also directed ii other films in the "Lassie" series, The Courage of Lassie and Hills of Habitation. McDowall and Donald Crisp had previously appeared together in the pop 1941 picture How Green Was My Valley . Lassie Come Home marked the first time in which Dame May Whitty and her married man, Ben Webster, who had just celebrated their golden wedding anniversary, appeared together in an American movie. Reginald Owen was announced equally a cast fellow member in a September 1942 Hollywood Reporter news item, but he did not announced in the completed motion-picture show.
Though non her debut movie, Lassie Come Home was Taylor'south first picture show for M-G-G, the studio at which she worked for the next seventeen years. Mod sources note that in that location are ii versions about how the 8-year-old Taylor won the function of "Priscilla." In one version, confirmed past an Oct 1942 Hollywood Reporter news particular, Taylor was "discovered" by producer Sam Marx when she brought sandwiches to her father, Francis 50. Taylor, while he was on air raid warden duty with Marx. At the time, according to mod sources, Marx was looking desperately for a immature actress with a convincing English accent because the girl he had originally bandage every bit Priscilla had grown almost a foot and was noticeably taller than McDowall. Co-ordinate to the 2nd version, the original Priscilla was let go because her eyes were also weak to withstand the bright lights on the prepare, and was replaced past Taylor after Marx and Wilcox contacted her agent, Sara Taylor. Taylor'southward dark dazzler and natural interim made an immediate, strong impression on Marx and Wilcox, and many reviewers commented favorably on her functioning. Taylor and McDowall were again bandage opposite each other in the 1944 1000-G-M picture The White Cliffs of Dover .
According to Hollywood Reporter news items, in addition to Southern California locations in Laguna Beach, Malibu, Chatsworth, Lake Arrowhead, Big Carry, Calabasas and Irvine Park in Santa Ana, some scenes and groundwork shots were filmed in Santa Barbara, the San Joaquin River about Stockton and Monterey, CA, as well as Seattle and other parts of Washington State. Groundwork shooting took place for two months, between July and August 1942. The Technicolor company experimented with a new "monopack" color process on this picture, according to an April 1944 Hollywood Reporter news item. The monopack procedure, in which all the color emulsions were present on one base and required no special cameras, replaced Technicolor'south three-strip process. Smith was nominated for an Academy Laurels for All-time Cinematography (Color). Redbook magazine named Lassie Come Dwelling house its "Flick of the Month" for October 1943.
In improver to the M-Chiliad-M moving-picture show series, a "Lassie" radio evidence was broadcast on the ABC network between 1947 and 1950, featuring the barking of the original Pal, but with other sound effects provided by a human actor. On September 12, 1954, the CBS network broadcast the offset episode of Lassie, a television testify based on Knight's characters. Set in the U.Due south., the television Lassie lived first with a male child named "Jeff Miller," played by Tommy Rettig, and his mother, played past January Clayton. From 1957 to 1964, an orphan male child named "Timmy," played past Jon Provost, became Lassie's co-star, and Cloris Leachman and June Lockhart played his adopted mother in turn. The CBS show ran until summer 1971, and in fall 1971, a syndicated serial chosen Lassie and Timmy began its 3-year run. Between September 1973 and August 1975, an animated series, Lassie'due south Rescue Rangers, was circulate on CBS. A second syndicated series, starring Volition Nippen and featuring Jon Provost as the grown-up Timmy, was broadcast between 1989 to 1991. In 1963, Twentieth Century-Play tricks released the Wrather Corp. production Lassie'due south Great Adventure, a characteristic made from a four-part episode of the CBS serial called "The Journey."
In 1953, Andrew Marton directed Donna Corcoran and Ward Bail in Gypsy Colt, Yard-Yard-M's second version of Lassie Come Dwelling, in which the dog office was rewritten for a horse. (A television series based on Gypsy Colt, also called Gypsy Filly, aired on the ABC network in 1967.) In 1978, Don Chaffey directed Lassie, Jimmy Stewart and Mickey Rooney in the Wrather Corp.'south The Magic of Lassie. Knight's novel was adapted for the screen for a third time in 1994 every bit the Paramount production Lassie, directed by Donald Petrie and starring Thomas Guiry and Helen Slater. In 2006, another version of the story was released, the British-fabricated Lassie, directed by Charles Sturridge, and starring Peter O'Toole and Samantha Morton. In all versions except the 2006 films, Lassie was played past i of Pal'due south descendents. For more data on the "Lassie" series, consult the Series Index. On AFI's 2003 list of the top 100 Heroes and Villains in American Films, Lassie was number thirty-ix on the list of heroes.