Lassie Come Home

LASSIE COME HOME gives the screen’s first dog star, Rin Tin Tin, a run for his money, mostly thanks to its rich Technicolor cinematography and its top-shelf cast. Set in days gone by where everyone talks in “thees” and “thous”, a poor Yorkshire family owns a magnificent collie, Lassie, who knows what time her boy Joe gets out of school each day. Unfortunately, the boy’s father is unemployed and the family is forced to sell the dog to a wealthy Scottish dog enthusiast with a big-hearted granddaughter. Hauled off to Scotland, Lassie finds a way to escape and travels cross-country to get back to Joe. Unlike Rin-Tin-Tin, Lassie was not really an “actor”. She looks as if she’s paying attention to an off-screen trainer rather than "playing" the scene. But she followed orders well and did some amazing stunts, like hobbling back to the schoolyard on a “broken” leg to meet her boy. She also had screen personality to burn. “Lassie” was created by Eric Knight, a British soldier who fought in World War I and – having adopted the U.S. as his home – died in World War II as an American soldier. Released in 1943, in the thick of the war, LASSIE COME HOME is respectfully dedicated to him. (Jeffrey M. Anderson)

With GOOD-BYE, MY LADY