'Lassie Come Home' is the classic first tale of Lassie, and this film is based on the novel by Eric Knight. This story is about the bond between a boy and his dog. Lassie is sold by the boy's father because of hard times, and Lassie makes a long journey to be back at her master's side again. It's a touching and beautiful story for children, and it was my favourite story for a while when I was much, much younger. I have forgotten much of this story now, but I have not forgotten how much I used to watch this film, over and over again on the old VHS. I think that all children should have the opportunity to watch 'Lassie Come Home'.
44 Reviews
Lots of fun
preppy-33 March 2000
I was expecting to hate this film. After all it's a kids film (I'm 37). I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it! It's one of those few films that works for both adults and children. It's in color (which was rare in the early 1940s), has a simple story and never becomes too sentimental or childish. It's particularly fun seeing Elizabeth Taylor and Roddy McDowall as children; Elsa Lancaster as roddy's mother(!!!); and Nigel Bruce NOT playing Doctor Watson for once and actually proving he could be gruff and aggressive in a performance. Best of all though, is Lassie. I don't know how they did it, but the dog (actually a male dog named Pal) gives in an astonishing performance. Just the expressions on her(his) face tells you what she(he) is thinking! Also has a great ending that is very moving (in a good way). Very well woth seeing. Only complaint--the color in this film is so washed out! Why doesn't someone restore it?
The Collie Franchise Started Here
bkoganbing30 January 2007
I'm sure that when MGM was filming Lassie Come Home they were not aware they would be setting up the foundation of a collie franchise. The film obviously was meant to be a B picture filler as none of MGM's big box office names were used. But the story of the loyal collie dog who traveled over 1000 miles from Scotland to Yorkshire to return to his young master struck a nostalgic chord in the English speaking world.
What MGM did do for this film was use location footage, most likely in California and film it in Technicolor. Doing that made the film a classic and wanted by today's market which disdains black and white.
Two young future stars Roddy McDowall and Elizabeth Taylor are in this as children and they are an appealing pair. For the rest of the cast MGM made liberal use of the English colony in Hollywood with Elsa Lanchester, Donald Crisp, Nigel Bruce, Edmund Gwenn, Alan Napier, Arthur Shields, and Dame May Witty and her husband Ben Webster. In fact if you take away the two child stars, this film may just have the oldest average age of any film cast around.
Elizabeth Taylor and Roddy McDowall formed a lifetime friendship from this film. She also became very attached to Donald Crisp who became a father figure for her until his death in 1974. Crisp and McDowall are reunited as father and son as they were in How Green Was My Valley.
The plot is a simple one. Because he's out of work and needs the money for food on the table, Donald Crisp sells the pure bred collie to Lord Nigel Bruce who takes him from Yorkshire to Scotland. But Lassie ain't having this and escapes and makes the journey to what she considers home. The story is about her adventures on the way.
After over 60 years Lassie is still appealing to children of all ages everywhere.
What MGM did do for this film was use location footage, most likely in California and film it in Technicolor. Doing that made the film a classic and wanted by today's market which disdains black and white.
Two young future stars Roddy McDowall and Elizabeth Taylor are in this as children and they are an appealing pair. For the rest of the cast MGM made liberal use of the English colony in Hollywood with Elsa Lanchester, Donald Crisp, Nigel Bruce, Edmund Gwenn, Alan Napier, Arthur Shields, and Dame May Witty and her husband Ben Webster. In fact if you take away the two child stars, this film may just have the oldest average age of any film cast around.
Elizabeth Taylor and Roddy McDowall formed a lifetime friendship from this film. She also became very attached to Donald Crisp who became a father figure for her until his death in 1974. Crisp and McDowall are reunited as father and son as they were in How Green Was My Valley.
The plot is a simple one. Because he's out of work and needs the money for food on the table, Donald Crisp sells the pure bred collie to Lord Nigel Bruce who takes him from Yorkshire to Scotland. But Lassie ain't having this and escapes and makes the journey to what she considers home. The story is about her adventures on the way.
After over 60 years Lassie is still appealing to children of all ages everywhere.
Admirable boy/dog story from the Eric Knight best-seller...
Doylenf16 April 2001
Warning: Spoilers
Early MGM technicolor is a real asset to this boy/dog tale based on a novel by Eric Knight. When Roddy McDowall's parents (Donald Crisp, Elsa Lanchester) are forced to sell their beautiful collie to the Duke of Rudling (Nigel Bruce) in Scotland, the boy is heartbroken. But not to worry. The bond is so strong that Lassie swims rivers, climbs mountains, fights other dogs, and makes his way through miles of picturesque pastoral countryside to return to his master after the long trek from Scotland. And by the end of the film, his devotion to the boy is so overwhelming that the Duke pretends not to recognize the dog as the one he bought. Elizabeth Taylor, at eleven, makes a touching appearance as Nigel's niece, sympathetic to the plight of the dog who has rejoined his master. If this one doesn't bring a tear to your eye, you have a heart of stone. Lassie is a natural and performs everything on cue brilliantly--you almost feel he's living the part. All of the performances are ingratiating and the technicolor photography cannot be faulted. Handsomely produced and perfect family entertainment.
A friend in need is a friend indeed !
dbdumonteil1 May 2010
"Lassie Chien Fidèle" (=Faithful dog,French translation) was one of the first books I read when I was a child .It's a precious memory.
Although it is not,IMHO, Wilcox's most memorable movie (it would rather be his impressive "forbidden planet"),it's still good value and excellent entertainment for the whole family.The color is wonderful .And the real star is Lassie herself for the other characters have less screen time than this extraordinary dog (male colley Pal) and most of them are brilliantly supporting :I particularly like Dame May Witty as the old lady who takes care of Lassie for a short while.
Roddy Mac Dowall was a wunderkind ,my favorite of all the child actors of all time.He is very cute and he is really moving.When I saw the scene he shares with Elizabeth Taylor-very lovely too- in the kennels ,I couldn't help thinking that ,twenty years later ,they would be Octavian and Cleopatra!!!
Like this?try these...
National Velvet (Brown,1944)
The Yearling (Brown,1946)
How green was my valley (Ford,1941,with a younger McDowall)
Although it is not,IMHO, Wilcox's most memorable movie (it would rather be his impressive "forbidden planet"),it's still good value and excellent entertainment for the whole family.The color is wonderful .And the real star is Lassie herself for the other characters have less screen time than this extraordinary dog (male colley Pal) and most of them are brilliantly supporting :I particularly like Dame May Witty as the old lady who takes care of Lassie for a short while.
Roddy Mac Dowall was a wunderkind ,my favorite of all the child actors of all time.He is very cute and he is really moving.When I saw the scene he shares with Elizabeth Taylor-very lovely too- in the kennels ,I couldn't help thinking that ,twenty years later ,they would be Octavian and Cleopatra!!!
Like this?try these...
National Velvet (Brown,1944)
The Yearling (Brown,1946)
How green was my valley (Ford,1941,with a younger McDowall)
For Dog Lovers Everywhere
Ron Oliver30 September 2002
A magnificent British collie struggles to cover the hundreds of miles that separate her from the family she loves.
LASSIE COME HOME is one of the truly great family films. Crafted with care by MGM and based on the classic novel by Eric Knight, it will strike a warm response in the heart of anyone who has ever loved a dog.
The production values are first rate and the color photography is spectacular. While the scenery & filming locations are strictly Western North America, they nevertheless make evocative stand-ins for the settings in the book. It might be worth the viewer's time to check the relationship of the Yorkshire Moors with the Scottish Highlands on a map, so as to better appreciate the phenomenal journey which the dog undertakes.
The casting is excellent throughout: Donald Crisp, Elsa Lanchester & Roddy McDowall as the poor, proud family which must sell their only treasure, Lassie; Nigel Bruce as the gruffly tenderhearted Duke which buys the dog; a young Dame Elizabeth Taylor plays his lively granddaughter. J. Pat O'Malley portrays the brutal dog handler employed by the Duke.
Along her journey Lassie encounters old folks who need her companionship (Dame May Whitty & real-life husband Ben Webster, in his last film role), a traveling tinker who values her protection (Edmund Gwenn), and suspicious sheepmen on the watch for killer dogs (Alan Napier & Arthur Shields).
Lassie is played by Pal, a male dog trained by the celebrated Rudd Weatherwax (1907-1985), who was responsible for generations of Lassies which appeared in movies & television. Pal gives a remarkable performance, providing the very heart & soul of the film.
*************************
Eric Mowbray Knight was born in Yorkshire, England, on April 10, 1897. Moving to America in 1912, he became a student in New York, but left to join the Canadian Armed Forces with the outbreak of World War One. In 1932 he published a collection of his wartime letters - Portrait Of A Flying Yorkshireman. Later came two novels which made good use of authentic Yorkshire dialect: Invitation To Life (1934) and Song On Your Bugles (1937). He didn't think much of his 1940 children's book, Lassie Come-Home and was very surprised at its great success. His next novel, This Above All (1941), a World War Two romance, was also popular. Knight joined the United States Army and rose to the rank of Major. Working with an Army film unit under the direction of Frank Capra, Eric Knight was tragically killed in a plane crash off the coast of Suriname on January 15, 1943. MGM dedicated LASSIE COME HOME, which was released later that year, to his memory.
*************************************
The snatch of ballad Edmund Gwenn is singing while shaving in his first scene is "I Dreamt That I Dwelt In Marble Halls" from the 1843 operetta The Bohemian Girl by Michael William Balfe (1808-1870).
LASSIE COME HOME is one of the truly great family films. Crafted with care by MGM and based on the classic novel by Eric Knight, it will strike a warm response in the heart of anyone who has ever loved a dog.
The production values are first rate and the color photography is spectacular. While the scenery & filming locations are strictly Western North America, they nevertheless make evocative stand-ins for the settings in the book. It might be worth the viewer's time to check the relationship of the Yorkshire Moors with the Scottish Highlands on a map, so as to better appreciate the phenomenal journey which the dog undertakes.
The casting is excellent throughout: Donald Crisp, Elsa Lanchester & Roddy McDowall as the poor, proud family which must sell their only treasure, Lassie; Nigel Bruce as the gruffly tenderhearted Duke which buys the dog; a young Dame Elizabeth Taylor plays his lively granddaughter. J. Pat O'Malley portrays the brutal dog handler employed by the Duke.
Along her journey Lassie encounters old folks who need her companionship (Dame May Whitty & real-life husband Ben Webster, in his last film role), a traveling tinker who values her protection (Edmund Gwenn), and suspicious sheepmen on the watch for killer dogs (Alan Napier & Arthur Shields).
Lassie is played by Pal, a male dog trained by the celebrated Rudd Weatherwax (1907-1985), who was responsible for generations of Lassies which appeared in movies & television. Pal gives a remarkable performance, providing the very heart & soul of the film.
*************************
Eric Mowbray Knight was born in Yorkshire, England, on April 10, 1897. Moving to America in 1912, he became a student in New York, but left to join the Canadian Armed Forces with the outbreak of World War One. In 1932 he published a collection of his wartime letters - Portrait Of A Flying Yorkshireman. Later came two novels which made good use of authentic Yorkshire dialect: Invitation To Life (1934) and Song On Your Bugles (1937). He didn't think much of his 1940 children's book, Lassie Come-Home and was very surprised at its great success. His next novel, This Above All (1941), a World War Two romance, was also popular. Knight joined the United States Army and rose to the rank of Major. Working with an Army film unit under the direction of Frank Capra, Eric Knight was tragically killed in a plane crash off the coast of Suriname on January 15, 1943. MGM dedicated LASSIE COME HOME, which was released later that year, to his memory.
*************************************
The snatch of ballad Edmund Gwenn is singing while shaving in his first scene is "I Dreamt That I Dwelt In Marble Halls" from the 1843 operetta The Bohemian Girl by Michael William Balfe (1808-1870).
Family friendly classic
HotToastyRag19 July 2017
It's hard to call one particular dog "Hollywood's dog" because there are so many canine movies, but if there'a one dog who earned that title, it's Lassie. Written first in a short story, and filmed for the first time on screen in 1943, Lassie is a lovable, loyal collie. In this first film, Lassie's family resorts to desperate measures during their desperate times. They're broke and decide to sell the family dog to the Duke, but Lassie won't have it! She loves her little boy, Roddy MacDowell, too much, and follows the family after they move.
If you're animal lover, keep your Kleenexes handy, but feel free to relax. Unlike Old Yeller, this is a true family film, and can be enjoyed by even the little kiddies.
Donald Crisp and Elsa Lanchester play Roddy's parents; doesn't it seem like Donald Crisp is a perpetual father figure? He's just very trustworthy, even when he's doing something terrible, like selling his son's dog. And keep your eye out for a young, eleven-year-old Elizabeth Taylor! She's very beautiful, and for an actor to steal attention away from an on screen animal, that's an incredible achievement. Hollywood always warns against making movies with animals, since no one will pay attention to the human costars. Miss Taylor proved that old adage wrong, and it's easy to see why. The rest of the movie follows little vignettes as Lassie tries to find her way home and comes across Edmund Gwenn, Dame May Whitty, Arthur Shields, Alan Napier, and Nigel Bruce.
If you're animal lover, keep your Kleenexes handy, but feel free to relax. Unlike Old Yeller, this is a true family film, and can be enjoyed by even the little kiddies.
Donald Crisp and Elsa Lanchester play Roddy's parents; doesn't it seem like Donald Crisp is a perpetual father figure? He's just very trustworthy, even when he's doing something terrible, like selling his son's dog. And keep your eye out for a young, eleven-year-old Elizabeth Taylor! She's very beautiful, and for an actor to steal attention away from an on screen animal, that's an incredible achievement. Hollywood always warns against making movies with animals, since no one will pay attention to the human costars. Miss Taylor proved that old adage wrong, and it's easy to see why. The rest of the movie follows little vignettes as Lassie tries to find her way home and comes across Edmund Gwenn, Dame May Whitty, Arthur Shields, Alan Napier, and Nigel Bruce.
A Boy and His Dog
wes-connors20 August 2007
Lassie makes a remarkable screen debut. Under the guidance of trainer Rudd Weatherwax, the dog will become one of the most popular and enduring animal "stars" ever. It's easy to see why, in "Lassie Come Home". The collie, and its descendants, performed this basic role for some decades to come.
When the story begins, Lassie must be sold, by the poor Carracloughs: father Donald Crisp, mother Elsa Lancaster, and their boy Roddy McDowall. Mr. Crisp loses his job, and can't afford to keep the pet. Though Lassie is sold, his real emotional "owner" is the boy Joe, played by Mr. McDowall. McDowall's performance is terrific, and the others are no less than competent. The MGM color cinematography is gorgeous, and the story understandably sentimental. Interestingly, Elizabeth Taylor appears in her second film role; she will become Lassie's owner for the third series film, "Courage of Lassie" (1946).
If "Lassie, Come Home" doesn't raise some emotion, you may not be human.
********* Lassie Come Home (1943) Fred M. Wilcox ~ Roddy McDowall, Donald Crisp, Elizabeth Taylor, May Witty
When the story begins, Lassie must be sold, by the poor Carracloughs: father Donald Crisp, mother Elsa Lancaster, and their boy Roddy McDowall. Mr. Crisp loses his job, and can't afford to keep the pet. Though Lassie is sold, his real emotional "owner" is the boy Joe, played by Mr. McDowall. McDowall's performance is terrific, and the others are no less than competent. The MGM color cinematography is gorgeous, and the story understandably sentimental. Interestingly, Elizabeth Taylor appears in her second film role; she will become Lassie's owner for the third series film, "Courage of Lassie" (1946).
If "Lassie, Come Home" doesn't raise some emotion, you may not be human.
********* Lassie Come Home (1943) Fred M. Wilcox ~ Roddy McDowall, Donald Crisp, Elizabeth Taylor, May Witty
By land and by sea - a dogged journey to lift the six year old heart
ianlouisiana8 February 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Set in Priestley's beloved Yorkshire,there is a picaresque quality to "Lassie come home" that is reminiscent of that great writer's early works.In particular it seems to me to that the casting of Mr E.Gwenn as a tinker brings to mind the spirit of the Geilgud 1933 "The Good Companions"and also "Anthony Lyveden",the one masterpiece by another unfashionable English novelist Dornford Yates. Both are works very much of their age,and the same can be said of "Lassie come home"with its noble working men in their Helen Allingham cottages and bluff kindhearted noblemen doting on their granddaughters. When a proud,unemployed Yorkshireman (Mr D.Crisp - not quite managing the dialect)is forced to sell his dog to the local Duke(Mr N.Bruce - pootling his way through good naturedly)his son(Master R.McDowall - making a good fist as a wee northern lad)is very upset. The dog(Pal - not at all fazed by being forced into a gender swap) is also unhappy and eventually manages a successful home run. By sea and land - rather like the Royal Marines - Lassie gallantly and doggedly(sorry) finds her way back to the bosom of her family. On her journey she briefly enriches the life of Mr Gwenn and Dame May Witty and her husband(rather touching,actually). I suspect today's children will find it a little unsophisticated,but in a kinder,more innocent age,I doubt if there was a dry eye in the house.
a definite weepy!
Judie6414 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I love this movie. If I even watch a minute of it I'm guaranteed to cry. My favourite bit where I'm really howling my eyes out is near the end when Lassie has arrived at the cottage, looking like she's been through the wars, well, if you watch the movie, you'll know that she has!. The mother of the house attempts to feed her the last bit of food that they have in the house. The Lord who has bought the dog comes looking for lassie on the off chance that she will have traveller the hundreds of miles to be where she truly belongs. he recognises that it is indeed lassie but proclaims that there's no way that this bedraggled dog could possibly be Lassie and leaves, offering the man of the house a job looking after his dogs. Then the clock strikes four on the mantelshelf and Lassie who looks like she is unable to walk the length of herself gets up and makes her way limping pathetically toward the door. (By this time I'm working my way through the tissue box, howling "God love her") The mum and dad try to dissuade her but she keeps scratching at the door until it's opened. she makes her way toward the school to meet the boy (Roddy McDowell) and when he sees her (cue another load of tissues) he says Lassie, you've come home. It all works out in the end, the Dad gets his job with the lord looking after the dogs, Lassie has pups and the boy becomes friends with the lord's granddaughter. This movie should only be watched by people who enjoy a good greet!
Dogs are peculiar but wonderful and loyal, and so is this movie
SAMTHEBESTEST26 July 2023
Lassie Come Home (1943) :
Brief Review -
Dogs are peculiar but wonderful and loyal, and so is this movie. I might have seen hundreds of films where humans go through a long struggle to come home, but I have never seen the topic used for a dog. How lovely is this concept in the first place? Nothing can go wrong with it. Today's cinephiles may be mad about "777 Charlie," but there is "Hachi: A Dog's Take," which just can't be matched. Five decades before that, there was this classic, "Old Yeller" (1957), which was emotional as well as intellectual. Now, today I met this Lassie's tale, "Lassie Come Home," and I am so grateful. This was the first of those seven films MGM made with Lassie the dog, and how good is this? So heartwarming and touching. There have been POW escape flicks or criminal escape struggles, but can you imagine all that stuff with a dog? It's tough, but this film is about that. Lassie is sold by her owner as they need money to run the house, but neither their son nor Lassie can live without each other. Lassie runs away again and again, is brought back, and is then taken to Scotland. Who would imagine this dog would travel from Scotland to Yorkshire all alone? Lassie does it, and during this journey, you see her meeting different kinds of people-some good and some bad. In the end, her situation will definitely make you cry. This film is so sweet that I want to have a dog like Lassie right this minute. Lassie's scene with the older couple and the circus man and her fights against those different people are so beautiful. I just wonder how the dog managed it. Those jumps and stunts I can understand, but how was that crippled leg thing executed? All the cast is fine, and I didn't know Elizabeth looked so cute in her childhood. Fred M. Wilcox takes you into Lassie's world of loyalty and gratefulness, and you just can't hate it.
RATING - 7.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Dogs are peculiar but wonderful and loyal, and so is this movie. I might have seen hundreds of films where humans go through a long struggle to come home, but I have never seen the topic used for a dog. How lovely is this concept in the first place? Nothing can go wrong with it. Today's cinephiles may be mad about "777 Charlie," but there is "Hachi: A Dog's Take," which just can't be matched. Five decades before that, there was this classic, "Old Yeller" (1957), which was emotional as well as intellectual. Now, today I met this Lassie's tale, "Lassie Come Home," and I am so grateful. This was the first of those seven films MGM made with Lassie the dog, and how good is this? So heartwarming and touching. There have been POW escape flicks or criminal escape struggles, but can you imagine all that stuff with a dog? It's tough, but this film is about that. Lassie is sold by her owner as they need money to run the house, but neither their son nor Lassie can live without each other. Lassie runs away again and again, is brought back, and is then taken to Scotland. Who would imagine this dog would travel from Scotland to Yorkshire all alone? Lassie does it, and during this journey, you see her meeting different kinds of people-some good and some bad. In the end, her situation will definitely make you cry. This film is so sweet that I want to have a dog like Lassie right this minute. Lassie's scene with the older couple and the circus man and her fights against those different people are so beautiful. I just wonder how the dog managed it. Those jumps and stunts I can understand, but how was that crippled leg thing executed? All the cast is fine, and I didn't know Elizabeth looked so cute in her childhood. Fred M. Wilcox takes you into Lassie's world of loyalty and gratefulness, and you just can't hate it.
RATING - 7.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
A true "canine" delight!
TheLittleSongbird11 April 2010
Can I be honest? I wasn't expecting to love this film, I thought it would be childish and predictable. How wrong I was, Lassie Come Home is delightful! Sweet, moving and exciting, I absolutely loved the film. The cinematography is beautiful, and the scenery is lush and like looking at a watercolour painting. The music is also gorgeous, memorable and lyrical with amazing orchestration. The direction, script and story are also first rate, the script being intelligent, the direction assured and the story well paced. Also excellent was the acting, Roddy McDowall and Elizabeth Taylor are appealing as the children, Nigel Bruce gives a gruff, aggressive yet sympathetic performance with some Dr Watson-like facial expressions and Edmund Gwenn who I know best from the original Miracle on 34th Street is outstanding as Rowlie. What made the film though was Lassie, an astonishing canine performance from Pal, who acts so convincingly and moves as swiftly as the wind. Also Lassie's pining were so achingly sad, you couldn't help feel for the poor dog, especially in the very poignant ending. And yes, I cried when Toots died. Overall, I loved Lassie Come Home, though I do think it is deserving of a restoration. 10/10 Bethany Cox
Lovely family film with storybook cinematography...
moonspinner5519 July 2009
From Eric Knight's book about a beautiful Collie in England, a family dog dedicated to the little boy who loves her, who is unfortunately sold to a kennel-owner out of Scotland. Majority of the picture involves Lassie's treacherous journey home, meeting stray people and a sweet elderly couple along the way. Popular movie for the whole family is occasionally cloying and manipulative--and the dog's agitated whining left me uneasy--however the Oscar-nominated cinematography by Leonard Smith is gorgeous to behold, and the film unfolds like a lovely storybook remembered from childhood. The early-morning, dream-like surreality of several sequences raises goosebumps (aided by the marvelous score from Daniele Amfitheatrof), though the dog isn't always directed well, and some of the adult actors go over the top with their performances. Youngsters Roddy McDowall and Elizabeth Taylor are both appealing, and the conclusion is topped with a cute, if corny, final touch. **1/2 from ****
Heartwarming and beautiful but not a great quality film by todays standards
danishdonjuan22 August 2012
Warning: Spoilers
A tough move to judge by todays standards. It's a beautiful touching yet simple and predictable movie about a dogs love for its family, showing that the power of love is stronger than the will to survive. In message this movie should get a clear 10 as there is a lot of heart in this movie.
The fact it is in colour and has beautiful scenery also add to the charm of this movie which likely would be one of my favourite movies had I lived at this time. The acting or animal training of Lassie seem flawless, however I find the acting of most older movies poor by todays standards. The human acting seems staged to me and not very believable though there was some heart warming performances especially by the kids.
I found the plot, dialogue and music a bit to be desired though. The music and dialogue annoyed me in parts and distracted me from the emotion I felt and the heartwarming story. The story-line also is too simple, predicable and does not strike me as realistic matching human motives with human behaviour, so even though I shared a tear at this movie and was touched by scenes there was parts where I looked at the clock waiting for the movie to be over.
A great movie for its time, a wonderful movie for kids and any who care more about the message and heart of a movie than its quality, but by todays standards I do not think this was a great movie as the bar of movies has been raised causing it to lack in too many areas.
The fact it is in colour and has beautiful scenery also add to the charm of this movie which likely would be one of my favourite movies had I lived at this time. The acting or animal training of Lassie seem flawless, however I find the acting of most older movies poor by todays standards. The human acting seems staged to me and not very believable though there was some heart warming performances especially by the kids.
I found the plot, dialogue and music a bit to be desired though. The music and dialogue annoyed me in parts and distracted me from the emotion I felt and the heartwarming story. The story-line also is too simple, predicable and does not strike me as realistic matching human motives with human behaviour, so even though I shared a tear at this movie and was touched by scenes there was parts where I looked at the clock waiting for the movie to be over.
A great movie for its time, a wonderful movie for kids and any who care more about the message and heart of a movie than its quality, but by todays standards I do not think this was a great movie as the bar of movies has been raised causing it to lack in too many areas.
Pop Culture Starts...
gavin69425 May 2016
After her destitute family is forced to sell her, a collie named Lassie escapes from her new owner and begins the long trek from Scotland to her Yorkshire home.
The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Color and later the character of Lassie received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1993, "Lassie Come Home" was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". Bosley Crowther in The New York Times of October 8, 1943 uniformly praised the performers and production, noting that the film "tells the story of a boy and a dog, tells it with such poignance and simple beauty that only the hardest heart can fail to be moved." Now, I may not have been as moved as audiences were at the time. I may not be as big a dog lover. And you know, I might find the film a little bit quaint by today's standards. But I cannot deny the impact the film had on pop culture. There is nobody who has not heard of Lassie. Now, have they all seen this movie? Probably not. And they probably did not see the sequels. Maybe they saw the TV show, which has had many years of reruns (with "Flipper"). But it all comes back to this... even more than the book it was based on.
The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography, Color and later the character of Lassie received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1993, "Lassie Come Home" was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". Bosley Crowther in The New York Times of October 8, 1943 uniformly praised the performers and production, noting that the film "tells the story of a boy and a dog, tells it with such poignance and simple beauty that only the hardest heart can fail to be moved." Now, I may not have been as moved as audiences were at the time. I may not be as big a dog lover. And you know, I might find the film a little bit quaint by today's standards. But I cannot deny the impact the film had on pop culture. There is nobody who has not heard of Lassie. Now, have they all seen this movie? Probably not. And they probably did not see the sequels. Maybe they saw the TV show, which has had many years of reruns (with "Flipper"). But it all comes back to this... even more than the book it was based on.
Even the terminator would cry at the end of this one.
mistahcal8 August 2003
I'm not going to say much about this movie...because it is, of course, very good...BUT the end is what i want to talk about. I'm a guy so it humbles me a little to make the following comment: It makes you so happy to see that Lassie has overcome the most impossible odds just to meet Joe at school, Ya just start bawling like a lil baby! they will be some of the happiest tears you'll ever cry. 9 out of 10 just because the end makes up for any downfalls the movie might have!(not that it has many)
Classic dog movie shot in marvellous outdoors and with notorious Hollywood actors
ma-cortes16 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Lassie Come Home (1943) boasts a good cast as Elizabeth Taylor , Roddy McDowall , Donald Crisp , Dame May Witty and Edmund Gwenn . Hard times for Carraclough family (Elsa Lanchester , Donald Crisp) when they are forced to sell their dog to the wealthy Duke of Rudling (Nigel Bruce) and his granddaughter (Elizabeth Taylor) . However, Lassie (Pal), the dog, is unwilling to leave the young Joe Carraclough (Roddy McDowall) and sets out on the overlong and perilous voyage in order to rejoin him. A Thrilling Saga Of Courage And Loyalty !. The pulse-pounding adventure of an unusual collie who fought her way home . Through a thousand miles of danger !. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Technicolor Triumph! .The Picture That's True to Life. It speaks from the Heart !. A Truly Great Picture About Whose Laughs and Tears You Share. A Thrilling Story of Courage and Loyality.
Entertaining and fun dog movie filmed in wonderful landscapes with very well trained animals . The surprise box office success that spawned many sequels as well as a TV and radio series . Exciting life of a Collie named Lassie is here expanded to include the adventures of the humans who surround the dog . It packs a good cast with Roddy MacDowall who was loaned from 20th Century Fox to MGM and he joined several other Hollywood players as Donald Crisp, Elsa Lanchester , Nigel Bruce , Dame May Whity , Alan Napier and Elizabeth Taylor had only seventh billing , but with the hit of ¨National Velvet¨ was elevated to star for a follow-up : ¨Courage of Lassie¨ . This is an amusing tale of some children , a family and the most remarkable dog in the world . Dealing with the fate of a wonderful Collie dog and the people who own and command them , there are splendidly revealed as Lassie narrates the circle of his life and seen through its own carefree life and unflinching loyalty . Handsome take off of the Eric Knight family novel but sometimes capturing qualities that make this book a classic . There were some earlier "Lassies," in literature of the 1800's, as well as in silent films . Eric Knight, a British-born author, wrote a Lassie character in a short story in 1940 , then expanded it to a novel called "Lassie Come Home," which became the first Lassie sound film . This is a new classic for a new generation, a thrilling saga of courage and loyalty . The animals in this film were in no way harmed or mistreated , and all scenes in which they appeared were under strict supervision with utmost concern for their handling . Developed quite energetically , as the story starred by Lassie, is efficiently told and through its profound and wizened eyes . One thread that connects all the Lassie projects is Lassie herself . Every one of the long string of Lassie productions has featured a Collie directly descended from the original canine star, a dog named Pal . This colorful film was made with a young collie , whose biggest challenges were in scenes caring sheep and swimming across a river on her way home . The impressive scenario , photography and music enhance the story of ¨Lassie¨ and its adventures , sufferings and adversities . The tale is treated in good sense and high sensibility ; environment , animals , landscapes combine to enhance the glories of nature , one of which , after all , is beauty. It displays a glowing and glamorous cinematography by Charles Boyle . It was filmed on location in California : San Joaquin River, Calabasas , Cape Mendocino, Laguna Beach , Lake Chenan, Janss Conejo Ranch, Thousand Oaks, Lake Arrowhead, San Bernardino National Forest, Big Bear Valley . Sensitive as well as emotive musical score by Daniele Amfitheatrof. The music all plays with the soul , it is so delicately composed, performed, and chosen for the movie that it is worth seeing just to enjoy the soundtrack . The motion picture was professionally directed by Fred M. Wilcox .
Other films based on this famous novel starred by the attractive Collie are the following ones : the classic and original Lassie was first performed by a male collie named Pal and played Lassie in all of the early sound films such as ¨Lassie comes home¨ (1943) ; ¨Sons of Lassie¨ (1945) with Peter Lawford , Donald Crisp , June Lockhart and Nigel Bruce ; ¨Courage of Lassie¨ (1946) with Elizabeth Taylor , Frank Morgan , Tom Drake and Harry Davenport ; ¨Challenge to Lassie¨ with Edmund Gwenn , Donald Crisp , Geraldine Brooks and Reginald Owen . And subsequent follow-up played by Pal's descendants in the TV series and TV appearances and in most Lassie films since ¨Lassie's great adventure¨ (1963) with June Lockhart , Hugh Reilly , Jon Provost , Richard Kiel . Lasssie (1994) with Michelle Williams , Tom Guiry , Helen Slater , John Tenney , Richard Fansworth and Frederic Forrest , among others . And ¨Lassie¨(2005) by Charles Sturridge with John Lynch , Samantha Morton , Peter Dinklage , Peter O'Toole , Kelly Mcdonald , Robert Hardy , Edward Fox and John Standing . This is a great entertainment to make this enjoyable family amusement that won't leave a dry eye in the sitting room.
Entertaining and fun dog movie filmed in wonderful landscapes with very well trained animals . The surprise box office success that spawned many sequels as well as a TV and radio series . Exciting life of a Collie named Lassie is here expanded to include the adventures of the humans who surround the dog . It packs a good cast with Roddy MacDowall who was loaned from 20th Century Fox to MGM and he joined several other Hollywood players as Donald Crisp, Elsa Lanchester , Nigel Bruce , Dame May Whity , Alan Napier and Elizabeth Taylor had only seventh billing , but with the hit of ¨National Velvet¨ was elevated to star for a follow-up : ¨Courage of Lassie¨ . This is an amusing tale of some children , a family and the most remarkable dog in the world . Dealing with the fate of a wonderful Collie dog and the people who own and command them , there are splendidly revealed as Lassie narrates the circle of his life and seen through its own carefree life and unflinching loyalty . Handsome take off of the Eric Knight family novel but sometimes capturing qualities that make this book a classic . There were some earlier "Lassies," in literature of the 1800's, as well as in silent films . Eric Knight, a British-born author, wrote a Lassie character in a short story in 1940 , then expanded it to a novel called "Lassie Come Home," which became the first Lassie sound film . This is a new classic for a new generation, a thrilling saga of courage and loyalty . The animals in this film were in no way harmed or mistreated , and all scenes in which they appeared were under strict supervision with utmost concern for their handling . Developed quite energetically , as the story starred by Lassie, is efficiently told and through its profound and wizened eyes . One thread that connects all the Lassie projects is Lassie herself . Every one of the long string of Lassie productions has featured a Collie directly descended from the original canine star, a dog named Pal . This colorful film was made with a young collie , whose biggest challenges were in scenes caring sheep and swimming across a river on her way home . The impressive scenario , photography and music enhance the story of ¨Lassie¨ and its adventures , sufferings and adversities . The tale is treated in good sense and high sensibility ; environment , animals , landscapes combine to enhance the glories of nature , one of which , after all , is beauty. It displays a glowing and glamorous cinematography by Charles Boyle . It was filmed on location in California : San Joaquin River, Calabasas , Cape Mendocino, Laguna Beach , Lake Chenan, Janss Conejo Ranch, Thousand Oaks, Lake Arrowhead, San Bernardino National Forest, Big Bear Valley . Sensitive as well as emotive musical score by Daniele Amfitheatrof. The music all plays with the soul , it is so delicately composed, performed, and chosen for the movie that it is worth seeing just to enjoy the soundtrack . The motion picture was professionally directed by Fred M. Wilcox .
Other films based on this famous novel starred by the attractive Collie are the following ones : the classic and original Lassie was first performed by a male collie named Pal and played Lassie in all of the early sound films such as ¨Lassie comes home¨ (1943) ; ¨Sons of Lassie¨ (1945) with Peter Lawford , Donald Crisp , June Lockhart and Nigel Bruce ; ¨Courage of Lassie¨ (1946) with Elizabeth Taylor , Frank Morgan , Tom Drake and Harry Davenport ; ¨Challenge to Lassie¨ with Edmund Gwenn , Donald Crisp , Geraldine Brooks and Reginald Owen . And subsequent follow-up played by Pal's descendants in the TV series and TV appearances and in most Lassie films since ¨Lassie's great adventure¨ (1963) with June Lockhart , Hugh Reilly , Jon Provost , Richard Kiel . Lasssie (1994) with Michelle Williams , Tom Guiry , Helen Slater , John Tenney , Richard Fansworth and Frederic Forrest , among others . And ¨Lassie¨(2005) by Charles Sturridge with John Lynch , Samantha Morton , Peter Dinklage , Peter O'Toole , Kelly Mcdonald , Robert Hardy , Edward Fox and John Standing . This is a great entertainment to make this enjoyable family amusement that won't leave a dry eye in the sitting room.
Sad, Tearful and Wonderful
Scoval719 February 2012
A classic. A dear story of a impoverished English family who has to sell their prized possession, a collie dog named Lassie, to make ends meet. I never tire of seeing this movie whenever it plays, even though I own the DVD. Make sure to get out a handkerchief or some tissues for, surely, you will be tearful, if not totally slobbering. It is that touching and endearing. It is without time constraints, veneer or facade. This was the first Lassie movie and showcases the first Lassie. Now, in 2012, as I write this review, there is Lassie 10, a direct descendant of the original brilliant collie. Again, the collie escapes to travel many miles from Scotland to England to reunite with his master. He endures great hardships on his journey. The movie is lustrous, brilliant, and excellently acted with young ELizabeth Taylor. Just a lovely classic movie, as modern as it is old fashioned, yet not old fashioned at all. I enjoyed the speech patterns and scenery. A movie that is for any age, but remember, get out the tissues. What an endearing movie.
Ye Ole War Horse
tieman6413 February 2012
Warning: Spoilers
"Sentimentality is the emotional promiscuity of those who have no sentiment." - Norman Mailer
Fred Wilcox directs "Lassie Come Home". The plot: as the Great Depression has left Mr and Mrs Carraclough with little money, they resort to selling Lassie, the adorable dog of their adorable son Joe. Lassie's new owner is a wealthy Duke, who takes Lassie to Scotland, a country several hundred miles away from her previous home in Yorkshire, England. Unfortunately Lassie misses Joe dearly. She thus escapes the grip of her new owner and embarks on an epic cross-country journey rife with danger, peril, spectacular scenery and seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Lassie then arrives back in the hands of Joe, the devoted kid who never stopped loving her.
Though some kind of classic, modern audiences will no doubt have no time for "Lassie". No matter, as Steven Spielberg's recent "War Horse", based on a blockbuster play by Nick Stafford (and novel by Michael Morpurgo), is virtually a scene-for-scene remake. Watching Stafford's play, it's immediately apparent why Spielberg would be interested in turning Morpurgo's material into a film. "War Horse" not only ticks all of Spielberg's usual boxes (brand recognition, carnage, hokey sentimentality, children's book plot, much war, special effects and spectacle), but is a literal retelling of "Lassie Come Home", one of Spielberg's favourite films. It's a "boy loves horse, boy loses horse, boy goes through hell to find horse" trajectory, with "Lassie's" roles reversed. Instead of Lassie finding Joe, we have a horse called Joey (Morpurgo couldn't even bother changing character names) being sought after by a boy, Albert, who bravely treks across war-torn Europe (specifically World War 1) in search of his gigantic pet ("Lassie" was itself remade as "Gypsy Colt" in 1954 with a horse instead of a dog). The play and film then end with a shamelessly extended piece of audience manipulation, in which Albert, blinded by gas, is unknowingly within inches of a wounded Joey, who is about to be shot. And so viewers sit on the edges of their seats: will Joey be shot? Will Albert find his best friend? Will boy and horse be reunited? Will Joey die? Will Albert die? You already know the answer. And of course Lassie made it home as well.
It makes sense that Spielberg would be drawn to "War Horse", as all his films are remakes of a certain type or era of film (call it 1950s schmaltz plus gleeful sadism). He thinks he's Ford plus Kramer plus Capra plus Sturges plus Disney plus Hitchcock, and does his best to channel the films he adored in his youth. So "ET" is "Old Yeller" with an alien instead of dog, the Indie and dinosaur movies channel old adventure serials, his "serious history movies" are all Kramer inspired sermons, his "War of the Worlds" is George Pal/"Invaders from Mars" with shaky-cam and "Private Ryan" is every RKO/Warner/Paramount war B movie he saw as a kid. No surprise too that he recently scrapped a planned remake of "Harvey" (a Capra-toned Jimmy Stewart vehicle and play by Mary Chase) and that Stafford's "War Horse" ends with a scene straight out of Ford's "How Green Was My Valley", a silent, tearful reunion which no doubt brought Spielberg back to his childhood fondness for Ford. Indeed, much of "Lassie's" own cast (Elsa Lanchester, Donald Crisp, Roddy McDowall etc) can be found in Ford's "Valley", another rough-hewn and supposedly uplifting ode to rural working class life.
"War Horse" - both film and play – also captures the kind of hypocrisy typical of both Spielberg and his influences, it's narrative not only cynically calculated to pander to the basest of emotions (the play pushes buttons like a caffeinated monkey with a cash register), but busy salivating over the spectacle of carnage. Killing is bad, you see, but check out them special effects baby. It's Stanley Kramer preaching ("Holocaust bad!", "Slavery bad!") plus Hitchcockian glee ("Murder sells!"). The play's so, not politically correct but politically irrelevant, that it includes a major "cute, good German" role and allows hero horse Albert to "fight on both sides of a war".
But of course it's all about the special effects. Stafford's "War Horse" became a blockbuster not only because of its hokey plot (as Andrew Lloyd Weber has proved, most theatre goers are not theatre goers), but because of its elaborate, eye-popping special effects. The play features complex puppet work by the Handspring Puppet Company – the theatre equivalent of CGI – and its second act is an orgy of explosions, machine gun fire, death, murder, flashing lights, whizzes, bangs, back-lighting and dazzling FX. In short, the play is already your typical Spielberg movie; remove the special effects and there is nothing there. Spectacle is its raison d'etre.
Meanwhile there's "Lassie Come Home", a film that now wishes it had a couple A-bombs to drop on poor Lassie. That's how modern audiences like their sentimentality: bloody. Nothing says I love you more than dodging 1.2 mega-tonnes of TNT.
7.5/10 - Worth one viewing.
Fred Wilcox directs "Lassie Come Home". The plot: as the Great Depression has left Mr and Mrs Carraclough with little money, they resort to selling Lassie, the adorable dog of their adorable son Joe. Lassie's new owner is a wealthy Duke, who takes Lassie to Scotland, a country several hundred miles away from her previous home in Yorkshire, England. Unfortunately Lassie misses Joe dearly. She thus escapes the grip of her new owner and embarks on an epic cross-country journey rife with danger, peril, spectacular scenery and seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Lassie then arrives back in the hands of Joe, the devoted kid who never stopped loving her.
Though some kind of classic, modern audiences will no doubt have no time for "Lassie". No matter, as Steven Spielberg's recent "War Horse", based on a blockbuster play by Nick Stafford (and novel by Michael Morpurgo), is virtually a scene-for-scene remake. Watching Stafford's play, it's immediately apparent why Spielberg would be interested in turning Morpurgo's material into a film. "War Horse" not only ticks all of Spielberg's usual boxes (brand recognition, carnage, hokey sentimentality, children's book plot, much war, special effects and spectacle), but is a literal retelling of "Lassie Come Home", one of Spielberg's favourite films. It's a "boy loves horse, boy loses horse, boy goes through hell to find horse" trajectory, with "Lassie's" roles reversed. Instead of Lassie finding Joe, we have a horse called Joey (Morpurgo couldn't even bother changing character names) being sought after by a boy, Albert, who bravely treks across war-torn Europe (specifically World War 1) in search of his gigantic pet ("Lassie" was itself remade as "Gypsy Colt" in 1954 with a horse instead of a dog). The play and film then end with a shamelessly extended piece of audience manipulation, in which Albert, blinded by gas, is unknowingly within inches of a wounded Joey, who is about to be shot. And so viewers sit on the edges of their seats: will Joey be shot? Will Albert find his best friend? Will boy and horse be reunited? Will Joey die? Will Albert die? You already know the answer. And of course Lassie made it home as well.
It makes sense that Spielberg would be drawn to "War Horse", as all his films are remakes of a certain type or era of film (call it 1950s schmaltz plus gleeful sadism). He thinks he's Ford plus Kramer plus Capra plus Sturges plus Disney plus Hitchcock, and does his best to channel the films he adored in his youth. So "ET" is "Old Yeller" with an alien instead of dog, the Indie and dinosaur movies channel old adventure serials, his "serious history movies" are all Kramer inspired sermons, his "War of the Worlds" is George Pal/"Invaders from Mars" with shaky-cam and "Private Ryan" is every RKO/Warner/Paramount war B movie he saw as a kid. No surprise too that he recently scrapped a planned remake of "Harvey" (a Capra-toned Jimmy Stewart vehicle and play by Mary Chase) and that Stafford's "War Horse" ends with a scene straight out of Ford's "How Green Was My Valley", a silent, tearful reunion which no doubt brought Spielberg back to his childhood fondness for Ford. Indeed, much of "Lassie's" own cast (Elsa Lanchester, Donald Crisp, Roddy McDowall etc) can be found in Ford's "Valley", another rough-hewn and supposedly uplifting ode to rural working class life.
"War Horse" - both film and play – also captures the kind of hypocrisy typical of both Spielberg and his influences, it's narrative not only cynically calculated to pander to the basest of emotions (the play pushes buttons like a caffeinated monkey with a cash register), but busy salivating over the spectacle of carnage. Killing is bad, you see, but check out them special effects baby. It's Stanley Kramer preaching ("Holocaust bad!", "Slavery bad!") plus Hitchcockian glee ("Murder sells!"). The play's so, not politically correct but politically irrelevant, that it includes a major "cute, good German" role and allows hero horse Albert to "fight on both sides of a war".
But of course it's all about the special effects. Stafford's "War Horse" became a blockbuster not only because of its hokey plot (as Andrew Lloyd Weber has proved, most theatre goers are not theatre goers), but because of its elaborate, eye-popping special effects. The play features complex puppet work by the Handspring Puppet Company – the theatre equivalent of CGI – and its second act is an orgy of explosions, machine gun fire, death, murder, flashing lights, whizzes, bangs, back-lighting and dazzling FX. In short, the play is already your typical Spielberg movie; remove the special effects and there is nothing there. Spectacle is its raison d'etre.
Meanwhile there's "Lassie Come Home", a film that now wishes it had a couple A-bombs to drop on poor Lassie. That's how modern audiences like their sentimentality: bloody. Nothing says I love you more than dodging 1.2 mega-tonnes of TNT.
7.5/10 - Worth one viewing.
Flawed but has great heart
loloandpete31 December 2020
Fascinating cast- Lassie's 'family' consists of Donald Crisp, Elsa Lanchester & Roddy McDowell and her purchasers' Nigel Bruce & a young Elizabeth Taylor! Elsewhere in the cast we have Edmund Gwenn, Dame May Whitty, Alan Napier and Arthur Shields. Unfortunately there is some dire accent work in both the Yorkshire and Scottish scenes but despite this the film has great heart and is beautifully and colourfully filmed. Bruce, billed 5th as the Duke of Rudling is in excellent form, avuncular, twinkly and grumpy at different times.
A Story Of Love And Courage
jcholguin2 July 2003
I love dogs so this movie is probably the best ever of showing the courage and love of a dog. This film is set in a little Yorkshire town. Two of the great character actors (Donald Crisp and Edmund Gwenn) as Sam Carraclough and Rowlie Palmer respectively add so much to the "feel" of this film. Carraclough family needs money so sell the only thing of worth, a dog named Lassie to Nigel Bruce "the Duke." Roddy McDowall plays Joe Carraclough who loves the dog with all his heart and vice-versa from Lassie. The dog is taken to Scotland and Lassie must escape in order to "come home" to Joe. There is a great river to swim to reach England but Lassie does it. The cost is great, she is near death until an old couple care for her and nurse her back to health. But something is wrong, at 3:50pm each day she must leave somewhere? The couple gave her freedom for the journey home. Lassie then joins Rowlie Palmer a "pots/pans" traveling salesman along with his own beloved dog, Toots. Little Toots is better than a wife for Rowlie because she is neat, clean and gives no back check to Rowlie. Poor Toots is killed trying to save her master. Finally Lassie makes it home. Damaged, injured and a wanted dog, she braves whatever it takes to get home. But wait, she belongs to the Duke not Joe, can the humans in the story arrange a proper home for Lassie? Tune in to this classic and find out.
Charming family film
Towel Dude21 July 2023
Charming family film that works best when young Roddy McDowall and Elizabeth Taylor are onscreen with Lassie.
No amount of CGI could ever match these old school scenes of geniune warmth and connection between kids and a very smart, clever, and loyal dog.
Scenes of Lassie's long, dangerous trek home across forests, rivers, shorelines, mountains, and valleys are also first rate and well orchestrated.
Movie loses some impact due to unecessary side excursions into Lassie's dealings with a street performer, and an elderly couple.
But the film's feel good appeal is strong enough to overcome these few storytelling lulls.
No amount of CGI could ever match these old school scenes of geniune warmth and connection between kids and a very smart, clever, and loyal dog.
Scenes of Lassie's long, dangerous trek home across forests, rivers, shorelines, mountains, and valleys are also first rate and well orchestrated.
Movie loses some impact due to unecessary side excursions into Lassie's dealings with a street performer, and an elderly couple.
But the film's feel good appeal is strong enough to overcome these few storytelling lulls.
The first, and best, Lassie film...
planktonrules14 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
"Lassie Come Home" is an incredibly well made and beautiful looking family film. It represents the best film of its kind MGM could make and is the best of the Lassie movies. And, although it's full of schmaltz, it's such well made schmaltz that just about everyone will enjoy the film if you give it a chance.
When the film begins, the Carraclough family is in serious trouble. They're a poor English family and need money and so the father (Donald Crisp) decides to sell their one prized possession...their dog Lassie! Considering how his son adores the dog, and vice-versa, your heart breaks when little Roddy McDowell has to part with the pooch. What follows is escape after escape...and the dog amazingly is able to somehow find its way back home to the Carracloughs.
Heartwarming...and a tear-jerker. All of the best qualities MGM could put into a film are stuffed into this one--loved color cinematography, very moody and fitting music, some wonderful supporting contract players (such as Edmund Gwen, Elizabeth Taylor and many others) and the MGM style all make this a sweet film and a must-see for everyone but the grouchiest viewers.
When the film begins, the Carraclough family is in serious trouble. They're a poor English family and need money and so the father (Donald Crisp) decides to sell their one prized possession...their dog Lassie! Considering how his son adores the dog, and vice-versa, your heart breaks when little Roddy McDowell has to part with the pooch. What follows is escape after escape...and the dog amazingly is able to somehow find its way back home to the Carracloughs.
Heartwarming...and a tear-jerker. All of the best qualities MGM could put into a film are stuffed into this one--loved color cinematography, very moody and fitting music, some wonderful supporting contract players (such as Edmund Gwen, Elizabeth Taylor and many others) and the MGM style all make this a sweet film and a must-see for everyone but the grouchiest viewers.
Even Among A Stellar Human Cast, Pal Shines
frankwiener18 November 2021
For me, this is a film that has certainly withstood the test of time. Although I have seen it many times, it still makes a very strong emotional impact on me. Even though I know the outcome by now, observing this poor dog endure so many hardships in "her" journey from England to Scotland through many obstacles is still a very painful but engaging view for me.
Although I appreciate Elizabeth Taylor as an adult actor, there is an awkward, stilted aspect to her childhood roles. There is an overshadowing aura of sadness to them. Roddy McDowell, as Joe, seems far less oppressed here than poor Elizabeth. By the time she starred in "Place in the Sun", she managed to achieve a welcome sense of balance and ease before the camera. In my humble view, she owes much to the great director, George Stevens, for showing her the way forward to a very successful career.
In addition to the extraordinary talent and charisma of Pal as the lead dog, the film features an outstanding human cast, including Donald Crisp, Elsa Lanchester, Nigel Bruce, Dame May Whitty, and Edmund Gwenn. Fred Wilcox's excellent direction, some very good writing by Eric Knight (the novel) and Hugo Butler (screenplay), beautiful cinematography, and a fitting musical score by Daniele Amfitheatrof (love that name) combine to create a very visually appealing film, especially for dog lovers and lifelong dog companions like me.
Although I appreciate Elizabeth Taylor as an adult actor, there is an awkward, stilted aspect to her childhood roles. There is an overshadowing aura of sadness to them. Roddy McDowell, as Joe, seems far less oppressed here than poor Elizabeth. By the time she starred in "Place in the Sun", she managed to achieve a welcome sense of balance and ease before the camera. In my humble view, she owes much to the great director, George Stevens, for showing her the way forward to a very successful career.
In addition to the extraordinary talent and charisma of Pal as the lead dog, the film features an outstanding human cast, including Donald Crisp, Elsa Lanchester, Nigel Bruce, Dame May Whitty, and Edmund Gwenn. Fred Wilcox's excellent direction, some very good writing by Eric Knight (the novel) and Hugo Butler (screenplay), beautiful cinematography, and a fitting musical score by Daniele Amfitheatrof (love that name) combine to create a very visually appealing film, especially for dog lovers and lifelong dog companions like me.
Rough
eubanksje5 December 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Lassie was before my time, so I thought I would give this movie a try. This movie was PAINFUL. The dog acting was amazing, Pal did a splendid job, along with pup who played Toots. The movie itself is too violent for dog lovers (or maybe just me). I could have handled it if it was JUST Lassie, I mean, obviously, she's the hero, but Toots dying was horrid and the dog fight terrible, and Pal was shot (perhaps not with a bullet) but those skid marks and the way his hind end moved in one direction while his front went the other... That's an animal getting shot with some force. The movie was just very cringey for me and the animal cruelty was too much, even if some of it was just acting.
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