Lassie Come Home (1943)

Tagline: The pulse-pounding adventure of an unusual collie who fought her way home . . . through a thousand miles of danger!

Plot Outline: Hard times came for Carraclough family and they are forced to sell their dog to the rich Duke of Rudling.

Plot Keywords: Animal Abuse / Dog Actor / Dog / Lassie / Duke

User Comments: A lot of fun.

Awards: Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins

Cast overview


Roddy McDowall … Joe Carraclough
Donald Crisp … Sam Carraclough
Dame May Whitty … Dally Fadden
Edmund Gwenn … Rowlie Palmer
Nigel Bruce … Duke of Rudling

Elsa Lanchester … Mrs. Helen Carraclough

Elizabeth Taylor … Priscilla
Ben Webster … Dan'l Fadden
J. Pat O'Malley … Hynes (as J. Patrick O'Malley)
Alan Napier … Jock
Arthur Shields … Andrew
John Rogers … Snickers
Alec Craig … Buckles

Director: Fred M. Wilcox
Writers: Eric Knight (novel)
Hugo Butler (screenplay)



ImdB:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0036098/


There are few stories with more potential for tearjerking than that of a boy and his dog, and few such stories do it quite so well as Lassie Come Home. Based on a best-selling novel by Eric Knight, this is the movie that launched the Lassie empire of films, television shows, and countless tie-ins. While the concept eventually became so cliché as to be a joke, it's done with a heartfelt earnestness here the first time out.

In Yorkshire during the Great Depression, young Joe Carraclough (Roddy McDowall) loves his best friend, the collie Lassie, who greets him every day at the school door at 4 PM. But his parents (Donald Crisp and Elsa Lanchester) are in desperate financial straits, and Lassie is their only salable possession. Reluctantly, the father sells the dog to the Duke of Rudling (Nigel Bruce) for use as a show dog. But Lassie repeatedly escapes, returning to Joe's side. Finally, the Duke takes Lassie to Scotland for competition, but with the connivance of the Duke's young granddaughter Priscilla (a preteen Elizabeth Taylor), Lassie makes her way free again, only to face hundreds of miles of overland trek as she bravely makes her way to her beloved Joe.

This was a project that was clearly taken seriously by MGM; it sports a first-rate cast, led by McDowall, fresh off How Green Was My Valley and My Friend Flicka. He has a tearful sincerity that drives the picture even for those who despise such vehicles for child actors. Crisp, Lanchester and Bruce are all reliable character actors, and even Dame May Whitty and Edmund Gwenn get into the act as people who befriend Lassie on her long trek. Particularly memorable is a young J. Pat O'Malley as Hynes, the cruel kennel master for the Duke. Lassie herself demonstrates clear intelligence without becoming ridiculous, as often was the case during the long-running television series.

There's no denying that this picture will be profoundly affecting for any dog owner or dog lover. I watched it with my dog Ginger and I found myself bawling repeatedly at the emotional tugs that the highly-charged and poignant tale makes throughout. Recommended for the whole family.